Keep in mind there are two different kinds of Chinese writing systems- Traditional characters (Taiwan, HK, Macau) and Simplified (Mainland China, Malaysia, Singapore). However, if you travel to Japan or S. Korea, the old temples will have traditional characters. To decide which kind of Mandarin to learn read this article. Learners often use pinyin, which is the phonetic sound using the Latin alphabet.
Mandarin is a tonal language. You will have to learn the 5 tones when you are learning Mandarin. The tones are flat, rising, dip, falling, and neutral. They are represented in pinyin, resembling accent lines, but in fact they are showing the tones.
I. Chinese Vocab Study Sets
- Core 100 words
- 108 Basic Words
- Vocab by Topic
- Vocab list for Computers and the Internet
- Cambridge International Level 3 Vocab list (Free pdf)
- 30 Useful Travel Phrases
II. YouTube Channels
III. Podcasts
IV. Basic Conversations: Getting Started
V. Apps
- Preply – Best for 1-on-1 lessons
- Rocket Chinese – Best for audio lessons
- LingoDeer – Best for pronunciation
- Mondly – Best for tech heads
- Duolingo – Best free app
- Hello Chinese – Best for diverse activities
- Pleco – Best dictionary app
- Drops – Best for vocabulary
