Introduction

Let's be honest, learning to speak Mandarin Chinese is not easy. Mandarin is a tonal language, which means if you say a word with the wrong tone or inflection, you can be misunderstood.

To hear the different tones in Mandarin, visit this page.

Mandarin's writing system consists of written symbols. There are two systems for writing Mandarin: traditional and simplified. Simplified characters are used mainly in China and Singapore, while Taiwan uses traditional writing.

Beginners, however, usually start with lessons in PinYin, which is Chinese written phonetically in the Latin alphabet.

But do not be discouraged, you can learn how to speak Mandarin! Practice a few phrases and words each day, and the language will begin to make sense. It will take time and commitment, but if you follow the steps below you too can speak Mandarin!