Guides
Learning guides
Short, practical guides to the things English speakers need early when learning to read Chinese.
The four tones of MandarinWhy mā, má, mǎ, and mà are four different words — and how to hear and produce each tone.How to read pinyinPinyin is not English spelling. The sounds behind q, x, zh, c, and ü, explained.Where to startWhy frequency order beats textbook order, how many characters to aim for, and the word-first rule.How characters are builtMost characters are a meaning part plus a sound part. Use that structure to learn faster.Learn words, not just charactersA character only comes alive inside words. Learn how to move from single characters to real reading.A daily character routineA calm 15-minute routine for building character memory without turning study into a chore.
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