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)
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.