Say the essentials as soon as you arrive
Understand everyday landmarks
Get around without stress
Order and stay with ease
Connect with people
Handle the unexpected
Start Mandarin with the first foundations of CEFR level A1.
This free online beginner course helps you introduce yourself, ask simple questions and express everyday needs, using audio, pinyin and Chinese characters.
Discover tones, character components and useful sentence patterns for a trip, a move or learning over the long term.
The guide below explains the 17 chapters, realistic study-time estimates and daily practice, with 16 visual character cards, tables and examples.
First contact introduces the first foundations of CEFR level A1 in Mandarin: introducing yourself, asking simple questions and meeting familiar needs. At this stage, you will often need the other person to speak slowly, repeat or help you find your words. These first exchanges give you a starting point for continued learning.
A greeting, a menu item or a short message becomes useful as soon as you can connect its sound, meaning and written form. This online beginner course combines audio, pinyin and Chinese characters so you can start listening and speaking while gradually learning to read.
You build connections between sounds, writing and meaning. A familiar expression becomes a starting point for understanding a rule and then forming a new sentence. Whether you are learning for culture, study or meeting people, these foundations will help you continue with more reading, listening and conversation.
Before a trip, focus on transport, accommodation, meals and unexpected situations. If you are moving, these first exchanges make arrival easier; later you can expand your vocabulary to cover paperwork, housing, work or school. Always connect a question with a few possible answers: asking a price is much more useful when you can recognise the amount you hear.
The course focuses on Mandarin, with simplified characters in this guide. Mandarin is useful in mainland China, Taiwan and Singapore, but accents, vocabulary and writing conventions vary. Chinese is a family of varieties: Mandarin is not the same spoken language as Cantonese. If you have a particular destination, add local voices and expressions gradually.
| Chapters | Exchanges to prepare |
|---|---|
| Essentials, Conversation, Learning | Greet people, get acquainted, talk about yourself and ask someone to repeat. |
| Colours, Numbers, Time tracking | Identify an object, recognise a quantity and understand a price or a time. |
| Taxi, Transportation, Beach | Give a destination, prepare for a journey and handle some situations during your stay. |
| Restaurant, Bar, Hotel | Order, ask for something at a counter and prepare to check into your accommodation. |
| Family, Feelings, Parting | Talk about loved ones, express how you feel and say goodbye. |
| In case of trouble, Looking for someone | Explain a problem, ask for help or look for someone. |
Follow the course in order or begin with the themes closest to your plans. You can listen from day one; learn to recognise characters alongside familiar phrases instead of waiting to master the writing system.
From your first session, you can practise a greeting, a thank-you and a request for repetition. Two weeks of daily 15–20-minute sessions give you about three and a half to four hours and forty minutes for selected travel exchanges. This is a preparation plan, not a promise of reaching A1 in two weeks.
| Suggested period | Priority |
|---|---|
| Days 1–3 | Greet people, thank them, ask for repetition and recognise a few characters in these expressions. |
| Days 4–6 | Practise prices, numbers, times and asking for directions. |
| Days 7–10 | Prepare to order, arrive at a hotel and make a journey; listen to possible answers. |
| Days 11–14 | Recall these sentences without reading, review difficult points and prepare to ask for help. |
The indicative workload displayed for the complete Chinese First contact course is 37–60 hours. With one daily session, that represents:
| Daily study time | To total 37–60 hours |
|---|---|
| 10 minutes | 222–360 days, roughly 7–12 months. |
| 15 minutes | 148–240 days, roughly 5–8 months. |
| 30 minutes | 74–120 days, roughly 2½–4 months. |
These figures show a scale of practice, not a guaranteed deadline. Listening, speaking and character recognition develop at different speeds. If you are leaving soon, prioritise the exchanges you need on arrival and keep studying afterwards.
The unfamiliar features are mainly tones, some sounds and the character-based writing system. You can approach them separately in short phrases. Mandarin also offers familiar subject–verb–object sentences, no verb endings for person or tense, and no grammatical gender for nouns.
That does not mean there is no grammar. Word order, particles, context and words indicating time or aspect help make the meaning clear. Do not insert English articles or auxiliaries automatically: learn a complete pattern and notice what changes when you reuse it.
A character generally corresponds to a syllable and a meaningful element, but a character is not always a complete word. Many everyday words have two or more characters: 学生, xuésheng, means “student”. Learn words in sentences, not just isolated symbols.
Pinyin writes Mandarin pronunciation with Latin letters and tone marks. It helps you listen, read aloud and type, but it is not English phonetic spelling. Keep the audio as your model and connect each syllable to its tone from the beginning.
| Pinyin | Guide for English speakers |
|---|---|
| u / ü | u / ü: u is broadly like “oo”; ü has no usual English equivalent. Start with an “ee” tongue position and round your lips. These are different sounds, as in lù 路 and lǜ 绿. |
| x / q | x / q: x is a soft, forward tongue sound, not “ks”; q is an aspirated affricate, not the k sound of English “queen”. Listen to xièxie and qǐng rather than replacing the letters with English ones. |
| j / q / x + u | j / q / x + u: after these initials, written u represents the ü sound without the dots. In qù 去, do not use the vowel of English “food”. |
| z / c · zh / ch / sh | z / c and zh / ch / sh: distinguish the forward tongue sounds from those with the tongue drawn back. C and ch have a stronger puff of air. The groups are not interchangeable. |
| r | r: do not assume it is the English r. Copy its sound in a whole word, such as rén 人, and listen to the tongue position and friction. |
| -n / -ng | -n / -ng: keep the distinction between these endings, for example in an and ang. Do not add a separate g after -ng or drop the final consonant. |
Mandarin has four main tones and a neutral tone. The tone helps distinguish words; it is not simply the emotion or emphasis you add to a sentence. Learn the sound and tone together, using short recordings.
| Tone | Example | What to notice |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 妈 — mā | Mother High and level |
| 2 | 麻 — má | Hemp Rising |
| 3 | 马 — mǎ | Horse Low; falling and rising when fully pronounced |
| 4 | 骂 — mà | To scold Sharply falling |
| 0 | 吗 — ma | Yes/no question particle Neutral tone: short and light; its pitch depends on the surrounding tones. |
Tones also change in predictable combinations. These examples show the spoken adjustment; spelling conventions may keep the dictionary tone marks, especially for third tones.
| Example | What to notice |
|---|---|
| 你好 · nǐ hǎo → ní hǎo | In 你好, the first of two third tones is pronounced with a rising tone. You still commonly see nǐ hǎo written. |
| 不是 · bù shì → bú shì | 不 is usually bù, but becomes bú before a fourth tone, as in 不是. |
| 一杯 · yī bēi → yì bēi | 一 is yī when counting or standing alone; before a first-tone syllable, as in 一杯, it is pronounced yì. Before a fourth tone it is often yí. |
Chinese characters are not an alphabet and not a collection of arbitrary pictures. Many combine a component associated with meaning and another associated with sound. These clues help learning, but they do not let you guess every modern pronunciation or meaning reliably.
人 → 亻 → 你 · 他
rén · nǐ · tā
人 → 亻: 人 (rén, person) often takes the side form 亻 inside a character. You can recognise it in 你 (nǐ, you) and 他 (tā, he). Recognising that shape gives you a visual foothold.
Do not expect the other component to give you an exact modern pronunciation. Historical sound relationships are not always transparent today. Learn 你 and 他 with their own audio rather than deriving them from 尔 or 也.
妈 = 女 + 马
mā · nǚ · mǎ
In 妈 (mā, mother), 女 contributes a meaning-related component and 马 (mǎ) provides a sound clue. Notice that the tone is different. This is a useful pattern to observe, not a formula that works mechanically for every character.
Start with a small set of recurring characters and attach each one to a known word. Recognition, pronunciation with tone, meaning in context and reuse are separate steps. No fixed character count proves that you have reached A1.
Choose one or two cards at a time. Notice the highlighted character, say the pinyin with the right tone, then use the full sentence. Return to the course recordings to hear familiar words and build your listening model.
Simplified characters are widely used in mainland China and Singapore; traditional characters are used in Taiwan and Hong Kong, among other places. Choose according to your reading needs and destination. A writing system does not determine the spoken variety: traditional characters do not automatically mean Cantonese.
With a Mandarin pinyin keyboard, type a pronunciation such as wo, ni or xiexie, then choose the intended characters from the suggestions. The same pronunciation can match several characters, so check the meaning rather than accepting the first suggestion blindly. Keyboard setup depends on your device.
1. Subject — verb — object. A useful starting pattern is “I — drink — tea”. The verb does not change for “I” or “you”. Longer sentences have additional ordering rules, so keep your first models short.
我喝茶。
wǒ hē chá.
I drink tea.
你喝茶。
nǐ hē chá.
You drink tea.
2. Put time in context. Mandarin verbs do not conjugate into a past form. Time expressions, context and aspect markers help show when an event happens and how it is viewed. The time word often comes before the verb.
我昨天喝茶。
wǒ zuótiān hē chá.
Yesterday I drank tea.
我今天喝茶。
wǒ jīntiān hē chá.
Today I drink tea.
3. Learn 不 and 没有 as different patterns. 不 often negates habits, intentions or states. 没有 expresses not having or not existing; 没 or 没有 can also negate a past event. Do not use 不 before every negative sentence.
我不喝咖啡。
wǒ bù hē kāfēi.
I do not drink coffee.
我没有时间。
wǒ méiyǒu shíjiān.
I do not have time.
4. Yes/no questions with 吗. Adding 吗 to a suitable statement turns it into a yes/no question. It is one question pattern, not a particle required at the end of every question.
你喝茶吗？
nǐ hē chá ma?
Do you drink tea?
你在哪里？
nǐ zài nǎlǐ?
Where are you?
With a question word such as 哪里 (“where”), do not add 吗 automatically. In 你在哪里？, the question word stays where the place information would go.
5. Identify with 是; do not use it for everything translated as “be”. 是 links an identity, such as “I am a student”. An adjective can form the predicate without 是.
我是学生。
wǒ shì xuésheng.
I am a student.
我很好。
wǒ hěn hǎo.
I am well.
In 我很好, 很 links naturally with 好 and does not always carry a strong “very” meaning. Learn the whole expression rather than inserting 是 because English uses “am”.
6. 了 is not a universal past-tense ending. Depending on its position and context, it can mark a completed event or a changed situation. In 我懂了, the point is that you understand now.
我懂了。
wǒ dǒng le.
I understand now.
Start with this familiar use, then compare more examples. Do not add 了 to every sentence containing “yesterday”: time and aspect are related, but they are not the same thing.
请 introduces many polite requests, 请问 is useful before a question, and 谢谢 thanks someone. 您 is a respectful form of “you” in some contexts, but choosing polite words alone does not determine the tone of an exchange. A calm voice and a suitable complete expression matter too.
Start with the following useful phrases. Learn when they fit rather than treating 请 as an English “please” that can be placed anywhere. 你好 is a greeting; 你好吗？ asks how someone is and is not a mandatory greeting formula.
| Chinese | Reading aid | Situation |
|---|---|---|
| 你好 | nǐ hǎo | Hello. |
| 谢谢 | xièxie | Thank you. |
| 对不起 | duìbuqǐ | I am sorry. |
| 请问，洗手间在哪里？ | qǐngwèn, xǐshǒujiān zài nǎlǐ? | Excuse me, where is the toilet? |
| 请再说一遍。 | qǐng zài shuō yí biàn. | Please say it again. |
| 请说慢一点。 | qǐng shuō màn yìdiǎn. | Please speak a little more slowly. |
| 多少钱？ | duōshǎo qián? | How much is it? |
| 请帮帮我。 | qǐng bāngbang wǒ. | Please help me. |
A number often goes with a measure word before a noun. Learn these combinations as useful phrases. 个 is common, but it cannot replace every measure word; for a cup of tea, 杯 describes the cupful.
| Example | What to notice |
|---|---|
| 一杯茶 · yì bēi chá | One cup of tea |
| 三个杯子 · sān ge bēizi | Three cups |
我想要一杯茶。
wǒ xiǎng yào yì bēi chá.
I would like a cup of tea.
In 一杯茶, 一 gives the number, 杯 the measure and 茶 the item. To ask the price, use 多少钱？ and practise recognising several possible amounts. Reading numbers on a screen and understanding them in speech are different skills.
Start with Essentials, then choose a situation that matters to you: meeting people, taking transport, ordering or staying at a hotel. First contact lets you practise expressions with audio and check what you remember.
Five to fifteen minutes can make a practical session for building this habit. This duration does not guarantee a level within a set time: what you retain, how often you review and your opportunities to use the language matter more than a rigid calendar.
After the exercises, Super Memory lets you return to expressions you found difficult. Try to recall the answer before revealing it, then listen and repeat the correct form. In later sessions, spaced review gives you a chance to retrieve expressions after an interval, when remembering them takes effort again.
Notice what was missing: recognising the sound, understanding the sentence or producing it without a model. If you understand the text but not the audio, return to listening without text. If you recognise the right answer but cannot recall it yourself, hide the choices and try speaking before checking.
Connect 多少钱？ with several possible prices. For a question about a place, practise short directions too. Prepare to understand a reply you have not memorised word for word; speaking and listening support each other.
Check: 1. 我 (wǒ). 2. It forms a yes/no question. 3. They are different vowels: ü uses rounded lips with a forward tongue position. Listen to the contrast again.
Try introducing yourself without reading, asking a price and recognising several answers, or replacing the drink in 我想要一杯茶. If you can recall an expression and reuse it in a slightly different situation, you are moving beyond choosing a familiar answer in a quiz. Keep reviewing uncertain phrases as you progress.
Choose a very short clip, find an expression you know and listen to how it is used. Songs may stretch syllables and reshape their melody; dialogue may be informal or confrontational. Keep clear spoken course audio as your starting model, and use media to add interest and variety.
You can continue with Loecsen’s Read aloud resource and find words by theme in its Chinese vocabulary section. A sentence recognised in something you enjoy is a good reason to return to practice.
No. Start with audio, pinyin and useful expressions, while recognising a few characters in context. Reading independently takes ongoing work, but you do not need to finish learning the script before your first exchange.
You can discover the basic system in a few sessions. Producing reliable contrasts, hearing them in speech and linking them to words require longer practice. Understanding a tone diagram is not the same as recognising a word in a conversation.
Use the script that matches your destination and reading needs. This guide uses simplified characters. If you need traditional characters for Taiwan or other settings, add their corresponding forms alongside familiar words; keep pronunciation and meaning attached to both.
Record a short phrase if you want, compare it with the model and ask a capable speaker which word was unclear. Tone, consonants, vowels and rhythm can all affect understanding. Speech recognition may help practise, but cannot reliably diagnose every tone error or certify your pronunciation.
Lessons, recordings, quizzes and Super Memory are available free online, with usage limits. Paid options include MP3 and PDF downloads and removal of advertising. The current terms are shown in the service.
An account lets you save your progress and return to it in later sessions. You can listen and repeat without recording your voice. Speech recognition depends on your browser and microphone access; its result is not a complete assessment of your pronunciation.
The interactive course is used online. MP3 and PDF downloads from the paid option let you listen and read again offline. They do not reproduce all the interactive exercises.
First contact covers situations and skills useful at the beginning of A1: greeting people, introducing yourself, making requests and understanding familiar expressions. Knowing these phrases gives you a foundation; it does not by itself demonstrate the whole of A1, which also involves interacting in a range of situations.
Start with a very specific situation: asking for water or saying you do not know. Recall the sentence without reading it, say it, then compare it with the audio. Next, reuse a familiar pattern with another word. If this is still difficult, reduce the number of sentences and try again later.
Expand your reading of familiar words, listen to short beginner dialogues and practise exchanges with someone who can respond. Add vocabulary and sentence patterns that match your needs. If you use an exam framework, check its current requirements; a course label or character count is not an exam equivalence.
Open Essentials. Choose a few expressions for greeting, thanking and asking someone to repeat. Listen, try saying them without reading, then find a character you recognise in the spelling. Start your next session by recalling these expressions before adding new ones.
The examples and study plans here were written to support your first steps. These references provide further explanations of the language and of the A1 framework:
