Chinese (Mandarin)

Mandarin Chinese is the most widespread dialect in China, Taiwan, and throughout the world. Please note, however, that written Chinese is common among the different dialects, with the two main styles using "Simplified" characters (China) and "Traditional" characters (Taiwan.) Find learning resources here geared for all grade levels and skill levels.

What is Chinese (Mandarin)?

Mandarin is the most spoken language in the world, with over 1 billion speakers. It is the official language of China and Taiwan, and is also spoken in Singapore, Malaysia, and other countries with significant Mandarin-speaking populations. Mandarin is a tonal language, meaning that the meaning of a word can change depending on the tone in which it is spoken. It is also a logographic language, meaning that characters represent entire words rather than individual sounds.

There are several different ways to approach learning Mandarin. Some people prefer to start by learning the basic grammar and vocabulary, while others prefer to jump right in and start speaking the language. There are also a variety of resources available, from online courses to language immersion programs.

The grammar is relatively simple, and there is no conjugation or gender.

The written Chinese characters are beautiful and complex, and learning to read and write them is a gratifying experience. The best way to learn Mandarin is to immerse oneself in the language by living in a Chinese-speaking country and taking classes from a native speaker. There are also many excellent online resources for learning Mandarin.

How to Learn Chinese (Mandarin)

There are a few things to keep in mind when learning Chinese (Mandarin). First, it is important to remember that there are many different dialects of Chinese (Mandarin). While most of the dialects are mutually intelligible, there are some differences that can make communication difficult. It is therefore important to learn the standard Mandarin dialect.

Second, Chinese (Mandarin) is a tonal language. This means that the meaning of a word can change depending on the tone in which it is spoken. For example, the word "ma" can mean either "mother" or "horse" depending on the tone. It is therefore important to pay attention to the tones when learning Chinese (Mandarin).

Finally, Chinese (Mandarin) is a character-based language. This means that each word is represented by a character, rather than by a sound. As a result, Chinese (Mandarin) can be quite difficult to learn for people who are used to the sound-based languages such as English.

Despite these challenges, learning Chinese (Mandarin) can be a very rewarding experience. By taking the time to learn the language, you will be able to communicate with a large number of people and learn about a different culture.

Chinese (Mandarin) Resources

Modern Chinese

Modern Chinese

Modern Chinese is a beginner Chinese language textbook designed for college students and adult learners with no previous exposure to Chinese.This unique program adopts a story-based approach that follows the lives of six college students whose multi-...

My First Chinese Reader Starter Kit

My First Chinese Reader Starter Kit

Adopted by several U.S. Departments of Education, the My First Chinese Reader is designed for beginner level Elementary school students. High-quality situational illustrations and online lessons make learning fun and effective, while the review of pr...

Fluenz Mandarin Chinese

Fluenz Mandarin Chinese

Fluenz tutors clearly explain how the language works, offering strategies and tips specifically designed to get English speakers to achieve fluency. We will coach you every step of the way to fluency. Amazing tutors in hundreds of videos, helpful ex...

Magical Tour of China Student Pack Simplified – BetterChinese

Magical Tour of China Student Pack Simplified – BetterChinese

Adopted by several U.S. Departments of Education, the Magical Tour of China is designed for advanced level high school students. High-quality situational illustrations and online lessons make learning fun and effective, while the review of previously...

Pimsleur Chinese (Mandarin)

Pimsleur Chinese (Mandarin)

The Pimsleur Method™ combines well-established research, most-useful vocabulary and a completely intuitive process to get you speaking right from the first day. All Pimsleur® courses feature real-world context and flexible vocabulary enabling you to...

Rosetta Stone Chinese (Mandarin)

Rosetta Stone Chinese (Mandarin)

Learn Italian with Rosetta Stone®. Learn to speak Italian with our language-learning software. It's a fun & fast way to learn Italian!...

Chinese Language Grade 1

Chinese Language Grade 1

Chinese Language for Primary Schools (Revised Edition) is the latest series of Chinese Language textbooks and activity books that are used in Singapore schools as a second language curriculum. Hanyu pinyin is used in this series. (Hanyu pinyin is the...

Mondly

Mondly

Learn languages online for free with Mondly, the language learning app loved by millions of people worldwide. Enjoy fun daily lessons, practice real conversations with a Chatbot and achieve flawless pronunciation and fluency in no time! Immersive, in...

SoundSpell by LingoTouch

SoundSpell by LingoTouch

Free interactive Chinese pronunciation tool that maps Mandarin sounds to English letter patterns, making pinyin intuitive for English speakers.

More Chinese for Beginners

More Chinese for Beginners

This is an advanced course for Chinese for beginners. Learners will expand vocabularies about personal information, daily life, food and drink, healthy, and expressions about greeting, suggestion, agreement, comparison, complaint, prohibition, experi...

Chinese Homschooler's Starter Kit

Chinese Homschooler's Starter Kit

Perfect for teaching the foundation of the Chinese language. Homeschooling parents can learn and teach their students with the English Parent/Teacher Guide, and create an interactive and engaging learning environment with the multimedia and online cu...

Ricki & Jacky

Ricki & Jacky

Ricki is a world-famous performer of animal shows in a carnival, and Jacky is Ricki’s trainer. Now, Ricki has an incredible mission: LEARNING CHINESE! Let’s help Ricki to complete his incredible mission together!...