中文 (Chinese)
Mandarin Chinese is the world's most spoken native language, with over 900 million native speakers. It's the official language of China, Taiwan, and Singapore, and one of the six official UN languages.
Why learn Chinese?
Chinese opens doors to the world's second-largest economy and a civilization spanning 5,000 years. It's the language of Confucius, classical poetry, and modern global business.
What makes Chinese distinctive?
- Tonal language — Same syllable with different tones = different meanings
- Character-based writing — No alphabet; thousands of unique characters
- Simple grammar — No conjugations, no gender, no plurals
- Measure words — Required between numbers and nouns
- Topic-prominent — Context often determines meaning
How different is it?
The US Foreign Service Institute rates Chinese as a Category IV language (most difficult), requiring 2,200+ hours for proficiency. However, the grammar is simpler than European languages.
This guide
- Tones and Pinyin — The sound system
- Your first words — Essential vocabulary
- Characters — Understanding the writing system
- Grammar basics — Sentence structure
- Numbers and time — Counting and time expressions
- Everyday conversations — Practical phrases
- Culture and context — Understanding Chinese society
- Next steps — Resources for continued learning