At a glance
What will be easy
Verbs never change: 我去 (wǒ qù) I go, 他去 (tā qù) he goes. Time is shown with words such as 昨天 (zuótiān, yesterday) and 明天 (míngtiān, tomorrow), and 了 (le) marks a completed action.
The basic order is subject, verb, object, as in English: 我喝茶 (wǒ hē chá), I drink tea. A yes/no question simply adds 吗 (ma) at the end: 你喝茶吗？(nǐ hē chá ma?), no “do” needed.
Many words are built from parts you already know: 电 (diàn, electricity) + 脑 (nǎo, brain) = 电脑 (diànnǎo), computer. 火车 (huǒchē), train, is literally “fire vehicle”.
What will be hard
Each syllable has one of four tones or a neutral tone, and the tone changes the meaning: 买 (mǎi) means “to buy”, 卖 (mài) “to sell”. In English, pitch shows emotion; in Chinese, it is part of the word.
There is no alphabet: each character is learned with its meaning and its sound. About 2,500 characters cover around 98% of everyday texts, and components like 氵 (water) in 河 (river) and 海 (sea) help you remember them.
Pinyin uses Latin letters with new values: x is close to “sh”, q to “ch”, c to the “ts” in “cats”, and zh is like the j in “jump” with the tongue curled back: 谢谢 (xièxie), 去 (qù), 菜 (cài), 中国 (Zhōngguó).
Your first 10 phrases
| Phrase | How to say it | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 你好 (nǐ hǎo) | nee how | Hello |
| 谢谢 (xièxie) | shyeh-shyeh | Thank you |
| 不客气 (bú kèqi) | boo kuh-chee | You’re welcome |
| 对不起 (duìbuqǐ) | dway-boo-chee | Sorry |
| 再见 (zàijiàn) | dzai-jyen | Goodbye |
| 多少钱？(duōshao qián?) | dwo-shaow chyen | How much is it? |
| 洗手间在哪儿？(xǐshǒujiān zài nǎr?) | shee-show-jyen dzai nar | Where is the restroom? |
| 我听不懂 (wǒ tīng bu dǒng) | wo ting boo doong | I don’t understand |
| 请说慢一点 (qǐng shuō màn yìdiǎn) | ching shwo mahn ee-dyen | Please speak a bit more slowly |
| 我要这个 (wǒ yào zhège) | wo yow juh-guh | I’ll have this one |
From A1 to B2: what to learn at each level
- A1
Pinyin and the four tones, word order, 是 (shì, to be), 有 (yǒu, to have), questions with 吗 and question words, numbers and the measure word 个 (ge); about 500 words and 300 characters.
- A2
了 (le) for completed actions and 过 (guo) for experiences, comparisons with 比 (bǐ), the modal verbs 想, 要, 会, 能, 可以 and more measure words; about 1,200 words and 600 characters.
- B1
Result and direction complements (听懂, 看完, 走进来), sentences with 把 (bǎ) and 被 (bèi), the particles 的, 得, 地, linked clauses like 虽然…但是 (although… but); about 2,200 words and 900 characters.
- B2
Complex sentences, formal written style, set idioms 成语 (chéngyǔ), the news and longer texts; 3,000 words and 1,200 characters or more.
How long it takes to learn Chinese
According to the US Foreign Service Institute (FSI), a native English speaker needs about 88 weeks of intensive study to reach professional working proficiency in Chinese. The closer a language is to your own, the faster the road.
More on timing: How long does it take to learn a language to B1 and B2?.
Your first month, 15–20 minutes a day
Pinyin and the four tones: every day, listen to and repeat sets like mā, má, mǎ, mà, plus 你好, 谢谢 and the numbers 1 to 10.
Your first 30 characters and their components (人, 口, 大, 小, 中, 水), the pronouns 我, 你, 他 and questions with 吗. Install a pinyin keyboard.
Word order and time words: 我今天学习中文 (wǒ jīntiān xuéxí Zhōngwén), the measure words 个 and 本, numbers up to 100. Type three sentences a day in pinyin.
Short dialogues in a café or a shop, 多少钱 and 我要这个, and 150 words in review. Try a five-minute conversation with a native speaker or in a chat.
Typical mistakes and how to avoid them
Adjectives don’t take 是. Use 很 (hěn) instead: 我很累 (wǒ hěn lèi).
Time comes before the verb: 我明天去北京 (wǒ míngtiān qù Běijīng), “I’m going to Beijing tomorrow”.
A number needs a measure word: 三本书 (sān běn shū), three books. When in doubt, 个 (ge) is the most common one.
A question with a question word doesn’t take 吗: 你去哪儿？(nǐ qù nǎr?), “Where are you going?”
Did you know?
- Numbers carry meaning through sound: 八 (bā, eight) resembles 发 (fā, to prosper), while 四 (sì, four) sounds like 死 (sǐ, death), so some buildings skip the fourth floor.
- English “tea” comes from te in a southern Chinese dialect, brought by Dutch traders, while “chai” goes back to 茶 (chá).
- Mandarin has only about 400 different syllables without tones, so many words sound alike and context matters a lot.
Chinese exams
The main international certificates: HSK. Many of them map their levels to the CEFR scale from A1 to C2.
How NewLexi helps you learn Chinese
- Words on your topics. Chinese cards are generated on request or added from the translator, text, a photo or a file.
- Spaced repetition for every word and four mastery levels.
- Stories and dialogues in Chinese at your level, written with your words; tap any word for a translation.
- Chinese grammar from A1 to C2, a writing trainer with AI correction and a chat.
- Lock Screen cards and iPhone widgets to review words on the go.
FAQ
Is Chinese hard for English speakers?
The FSI puts it among the hardest languages for English speakers, mainly because of characters and tones. Grammar, on the other hand, is simpler than in most European languages, so basic spoken sentences come surprisingly fast.
How long does it take to reach B1?
Expect two to three times as long as for Spanish: about 1,000 hours, or two to three years at an hour a day. Speaking usually reaches this level sooner than reading.
Which certificate should I take?
The main exam is the HSK, with levels 1 to 6 and an advanced exam for levels 7–9. B1 roughly matches HSK 3–4, though the comparison is debated. For Taiwan there is the TOCFL.
Simplified or traditional characters?
Simplified characters are used in mainland China and Singapore, traditional ones in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau. Start with simplified unless you are heading for Taiwan or Hong Kong: switching later is easier than it looks.
