Learn Beginner Chinese: Fluent Conversation Made FUN & EASY

Welcome to Chinese tones. Here we explain what the Chinese tones are, why they're important, and get you started using the first tone.

In this lecture, we'll explain to you what the second tone is and give you some practice saying second tone words along with first tone words.

OK, moving on here, let's tackle the third tone and practice using it. 

In this video, we teach you the fourth tone of Chinese and give you some more practice.  Let's get to it!

In this video, we teach you what the neutral tone in Chinese sounds like, and we also give you a nice practice session where you put together everything you've learned so far. 

In this video, we explain to you what Pinyin is and why it's important to learn it.  Make sure you stay with our series on Pinyin because we don't just tell you what sounds the letters make; we also tell you how to move your speech organs to make sure you're saying them properly.

Most of the consonants in Pinyin sound like they do in English, thankfully.  Here, we start teaching you the ones that don't, namely: D, T, C, and Z.  You'll also learn what the letter A says in Pinyin when it's at the end of a syllable.

In this video, you'll learn how to pronounce the Pinyin letter R in conjunction with the letter U.  The letter R is one of the harder letters to pronounce in Chinese, but don't sweat.  We'll explain to you where to put your tongue to say it correctly.

Here, we teach you how to pronounce the Pinyin letter J in conjunction with the vowel i.

Here we cover the letter Q, which is very different from how it's pronounced in English.  We practice it in conjunction with the vowel i.

Here we cover how to pronounce the letter X, which sounds nothing like it does in English.  You'll practice it in conjunction with the vowel i.

The letter H isn't too different from how it sounds in English, but we cover it here because it's not exactly the same.  You'll practice it in conjunction with the vowel e.

OK, here we teach you how to pronounce CH in Pinyin, which is really close to how you say it in English, but maybe just a tad different.  You'll practice pronouncing CH in conjunction with the vowel a here.

ZH isn't a combination of letters we usually see in English, but in Pinyin, it's super common.  It's often butchered by many a news anchor.  Here, you'll practice it in conjunction with the letter e.

Here we teach you the sound the letter A makes at the end of a word in Chinese.  It's not hard, but it's always good to practice!

The letter combination AI in Chinese Pinyin sounds nothing like how it usually does in English.  Here we'll teach you how to say it correctly.

In this short video, we'll teach you how to pronounce the letter combination AO in Chinese.

Here you get a two-fer.  We'll teach you how to say both AN at the end of a word as well as ANG.  AN is a bit tricky, so make sure you pay attention.

The letter E in Chinese Pinyin sounds very different from how it does in English, so make sure you pay rapt attention to this one!

Are these descriptions getting old?  It's getting old writing them, too, so DEAL WITH IT.  In this video, we teach you the sound that the letters EI make at the end of a syllable in Chinese.

EN and ENG in Chinese Pinyin don't sound like you'd expect them to sound.  Here we'll teach you what they should sound like.

Here we cover the letters ER at the end of a syllable and the sound they make.  As if the title and the format of our previous videos didn't make that clear enough.

In Chinese Pinyin, O doesn't sound a lot like it does in English, so pay close attention to this one.

Here we'll teach you OU at the end of a syllable in Chinese.  It's totally different from English.

Here we'll teach you how to pronounce ONG at the end of a syllable in Chinese.  This is one a whole lot of people get wrong, so please pay close attention!

I after C, S, and Z sounds nothing like a vowel in Pinyin, and it's a sound foreigners often get wrong.  In this video we explain not only what it sounds like, but also how to make the sound properly.

In this context, the letter I doesn't sound like a vowel the same way it doesn't sound like a vowel after C, S, or Z.  But it makes a very different sound here, which we'll teach you in this video.

In this video, you'll learn how to pronounce IA and IAO at the end of a syllable in Chinese.

This video covers how to say IE at the end of a syllable, and OH MY GOODNESS THAT GUY JUST GOT HIT BY THAT BUS?! Is anyone even reading these descriptions?

Yep, we teach how to say IU here.  Commence viewing.

Do you know what the word obvious is in Chinese?  It's míngxiǎn 明显, which ends in IAN, which is obviously what we're gonna teach you in this video. 

Don't be scared by the thumbnail; learning to pronounce IONG isn't really hard, especially with us teaching you how to say it.

OK, you've got 2 different U sounds in Chinese.  Here's where we teach you the first one by itself and in conjunction with the letter A.

Tracksuit Ted says:  "Why learn how to pronounce u-a-i?"  And we laugh because he just pronounced it in his question.  Oh, and we also teach UI here, as well. 

OK, this one seems kind of crowded cuz it's 3 different sounds in one video, but it's not bad.  You can totally get these sounds down in this video.  Get to it!

Look at that thumbnail!  Man, that's nice.  And that hairstyle...it's the perfect blend of seriousness and cavalier attitude.  You are NOTHING, Kip Winger, NOTHING!  Oh, yeah, learn how to say UN in this video.

Have you ever read Canterbury Tails?  I had to memorize part of it in my 9th grade English class...It was hard to memorize, but not too hard.  Kind of like pronouncing ü in Chinese.  Learn it and move on, my young apprentice.

Here we are, the second-to-last video in the Pinyin series.  This one is a little hard to pronounce, but you can do it!

OK, after you learn how to pronounce words ending in the üan sound, you'll have officially graduated from Pinyin University, which is totally a real university that I didn't just make up just now.

Welcome to 8th Avenue Chinese!  Before you start, we recommend getting a notebook and something to write with, along with your favorite non-mentally-imparing beverage, and preparing your mind for a cheesy and thoroughly enjoyable learning experience.

Please feel free free to download the Unit 1 dialogue and vocabulary PDF documents before moving forward. These documents will help support your learning and will keep you up to speed with everything we learn in Unit 1.

Here we teach you how to politely ask a question in Chinese and begin teaching you your first question.

In this video, we teach you how to say the word for the Chinese language and also teach you how to make a yes-or-no question using the particle 吗. 

You don't wanna be self-absorbed, but you also can't have an entire conversation without talking about yourself somewhat, so here we teach you the personal pronouns I and me in Chinese.  We also teach you how to say "a little" in Chinese.

It would be a good idea to know how to ask someone's name (at least their last name!) if you wanna keep in touch with him or her, so here we teach you how to do that.

Here we teach you a few Chinese last names as well as how to tell someone what your last name is.

OK, so you know the other person's name.  Now don't be rude and not tell him/her your own name.  We'll teach you how to do that here.  We also teach you the Chinese word for 'what' and where it goes in a sentence in general.

Alright, here we teach you how to give your first name or your full name using the Chinese word for 'to call/be called'.  We also teach you one use of the interesting particle ne 呢.

OK, here we teach you how to say: to be/is/am/are.  Hint:  It's all one and the same word!  We also teach you how to say: sir/mister & miss/young lady

Not everything always is...sometimes things are not.  What are we talking about?  Meh...anyway, we teach you how to negate the verb shì 是 from the last video and also teach you how to say the names of 2 countries:  America & China.

OK, here we are at the end of unit 1.  Here we teach you how to say:  person, Chinese person, & American person.  We also teach you a general rule of Chinese grammar and give you some good reminders about tones.

Please feel free to download the homework PDF document, this document will help sustain your Chinese learning and support your language growth.

OK, here we are at the beginning of unit 2.  Get ready for some learnin'

Please feel free free to download the Unit 2 dialogue and vocabulary PDF documents before moving forward. These documents will help support your learning and will keep you up to speed with everything we learn in Unit 2.

Here we teach you how to say to have/have/has in Chinese, high frequency words in any language!

Siblings:  Ya got yer big brothers, yer little brothers, yer big sisters, yer little sisters......We cover 'em all here in this video.

You can't have everything you want, so you'd better learn how to say you don't have things...We'll teach you how to say that here.

In this video we explain the concept of measure words and introduce you to a good catch-all measure word: ge 个.  We also introduce you to the word de 的, one of the most common characters you'll come across in Chinese.  These are both very high-frequency words, so pay good attention!

Continuing teaching you about family, we tell you how to talk about the family unit in this video.  We also give you a new adjective and an adverb to go with it.  Oooh, a whole set!

Numbers are one of the hardest things to get down in a foreign language, so you'd better start learning them as soon as possible.  We'll get you started in this video with how to say 1 to 5 in Chinese.

Here we go, how to say 6 to 10 in Chinese.

Just like the title says, you'll learn how to say the numbers 11-19 in this video.

Here you'll learn the numbers 20 through 90 by tens, just like the title says.

Please download the numbers list PDF before moving on.

OK, here we teach you how to say numbers like 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27....you get the point, everything in between the tens all the way up to 99.

Getting to know someone, eventually the question of age will come up.  So we teach you about that here...but, like women in a lot of countries, you probably shouldn't ask a Chinese woman her age directly. :)

There are more than 2 people in the world, so you can't get by with only knowing how to say you and me...you also need he/him, she/her, and it.  They're different Chinese characters, but their pronunciation is all the same.  That's 5 words for the price of 1!

Do is a really versatile word in English, and it's just about as versatile in Chinese, as well.  In this video we introduce you to it as well as the Chinese word for 'work'.  Enjoy!

Get ready to learn the word for already, which you'll get to use more in the next couple of videos.

Here you'll learn not only the word for 'retire' in Chinese, but you'll also begin to look at the tip of the iceberg that is the extremely important and multi-use Chinese word:  le 了.

Please feel free to download the homework and crossword PDF documents, these documents will help sustain your Chinese learning and support your language growth.

In this video you'll learn how to answer the phone correctly, and here's a hint, you're not going to use the word nǐhǎo.

Please feel free free to download the Unit 3 dialogue and vocabulary PDF documents before moving forward. These documents will help support your learning and will keep you up to speed with everything we learn in Unit 3.

On top of learning the words for "today" and "free time," there is going to be an interesting little grammar nugget waiting for you.

I'm sorry is a term you'll have to get used to saying when learning a new language and culture, you'll learn that in this next video along with the word for "today".

If you want to learn how to tell time you'll need to watch this video first :)

Let's be honest, time is of the essence, and here you're going to learn to be a master time teller.

Watch this video and be a pro at filling out any form that requires listing your birthdate.

Would you like to learn how to say "would like to"? This video is going to show you exactly how to do that.

Having a meal together, breaking bread. Let's be honest, sharing a meal brings people from all cultures and backgrounds together. In this video, you'll learn the vocabulary you'll need to organize such an occasion.

This video will show you exactly what you need to say just in case you're busy and can't accept an invitation.

Please feel free to download the homework PDF document, this document will help sustain your Chinese learning and support your language growth.

Here's a little welcome to Unit 4 and your first word for this unit:  teacher.

Please feel free free to download the Unit 4 dialogue and vocabulary PDF documents before moving forward. These documents will help support your learning and will keep you up to speed with everything we learn in Unit 4.

Oh, that we had the skills to teach the guitar!  But hey--we can talk about it in Chinese, at least.  And after this lesson, you'll be able to do the same.

At the end of this lesson you'll be able to use the word doctor in sentences  (duh) and also be able to start talking about where things are or aren't located.

After watching this lesson, you'll be able to ask 'where' questions, which is a great skill to have in any language.

The particle en 嗯 is an interesting one...It's not a word per se, but it's used a ton in Chinese.  At the end of this lesson, you'll understand how to use it.

Is your brain getting tired?  If so, you need to rest a bit, and that's what this lesson will help you learn:  how to talk about resting.

Here we'll teach you the word 'now' and where it goes in a sentence so that you'll be able to use it confidently.  You'll also learn how to express that you're starting a work shift.

By the end of this lesson, you'll know more about Wechat, including how to say it in Chinese.  We'll also teach you how to give someone your Wechat account so they can add you and keep in touch better.

"What's this?"  Can you imagine not being able to ask that question in a language?  Sure you can!  Because we haven't taught you how to say the word 'this' yet.  In this lesson, you'll learn how to say it and how to use it.  You'll also learn how to talk about getting off a work/ending a shift. 

In this lesson, the final lesson of Unit 4, you'll learn how to say so.../that... in conjunction with an adjective to express degree.  You'll also learn another awesome phrase that's used to express that you understand someone's difficulty/hard work. 

Please feel free to download the homework and crossword PDF documents, these documents will help sustain your Chinese learning and support your language growth.

Introducing friends is something all of us do from time to time, this video will show you how to do that.

Please feel free free to download the Unit 5 dialogue and vocabulary PDF documents before moving forward. These documents will help support your learning and will keep you up to speed with everything we learn in Unit 5.

Learn one of the most important words to express a feeling of happiness and the right word to use when you want to say you "know" someone.

We would also, like to introduce you to the word for "also"....check it out!

Are you interested in learning how to express the hobbies and activities you enjoy doing? This video will cover this very topic.

Here at 8th Avenue Chinese, we really enjoy playing music and we want to show you exactly how to express that hobby in this video.

What do you often do on the weekend? Whatever it is, you'll know how to express that idea after you watch this video.

We know that the word 吗 used at the end of a yes or no question, but in this video, you'll learn another way to ask this type of question.

Chris used to draw what when he was a kid?!?! Find out in this video.

On top of learning how to pluralize, you'll learn an awesome word for "awesome'!!

An easy word for deflecting a compliment!

No doubt you plan on going to the Beijing opera sometime in your life, you'll need to watch the next video to explain that experience to your friends.

We dare you to challenge your brain! Wait...no...we double dare you!

Learn a simple word to express the "utmost" or "extreme" of something and learn about one of our favorite bands.

Drinking something, going somewhere, and buying stuff, sounds like a dream weekend for a lot of people. Learn how to express these ideas in this video.

If you enjoy coffee as much as we do, you'll want to watch this next video.

Maybe you're more of a tea person, learn about drinking tea in this video, and a simple expression of thanks.

Please feel free to download the homework PDF document, this document will help sustain your Chinese learning and support your language growth.

Sit back and relax for this one.  No specific learning here, just an intro to the unit and some interesting stories from our time in Guangzhou, China.

Please feel free free to download the Unit 6 dialogue and vocabulary PDF documents before moving forward. These documents will help support your learning and will keep you up to speed with everything we learn in Unit 6.

You know how to say 'this' already, but by the end of this video, you'll also know how to say 'that' and also 'black tea'...Yeah, it seems like a bizarre pair of words to teach in one video, but just go with it...you'll understand after you watch.

This lesson isn't super huge on learning extra words, but by the end of it you'll at least know how to say and talk about fruit, which is good if, you know, you like talking about fruit.

Although here at 8th Avenue Chinese we're concerned with quality over quantity, you can't get by in any language without being able to express quantity.  So here we teach you how to say "how much" for non-countable nouns as well as for money. 

This lesson will teach you how to talk about that tasty, tasty cup o' joe you're drinking...oh, and there's a bonus word, too!

OK, let's talk about those hot beverages and learn how to express a desire to drink said liquid goodness.

Alright, by the end of this lesson, you'll know how to say and use the words 'come' or 'to come' and 'thing/things' in Chinese.  Good, high-frequency stuff here, so pay attention!

No matter which language you're speaking, inevitably you'll have to apologize (unless you're an arrogant jerk), so here we teach you how to do it simply.  We'll also teach you how to talk about having the ability to do something.

Alright, let's talk about clothes and stores/shops.  We'll also remind you what the measure word for stores is.

In this lesson, we'll teach to you how to elicit someone's opinion by saying "What do you think about that?"  You'll also learn how to say and use the word 'expensive'.

Ah, yes, we've come to yet another measure word.  This time you'll learn a measure word for some specific types of clothing (and just clothing in general).  You'll also learn how to say the word 'yep' in Chinese.  Oh, and you'll also learn another color word here:  white.

In this lesson, you'll learn your first piece of clothing, which is:  shirt/blouse. You'll also learn a great verb: 'to look at' or 'to see/watch' (as in a movie or watching someone do something).  You'll also learn how to describe something as good looking.  It's an eye-centric lesson, this one.

OK, by the end of this lesson, you'll know how to express something as being overly or extremely [adjective].  You'll also learn how to say wristwatch.  Boom!  You got your second piece of wearables, just like that.

Please feel free to download the homework and crossword PDF documents, these documents will help sustain your Chinese learning and support your language growth.

We've learned how to say eat and dinner, and now it's time to learn how to say lunch. We'll also learn the word for the "afternoon."

Please feel free free to download the Unit 7 dialogue and vocabulary PDF documents before moving forward. These documents will help support your learning and will keep you up to speed with everything we learn in Unit 7.

First, we'll understand how to link two thoughts by using the word "then," and then learn the word for "movie."

There are many words for food, in this video, you'll learn one of the most commonly used expressions. We'll also explain the word for "or" and practice using it.

It's time to learn the word for "here," right here.  Oh, and also restaurant.

Learn how to express that something exists along with one of the tastiest words we know, "tasty".

Tis better to give than to receive. In this next video, you'll learn the word for "to give," and also understand how it fits in with the expression, "to make a phone call."

Thank you for learning Chinese with 8th Avenue Chinese, here you'll learn the proper word for "with." Also, remember that little word 叫 that we learned so many lessons ago? It has another usage that you'll learn in this video.

A simple explanation of how to say and use the words "inside" and "outside."

When there is nothing else to talk about, the weather seems to be a hot topic. In this next video, you'll learn what you need to discuss the weather.

We've learned today and tomorrow, now it's time to learn the word for "yesterday" and a simple particle that will change your life.

You have to know how to say "rice" and "noodles" if you want to enjoy your dining experience in the Chinese culture. This video will teach you those two very important words.

This video will teach you some of the most important words you need to know when ordering food in a restaurant.

If you ever want to say the phrase, "you're welcome," learn how to do that right here.

Congratulations on completing Unit 7! What a remarkable achievement! Please feel free to download the homework PDF document, this document will help sustain your Chinese learning and support your language growth.

Welcome to Unit 8!  Here you'll learn how to use the word 'how' in Chinese.  Enjoy!  Oh, don't forget a hǎo hē de beverage or hǎo chī de snack!

Please feel free free to download the Unit 8 dialogue and vocabulary PDF documents before moving forward. These documents will help support your learning and will keep you up to speed with everything we learn in Unit 8.

Here we'll teach you how to say to return to somewhere in Chinese.  You'll also learn that the speech patterns of Chinese people when they speak English can teach you something about how their own language works.  Let's do this.

By the end of this lesson, you'll be able to say and use the word 'sit' in general and also talk about taking the bus to go somewhere.  Good stuff!

Sit back and relax as we tell you about riding the bus in China, both the good and the bad.  You'll also learn the name of Chinese currency and how to say metro/bus card.

By the end of this lesson, you'll know how to use the Chinese word for 'far' and also how to talk about taking a taxi.

Is someone doing something too slowly and keeping you from your busy life?  You'll know how to talk about the situation by the end of this lesson.

Ah, morning, the time of coffee!  Learn how to say that here and then challenge your brain with new Chinese sentences.

At the end of this lesson, you'll know another way to say the Chinese language and also how to talk about books, including different kinds of Chinese books.  Here we go...

Need to talk about picking someone up somewhere around 11am to 1pm?  Well, have we got the lesson for you!

Alright, here you'll learn how to say 'classmate' in Chinese, and we'll challenge your brain in the process!

Imagine yourself trying to say goodbye to your Chinese friends and quickly get going so you can take care of something important, but the person with you is moving too slowly.  Well, here you'll learn how to handle that situation like a boss.

In this video, you'll learn how to talk about getting in/on a vehicle, and you'll also learn some great position words. 

In this lesson, we'll teach you one word that has 3 different meanings related to the back of something, and we'll also teach you how to say and use the word driver. 

Here we get out of the studio to teach you how to say and use the words 'road' and 'avenue' in Chinese.

By the end of this video, you'll know how to talk about Chinese addresses - which are very different from English ones in terms of word order - and also how to say and use the Chinese word for 'why'. 

You can't just ask questions.  You gotta know how to answer them, too.  So here we'll teach you how to say 'because' in Chinese.  And we'll also introduce you to the verb that means 'to learn' or 'to study' as well as how to use it.

Here's the final video!  Here we'll teach you how to talk about getting out of or off a vehicle, and we'll also challenge your brain a bit.  Get to it!

Please feel free to download the homework and crossword PDF, these documents will help sustain your Chinese learning and support your language growth.

This is all of the dialogues from all 8 units together in one video.  If there's anything you don't understand, go back to that unit and work on that part again.  When you get to the point where you can understand everything in all of the dialogues, pat yourself on the back!  You've just fully understood and can take part in about 8 minutes of Chinese conversation!  That's an exceedingly rare thing for non-native Chinese speakers!  Great job!