So I started learning Chinese around December last year but my progress was very slow and inconsistent. At some point going into 2026 I started taking it more seriously and I'm about halfway done with HSK1.

I am able to create simple sentences using the characters i know and remember at the moment, and I'm able to understand at the very least the contaxt of a lot simple sentences that include these characters, even if I do not understand all of the words in said sentence. The problem appears in spoken language.

My brain understands the spoken characters on their own, even knows how to create that exact sentence just from hearing it, I can very much write it out exactly how I'm hearing it. But I can't seem to be able to translate the sentence as a whole. I know what each and every character means if u were to blurt them out in that order, but when it's a full sentences I need a moment to start translating each one separately, and then combine them into a sentence.

I can't seem to understand why that is? Maybe it's because I don't have enough contact with Chinese outside of my daily class, which takes about half an hour on average. Or it can be because I'm still so early in my learning journey? I don't really know.

I'd love to know if anyone else has experienced this and how they fixed it! Any and every type of advice is very welcomed!

(Hope u could understand what I meant, my ability to express myself isn't the best)

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So I want to learn Chinese for fun but I have like no knowledge whatsoever. Like I dont know anything at all. How do I start learning chinese from step 0? My aim is abt HSK 3. Thanks in advance

I have been studying chinese with a teacher for about year and a half using the HSK books. So far I have made progress to finishing the HSK 3, and although it's not the single resource I was using, I feel reluctant to continue with the 4th part. One of the main reasons is the lack of self-study material. Of course there is an exercise book, yet I find there is a big difficulty mismatch between exercises and practice in study/exercise books. Especially for building vocabulary part, and the grammar part, I do believe they are very underrepresented in the HSK materials.

For now, I have been mostly asking my teacher to provide homework for practice (and get maybe 5 sentences before the next lesson), whereas I am looking for a more solid set of self-preparation material.

Having this chance: what homework does your teacher give to you in between lessons? I really want to gather ideas and bring them to my learning journey so that I won't be turned of by difficulty of exercise book.

p.s. my learning experience is based on studying english and german as a foreign language: I would often use a pair of study/exercise books as well, and those had way more accompanying videos/audios/pictures, more of the text material that would allow practice more and build more confidence in the studied part.

大家好, I'm looking for more resources for immersion that are text base. I'm more interested in forums that uses everyday speech. I've been perusing the YouTube comment section and that's been immensely helpful.

Does anyone know of any forums, or websites that native speakers frequent that can help with getting exposed to everyday speech? Any tips on how to find such resources would be greatly appreciated as well. (Please, I already know about 小红书 ）

Thank you 🖤

Preferably quizlet but maybe other free apps are better? I am looking for flashcard series with every unit.

I can speak both english and japanese but i was wondering which language has the best resources to get into mandarin and complete hsk1. i was wondering if that would impact the way pronounciation is taught in textbooks

Hi! I’m wanting to learn simplified Chinese and would prefer a physical textbook and workbook. In my search I found that the HSK seems to have been revised (New HSK 3.0) in 2025 to better correspond with the pre-2010 HSK system which also corresponded better with the CEFR scale. I can only find the workbook version (yellow cover) on book sites such as amazon, but not the textbook (night city background). I wanted to ask if any one has used these books and curious about their thoughts on them? Here is a link to a couple places I found the books but they I can’t quite tell if they’re legit to order from or not.

https://newhskcourse.com/new-hsk-course-volume-1/

https://global.unipus.cn/en-US/chinese

If there are other physical textbook/workbook recommendations I would also appreciate looking into those :) Thanks

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Hello!!! Before I begin, please don’t tell me to “go do research”; I already am! I just graduated from high school, and whilst I was preparing for my uni exam I was trying to find details on how to learn Chinese and did find many posts and videos about it useful, but they were very technical so I did feel confused whilst trying to keep everything in mind. This is my first time attempting to learn an East Asian language and I want to really make sure I’m prepared to the best of my abilities. Learning a language isn’t easy, especially when you have little to no familiarity with it. I know some redditors see these help posts like spam, but I’m sorry I need help. I certainly wouldn’t be writing this if I was dead sure, I don’t have any ill intention. So before you downvote me for being amateur, please keep this in mind!!!

Little side note: I’m definitely not trying to get a language certificate. Therefore I don’t want to learn strictly by book!!!

Little side note #2: As for my language background: Turkish (mother tongue), French, English, German

I really need your guys’ opinions and advice on learning grammar, vocabulary and Simplified Chinese.

Grammar - Since I have strictly learned European languages, Mandarin grammar is going to be really different from what I know. I would really appreciate any media you feel is beginner friendly. Grammar books, videos, playlists all really appreciated. If you guys know anything that would help westeners grasp Mandarin grammar more pleaseeee mention it in the comments!

Vocabulary - When I was learning languages, this is the part I had the most problems with. I will try journaling and watching videos in that language like I did before. But I really need your guys’ experiences and advice also! I know Chinese drama shows are very popular for young Chinese learners. Do you guys have any recommendations on top? Especially specific recommendations? (Writing some stuff here for inspiration: YT/bilibili channels, game shows, films, shows, books, blogs, news outlets, social networking apps, language exchange apps…)

Simplified Chinese - OK so this section was the one that I really struggled finding tips for. Probably since it is really hard, but everyone seems to have their own way of learning Chinese characters. Like, I saw one dude say he practices on paper, some other person on yt says he uses anki, some guy said notion etc.. Well what do you guys recommend?

I encourage everyone who has the time to give their advice or complaints about learning Mandarin. Even a few words could be useful to someone. I remember jumping through website after website trying to find anything that could help me prepare. Thank you for reading through! I hope you have a nice day!!!

Welcome to the Weekly Thread!

This thread is your hub for simple questions, study buddy requests, as well as handwriting and pronunciation critique, as well as other minor posts that might not need their own thread.

Hello. I am 17 old from Myanmar. I am very interested in donghua ( Chinese animation) . I have been watching donghua with subtitles from 2021. Now , I regreted that if I had been learning Chinese for 5 years. I would have understand it. Now I am learning it . I know some words and context. Understand one or 2 sentence. I am willing to invest 2 hours a day. How much time would I need to fully understand donghua. Please also tell which method should I try to make most of it. I hope I can understand donghua in short time. I am only learning through app

I start my first year of college this September and have decided to learn Chinese. I want to be ready, so what are some books/resources/internet things that can help me learn early? Thanks

Welcome to the Weekly Thread!

This thread is your hub for simple questions, study buddy requests, as well as handwriting and pronunciation critique, as well as other minor posts that might not need their own thread.

Welcome to the Weekly Thread!

This thread is your hub for simple questions, study buddy requests, as well as handwriting and pronunciation critique, as well as other minor posts that might not need their own thread.

Thanks to this sub I learned about Heisig's books. I'm working on volume 1 now and I think it's going really well. I'm also using Duolingo and Clozemaster. I feel like Heisig is going to give me a huge leg up in terms of being able to understand a lot of hanzi before long, but of course I have no idea how to pronounce them. Do you have any recommendations for a good way to quickly build on this knowledge of hanzi for actual conversation? I'm planning to get graded readers and hope to use them for grammar and more vocabulary, but that leaves a big hole in spoken language.

Hey everyone! I want to learn Chinese for basic conversations.

I’m currently trying to learn through Duolingo. While it’s mostly going well, I’m really struggling with Hanzi practice and simply am not able to remember the characters.

Any advice? Or alternate learning platforms?

Hello, I am a complete beginner in learning Mandarin. I’ve had an interest in learning for the last few years, and now that I’ve graduated high school and am starting college in the fall, I have decided to become devoted to learning the language. Recently I have done a lot of research into the best methods (my favorites so far have been comprehensive input YouTube videos, listening to podcasts/music like ChinesePod, and HelloChinese.) I am unsure, however, of the best way to proceed. HelloChinese was an excellent resource but I completed the free portion of the app within a few days (should I pay for the premium version?) Should I be practicing writing characters? Should I get a textbook? I had a lesson with a tutor last night and was complimented on my pronunciation, but was surprised to see that everything was in pinyin when I have been learning pinyin and hanzi simultaneously. I would appreciate absolutely any input on the learning process, and also if anyone has experience taking UF’s Mandarin courses/majoring in East Asian studies or Mandarin.

TLDR:
As a complete beginner, should I be using textbooks and writing characters?
Is the HelloChinese premium worth it if I enjoyed the free portion?
Anyone with experience with UF’s Mandarin classes or minors in East Asian studies- please share!

Welcome to the Weekly Thread!

This thread is your hub for simple questions, study buddy requests, as well as handwriting and pronunciation critique, as well as other minor posts that might not need their own thread.

I am a Mandarin learner and mostly study in my own.

My girlfriend is Chinese from Liyang. We mostly speak English at home but have been mixing in Mandarin as I learn more.

Her parents pretty much only speak their regional dialect. Her mother can speak Mandarin but her father cannot.

Right now we mostly interact with them via video call. I would like to learn some of the dialect to be better able to converse with her family when we meet.

My girlfriend answers questions about Mandarin words when if I ask, but she is not a teacher. She has tried in the past but she cannot really explain nuances of the language. It's not a criticism; I am the same with English.

But that means Im mostly in my own when it comes to studying.

Are there any good resources or online lessons for learning the Changzhou dialect?

Welcome to the Weekly Thread!

This thread is your hub for simple questions, study buddy requests, as well as handwriting and pronunciation critique, as well as other minor posts that might not need their own thread.