<p>I find Chinese much less difficult than Japanese. Chinese is a very tone-based language and requires an auditory and linguistic finesse that is hard to master. Japanese is very even, has only two different tones (more like accents really, though they don’t affect timing as English syllabic accents do). However, the word modifications and honorific language elements in Japanese make it very difficult for English speakers. For example, when someone says “bye” to you in English, it is almost instinctual to respond with the same. However, in Japanese, if a teacher says “bye” you say the equivalent of “I shall take me leave.” I find it weird. Still, it’s a lot more fun.</p>