1. Read one sentence
Open our free Mandarin lesson. Compare the Chinese and English, read the pinyin example aloud, then try the short practice question before revealing its answer.
Open the free lessonYour first Chinese reading session
You do not need a subscription to start. In this short session, read a bilingual lesson, keep one useful word and review it. Start with a sentence you can understand, then gradually remove the help as reading becomes easier.
Welcome credits: create and confirm a new free account to receive 10 regular credits once. Use them for grammar explanations, which currently cost 1 regular credit each. No payment card is needed to create a free account.
2. Keep one useful word
Create and confirm your free account. Return to the lesson, open a dictionary word and save it. The free Chrome extension lets you do this on other Chinese websites too.
Create or sign in to your account3. Review what you saved
Open flashcards and choose your saved vocabulary. Try recalling a word before revealing its meaning. A small review you repeat tomorrow is more useful than a large list you never revisit.
Open flashcardsTry this now
我们今天学习中文。
Wǒmen jīntiān xuéxí Zhōngwén.
“We study Chinese today.” Notice that 今天 (today) comes before 学习 (study). Which word says what we study?
Show the answer
中文 means Chinese. The sentence puts the people first, then the time, then the action and what they study. Next, change 我们 to 我 to say “I study Chinese today.”
Build a habit that fits your day
Start with five minutes: read a sentence, save a word and review yesterday’s word. Your account settings include optional study reminders. Choose a time when you can actually read, and use the daily goal to keep your session manageable.
For more material, explore our bilingual lessons or free exercises. When you want to use your own files or videos, follow the PDF reading guide and video study guide.
Take the tools to other Chinese websites
The free extension adds pinyin and dictionary lookup while you read. Pro increases the monthly reading allowance and adds regular and live chat credits every monthly cycle. One-time packs add credits without starting a subscription.