I have started learning Chinese these days

[hirashin]

Dear native English speakers,
Do you ever use "these days" like this: "I have started learning Chinese these days"?

Thanks in advance.
Hirashin

 

[nice gaijin]

"starting" has a definitive start point, and "these days" is kind of vague and ongoing

I would probably use it with the present perfect continuous, if anything. So like: "I have been studying Chinese these days"

Use "these days" as interchangeable with "lately"

 

[mdchachi]

Dear native English speakers,
Do you ever use "these days" like this: "I have started learning Chinese these days"?

That sounds fine to me.

 

[hirashin]

Thanks for the help, nice gaijin and mdchachi. Each of you has a different view. Interesting.
How about these? Would any of them be used?
(a) I'm learning/studying Chinese these days.
(b) I learn/study Chinese these days.

 

[mdchachi]

Thanks for the help, nice gaijin and mdchachi. Each of you has a different view. Interesting.
How about these? Would any of them be used?
(a) I'm learning/studying Chinese these days.
(b) I learn/study Chinese these days.

All four of these sound ok to me and all have basically the same meaning.

 

[nice gaijin]

There's no issue grammatically, it just comes down to personal preference for how you want to phrase yourself. I can imagine slightly different situations for each of the sentences where they would be most appropriate, but I would stick with the present perfect continuous for the most part.

 

[hirashin]

Thanks for the help, mdchachi and nice gaijin.