Learn Chinese, properly.

Original articles on Mandarin vocabulary, grammar, culture and how to actually make progress.

Featured

A teal phone with two empty chat bubbles and a keyboard beside a coffee cup, with an amber-lit city and river beyond a café window

How to Type in Chinese and Send Your First Message

Set up a Chinese Pinyin keyboard on iPhone or Android, choose the right characters, and practice everyday messages with an interactive Chinese typing guide.

10 min read

Why you should ditch Pinyin asap when learning Mandarin

Relying on Pinyin to read Chinese? Learn when to hide it, how to keep your pronunciation accurate, and a practical way to start reading characters on their own.

10 min read

An open book and tablet beside a teal armchair, amber reading lamp, and cup of tea, with rain falling outside the window

Study Methods

How to Read Your First Book in Chinese (and Finish It)

Choose your first Chinese book, test its difficulty, and build a reading routine with dictionary lookups, EPUB reading, and useful vocabulary review.

12 min read

A teal travel bag and a phone map beside a warmly lit noodle shop, with an amber-lit street and a teal bus in the background

Culture & Travel

100 Essential Chinese Survival Phrases With Pinyin

Learn 100 essential Chinese survival phrases with pinyin, audio, and both scripts. Use Mandarin for food, shopping, directions, and everyday conversations.

9 min read

A peaceful Taiwan-inspired mountain hot spring with teal water, amber lanterns, bamboo, autumn leaves, and a wooden bathhouse at dusk

Culture & Travel

Hot Springs in Chinese: A Cozy Taiwan Getaway

Learn Chinese hot spring vocabulary for a Taiwan getaway, from private baths and towels to useful questions, bath signs, and an interactive mountain scene.

10 min read

A cozy hot pot table illustrated in teal and amber, with steam rising from a divided pot surrounded by beef, tofu, cabbage, mushrooms, and dipping sauce

Words & Vocabulary

Hot Pot in Chinese: Broths, Ingredients & Words for the Table

Learn how to order hot pot in Chinese, choose a broth and spice level, name ingredients and sauces, and practise with an illustrated interactive menu.

10 min read

Milk tea with tapioca pearls and golden iced tea on a sunny cafe counter beside a milk pitcher, tea leaves, and a bowl of pearls

Words & Vocabulary

How to Order Bubble Tea in Chinese: Sugar, Ice & Toppings

Learn how to order bubble tea in Chinese, choose sugar and ice levels, and name your favorite toppings, with illustrated words and an interactive order builder.

8 min read

An autumn park beside a cafe, with a scarf on a bench, hot tea, chestnuts, and golden maple leaves

Words & Vocabulary

Autumn Vocabulary in Chinese: 40 Words for Cozy Days

Learn 40 autumn words in Chinese, from maple leaves and scarves to chestnuts, walnuts, and hot tea, with illustrations, pinyin, and useful Mandarin sentences.

10 min read

Open study notebook, blank flashcards, tea, dumplings, and a phone with an audio waveform at a Taipei café at sunset

Words & Vocabulary

All 394 TOCFL Novice Words: Traditional Chinese List and Video

Study all 394 TOCFL Novice vocabulary entries in Traditional Chinese, with pinyin, English meanings, a Novice 1 and 2 guide, and a 92-minute video lesson.

9 min read

Taiwan's national flag in the foreground as fireworks light the evening sky above Taipei 101 and the Taipei skyline

Culture & Travel

Taiwan's Double Ten Day: 2026 Events and Chinese Words

Why Taiwan celebrates Double Ten Day on October 10, where the 2026 events are, and the Traditional Chinese words to recognize, from 國旗 to 煙火.

7 min read

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