Ask for repetition and help

Google voice when available; device voice as a fallback. Pinyin shows dictionary tones; natural speech includes the tone changes taught in the lessons.

Ask politely

请 before a request means “please”. 请问 is a useful way to get someone’s attention before a question. 对不起 is an apology; 谢谢 thanks someone for helping.

Learn these short requests as complete chunks before analyzing every part. It is normal to need repetition, even when you recognize the individual words on paper.

Separate hearing from understanding

听 means “listen/hear”; 懂 means “understand”. 我听不懂 says that you cannot understand what you hear. It does not mean that the sound is too quiet. For now learn 听不懂 as a complete expression.

请再说一遍 asks for another repetition. 一遍 means one complete run-through. Before the fourth tone of 遍, 一 is spoken with a rising tone; we keep its dictionary spelling yī here.

Ask for a word

这个用中文怎么说？ asks “How do you say this in Chinese?” Point at an object or use the word you want help with. 怎么 asks about the way something is done.

After hearing the answer, repeat it and ask for confirmation. These exercises accept the exact taught phrases or their tone-marked pinyin, rather than grading every possible polite variation.

Lesson vocabulary

Listen once, say it aloud, and try to recall the Chinese before looking.

Practice questions

Try every question, then check your answers. Capital letters and punctuation do not affect your score. Pinyin tone marks matter. For typed answers, use simplified characters or the taught pinyin (spacing is flexible).

Showing an answer makes that question a practice item worth zero for this attempt. Retry with the answers hidden when you’re ready. If audio cannot play, use Show answer / text to practice by reading.

Independent practice

These are independent practice tasks. The site does not record your voice, save your writing, or grade open-ended answers. Ask a teacher or conversation partner for feedback when you can.