How to truly start learning Chinese?

You know you want to start learning Chinese, but you don’t really have a plan for how to go about it? That’s actually reassuring, because there is no single guide, foolproof recipe, or master strategy that works for everyone. Here’s my best advise on how to start learning Chinese anyway.

First attempts

My first attempts to learn Chinese, dating back to 2012/13, were far from successful. I borrowed a handful of textbooks from my German university library and combined these German-Chinese course books with a digitized American language course from the 1970s, which, through endless drills and repetition, prepared me for communist China as it existed back then.

The online course used only Pinyin and focused heavily on communication and pronunciation. It introduced the different tones, and while I got to understand the concept in theory, how was I supposed to know whether my third tone actually sounded correct? Naturally, the courses covered how to introduce oneself and ask people about their nationality – the usual beginner material – but I had no idea whether native speakers would actually understand me.

I also encountered my first Chinese characters and tried copying them stroke by stroke, just like the course books told me. Although I somewhat enjoyed writing them, I soon realized that it slowed down other aspects of my learning, especially listening and speaking. Besides, how many characters was I supposed to learn in the first place?

After a few weeks, I had the feeling that none of this was really working. Although I sort of stuck to what and how the course books taught me, non of it fitted together and the train I was on, didn’t really seem to be going anywhere. Why weren’t these self-study methods working? What did I do wrong? In short, I was lost.

Start by asking the right questions

In hindsight, I don’t think my experience is that unique. Many people are highly motivated like I was to start learning Chinese. They simply don’t know where to begin! And how to know as a complete beginner which learning methods and routines actually produce progress and what should be your focus…

However, what does help is asking yourself the right questions:

• What exactly is your goal? (Do you want to hold fluent conversations with Chinese people, read posts on Weibo, or write Chinese characters? This will help find your general direction and focus area)
• How serious are you? How much time and money are you willing to invest? (Schedule & budget)
• What’s your background? Do you already have experience learning foreign languages? How do you enjoy learning? Can you learn independently or do you prefer taking language lessons? (Experience, language learning skills & preferences)
• How easily do you communicate with other people? How much of a perfectionist are you? Are you comfortable making mistakes, or do they embarrass you? (Personality)
• How patient are you? Do you expect to speak fluent Chinese within a matter of weeks, or can you think long-term, more like training for a marathon? (Time horizon)

The clearer your answers on these questions, the more successful your Chinese language learning journey will become.

Can you teach yourself Chinese?

Chinese has a reputation for being notoriously difficult. In my opinion, that’s only partly true. The challenging aspects are correct pronunciation – especially the tones – and the writing system. Everyday spoken Chinese, on the other hand, is relatively straightforward. Holding simple conversations about everyday topics – or what you might call “survival Chinese” – is much more achievable than many people think.

Another huge advantage is that the number of online resources for learning Chinese has increased dramatically over the last ten years, since I first started studying the language. More recently, AI has opened up entirely new possibilities, along with affordable apps like Talkpal. Connecting with other learners through communities on Reddit, Facebook, or other platforms has also become incredibly easy. All you really need is an internet connection.

So if the conditions are this favorable, can anyone simply get started and teach themselves Chinese?

Well… yes and no.

The truth is that not everyone is ideally suited to this approach. It works best if:

• you know exactly what you want to achieve,
• you’re highly motivated, disciplined, and organized,
• you’re able to think and plan long-term,
• you can create the conditions for your own success,
• and you’re comfortable working independently.

For many people, it may actually be better to take some form of Chinese course, leaving the planning of the curriculum, teaching methods, and learning pace to an instructor. It’s simply less stressful. Unfortunately, not everyone can afford that. Language courses – whether online or in person – are often expensive. In those cases, independent and self-directed learning is the only option. And don’t worry, it’s possible.

Start learning Chinese: Does it always have to be Duolingo?

Actually, Duolingo isn’t necessarily a bad place for beginners to start. The app introduces important fundamentals step by step and uses repetition to reinforce vocabulary and sentence structures.

So why do so many successful learners later say they wasted too much time on Duolingo?

Because Duolingo became – or had become – their main learning activity. It was the center of their studies. And that’s simply not enough.

No app – not even one of the 10 most downloaded Chinese learning apps in the world – will ever be sufficient on its own. You also need things like:

• Comprehensible input (content at your level) and immersion through YouTube or podcasts, which provide not only lots of language exposure but also an intuitive feel for the language.
• Graded readers or apps such as The Chairman’s Bao or DuChinese.
• Flashcards and a notebook.
• Communication with native speakers, for example through a language exchange partner.

Let’s start: What to focus on?

There’s a lot that could be said here for those starting to learn Chinese – probably too much. And much of it has already been explained better by others. I’m simply sharing my own experience as a language learner and someone who’s been blogging about learning Chinese since 2019.

1. Pinyin, pronunciation, and tones

Pinyin is simply the Romanization of Chinese. The system isn’t perfect, but it helps non-native speakers navigate the language, especially in the beginning when everything is new and Chinese characters might as well look like hieroglyphics.

If your goal is to communicate in Chinese, I strongly recommend learning the basics of Pinyin.

Wikipedia offers a solid theoretical introduction. Interestingly, its large chart lists every syllable possible in Standard Mandarin. Compared to German, the total number is actually quite manageable.

There are also many excellent YouTube series dedicated to learning the tones. These tend to be much more practical and are extremely helpful. Rita’s YouTube channel, in particular, covers common mistakes and problem areas, and I personally found it invaluable.

The experience of most learners shows that it’s worth investing the time to build a solid foundation in pronunciation. By that I mean focusing on pronunciation alone at first and treating it like basic training.

This isn’t just mental work- it’s physical training as well. The muscles involved in speaking have to learn entirely new movements. That takes time, and it’s important to allow yourself that time instead of rushing toward the next milestone.

#1 Essential Chinese learning apps: The first app you need to download is a English-Chinese dictionary. Either Pleco or Hanping Chinese are both superb choices with lots of useful add-ons and extra features, including audio-support for tones and pronunciation in general, flashcards and lots more.

2. Chinese characters: reading – yes. Writing? A personal choice.

Chinese characters are undeniably beautiful and fascinating, but they also present one of the biggest hurdles for learners. It’s no coincidence that progressive Chinese intellectuals a century ago even proposed replacing them with an alphabetic writing system. The traditional script simply isn’t very practical, both because of the complexity of individual characters and the sheer number of them.

That said, if you truly want to learn Chinese, you can’t avoid them altogether. Learning only Pinyin isn’t enough, because many words share the same spelling and pronunciation in Pinyin, making it impossible to know which word is actually meant. Chinese characters are also inseparable from thousands of years of Chinese history and culture. Ignoring them would be like choosing to remain functionally illiterate.

For that reason, I think it makes sense to acquire at least a passive knowledge of Chinese characters. By that, I mean being able to recognize them, understand their meaning, pronounce them correctly, and type them using a keyboard with Pinyin input.

Whether every learner also needs to be able to write characters by hand is more debatable today than ever before. It’s certainly an admirable skill and can be helpful, especially when taking vocabulary notes, but not everyone is planning to become a sinologist or a calligrapher.

Ultimately, the time you spend practicing handwriting could just as well be invested in speaking. It’s a matter of personal priorities. Personally, I wouldn’t fill entire notebooks with repeated characters again just because a teacher once insisted that writing every new character twenty times was the best way to learn.

So when should you start learning Chinese characters?

There are different opinions, but the general consensus among language experts is that diving into characters without any knowledge of the spoken language isn’t particularly effective. After all, Chinese children already possess a substantial vocabulary before they begin learning to write.

So when you start learning Chinese, there’s nothing wrong with first becoming comfortable with Pinyin and basic vocabulary, before immersing yourself in the world of Chinese characters.

#2 Essential Chinese learning apps: When it comes to understanding and writing Chinese characters, there’s no better choice than Skritter. This app allows you to deep-dive into the world of Chinese characters and practice handwriting like no other software that I know off.

3. Always learn vocabulary in context

This probably isn’t news, but learning vocabulary in isolation is almost always a bad idea. Very few people successfully memorize dictionary entries. The key – confirmed by neuro-scientific research on language learning – is to connect new words with knowledge you already have and build meaningful associations.

What really moves us forward are sentences we can actually use.

One of the main reasons I never truly learned French was the ineffective way vocabulary was taught in school: there was no practical application, no context, and nothing tailored to the learner’s own life.

Which brings us directly to the next question:

What does “meaningful” actually mean when we start learning Chinese?

#3 Essential Chinese learning apps: For learning Chinese vocabulary in context the first tool that comes to mind is actually a notebook to write down vocab enriched with examples and context. But since we’re talking about apps, I’d recommend Ankidroid for creating your own flashcards and add to them whatever seems relevant to you. Alternatively, you can use newer AI-powered flashcard tools that are often easier and faster to work with.

4. Make learning meaningful and engaging

In general, we learn best when we’re genuinely interested in what we’re studying. Why should I memorize the Chinese vocabulary for volleyball if I have absolutely no interest in the sport – or if I’m allergic to balls and nets?

But I’d like to take that idea one step further.

Learning a new language is a kind of rebirth.

You have to rediscover yourself in the target language, redefine who you are, and, in a sense, rewrite your own story. That’s the real project you’re working on.

Where were you born? What experiences shaped you? What occupies your mind? What are your goals?

Build your language skills around these big questions, because your ultimate goal isn’t just to know Chinese – it’s to communicate with other people and build meaningful relationships.

5. Start communicating early

Exactly when you should begin using the language for real communication is impossible to answer universally.

Some people argue that learners should start speaking from day one. Personally, I think it’s perfectly fine to wait a little longer until you’ve built a basic foundation. Everyone is different, and not all of us are equally outgoing or comfortable speaking with strangers.

That said, I do believe it’s generally beneficial to start speaking as early as possible (even to yourself) and, if necessary, work through your own fear or hesitation.

In my experience, the best way to do this is by finding an online language exchange partner or tutor you can talk to regularly.

That turns language learning into something real rather than something purely theoretical, where you’re constantly preparing for imaginary situations that have little – or only a very abstract – connection to your own life.

6. Keep improving your tones

Talking with other people isn’t just exciting, it’s also a reality check.

Am I easy to understand? Can I express myself clearly?

One thing to keep in mind is that Chinese speakers are often extremely encouraging toward foreigners who make an effort to speak their language. Even if all you can do is say your airplane seat number in Chinese or order a bowl of noodles, you’re likely to receive enthusiastic praise.

Unfortunately, that doesn’t necessarily mean everyone understands you perfectly.

Very few people are willing to tell you honestly when your pronunciation is difficult to understand, even though that kind of feedback is often what helps the most. In the vast majority of cases, the issue comes down to inaccurate tones or pronunciation.

That was true for me as well.

I had studied the tones carefully in the beginning, but later I stopped paying as much attention to them because, while I was working through HSK levels 1 to 4, people usually understood me well enough – especially friends and family.

One technique that helps tremendously when you start learning Chinese is shadowing: listening closely to native speakers, watching how they move their mouths, and repeating what they say. Reading Chinese texts aloud while following along with audio recordings can also make a huge difference.

A second one is recording yourself speaking Chinese, which might feel uncomfortable at first, but actually can be really helpful. It kind of forces you to perform at your best.

And sometimes the best thing you can do is simply pause your progress for a while and revisit what you’ve already learned, this time paying special attention to tones and pronunciation.

In short: hear → notice → imitate → produce → receive feedback → produce again

7. HSK as roadmap and benchmark

Although not everyone is a fan of HSK – the official Chinese proficiency exam for non-native learners – I still highly recommend it for beginners who benefit from structured goals.

The main reason is simple: when you’re just starting out, you need a roadmap. HSK provides exactly that, primarily through its vocabulary lists for each level (HSK 1 to 9), as well as textbooks and learning materials that introduce those words and explain the corresponding grammar. In short, it gives you a clear structure and something to hold on to as you progress.

A good starting point and first milestone is HSK 1, which, under the new system, introduces around 300 words. The vocabulary grows with each successive level. By HSK 4, you’ll have learned roughly 2,000 words and just over 1,000 individual Chinese characters—a solid foundation that puts you at an intermediate level of proficiency. One of the strengths of HSK is that it guides you toward that goal in a gradual, well-structured way, with each level building on the last.

If that sounds too much like school or feels too restrictive, you don’t necessarily have to follow the HSK curriculum. Another option is simply to take the HSK exams – or even practice versions of them – to see where you stand. In that case, HSK becomes a benchmark rather than a learning method.

The written exam assesses your listening, reading, and writing skills, and from HSK 3 onward there is also a separate speaking test. Together, these exams provide a comprehensive picture of your overall Chinese proficiency.

Ultimately, HSK is a choice – a path you can follow. You could even call it the “main route.” For many learners before you, it has worked well in one form or another. Whether it’s the right fit for you depends on the questions I mentioned at the beginning of this article, but also on the kind of learner you are.

If you enjoy having a clear, structured program to follow when you start learning Chinese, HSK is an excellent option. If you prefer a more flexible, self-directed, and hands-on approach, there are plenty of alternatives. And, of course, there’s nothing stopping you from combining HSK with other materials and learning methods.

8. Graded readers

Finally, to come back to the topic of reading in Chinese, I have to mention graded readers.

As you start learning Chinese, reading characters is a real challenge. Textbooks can certainly help, but they’re often rather dry and far removed from your own life and interests. On top of that, “reading” in most textbooks is fragmented into lesson texts, isolated sentences, and exercises, which doesn’t feel particularly natural.

Graded readers, on the other hand, offer a complete story that you can actually follow, written with a limited vocabulary – for example, using only 200 unique Chinese characters – and often aligned with the standard HSK levels.

As you read, you gradually become more familiar with Chinese characters, learn to recognize common patterns and phrases instead of decoding individual characters one by one, and steadily increase your reading speed.

So if mastering written Chinese is just as important to you as learning to speak it, graded readers are an essential part of your learning toolkit.

#4 Essential Chinese learning apps: When it comes to reading “graded” Chinese texts, you don’t have to purchase them physically on Amazon, but rather read them online on apps like TCB (The Chairman’s Bao) and DuChinese. Both apps give you access to thousands of Chinese texts suitable for beginners, including an in-built dictionary, audio and exercises. Try the free version to see if it works for you.

Conclusion: my advice for beginners (summarized in 180 words)

That was a long story, but it boils down to this:

1. If you start learning Chinese and want to be successful, you should first define clear goals, assess available time and motivation, and choose learning routines you can sustain.
2. Build a strong foundation in Pinyin, pronunciation, and tones before focusing on characters. Learn to recognize and type characters, while treating handwriting as an additional skill that can be prioritized if your goals require it.
3. Study vocabulary in meaningful context and make learning as interesting and engaging as possible.
4. Use multiple resources rather than relying on a single app: combine comprehensible input, graded readers, flashcards, and conversations with native speakers.
5. Start speaking early, continue refining pronunciation through shadowing and feedback, and use the HSK curriculum as a roadmap or benchmark to track progress.

Want to know more about where I wasted valuable life time learning Chinese what I would have done differently to learn Chinese more efficiently? Here I tell you all about my mistakes and regrets so you can do better.

Do you have any questions or thoughts after reading this article or you simply didn’t find the answer you were looking for? Feel free to hit me with your Chinese learning questions in the comments below and I’ll do my best to answer them.

FAQ: common myths about learning Chinese

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