Characters are not the same as words
Begin recognizing useful words without memorizing isolated shapes.
Distinguish a written character from a word and recognize a few useful combinations.
Hear the lesson phrases
Google voice when available; device voice as a fallback.
Read the audio transcript
学 学生 学校 我学中文。 我是学生。
Read characters in useful combinations
A character usually corresponds to a syllable, but a word may contain one, two, or more characters. 学生 has two characters and means student; 学 by itself can mean to study.
This edition uses simplified characters. Traditional characters are another writing system used for Chinese; they are not a separate pronunciation. You do not need to learn both scripts at once to begin.
Use sound, meaning, and shape together
When you meet a word, look at its characters, say its pinyin, and use it in a short phrase. Return later and try to recall the meaning before revealing it.
Some components suggest meaning or pronunciation, but they are clues rather than infallible rules. A character can have different pronunciations in different words; learn the pronunciation of the whole word.
Lesson vocabulary
Read each word aloud, then test your recall of its meaning.
| 学 | to study | |
| 学生 | student | |
| 学校 | school | |
| 中文 | Chinese language | |
| 字 | written character |
Practice questions
Answer the questions and read the explanations. You can repeat the exercises.
Learn words in context. Characters show how a word is written; pinyin shows how it is pronounced.