Mandarin: Start Here

Mandarin is next on my list. This page is my starting point.

1. Writing and pronunciation

Mandarin is written in Chinese characters (汉字 hànzì). Each character is one syllable and usually one meaning. Learners read with pinyin, the official romanisation.

Every syllable has a tone, and the tone changes the word:

Pinyin traps: x ≈ sh (xiè), q ≈ ch (qī), zh ≈ j (zhōng), c ≈ ts (cài).

2. Core grammar

• Word order is subject–verb–object, like English: Wǒ hē chá. (我喝茶) I drink tea.
• Verbs never change for person or tense; time words do the work: Wǒ míngtiān qù. I’ll go tomorrow. 了 le marks a completed action: Wǒ chī le. I’ve eaten.
• No plurals, but counting needs a measure word: yí ge rén (一个人) one person, sān běn shū (三本书) three books.
• “To be” is 是 shì for nouns: Wǒ shì VikiD. Adjectives use 很 hěn instead: Tā hěn gāo. He is tall.
• Questions: add 吗 ma at the end: Nǐ hǎo ma? Are you well?
• Negation: 不 bù (wǒ bú qù, I’m not going); 没 méi for “have not” (wǒ méi yǒu, I don’t have).

3. Essential phrases