CHINA NOW logo
no flash button

Learning Mandarin

whats new top bar image
Learning Chinese can seem a daunting task but we have broken down some of the basics to help you get an idea of how mandarin is used and how - with a little dedication - you too could communicate in one of the most widely spoken languages in the world.

If you need more convincing - here are some facts to get you talking!

Did you know that...
  • Chinese is the most widely spoken language in the world
  • More people in the world speak Chinese natively than English and Spanish combined
  • Mandarin is one of the six official languages of the United Nations
  • Mandarin is spoken by approximately 70% of mainland China's population
  • Mandarin Chinese speakers use two sides of their brains to understand language, whereas English speakers use just one. (Source: Wellcome Trust)
 
First words

Your first words of Mandarin - the basics
Click here to download >
 
Useful Words & phrases

Download our easy reference for useful day to day words. Compiled by Dorling Kindersley
Click here to download >

 
Online Interactive Learning

An interactive slideshow gives a flavour of how Mandarin sounds, starting with the tones.
Click here to start>

The first words information has come from Easy-Peasy Chinese and useful phrases from 15-Minute Chinese. Real Chinese courtesy of BBC Languages.