Chinese (Mandarin) is one of the most complex languages in human history. That comes as no surprise given its complex writing and phonetic system, as well as its different dialects and accents. Basically, mastering Mandarin is quite a challenge, even for native speakers.
However, if you’re just starting out, there are certain things you can do to make the progress more quickly in the language. Here are 12 tips on how to learn Mandarin fast, as suggested by a native speaker!
1. Master Hanyu Pinyin
Wo3 xi3 huan1 chi1 dan4 gao1. That probably made as much sense to you as Ancient Hierogplyphs. But believe it or not, most Mandarin speakers would have understood that perfectly.
To learn Mandarin fast, one of the first things you want to do is master Hanyu Pinyin, the romanized phonetic system of Chinese characters. As you might have already known, proper pronunciation and tone are the most important aspects of communicating in Mandarin.
By studying Hanyu Pinyin, you’ll be able to learn how to pronounce different words with the correct intonation, even if you can’t write a single Mandarin character yet. More importantly, using Hanyu Pinyin is one of the most common ways to look up new words in a Chinese dictionary.
P.S., what I said earlier was simply “I like to eat cakes”!
2. Invest in quality online courses
There are many online courses like Rocket Chinese and Pimsleur that offer a comprehensive introduction to Hanyu Pinyin and more. One of the best ways to learn Chinese fast is simply to sign up for one of these courses.
Not only are these beginner-friendly courses able to introduce you to this foreign-sounding language seamlessly, but they provide holistic lessons that help bring you up to speed with different aspects of the language.
While these courses alone probably won’t have you writing Chinese poetry any time soon, they build a stable foundation to help you get comfortable with the language.
3. Alternatively, use books for a more methodical approach
If you prefer picking up a good ol’ book over virtual lessons, you can find plenty of books to learn Mandarin that specifically cater to learners with different levels of proficiency.
While learning Mandarin using textbooks may sound boring, it’s actually quite useful. Most of the books you can order online offer well-structured lessons that not only teach you the fundamentals of the language but also offer valuable exercises to help you better remember what you’ve learned.
Additionally, you should also pick up simple storybooks to supplement your reading. Even elementary school storybooks and comics go a long way in helping you improve your reading.
4. Focus on writing with proper radicals
Writing in Mandarin is challenging. This is especially true for English speakers because rather than a systematic “alphabet”, Mandarin consists of a collection of different strokes and radicals (bushou) which can be combined in many ways. One tip to learn Mandarin fast is to focus on these radicals.
Not only are radicals used to look up words in the dictionary, but a different radical also changes the meaning of the word. For example, the words “很” and “恨”. The first one means “very”, while the other means “hate”. The only difference is the bushou on the left. So, make sure you spend time writing using the correct bushou to avoid any awkward situations in the future!
Fun fact: There are two sets of Chinese characters: Simplified Chinese, and Traditional Chinese. China mainly uses Simplified Chinese while Taiwan and Hong Kong use traditional characters.
5. Prioritize vocabulary over grammar
If you’re the type of person who finds grammar boring, good news! Chinese doesn’t have a lot of grammatical rules. In fact, if you really want to, you can actually learn about all the fundamental rules of Mandarin grammar in just one day.
Instead, one practical way to quickly master Chinese is to focus on learning new vocabulary and phrases every day. The more words you know, the faster you learn and the more fluent you become.
You can start with common words and phrases or stick to certain topics that interest you, such as traveling or bargaining at a market. As you learn more words and practice using them, you’ll naturally pick up on grammar and sentence structure. Apart from apps like Memrise or Drops, you can also learn new Chinese vocabulary using textbooks and listening to songs.
6. Use Chinese learning apps to it fresh and breezy
One easy way to learn Mandarin fast is to use Chinese learning apps to keep things exciting and simple.
Most Chinese learning apps help users learn Mandarin using short, bite-sized lessons that are presented in a fun, gamified process. Most of the time, these apps feature flashcards that teach you new vocabulary every day which is great for building your word bank.
What’s more, they often feature quick quizzes that help test what you’ve learned too!
7. Practice your listening skills by tuning in to podcasts
Despite Chinese learning apps being a great tool, one thing that I find lacking is the absence of proper, practical conversations. Most of the lessons are catered specifically for new learners, so everything is simplified and slowed down.
Actual conversations in Mandarin can take place at incredible speeds. So if you want to be able to hold a proper conversation, one tip for learning Chinese is to improve your listening skills. And the best way to do that is by tuning in to some Chinese podcasts!
Not only will you be able to listen in on authentic conversations in Mandarin while picking up new words, but most podcasts can also be downloaded to your mobile device. This allows you to learn on the go!
8. Hone your pronunciation with regular audio lessons
Once you’re used to listening to Chinese conversations, it’s time to practice your own pronunciation. One way to do that is to check out audio lessons that feature, you guessed it, Hanyu Pinyin.
Most audio lessons online use repetition techniques to help you pronounce each word perfectly. Like when building your Mandarin vocabulary bank, one way to learn Chinese quickly is to look out for topics that interest you and learn to pronounce words within that particular field.
There are plenty of Mandarin audio lessons you can sign up for online. Some of my personal recommendations include ChineseClass101, MeInyks, and FluentU, which provide video lessons.
9. Sign up for online classes with tutors
As a native speaker, I will say that Mandarin isn’t the easiest language to learn by yourself. You can certainly give it a good try, but you will eventually stumble upon a plateau where beginner lessons are too easy, but advanced lessons are too challenging.
When that happens, you should hop on to sites like italki or Preply and get connected with Mandarin tutors. As you might expect, there are countless benefits to one-on-one or even group lessons in Mandarin.
Apart from being able to curate appropriate lessons for you, your tutor will also be able to find ways to keep learning interesting for you. If nothing more, just having someone to practice Mandarin with makes a world of difference.
10. Find someone to converse with using Mandarin
Speaking (pun intended) of that, one top tip to learn Mandarin fast is to find someone to chat about daily life with using Mandarin.
Why do I say this? A friend of mine from Brunei started using Duolingo to learn Mandarin a while back and decided to speak with me in Mandarin one day. His grammar, sentence structure, and pronunciation were all on point. However, he sounded like a dodgy salesman trying to sell me my fourth insurance policy in a week.
While apps, books, and online lessons can help you learn the basics of Mandarin and get you speaking fluently, they usually don’t account for real-world conversations. If you want to practice sounding natural when conversing in Mandarin, the only way to do that is simply to chat with someone in the language!
There are plenty of great platforms to get connected with like-minded language learners. To practice conversing in Mandarin, check out HelloTalk, Tandem, and Lingbe.
11. Immerse yourself in a Mandarin environment
Just like when learning other languages, immersing yourself in a Mandarin environment through movies, songs, and even books, helps you pick up certain nuances of the language that online courses and other materials may not offer.
One particular tip I can give is to watch Chinese shows on Netflix. My personal favorite is the Qin Empire Alliance Series. Chinese cultural history is deeply-ingrained in the language. By understanding the cultural history, you’ll also be able to better appreciate the beauty of Chinese, which in turn spurs you on to learn more.
Fun fact: While you’ll hardly find anyone using Shakespearean English these days, Mandarin speakers sometimes still use Ancient Chinese in conversation, mostly to playfully jazz up a normal conversation.
12. Set realistic goals
How fast can you learn Mandarin? Well, the answer to that really depends on what your goals are. If you’re trying to speak enough Mandarin to go on a week-long trip to China or Taiwan, you can probably attain the required fluency within a few months.
However, if you’re trying to speak and live like a native speaker, it could take years or even an entire lifetime of learning. Mandarin is easily one of the toughest languages to learn. Rather than try to force the issue, set practical goals that you can realistically meet.
If you’re just starting out, I suggest learning five new words each day. Once you’ve expanded your vocabulary bank, try to give a two-minute speech about your hobbies and then slowly progress to more challenging milestones.
Bonus: Download Douyin
Finally, one bonus tip that I definitely recommend to learn Mandarin quickly is to download Douyin! For the uninitiated, this is basically China’s version of TikTok! Given how most of us spend hours scrolling social media anyway, why not turn that time-consuming hobby into something that can help you learn Mandarin fast?
Yes, you’ll have to navigate thirst traps, dance videos, and random cat memes, but once you find the right combination of videos (think skits, movie reviews, and daily vlogs about life in China), you’ll be able to pick up plenty of practical vocabulary and Internet slang!
And there you have it: 12 tips to learn Chinese quickly as suggested by a native speaker!