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Chinese

Free Chinese course

Mandarin Chinese has more native speakers than any other language, over 900 million. The course teaches standard Mandarin with simplified characters, and every word has its pinyin spelling with tone marks, so you can start before you can read characters.

Below you'll find how the course works, what the levels mean and where everything is. If you'd rather start right away, chapter 1 assumes no Chinese at all.

Start with chapter 1No sign-up needed.
The Great Wall at Mutianyu near Beijing in autumn
你好！最近好吗？Nǐ hǎo! Zuìjìn hǎo ma? · Hello! How have you been?

How the course works

The course takes you from your first words to everyday conversations with native speakers, in 48 chapters over four levels. Work through the chapters in order: each one builds on the words and grammar of the ones before.

  1. Listen

    A short dialogue from everyday life. Listen to it whole, then line by line, at normal or slow speed.

  2. Understand

    The new grammar and words, explained in plain English with examples you can play.

  3. Practise

    Exercises that tell you straight away if you're right, and sentences to say out loud.

  4. Check

    A five-question quiz. Finish the chapter to add its words to your review deck.

Time. A chapter takes about 30–45 minutes. You can stop after any step and come back later.

Remembering. The words from finished chapters come back in Review at growing intervals, just before you would forget them.

Your progress is saved in this browser. A free account keeps it safe and lets you continue on any device.

The four levels

The course has four levels of twelve chapters: Beginner, Elementary, Intermediate and Upper intermediate. Each one says what you'll be able to do when you finish it.

The codes in brackets, A1 to B2, are from the CEFR (Common European Framework of Reference for Languages), an international scale used by many schools, employers and language exams. You don't need to know it to use the course. Chinese exams use their own scale (the HSK); here the levels simply describe what you can do at each stage.

Where should I start? If you're new to Chinese, start with Beginner, chapter 1. If you already know some, take the beginner test: it shows which chapters you can skip, and each level has its own test.

Finding your way

The bar under the site's header takes you to every part of the Chinese course, wherever you are:

Course →
This page, with every chapter in order. The list on the left of each chapter takes you to any other chapter.
Grammar →
33 short pages, one rule each, with tables and examples. Each chapter links to the pages it uses.
Verbs →
Full tables for 48 common verbs, in every tense the course teaches, with audio.
Vocabulary →
Every word the course teaches, level by level and topic by topic, with audio.
Phrasebook →
Ready-made phrases for 10 everyday situations, from greetings to emergencies.
Review →
Flashcards with the words of the chapters you've finished, and a passport with a stamp for each chapter.
Before you start
How the tones, pinyin and characters work, with audio:

All chapters

Beginner (A1)

12 chapters

You'll be able to: Introduce yourself, order food and drink, ask for directions and understand simple, slow speech.

Test yourself (24 questions)All the words of this level

  1. Hello and goodbye你好，再见Say hello and goodbye in Mandarin, give your name, say where you're from and ask simple questions, with a first look at tones and characters.
  2. Numbers and prices数字和价格Count from 0 to 99 in Mandarin, ask what things cost, use your first measure words and bargain a little at a market stall.
  3. At the café在咖啡馆Order coffee, tea and cake in Mandarin with 我要, use the measure word 杯, answer “A or B?” questions with 还是 and pay the total.
  4. Getting around怎么走？Ask where places are in Mandarin, say what there is nearby with 有, and understand simple directions: straight on, left, right, near and far.
  5. Family and friends家人和朋友Talk about your family in Mandarin: family words, “my” and “your” with 的, 有 and 没有, how many people, and how old someone is.
  6. My home我的家Show someone around your home in Mandarin: rooms and furniture, where things are with 上, 里 and 旁边, colours, and the measure words 张 and 把.
  7. My day我的一天Describe your daily routine in Mandarin, tell the time with 点, 半 and 刻, and learn why the time always comes before the verb.
  8. Food and shopping去菜市场Shop for fruit, vegetables and eggs at a Chinese market: ask prices per 斤, ask A-not-A questions like 甜不甜？ and say that's all.
  9. Time and dates日期和时间Say the days of the week and dates in Mandarin, talk about today and tomorrow, and make an appointment by phone.
  10. Likes and dislikes喜欢和不喜欢Say what you like and don't like in Mandarin with 喜欢 and 不, give your opinion with 觉得, and choose where to eat with a colleague.
  11. Hobbies and free time业余爱好Talk about sports and hobbies in Mandarin, say how often you do them, tell 会, 能 and 可以 apart, and invite a friend or say no politely.
  12. Your first conversation第一次聊天Put all of A1 together in a chat on a Chinese high-speed train: where you live, study and work, how to address people, and every type of question.

Elementary (A2)

12 chapters

You'll be able to: Handle shopping, travel and everyday errands, and talk about your work, your home and what you did last weekend.

Test yourself (24 questions)All the words of this level

  1. Talking about the past你周末做什么了？Say what you did at the weekend in Chinese: 了 for completed actions, 没 for things you didn't do, and words like yesterday and two days ago.
  2. Travel and hotels在酒店Check in at a Chinese hotel, ask for things politely, say how many nights you're staying and talk about places you've been with 过.
  3. At the doctor's看病Say what hurts and for how long in Chinese, understand a doctor's advice with 应该 and 别, and read the dose on your medicine.
  4. Home and housing租房子Compare flats to rent in Chinese with 比, 没有…那么 and 一样, talk about rent with 千 and 万, and say what a neighbourhood is like.
  5. Work and studies工作和学习Talk about your job and studies in Chinese: how long you've worked somewhere, what you studied, how well you do something with 得, and why.
  6. Weather and seasons天气和季节Talk about the weather and the seasons in Chinese: what it's doing now, what it will be like, temperatures below zero and what to bring.
  7. Clothes and shopping买衣服Buy, try on, exchange and return clothes in Chinese: measure words for clothes, sizes, 试试 and a first look at the 把 pattern.
  8. Plans and invitations周末有空吗？Make plans in Chinese: say what you're going to do with 打算, suggest things with 吧 and 怎么样, say no politely and move a meeting time.
  9. Directions and transport在火车站Get around by train in China: ask about delays and platforms, give and understand instructions with 请 and 别, and talk about going from A to B.
  10. Describing people她长什么样？Describe what people look like and what they're like in Chinese: 长得, 着 for what someone is wearing, and phrases like “the person in red”.
  11. Phone calls and messages打电话，发消息Make a phone call in Chinese: ask for someone, leave a message, say how your surname is written and ask someone to call you back or send you something.
  12. A weekend away周末去旅行Review A2 Chinese in one conversation: tell the story of a weekend trip with 了 and 过, compare and describe, and give advice for someone else's trip.

Intermediate (B1)

12 chapters

You'll be able to: Get by on your own when travelling, describe experiences and plans, and explain your opinions.

Test yourself (24 questions)All the words of this level

  1. Stories and memories小时候的回忆Tell a story about the past in Chinese: 是…的 for when and how, 就 and 才 for early and late, and words like first, then and in the end.
  2. Opinions and reasons我的看法Give your opinion in Chinese with 我觉得 and 我认为, weigh up both sides with 虽然…但是…, and agree or disagree politely.
  3. News and current events今天的新闻Understand simple news in Chinese: the passive with 被, things that “got done” without 被, and reporting what someone said, asked or wanted.
  4. Feelings and relationships心情和关系Talk about feelings in Chinese, say what made you sad or angry with 让, use 互相 for “each other”, and give a friend advice.
  5. Hopes and wishes希望和梦想Talk about hopes, dreams and plans in Chinese: 希望, “if … would” with 要是…就…, “if only” with 要是…就好了, and polite requests.
  6. Solving problems解决问题Explain what's wrong with something in Chinese and sort it out: result complements (修好, 找到), “can” and “can't” with 得 and 不, and 只要…就….
  7. Culture and traditions节日和传统Talk about Spring Festival and other customs in Chinese: what people usually do, 除了…以外 (besides, except), longer 的-phrases and festival greetings.
  8. Work and careers找工作Handle a job interview in Chinese: formal phrases like 贵公司, talking about your experience, 为了 (in order to) and 不但…而且… (not only … but also).
  9. Health and lifestyle健康的生活Talk about habits, diet and exercise in Chinese: 越来越 (more and more), 越…越…, 已经…了, and strong advice with 一定要 and 千万别.
  10. Money and everyday services在银行Open a bank account in Chinese: big amounts with 万, polite requests at the counter, 把 in instructions and 先…再… (first …, then …).
  11. Travel stories旅途中的故事Tell the story of a trip that went wrong in Chinese: direction words after verbs (送回来), 一…就…, 连…都…, 差点儿 and reacting with surprise.
  12. Review: telling your story我的故事Review B1 Chinese with a life story: 是…的, 就 and 才, 被, 为了, 虽然…但是…, 越来越 and advice with 只要…就….

Upper intermediate (B2)

12 chapters

You'll be able to: Hold normal conversations with native speakers, follow most films and news, and write clear, detailed texts.

Test yourself (24 questions)All the words of this level

  1. Discussing and debating讨论和辩论Argue a point in Chinese: concede with 尽管, 即使 and 不管, weigh options with 与其…不如…, structure an argument and interrupt politely.
  2. Work in depth工作中的沟通Talk business in Chinese: soften bad news with 恐怕 and 未必, give and take feedback, negotiate with 除非…否则… and pick the right register at work.
  3. Film, books and media电影、书和媒体Talk about films and books in Chinese: summarise a plot with 于是, 终于 and 居然, explain with 之所以…是因为…, and give opinions with nuance.
  4. Science and technology科学和技术Explain how something works in Chinese: 利用, 通过, 把…转化成…, cause and effect with 由于…因此… and 从而, and the passive with 由 and 得到.
  5. Society and the environment社会和环境Discuss problems and solutions in Chinese: imagine with 假如 and 万一, regret with 要是当初, voice concern with 难免 and 再这样下去, and build up with 甚至.
  6. Public life新闻里的语言Understand and report public announcements in Chinese: reporting verbs like 表示, 强调 and 指出, and the written news words 将, 于, 已 and 其.
  7. Education and learning教育和学习Talk about school, exams and choices in Chinese: express regret with 早知道 and 本来应该, and set conditions with 只有…才…, 不是…而是… and 既…又….
  8. Idioms and everyday speech成语和日常用语Sound natural in Chinese: common 成语 like 一举两得 and 熟能生巧, fillers such as 那个, 就是 and 反正, and the sound changes of relaxed speech.
  9. Humour and informal language幽默和口语Joke and tease in everyday Chinese: 挺…的, 可…了 and …死了, widely used slang like 靠谱 and 学霸, irony, 难道…吗？ and choosing the right register.
  10. Formal writing正式的信Write a formal email or letter in Chinese: 尊敬的 and 此致 敬礼, written words like 鉴于, 予以 and 以便, and connectors such as 此外 and 然而.
  11. Giving a presentation做报告Give a talk in Chinese: signpost with 接下来 and 正如大家所见, handle questions politely, and add emphasis with 正是, 是…的 and 难道…吗？.
  12. Final review老朋友又见面了Review B2 Chinese in one long conversation: catching up with an old friend, telling a long story, and switching to formal language for a work call.