Mandarin Basics in 90 Minutes

Mandarin Chinese is spoken by more people than any other language in the world, and its tonal system — while unfamiliar to English speakers — is learnable with focused practice. These plans introduce the four tones, pinyin romanization, and a practical vocabulary of the most common words and phrases. You'll learn how Mandarin grammar differs from English (in ways that are actually simpler in some respects) and develop the ear for tones that makes everything else possible. A strong foundation in the basics makes the path forward significantly clearer.