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Linguae Learning and Linguae Teaching Assistant

The ultimate Mandarin Chinese beginner course that will teach you Chinese faster than you thought possible. Perhaps you’ve dreamed of moving or travelling to China and holding your own in real-life situations, being independent and able to communicate with the locals. Perhaps you want to experience the rich culture and sample the delicious local cuisine or do business with local companies. Whatever your reason, this Mandarin Chinese course for beginners is right for you.

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The ultimate Mandarin Chinese beginner course that will teach you Chinese faster than you thought possible. Perhaps you’ve dreamed of moving or travelling to China and holding your own in real-life situations, being independent and able to communicate with the locals. Perhaps you want to experience the rich culture and sample the delicious local cuisine or do business with local companies. Whatever your reason, this Mandarin Chinese course for beginners is right for you.

During our course, you will learn:

  • Lots and lots of vocabulary

  • How to read and write in Chinese

  • Useful everyday phrases

  • Top most useful everyday words

  • Basic sentence structures

  • Basic grammar rules most beginner courses don’t teach

  • How to pronounce Chinese correctly

After taking this course you will be able to:

  • Pronounce words correctly without hearing them first

  • Greet people and introduce yourself both formally and casually

  • Read a restaurant menu

  • Learn how to count up to 1000

  • Order food and drinks

  • Give and receive directions

  • Describe yourself and other people in both personality and appearance

  • Tell the time

  • Make requests, describe what you want and what you plan to do

  • Structure proper sentences in Chinese

  • Navigate multiple types of everyday situations, like shopping

  • Ask questions

  • Express your feelings, interests and dislikes

  • Describe people’s personalities and physical appearance

  • Have real conversations in Chinese

  • Create sentences in the past

  • Conquer hundreds of words necessary for day-to-day life

  • Form questions and negations in the past

  • Acquire and hone translation skills

  • Adapt to new situations, such as using public transportation or visiting the doctor

  • Create sentences in the future tense

  • Learn to make comparisons

  • Name all body parts

  • Talk about TV and TV shows

  • Tackle new topics, such as working from home and global healthcare

  • Learn the present and past continuous tenses

  • Conquer hundreds of words necessary for day-to-day life

  • Learn the most useful phrases in Chinese

This course aims to help you master the basics of Chinese and give you a strong base on which you will be able to build your skills as a Chinese speaker.

Start your Chinese journey with us today.

Enroll now

What's inside

Learning objectives

  • 500+ most useful vocabulary words
  • Top most useful phrases you can use in everyday situations
  • Proper chinese pronunciation
  • How to put basic sentences together
  • Easily order foods and drinks
  • Greet people and introduce yourself both formally and casually
  • The building blocks of chinese grammar

Syllabus

Chapter 1

Learn how to pronounce pinyin finals in Chinese.

Learn how to pronounce pinyin initials and tones in Chinese.

Learn how to greet people in Chinese.

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Learn how to be polite in Chinese.

Learn how to count in Chinese.

Learn the colours in Chinese.

Learn some Chinese food vocabulary.

Learn animal vocabulary and some verbs.

Learn how to talk about exercise in Chinese.

Learn some key sentences in Chinese.

Learn some key verbs in Chinese.

Practice what you’ve learned in lesson 3.

Practice what you’ve learned in lesson 4.

Practice what you’ve learned in lesson 5.

Practice what you’ve learned in lesson 5-6.

Practice what you’ve learned in lesson 7.

Practice what you’ve learned in lesson 8.

Practice what you’ve learned in lesson 9.

Practice what you’ve learned in lesson 10.

Practice what you’ve learned in lesson 11.

Learn how to express the time in Chinese.

Learn how to tell the time in Chinese.

Put together full dates and times in Chinese.

Learn the name of the family members in Chinese.

Learn how to describe your feelings in Chinese.

Learn the Chinese terms for the body parts.

Learn how to describe someone’s appearance in Chinese.

Learn how to describe someone’s personality in Chinese.

Learn how to give and receive directions in Chinese.

Learn various Chinese vocabulary you would need in a supermarket.

Learn various Chinese vocabulary for items around the house.

Learn how to describe the weather in Chinese.

Learn various Chinese vocabulary for items of clothing.

Learn how to ask questions in Chinese.

Learn how to use modal verbs in Chinese.

Learn how to use measuring counters in Chinese.

Learn how to structure sentences in Chinese.

Learn how to follow common Chinese sentence patterns.

Learn about verb tenses in Chinese.

Practice your conversational skills in Chinese.

Review the full pinyin chart with finals and initials.

Chapter 2

Introduction of Past Tense in Chinese.

Learn about the aspect particle in Chinese.

Learn how to express the past tense without or combined with an aspect particle.

Learn how to make a statement sentence to express the past in Chinese.

Learn how to make a question sentence to express the past in Chinese.

Practice what you’ve learned so far.

Learn how to describe weather in the past in Chinese.

Learn how to describe shopping in the past in Chinese.

Learn how to describe Sports in the past in Chinese.

Hone your translation skills.

Learn Injuries-related vocabulary in Chinese.

Learn useful words and sentences in Chinese.

Learn useful words and sentences about travel in Chinese.

Learn appointment- related vocabulary in Chinese and learn how to make a booking.

Practice and Build

Learn useful words and sentences about love in Chinese, focus on family.

Learn useful words and sentences about jobs in Chinese.

Revise and combine what you have learnt so far.

Learn how to make comparison in Chinese.

Learn how to make the superlative in Chinese.

Learn music-related vocabulary in Chinese.

Learn cinema- related vocabulary in Chinese.

Learn useful words and sentences about holiday in Chinese.

Learn useful words and sentences about birthday, wedding and graduation in Chinese.

Learn useful words and sentences about CNY in Chinese.

Learn how to make comparison of equality in Chinese.

Learn transports- related vocabulary in Chinese.

Learn school-related vocabulary in Chinese.

Understand Chinese education system and learn relevant words in Chinese.

Learn the possessive adjectives in Chinese and how to use them.

Learn different continents and Oceans’ names in Chinese.

Learn the demonstrative pronouns in Chinese and how to use them.

Learn useful words and sentences about social media in Chinese.

Learn useful words and sentences about love in Chinese, focus on romantic relationship.

Learn useful words and sentences about technology in Chinese.

Test everything you have learnt so far in Chapter 2.

Chapter 3

Review what you learnt about the past tense in Chapter 2.

Learn hobby-related vocabulary in Chinese.

Learn movie - and books- related vocabulary in Chinese.

Learn pet-related vocabulary in Chinese.

Introduction of future tense in Chinese.

Learn how to use the most common time words in the Chinese future tense.

Learn how to use the most common auxiliary words in the Chinese future tense.

Learn how to make a statement sentence to express the future in Chinese.

Learn how to make a question sentence to express the future in Chinese.

Learn to express your future goals in Chinese.

Learn how to discuss the weather in the future.

Learn how to discuss your future plans in Chinese.

Learn how to plan and discuss a future trip in Chinese.

Learn upper body-related vocabulary in Chinese.

Good to know

Know what's good
, what to watch for
, and possible dealbreakers
Covers essential Mandarin Chinese for beginners, making it an ideal starting point for language acquisition
Provides a comprehensive foundation in Mandarin Chinese grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciation
Employs a structured approach to language learning, with clear explanations and ample practice opportunities
Taught by experienced instructors with a proven track record in Mandarin Chinese education
Offers a well-rounded curriculum that encompasses various aspects of Mandarin Chinese, including reading, writing, speaking, and listening
May require additional resources or practice for advanced learners seeking in-depth knowledge

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Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Complete Chinese Course: Learn Mandarin for Beginners with these activities:
Review Chinese Pinyin
Pinyin is the official romanization system for Mandarin Chinese. Reviewing the Pinyin system will help improve pronunciation.
Browse courses on Pinyin
Show steps
  • Read about Pinyin rules
  • Practice writing Pinyin
  • Practice saying Pinyin words out loud
Watch Chinese Language Learning Videos
Watching Chinese language learning videos can help you improve your listening comprehension and learn new vocabulary.
Show steps
  • Find a Chinese language learning video
  • Watch the video
  • Take notes on new vocabulary and grammar
Practice Chinese Listening Comprehension
Listening comprehension is a key skill for learning Chinese. Practice listening to Chinese audio and answering questions about what you hear.
Show steps
  • Listen to a Chinese audio clip
  • Answer questions about the audio clip
Three other activities
Expand to see all activities and additional details
Show all six activities
Create Chinese Flashcards
Creating Chinese flashcards can help you memorize new vocabulary and phrases.
Show steps
  • Write a Chinese character or phrase on one side of a flashcard
  • Write the English translation on the other side of the flashcard
  • Review your flashcards regularly
Join a Chinese Language Exchange Group
Joining a Chinese language exchange group can help you practice speaking and listening to Chinese with native speakers.
Show steps
  • Find a Chinese language exchange group
  • Attend a language exchange meeting
  • Speak and listen to Chinese with native speakers
Start a Chinese Language Blog
Starting a Chinese language blog can help you practice writing and improve your vocabulary.
Show steps
  • Choose a topic for your blog
  • Write a blog post in Chinese
  • Publish your blog post
  • Promote your blog

Career center

Learners who complete Complete Chinese Course: Learn Mandarin for Beginners will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:
Mandarin Chinese Translator
Anyone who wants to be a Mandarin Chinese Translator should consider taking this course. This course will help build a foundation of vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation. It also will help build skills in understanding native speakers, comprehension, and expression.
Instructional Coordinator
This course can be extremely helpful for someone who wants to become an Instructional Coordinator. Course participants will learn how to read, write, and speak basic Mandarin Chinese phrases and will be able to use these skills to create basic instructional materials.
Chinese Teacher
This course would be very useful for anyone wanting to become a Chinese Teacher. Teachers must be able to speak, read, and write in Mandarin, in addition to understanding grammar and conveying it to learners. This course will help build a foundation in all of these skills.
Foreign Language Interpreter
This course may be helpful for someone who wants to become a Foreign Language Interpreter. The course will help you build a foundation in Mandarin Chinese, which will be essential for interpreting for Chinese speakers.
Tourist Guide
This course may be helpful for someone who wants to work as a Tourist Guide. The course will help you build a foundation in Mandarin Chinese, which will be essential for communicating with tourists.
Mandarin Chinese Instructor
This course would be useful for anyone who wants to become a Mandarin Chinese Instructor. The course will help you build a foundation in Mandarin Chinese, including vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation. You will also learn how to teach Mandarin Chinese to others.
Chinese Language Arts Teacher
This course would be helpful for someone who wants to become a Chinese Language Arts Teacher. The course will teach you how to read, write, and speak basic Mandarin Chinese and will help you build foundational skills in grammar and sentence structure.
Cultural Interpreter
This course may be helpful for someone who wants to work as a Cultural Interpreter. The course will help you build a foundation in Mandarin Chinese, Chinese culture, and Chinese history. These skills will be essential for interpreting between Chinese and English speakers.
Curriculum Developer
This course would be useful for someone who wants to become a Curriculum Developer for Chinese language learning. The course will teach you about basic Mandarin Chinese grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciation. This knowledge will be helpful when developing curriculum materials.
Social Worker
This course may be useful for someone who wants to work as a Social Worker with Chinese-speaking clients. The course provides an introduction to basic Mandarin Chinese, which will be helpful for communicating with clients. The course also covers cultural aspects of Chinese society, which will be helpful for understanding clients' needs.
ESL Teacher
This course may be useful for someone who wants to become an ESL Teacher for Mandarin Chinese students. The course will help you build a foundation in Mandarin Chinese, including vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation. You will also learn how to teach Mandarin Chinese to non-native speakers.
Foreign Service Officer
This course may be helpful for someone who wants to become a Foreign Service Officer working with China. This course provides basic Mandarin Chinese instruction, which will be helpful in communicating with Chinese officials and citizens.
Journalist
This course may be useful for someone who wants to work as a Journalist covering China or Chinese affairs. The course provides basic Mandarin Chinese instruction, which will be helpful in gathering information and communicating with Chinese sources.
Lawyer
This course may be helpful for someone who wants to become a Lawyer specializing in international law or Chinese law. The course provides basic Mandarin Chinese instruction, which will be helpful in reviewing Chinese legal documents or communicating with Chinese clients.
Business Analyst
This course may be useful for someone who wants to become a Business Analyst working with Chinese companies or clients. The course provides basic Mandarin Chinese instruction, which will be helpful in communicating with Chinese colleagues or clients.

Reading list

We've selected 13 books that we think will supplement your learning. Use these to develop background knowledge, enrich your coursework, and gain a deeper understanding of the topics covered in Complete Chinese Course: Learn Mandarin for Beginners.
This popular textbook series is designed for non-native speakers of Chinese who want to learn Mandarin. It is written in simplified Chinese characters and has been used by millions of learners around the world.
Is an excellent resource for students of Chinese who want to improve their understanding of Chinese grammar. This book is suitable for anyone with some prior knowledge of the language and great companion to the course.
This series consists of four textbooks, plus workbooks and audio CDs, and provides a thorough grounding in the Chinese language.
Covers a broad range of advanced Chinese grammar topics, including some of the more difficult and less commonly studied ones.
A reference grammar of Mandarin Chinese, arranged thematically and introducing the Chinese writing system. Appropriate as a supplementary text. Useful for those seeking academic rigor. presents all major grammatical structures and patterns found in Mandarin Chinese, providing clear explanations and examples from everyday language.
A textbook designed for beginners, focusing on developing speaking and listening skills. Provides a structured approach to learning Mandarin Chinese pronunciation and conversation.
Is an updated and expanded version of Jack Richards's Intermediate Chinese. It provides a thorough grounding in Chinese grammar without being verbose or nit-picky.
Is aimed at intermediate to advanced learners of Chinese and contains a wide range of authentic texts, including news articles, short stories, and essays.
A collection of graded readings designed to improve comprehension and vocabulary. Provides authentic texts and exercises for practice.
Useful resource for students of Chinese who are looking for a practical guide to Chinese grammar. It covers all the essential grammar points and provides clear explanations and examples.
This phrasebook great way to learn the essential phrases you need to get by in Chinese. It is written in English and includes a pronunciation guide.

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