Chinese for Beginners

Chinese for Beginners teaches Mandarin on Breni, starting with pinyin and the four tones and then the first characters, before any longer phrases. Its 8 courses cover pinyin and tones, first characters, greetings, everyday phrases, two grammar courses, conversation and Chinese in daily life. Learners finish able to say words with the right tone, write thirty common characters, use measure words and talk about completed actions. Tones come first because changing a tone changes the word, and each course unlocks after the one before has been finished.

  • 8 courses
  • 15 learning objectives
  • Level: beginner
  • Language: English
  • Price: Subscription, free trial

What you will be able to do

  • Pronounce Mandarin words with the correct tone using pinyin
  • Write thirty everyday characters with the correct stroke order
  • Introduce yourself and ask simple questions with ma
  • Count, shop and order food using the right measure words
  • Describe completed actions with le and past experiences with guo
  • Type Chinese on a phone using pinyin input

Full curriculum

Part 1 · Sounds and script

1. Pinyin and Mandarin Tones: Beginner Guide

Pronounce Mandarin with pinyin and the four tones. Units, in order: What pinyin is; The four tones and the neutral tone; Initials and finals; Tone changes, as in nǐ hǎo; Hearing tone differences.

  • — Understanding Pinyin
    Learn what pinyin is and how it helps you read Mandarin.
    • What is Pinyin
    • The Latin Alphabet
  • — Initials and Finals
    Master consonant beginnings and vowel endings that form syllables.
    • Mandarin Initials
    • Mandarin Finals
    • Combining Sounds
  • — The Four Tones
    Practice the four main pitch patterns that change word meanings.
    • First Tone
    • Second Tone
    • Third Tone
    • Fourth Tone
  • — The Neutral Tone
    Understand light and unstressed syllables in everyday spoken Mandarin.
    • Neutral Tone Basics
    • Pronouncing Neutral Tone
  • — Tone Changes
    Learn how tones change in real conversation like ni hao.
    • Third Tone Sandhi
    • Saying Ni Hao
  • — Hearing Tone Differences
    Train your ear to recognize contrasting tones in spoken words.
    • Tone Pairs
    • Tone Quiz

2. First Chinese Characters

Read and write your first Chinese characters. Units, in order: How characters are built; Strokes and stroke order; Radicals; Numbers one to ten in characters; Thirty everyday characters; Looking up characters in a dictionary app.

Part 2 · Basics

3. Chinese Greetings and Introductions

Greet people and introduce yourself in Mandarin. Units, in order: Nǐ hǎo and goodbye; Introducing yourself; Saying where you are from; Shì for is; Polite phrases such as xièxie and duìbuqǐ.

4. Everyday Chinese Phrases

Handle numbers, money, food and directions in Mandarin. Units, in order: Numbers, prices and money; Ordering food; Asking for directions; Dates and the time; Talking about family.

Part 3 · Core grammar

5. Chinese Grammar Basics

Build simple Mandarin sentences and questions. Units, in order: Subject, verb, object word order; Questions with ma; Measure words; Negation with bù and méi; Adjectives that work like verbs.

6. More Chinese Grammar

Talk about time, completed actions and comparisons. Units, in order: Time words before the verb; Completed actions with le; Experiences with guo; Possession with de; Comparing with bǐ.

Part 4 · Real use

7. Conversations in Chinese

Hold simple conversations in everyday situations. Units, in order: Small talk; Making plans; At a restaurant; Shopping and bargaining; Asking someone to speak slowly.

8. Chinese in Daily Life

Read and type Chinese in real settings. Units, in order: Simplified and traditional characters; Reading signs and menus; Typing Chinese with pinyin; Writing a short message; Mandarin and other Chinese languages.

Sample: Pinyin and Mandarin Tones: Beginner Guide

The opening tier, (Understanding Pinyin). Learn what pinyin is and how it helps you read Mandarin.

What is Pinyin

Discover how pinyin uses the Latin alphabet to write Mandarin sounds.

The Latin Alphabet

See how familiar letters represent completely new sounds in Mandarin.

Questions about Chinese for Beginners

Is Chinese hard to learn?

Mandarin grammar is fairly simple, with no verb endings to memorise, but tones and characters take time. Chinese for Beginners on Breni gives each its own course.

Does the path teach Mandarin or Cantonese?

Mandarin, the most widely spoken Chinese language. The last course explains how it relates to the others.

Does the path use simplified or traditional characters?

Simplified characters, which are used in mainland China and Singapore. The last course shows how traditional characters differ.

Is Breni an alternative to Duolingo for Chinese?

Yes. Breni teaches Mandarin in short lessons with immediate feedback and brings back tones and characters you missed.

Does this path prepare me for HSK 1?

It covers much of the vocabulary and grammar HSK 1 expects, but it does not follow the test syllabus.

Related learning paths

Start Chinese for Beginners

Get Breni on Google Play and start Chinese for Beginners Download on the App Store