This course builds foundational communication skills in Mandarin Chinese. You will learn Pinyin, basic sentence patterns, numbers, dates, and everyday expressions used in common situations such as introductions, family conversations, telling time, and asking for directions.
Chapter 1:Chūcì jiànmiàn (First Meeting)
What you’ll achieve:
You will be able to introduce yourself, greet others, and ask simple yes/no questions.
In this chapter, you will learn how to:
- Understand Pinyin, including initials and finals
- Introduce yourself naturally
- Greet people and say goodbye politely
- Ask simple yes/no questions using 吗 (ma)
- Use common greetings such as
- Nǐ hǎo – Hello
- Wǒ jiào… – My name is…
- Hěn gāoxìng rènshi nǐ – Nice to meet you
Chapter 2: Xìngmíng, guójí hé niánlíng (Name, Nationality and Age)
What you’ll achieve:
You will be able to talk about personal information such as your name, nationality, and age.
In this chapter, you will learn how to:
- Say your name clearly
- Talk about your nationality and origin
- Ask and answer questions about age
- Count numbers from 0–99
- Use polite expressions such as
- Nǐ jiào shénme míngzi? – What is your name?
- Nǐ shì nǎ guó rén? – Which country are you from?
- Nǐ duō dà? – How old are you?
Chapter 3: Zài gōngsī de jùhuì shàng (At a Company Gathering)
What you’ll achieve:
You will be able to talk about past events and ask questions about people and places.
In this chapter, you will learn how to:
- Use natural greetings in social situations
- Talk about past actions and events
- Ask questions using shéi (who) and nǎr (where)
- Express negation when talking about past actions
- Practice expressions such as
- Wǒ qù le… – I went to…
- Wǒ méi qù – I didn’t go
Chapter 4: Wèn shíjiān (Asking the Time)
What you’ll achieve:
You will be able to tell the time and make simple appointments.
In this chapter, you will learn how to:
- Ask and tell what time it is
- Make simple appointments
- Ask whether something exists or is available
- Use expressions such as
- Jǐ diǎn le? – What time is it?
- Wǒmen sān diǎn jiàn – Let’s meet at 3
- Nǐ yǒu shíjiān ma? – Do you have time?
Chapter 5: Jiārén hé péngyou (Family and Friends)
What you’ll achieve:
You will be able to talk about family members, jobs, and everyday activities.
In this chapter, you will learn how to:
- Describe family members
- Ask about occupations and workplaces
- Talk about daily activities
- Use expressions such as
- Wǒ jiā yǒu… – My family has…
- Tā zuò shénme gōngzuò? – What job does he/she do?
- Tā zài gōngzuò – He/She is working
Chapter 6: Rìqī hé tiānqì (Date and Weather)
What you’ll achieve:
You will be able to talk about dates, durations, and weather conditions.
In this chapter, you will learn how to:
- Say dates, months, and year
- Ask when something happens
- Talk about how long something lasts
- Describe weather conditions using expressions such as
- Jīntiān jǐ hào? – What’s the date today?
- Tiānqì hěn lěng – The weather is very cold
- Xià yǔ le – It’s raining
Chapter 7: Wèn lù (Asking for Directions)
What you’ll achieve:
You will be able to ask for directions and describe locations.
In this chapter, you will learn how to:
- Ask where places are located
- Understand and give basic directions
- Use expressions for location and position
- Use ordinal numbers for floors or sequence
- Practice phrases such as
- Zài nǎlǐ? – Where is it?
- Zuǒ zhuǎn – Turn left
- Zài dì èr céng – On the second floor
- Wǒ kàn bù jiàn – I can’t see it
