Free online courseBeginning Mandarin Chinese

Course Description

Welcome to "Beginning Mandarin Chinese," a comprehensive course. With a total duration of 3 hours and 38 minutes, this course serves as an invaluable resource for anyone eager to embark on the journey of learning Mandarin Chinese, one of the most widely spoken languages in the world.

Designed for absolute beginners, this course falls under the Languages category, specifically within the subcategory of Chinese/Mandarin. It provides a structured and thorough introduction to Mandarin Chinese while adhering to the HSK 1 (Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi) guidelines initially, eventually progressing to HSK 2 and HSK 3 in some advanced sections.

The journey begins with simple yet crucial basics, where you will learn how to introduce yourself in Chinese. This introductory lesson sets the foundation for effective communication and builds your confidence in speaking a new language.

Next, you will dive into Mandarin numbers, learning to count from 1 to 10. This essential skill lays the groundwork for more complex counting and mathematical expressions as you progress through the course.

The course also covers personal pronouns, an essential part of everyday conversation. You'll be equipped to use words like "I," "you," and "we" correctly in practical settings.

As you move forward, the course introduces you to the days of the week, facilitating smooth and effective planning and enabling you to discuss events and schedules in Mandarin with ease.

Understanding how to describe nouns using "shi" (?) and "hen" (?) is another key aspect of this course. It is integral to forming both simple and nuanced sentences, crucial for everyday interactions.

After mastering the basics, you’ll advance to more complex numerical expressions, including counting from 11 to 99. This newfound skill will help you manage various situations, from shopping to traveling.

Expressing dates, including the months and days, enhances your ability to converse more fluently about various topics, from plans to birthdays.

The course dedicates a significant portion to telling time, including understanding daily time periods, an indispensable skill for day-to-day activities.

Comparative skills are also part of the curriculum. Learn how to compare people and things using "bi" (?) and master negative comparisons with "bùb?" and "méiy?u," as well as equality comparisons using "yíyàng."

Additionally, the course delves into tone change rules for common words like "bu" (?) and "y?" (?), and provides an in-depth exploration of the third tone in Mandarin.

Practicality is at the heart of this course. You'll learn how to speak Chinese with more emotion, making your conversations more engaging and authentic. Complementing this, there’s a lesson on how to compliment people, ingraining positive social interactions into your Mandarin skill set.

Lastly, the comprehensive focus on Mandarin tones equips you with the skills needed to achieve proper pronunciation and tone usage, vital for effective communication in Mandarin Chinese.