How to learn Mandarin tones
A practical guide to the four tones and the neutral tone — what each one sounds like, why minimal pairs trip learners up, and the drilling routine that actually moves the needle.
8 min read
Guides
Long-form notes on the parts of Mandarin learning that benefit from something longer than a flashcard. Written for self-directed learners working through HSK 1–3.
HSK levels explained: HSK 1, 2, and 3
What each HSK level covers, how many characters and words are involved, what the 2021 HSK 3.0 reform changed in practice, and how to know when you are ready for the next level.
9 min read
Chinese radicals: the fundamentals
Radicals versus components, why the 214 Kangxi radicals still matter even though no modern dictionary uses all of them, and a practical sequence for learning the high-yield ones first.
10 min read
How spaced repetition actually works
What the forgetting curve actually predicts, why 'review every day' is the wrong answer, the difference between SM-2 and FSRS-5, and the operator decisions that separate a working SRS routine from a frustrating one.
11 min read
Reading vs. writing Chinese characters: which to learn first
The recognition-versus-production asymmetry, the case for learning to read first, when handwriting practice still pays back, and a minimum viable handwriting set worth committing to memory.
12 min read
A self-directed HSK 1 study routine
A concrete eight-week routine for getting through HSK 1 with thirty minutes a day: the daily session structure, week-by-week character milestones, and the four failure modes that quietly waste months of effort.
12 min read
Mandarin tone sandhi: the rules learners actually need
Why 你好 sounds like ní hǎo and not nǐ hǎo, what changes for 不 and 一, and a practical drilling routine for getting sandhi out of your head and into your ear — with audio demonstrations.
7 min read