You’ve done your daily streak for eight months. Maybe longer. Your owl is happy. You can confidently say 我喜欢喝茶 (I like to drink tea) and 他是我的朋友 (he is my friend). And yet, when you try to watch a Chinese drama without subtitles or read a single sentence on a Chinese news site, it feels like …
Duolingo Intermediate Chinese: Why You’re Plateauing and How to Actually Break ThroughRead More »
You finished the Duolingo Chinese tree—or got close—and realized something uncomfortable: you can’t actually understand a Chinese podcast, hold a basic conversation, or read a menu without panicking. Or maybe you’re only halfway through and you can already tell this isn’t going to get you where you want to go. You’re not wrong. Duolingo’s Chinese …
The Best Duolingo Alternatives for Chinese (From a Language Learner’s Perspective)Read More »
The short answer: After Duolingo Chinese, focus on vocabulary depth through sentence practice, intensive listening comprehension, reading without pinyin, and conversation with a tutor—in that order. You’re at approximately HSK 2-3 level with passive vocabulary; now you need to convert that knowledge into active, usable Chinese. You did it. You finished a Duolingo course and …
What to Do After Duolingo Chinese: A Realistic Roadmap for What Comes NextRead More »
Learning Chinese vocabulary is different from learning vocabulary in almost any other language—and if you’ve already started, you know exactly what I mean. As a foreign language, Chinese presents unique vocabulary challenges that go beyond what learners typically encounter with other foreign languages. There are no cognates to lean on. You can’t look at a …
Best Ways to Learn Chinese Vocabulary: A Practical Guide That Actually WorksRead More »
Let’s skip the part where I pretend you haven’t already scrolled through the App Store, downloaded three apps, and abandoned at least one of them. Learning Chinese through apps is overwhelming—not because there aren’t good options, but because there are too many options, and most “best of” lists read like they were written by someone …
Best Apps to Learn Chinese in 2026: An Honest Guide for Serious LearnersRead More »
Chinese culture is one of gratitude, honour, and formalities. When speaking Chinese, it is very important to be polite in a culturally appropriate way. For this reason, you’ve got to know how to say “thank you” in Chinese, not just in the most basic sense, but with the best responses to various situations. While you …
How to Say “Thank You” in Chinese in All Kinds of SituationsRead More »
One of the most exciting aspects of learning Chinese for me is learning how to read and write characters. The logic, history, and complexity behind them is just fascinating. But without any way to break them down, they quickly become an overwhelming, seemingly impossible task. That’s where Chinese radicals come in – a way to …
Chinese Radicals: What Are They and How to Use ThemRead More »
The Chinese numbers are renowned for being simple and logical. The numbers up to 9 are all one syllable long, and the counting system follows a logical and easy to remember sentence. That being said, learning Chinese numbers can still be confusing for learners. This is especially true when it comes to the higher numbers, …
Everything You Need to Know about Chinese NumbersRead More »
There are tonnes of great beginner resources for learning Chinese out there. Chinese is one of the most studied foreign languages, and it is only growing in popularity. Many well-known language courses are following suit and bringing out courses in Mandarin. However, Chinese is such a unique language to learn that it can be hard …
