Introduction to Chinese

? 1. What Is “了” and Why Does It Confuse Learners? If you’re learning Mandarin, you’ve probably come across the character 了 (le) more than once. It’s one of the first grammar markers introduced in most textbooks — but also one of the most misunderstood. Many learners describe it as a mystery: sometimes it appears after verbs, sometimes at the end of sentences, and sometimes it seems to disappear altogether even when logic suggests it should be there. So what exactly is “了”, and how do you know when to use it? In short: “了” marks changes, completion, or […]

? 1. What Are Measure Words? In English, you can say “one book,” “two chairs,” or “a glass of water” — and usually, the noun itself tells you what kind of object you’re talking about. But in Mandarin, there’s an extra step: before a noun, you often need a measure word (also called a classifier). This might sound unfamiliar at first, but it’s not entirely unique to Chinese. English has similar structures with phrases like: In Mandarin, this structure is used almost every time you count something — even simple things like books or people. For example: ENGLISH MANDARIN […]

❗ 1. Why Do So Many Learners Struggle at First? Learning Mandarin can be exciting — but also frustrating. Many beginners start with high motivation, only to hit a wall after a few weeks or months. Why? Often, it’s not because the language is too hard — it’s because of common mistakes that slow down progress and create confusion. The good news? Most of these mistakes are predictable — and fixable . Here are the most common ones learners make — and how to avoid them. ? 1. Mistake #1: Relying Too Much on Pinyin Without Learning Characters It’s […]

?️ 1. Why Speaking Practice Is Essential Mandarin is not just a language of characters and grammar — it’s a spoken language, used by over a billion people in real-life conversations every day. While reading and writing are important, speaking is what lets you: But here’s the challenge many learners face: “I want to speak more, but I don’t have anyone to talk to.” The good news? You don’t need a conversation partner every day to make meaningful progress. There are many effective ways to practice speaking Mandarin daily , even if you’re learning on your own. ? 2. […]

? 1. What Are Tones in Mandarin? Mandarin Chinese is a tonal language , which means that the meaning of a word changes depending on how it’s pronounced — specifically, the pitch or tone used when saying it. Unlike English, where tone might express emotion (like surprise or sarcasm), in Mandarin, tone is part of the actual word. If you say a word with the wrong tone, it can mean something completely different — sometimes even embarrassing. There are four main tones in Mandarin, plus a neutral tone : TONE PITCH PATTERN EXAMPLE 1st High and level (like singing) […]

Chinese Learning ? 1. What Is a Radical? If you’ve ever tried to look up a Chinese character in a dictionary, you’ve probably come across the term radical . But what exactly is a radical — and why does it matter when learning Chinese? A radical (部首 – bùshǒu ) is one of the basic components used to classify and organize Chinese characters. Most characters are made up of smaller parts, and radicals are often the meaning-bearing part of the character. Think of them as the “building blocks” that help you understand and remember characters more easily. For example: […]

? 1. Why Recognizing Characters Matters When you start learning Chinese, the idea of recognizing and remembering even a few characters can feel overwhelming — especially if you’re used to reading and writing in an alphabet-based language. But here’s the truth: You don’t need to memorize thousands of characters overnight. In fact, most beginners find that recognizing just a handful of key characters gives them a real sense of progress — and makes everything from signs to menus suddenly feel more familiar. The trick is to start with the right characters and learn them in a way that sticks. […]

✍️ 1. What Are Chinese Characters? If you’ve ever seen a piece of Chinese calligraphy or read a menu in China, you’ve probably noticed the unique and beautiful Chinese characters . Unlike English, which uses an alphabet of letters, Chinese uses a system of logographic characters , where each character represents a meaning , not just a sound. This might seem complex at first, but once you understand how it works, it becomes not only manageable — it can be quite satisfying. ? 2. How Many Characters Are There? You might have heard people say there are “tens of […]

? 1. What Exactly Is Pinyin? If you’re just starting to learn Chinese, you’ve probably heard the word pinyin before — but what does it actually mean? Pinyin is a system that uses the Latin alphabet to represent the sounds of Mandarin Chinese. It was officially developed in the 1950s and has since become the standard way for learners (and even native speakers) to understand how words are pronounced. Think of it like this: pinyin is to Chinese characters as phonics are to English spelling — it helps you read and say words correctly , even if you don’t […]