Chinese greetings
Choose greetings for casual, formal, and first-time meetings.
Read guideLearn Mandarin
Mandarin learning guides
Clear, practical lessons for English speakers who want to understand Mandarin pronunciation and use everyday phrases with confidence.
Beginner learning path
Start with the foundations
Learn the sound system first, then use a small set of sentence patterns to turn vocabulary into useful Mandarin. Follow these lessons in order if you are starting from the beginning.
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Pinyin pronunciation
Learn how initials, finals, and unfamiliar letter combinations represent Mandarin sounds.
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Mandarin tones
Practice the four main tones, the neutral tone, and the contrasts that change meaning.
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Basic sentence order
Build sentences with the subject, time, place, verb, and object in a dependable order.
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Asking questions
Use 吗, question words, and A-not-A forms without rearranging the whole sentence.
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Everyday Mandarin
Learn through real situations
Once the foundations are familiar, study language around a task. Each guide combines useful phrases with the grammar and cultural context needed to use them naturally.
Ordering food
Ask for a table, order a dish, discuss spice, and pay.
Read guideTravel phrases
Handle transport, directions, accommodation, and emergencies.
Read guideNumbers, dates, and time
Say prices, phone numbers, appointments, and calendar dates.
Read guidePolite requests
Ask for help with 请, 可以, 能不能, and 麻烦你.
Read guideMeasure words
Match numbers and nouns with the classifiers used in daily speech.
Read guideBuild longer sentences
Grammar and sentence building
Compare similar words and learn the patterns that express negation, ability, experience, ongoing actions, and comparisons.
Mandarin negation: 不 vs 没
Choose the right negative form for habits, preferences, completed actions, and possession.
Read guideMandarin tone changes in real speech
Practice third-tone changes, 不, and 一 in connected speech and natural rhythm.
Read guide有 vs 是 in Mandarin
Choose between identity, possession, existence, and location with 有, 是, and 在.
Read guide会、能、可以、要 in Mandarin
Separate learned ability, practical possibility, permission, and intention.
Read guide了、过、在: Mandarin aspect particles
Understand completed events, life experience, and actions in progress.
Read guideHow to compare things in Mandarin
Use 比, 更, 最, and 一样 to compare size, price, difficulty, and preference.
Read guidePractice with the translator
After reading a guide, try a phrase in the Parrot-it translator to see simplified and traditional characters, Pinyin, and an English-friendly pronunciation hint.
Open the translator