Learn Hardcore Chinese: tā yīngwén hěn hǎo, dànshì xué zhōngwén hěn nán. - Her English is very good, but learning Chinese is difficult.

In Chinese, adjectives can directly serve as predicates. The natural pattern is: noun phrase + degree adverb + adjective, e.g., 她的英文很好 (tā de yīngwén hěn hǎo). You generally don’t put 是 before an adjective. Using 是 here (e.g., 她的英文是很好) adds emphatic or contrastive meaning: “Her English is indeed very good (but…)”. For a neutral statement, skip 是.

Does 很 (hěn) really mean “very” here?

Not necessarily. In predicate adjective sentences, 很 often functions as a “linker” to make the sentence sound natural, and it may be close to neutral (“is good/hard”) rather than emphatically “very.” If you truly mean “very,” use stronger degree words like 非常/特别/真的: 她的英文非常好; 学中文特别难.

Should it be 她的英文很好 instead of 她英文很好? Is dropping 的 okay?

Textbook-standard is 她的英文很好. Dropping 的 (as in 她英文很好) occurs in colloquial speech (common in Taiwan and also heard in northern Mandarin), but it’s less formal. Another analysis is a topic-comment split: 她，英文很好 (“As for her, [her] English is good”). For safe, neutral usage—especially in writing—keep 的.

What’s the difference between 英文 and 英语?

Both can mean “English (language).”

英语 (yīngyǔ): standard term in Mainland schools for the English language.
英文 (yīngwén): literally “English writing/script,” but widely used in everyday speech to mean “English,” especially in Taiwan. In this sentence, either is fine.

中文 vs 汉语: are they the same?

Largely interchangeable in everyday use.

中文 (zhōngwén): “Chinese (language),” often with a broad sense including reading/writing; common in Taiwan and in casual speech.
汉语 (hànyǔ): “the Han (Chinese) language,” a bit more formal/linguistic; seen in terms like 汉语水平考试 (HSK).
Both 学中文 and 学汉语 are acceptable.

学 vs 学习: is there a difference?

学 (xué) is shorter and very common in speech. 学习 (xuéxí) is more formal or emphasizes the process of studying. Both can take objects: 学中文 / 学习中文.

Why is 但是 used here? How about 可是 or 不过?

All mean “but/however,” with nuance:

但是 (dànshì): neutral to formal; common in writing.
可是 (kěshì): more colloquial or emotive.
不过 (búguò): “however/only” with a softer contrast.
All three would work in this sentence; pick based on tone and style.

Why isn’t the subject repeated in the second clause (为什么不是 “但是她学中文很难”)?

Chinese often drops repeated subjects when context is clear. 但是学中文很难 can be read as a general contrast (“…but learning Chinese is hard”). If you specifically mean it is hard for her, say 但是她学中文很难 or make it explicit: 但是对她来说，学中文很难 (“but for her, learning Chinese is hard”).

Can I say 中文很难学 or 学中文很难? Do they differ?

Both are natural:

学中文很难: “Learning Chinese is hard” (action-focused).
中文很难学: “Chinese is hard to learn” (property of Chinese).
Meaning is essentially the same; 中文很难 is also fine (“Chinese is hard”) but slightly more general.

Could I just say 但是中文很难 (drop 学)?

Yes. 但是中文很难 means “but Chinese is hard.” It’s a broader statement than 学中文很难, which highlights the learning process. Choose based on what you want to emphasize.

How should I pronounce the tones here? Any tone sandhi to watch?

她 tā (1)
英文 yīngwén (1-2)
很 hěn (3) + 好 hǎo (3) → 3rd tone sandhi: pronounce as 2-3 (sounds like “hén hǎo”)
但是 dànshì (4-4)
学 xué (2)
中文 zhōngwén (1-2)
很难 hěn nán (3-2): no sandhi needed here
In casual speech, 很 can be lightly toned when not emphasized.

Why are there two instances of 很 in one sentence? Is that redundant?

No. Each predicate adjective normally takes its own degree marker: 英文很好 and 学中文很难. It’s standard and doesn’t feel repetitive to native speakers.

Can I use 虽然…但是… to express the contrast?

Yes. For example: 虽然她的英文很好，但是学中文很难。 Or 她的英文虽然很好，但是学中文很难。 Adding 虽然 makes the “although…but” relationship explicit.

Are there alternatives to 难 for “hard/difficult”?

Common options:

不容易 (bù róngyì): not easy
困难 (kùnnán): difficult (more formal)
难学 (nánxué): hard to learn
吃力 (chīlì): strenuous/taxing (often about effort)
e.g., 学中文不容易, 中文很难学, 她学中文很吃力.

Is it okay to start a sentence with 但是? What about the comma?

Yes, starting with 但是 is acceptable: 但是，学中文很难。 Within one sentence, placing ，但是 between two clauses (as in your example) is also standard in Chinese punctuation.

Are spaces between words normal in Chinese?

No. Standard written Chinese does not use spaces between words. The spaces you see are for teaching/segmentation. A normal written version would be: 她的英文很好，但是学中文很难。

Do 她 (she), 他 (he), and 它 (it) sound different?

They’re all pronounced tā (first tone) in standard Mandarin; the gender/thing distinction exists only in writing.