Learn Chinese, Basic Mandarin Chinese, HSK 1 Preparation

Learn basic Mandarin greetings and politeness through Pinyin and characters, including ni hao, ni men hao, and how to apologize, with introductory notes on the phonetic transcription system.

Learn to pronounce Chinese pinyin initials and finals, explore groups, and practice both single and compound finals through guided pronunciation and examples for HSK 1 prep.

Explore the four Chinese tones, how each tone alters meaning through pitch, and how to mark them above finals, with practice to sound more native.

Learn how a Chinese syllable is built from an initial, final, and tone, with one character equaling one syllable, and practice reading syllables by combining initial and final with tone.

Practice reading monosyllabic and disyllabic Chinese words by identifying initials and finals and combining them into correct syllables. Apply reading and repetition to reinforce pronunciation and build HSK1 vocabulary.

Master tone sandhi for two third tones: the first becomes second tone in pronunciation, while the written form keeps the original tones; practice with ni hao and similar words.

Master the five basic Chinese strokes and how horizontal, vertical, and dot strokes compose simple characters, with early exposure to radicals, structures, and example characters.

Explore basic Mandarin conversation through three dialogues, with emphasis on speaking and writing, plus pronunciation notes and new expressions for 'you are welcome' and farewells.

Explore part two of Chinese pinyin initials and finals, learning group 1 and 2 initials, and the 21 initials, with notes on special syllable rules and beginning finals examples.

Practice reading monosyllabic and disyllabic syllables aloud, first by modeling, then by echoing, and read in whole syllables for accurate pronunciation.

Master the Mandarin neutral tone (轻声) in the new chapter, recognizing when characters carry no marked tone and practicing with examples and exercises.

Learn the basic pinyin tone rules, including placing tone marks above vowels in syllables with multiple vowels. Follow abbreviation guidelines for yo and practice with example syllables.

learn the basic stroke order and characters in lesson 2, including horizontal and vertical strokes, turning and hooks, dots, and the mouth radical, mountain, small, and negation concepts.

Match pictures to basic Chinese words for China, America, Chinese, American people, teacher, and students in lesson three warm-up.

Explore core mandarin basics through classroom conversations: asking and giving names, using 'to be' and 'call me', and identifying nationalities like Chinese and American.

Explore basic Mandarin grammar focusing on the interrogative mood with the particle ma, using subject-verb-object structures, negative forms, and example sentences like 'are you Chinese' and 'are you American'.

Engage in a quick exercise with a picture to fill blanks, identify American and Chinese, and label roles like student and teacher, then practice pronunciation.

This lecture analyzes mandarin initials q j x and z c s, showing how tongue position and palate contact create distinct airflow, with guided pronunciation practice.

An in-depth look at pronunciation contrasts for finals i, u, and ü, with front and back tongue positions, and how the character 不 changes tone before following syllables.

Learn pinyin rules for the ü sound, including how the umlaut is omitted after j, q, x and how it appears with other initials, with guidance on diacritic usage.

Demonstrate Chinese stroke order and key strokes, including horizontal with hook and left-falling lines, with examples like moon and heart, and two ordering rules.

Practice essential Chinese expressions in a warm-up that map pronouns for he, she, students, friends, and the Chinese teacher, as part of HSK 1 preparation.

Explore lesson four texts to practice asking who, questioning nationality, and identifying classmates through conversations in classroom, library, and a photo scene, with new Chinese pronouns and particles.

Explore Chinese interrogative pronouns 谁 and 哪, learn how to ask who someone is, which book, or which country, using context-based question structures.

Learn the Chinese structural particle 的, signaling possession in phrases like 我的老师 and 我的书, and note its omission before a person or country.

Explore how the interrogative particle 呢 follows a noun or pronoun to ask about the previously mentioned situation, using the A… then B pattern and identity examples.

Describe people in basic mandarin using pictures, focusing on names, nationalities, classmates, friends, and teachers, for hsk 1 preparation.

Explore the pronunciation analysis of the initials zh, ch, sh, and r, including tongue tip placement near the hard palate, voicing differences, and a practice exercise with example words.

illustrates the pronunciation difference between the front nasal final n and the back nasal final ng, focusing on tongue tip placement, back tongue arc, and soft palate closure with examples.

Explore how the Chinese character 一 changes tone in tone sandhi before first, second, and third tones, and how it remains unchanged when used alone or as a number.

Explore pinyin rules for y and w, including when to add an initial e before finals to form syllables, with examples and tone notes.

Learn two Chinese strokes, the vertical curved hook and the horizontal turning curved hook, with examples like seven (xi) and nine (jiu) to practice stroke order and character writing.

Master Chinese stroke orders by practicing top-to-bottom and left-to-right sequences, with left-before-right rules, demonstrated through examples like two, three, and eight.

Explore expressions for family members, including how to say daughter, basic numbers like twenty, and practice a warm-up matching pictures to words about six persons, home, and students.

Explore texts about family and age in basic Mandarin, learning how many people are in a family, new words for family members, and the measure word and particle for age.

Learn how the interrogative pronoun '几' asks about numbers under ten, with examples like how many Chinese teachers you have and how old your daughter is.

Explore how the particle 了 marks a change or new situation in sentences, with age changes from last year to this year using examples of ages in different years.

Learn to express numbers below 100 in Chinese using digits 1–9 and tens words, and practice with examples from 11 to 88 using the reference table.

Learn how to use the Chinese question word 多大 to ask someone's age, with examples for ages below and above 10, including asking about a daughter or a teacher.

Practice basic Mandarin age and family vocabulary through a classroom exercise featuring Tatiana, Sasha, Tasha, Amanda, and Lao Shu, focusing on how old family members are in HSK 1 preparation.

Explore the pronunciation of the retroflex final in Mandarin, note its difficulty for natives, and learn a practical approach using a Shanghai-style approximation with simple examples.

Analyze mandarin finals beginning with i, u, and ü, compare with and without additional sounds, and practice reading pairs to improve pronunciation accuracy.

Discover the difference between aspirated and unaspirated initials in Chinese, with practical examples from basic Mandarin for HSK 1 preparation.

Explore the pinyin syllable dividing mark and how it separates two syllables, with examples showing when to insert the mark and how it changes syllable grouping.

Learn the Chinese character strokes in lesson five, starting with the horizontal 'home', then left-falling and vertical hook, with dot strokes and examples like shay and new.

Master Chinese stroke order (笔顺) by learning when to start with outside strokes, then inside, and practicing vertical, horizontal, hooks, and dots in the correct sequence.

Practice warm-up activities to match Chinese words and phrases with pictures, including mother, speak Chinese, write the characters, and basic nouns like fruit and dishes, aligned with HSK 1 preparation.

Explore dialogues about speaking Chinese, describing ability with can, and practicing how to ask about Chinese food, writing, reading, and cooking Chinese dishes with key verbs and characters.

Discover how the Chinese modal verb 会 expresses ability and its negative form 不会, with examples like 我会做菜 and 你妈妈会说中文 to illustrate forming questions.

Explore how adjective predicates form Chinese sentences with the order: subject, adverb of degree, then the predicate, describing state or nature. Review examples, including negative forms, for hsk 1 prep.

Explore how the interrogative pronoun 怎么 is used before a verb to ask about the manner of an action, with examples like how to read and how to write characters.

Practice basic Mandarin Chinese with quick fill-in-the-blank exercises that apply new language points, reinforce reading and writing, and prepare you for HSK 1 with phrases like Chinese food is delicious.

Practice listening to and imitating the pronunciation of the four tones in disyllabic words. Explore how the third tone changes when paired with other tones, with examples.

Master three fundamental strokes and learn how to write basic Chinese characters, including '我', with clear stroke orders and transitions to simplified forms.

Explore the two Chinese character structures: single component and compound. Learn how compound characters combine left, middle, and right parts with example characters.

Learn basic date expressions in Chinese and practice matching pictures to everyday vocabulary like book and Chinese food, reinforcing foundational HSK 1 Mandarin skills through a warm-up activity.

Practice mandarin conversations about dates, days, and going to school, using prompts like what's the date today, what day is it today, yesterday, tomorrow, and calendar vocabulary.

Learn to express dates in Chinese by placing the month first, then the day, and finally the day of the week, following the bigger-to-smaller rule with examples.

Learn to identify nominal predicates in Chinese sentences, where the predicate is a nominal element that marks time or date, with examples like age, Wednesday, and September 1st.

Practice forming Chinese serial verb constructions by using 去+地方+做什么, where the second verb expresses purpose and the place object may be omitted.

Master how to express months and weekdays in Chinese and imitate their pronunciation, from January to December and Monday to Sunday, with numbers 1–12 and 1–7 used for calendar references.

Practice quick exercises using newly learned Mandarin language points to ask and state dates, days of the week, and simple time expressions, reinforcing basic Mandarin skills for HSK 1 preparation.

Learn how tones pair in two-syllable words, focusing on the second tone and its combinations with other tones, with guided pronunciation and tone change practice.

Learn to write Chinese characters by tracing stroke orders for four and five. Study left-right and left-middle-right structures and explore radicals such as water and language, with homework and examples.

Practice warm-up that matches pictures to basic Mandarin words and phrases from lesson eight, including 'would like some tea' and vocabulary for monkey, cup, tea, Chinese food, and Chinese characters.

Explore basic mandarin dialogues in a restaurant and shop, practice asking what you would like to drink or eat, and use key words for want, drink, eat, tea, and rice.

Explore how the modal verb 想 expresses a hope or plan before a verb. Show examples: 想学习中文, 想去学校读书, 想买一辆车 to express would like to learn, go read, or buy.

Learn how the interrogative pronoun 多少 asks for quantities and prices in Mandarin, including numbers over and under ten, with examples about students, teachers, and shop items.

Learn how Chinese measure words work with 个 as the general unit before many nouns and 口 for family members, with examples like three teachers.

Learn how Chinese money expressions express amounts in renminbi, pronounce units from 1 to 100 yuan, and recognize relevant currency notes for travel.

Join a rapid exercise applying basic mandarin points: asking about time tomorrow, locating a shop to buy items, inquiring prices, saying I’d like to eat or read, ni hao.

Explore how two-syllable Mandarin words pair tones, focusing on the third tone and its combinations with each tone, illustrated with examples and pronunciation practice.

Learn how Chinese characters form through stroke order, single-component forms, and top-bottom structures, then explore radicals and practical examples to boost HSK 1 preparation.

Engage in a warm-up that builds basic Mandarin vocabulary for HSK 1 by matching characters to pictures of barber, doctor, hospital, chair, cat, and dog.

Practice three short dialogues on home life, work at the railway station, and family conversation over the phone, teaching basic Mandarin location and family vocabulary.

Learn how the Chinese verb 在 marks location with a subject and locality in the predicate, as in my friend is at home or the puppy is under the chair.

Explore the interrogative pronoun 哪儿 to ask the location of people or things, with practical examples like where is my cup, where is your friend, and where is the kitty.

Explore how the Chinese preposition 在 marks locality before a noun to indicate where an action takes place, with examples like in my friend's home and in the hospital.

Explore how the interrogative particle 呢 is used to ask about location in Mandarin, with examples like where is my kitty and where is my cup.

Practice basic mandarin through a quick exercise using family nouns—kitty, chair, mom, doctor, student—with simple sentences like the kitty is on the chair and my daughter is a student.

Explore pronunciation of two-syllable words by pairing tones, focusing on the four tones and how each tone combines in Mandarin.

Explore how Chinese characters evolve from original forms to modern shapes and practice writing strokes. Learn half enclosure and enclosure structures, including two sided and three sided enclosures and radicals.