In this article, we’ll explore the top 5 ways to kickstart your Mandarin journey, offering a diverse range of tools and tricks you can utilize to make your Chinese learning journey enjoyable and painless, based on my own personal experience.

If you’re already an advanced learner, this article may help you in developing your Chinese fluency

1. Follow a Structure

When it comes to language learning I often think about the road that I would recommend people to take and I compare it to driving a car. If you have a sat-nav, you’re likely to get to your destination much faster than if you just try to figure it out as you go along. Studying Chinese is exactly the same, so I’d recommend any new beginner to pick a structured learning method if they’re interested in learning beyond a few basic phrases.

The benefit of these structured approaches to learning is that they allow you to follow the path that an expert has set out, often saving time in the long run. It also allows you to measure progress along the way, so you can see the improvements you’re making.

I’d recommend trying a few out and finding which one fits you. There are a number of different structures you can pick depending on what your goals are. For example, the HSK exams are great if you love the academic side of language learning, whereas Ninchanese is excellent if you enjoy a well-structured, gamified approach to language learning.

2. Have Fun

This is perhaps one of the most underrated tips I have seen in the language-learning community, have fun!

The biggest tip is to find what aspect of the Chinese language you enjoy and try to immerse yourself in that area. For me personally, I love reading, so reading Chinese novels is my preferred way of practicing my reading skills. If you’re interested in films or TV series, then watching shows may be the best way for you to practice your skills. There may be a lot of other possible motivations for you, for example learning to cook Chinese food, eating at Chinese restaurants, learning about the history
or culture, chatting with people, etc. The possibilities are endless.

Just make sure you don’t rely on a textbook, as it’s a perfect method to get bored. Fun and interactive methods will go a long way over the course of your study to keep you interested, engaged, and motivated to keep going.

3. Join the Community

There are a lot of Chinese language learners out there and there are some excellent platforms out there for you to connect with them. The benefit of this is being able to learn from the experience of others to make your learning journey as smooth as possible. I recommend checking out this Chinese learning blog as it contains a lot of useful information about learning Chinese and gives a personal

View on the reality of learning Chinese

Connecting with other learners as well as language learning partners can be a great motivation, as well as sharing resources, hints, and tips for the most effective ways to learn Chinese.

You can also check out Chinese-forums.com as a great place to make friends and learn more about learning Chinese.

4. Use the Resources Available

There are a lot of really good resources available for Chinese learners in the modern world. The best advice I can give is not to rely on just a single tool or resource.

My experience as a Chinese learner is that all the tools are effective ways to learn, but never cover the whole spectrum of what you need to learn the Chinese language effectively. So the best solution is to utilize multiple different tools to take advantage of the strengths and weaknesses of a variety of them. For example, Pleco is a wonderful app for helping you with learning Chinese
characters and practicing reading, but it won’t help you with developing your speaking skills.

There are some platforms that over a pretty comprehensive coverage of all the major skills you will need, Ninchanese being one of them.

5. Pick a Goal, Find your Motivation

Relating to point 1 and point 2 is to pick your goal based on what you are interested in and what will motivate you to study. It will also help you to direct your learning in a way that suits you.

You should study all aspects of the language to get the full benefit, but that doesn’t mean you can’t focus more on one aspect that you particularly enjoy. When you build your study plan, think about what is motivating you to learn to speak Chinese. Many things might motivate you, for example, if you’re planning a trip to China, you might want to focus your study on speaking and listening, and focusing your learning on specific areas that you will find useful.

Ninchanese has an excellent selection of different lessons targeted at these which I particularly like. For example, they have a course dedicated to the Chinese language relevant to video games as well as many other interesting areas. If you have a particular area of interest, learning the words for that area and using them often is a great idea.

Check out this blog post if you’re interested in learning more about Chinese graphic novels

The post Top 5 Ways to Get Started Learning Chinese appeared first on Ninchanese.

Worlds 1 and 2 (HSK 1 and 2) are perfect for beginners just starting their Chinese learning journey.

These worlds introduce a limited number of vocabulary words, focusing on the most essential words and phrases you’ll need to communicate about basic topics. In addition, you’ll learn how to introduce yourself, ask for directions, order food, and more – all of which are essential for getting around and interacting with people in China.

In addition to introducing essential vocabulary, these worlds also provide a solid foundation for the next worlds, helping you get a feel for the structure and grammar of the language. You’ll learn basic sentence structures and how to conjugate verbs in Chinese (you’ll see it is different than other languages), which will set you up for success as you move on to more advanced topics.

Worlds 1 and 2 are great starting points for anyone looking to learn Chinese and get a feel for the language. With time and regular practice, you’ll be able to communicate about basic topics and build a strong foundation for your Chinese learning journey.

World 3 (HSK3): An important milestone in your Chinese learning journey

World 3 (HSK3) is an intermediate-level world that builds on the foundation you’ve established in Worlds 1 and 2. In this world, you’ll learn more vocabulary words and encounter more complex grammar structures, which will help you express yourself more accurately and fluently in Chinese. In addition, you’ll learn how to use different times, form complex questions, and use more advanced sentence structures, all of which will help you express yourself more accurately and fluently in Chinese.

By completing World 3, you’ll have a much richer understanding of the Chinese language and be able to read (somewhat) easy Chinese newspaper articles. In addition, you’ll be able to understand more complex sentences and ideas and express your thoughts and opinions more clearly. This is an important milestone in your Chinese learning journey, as it marks the point at which you’re able to engage with more advanced texts and materials in Chinese.

Overall, World 3 is an important step in your Chinese learning journey, as it helps you build a more advanced foundation for the language and prepares you for more advanced topics. With time and regular practice, you’ll be able to progress through this world and continue to build your Chinese skills.

World 4 (HSK4): A high level of Chinese proficiency 

World 4 (HSK4) is an intermediate and advanced-level world that builds on the skills you’ve developed in previous worlds. In this world, you’ll be able to discuss a wide range of subjects and confidently use all essential grammar points and structures. In addition, you’ll learn how to express your thoughts and opinions more effectively, ask for and give advice, and use more advanced vocabulary and grammar structures to convey more complex ideas.

By the time you complete World 4, you’ll have a high level of Chinese proficiency and be able to understand most of a Chinese show. You’ll be able to engage in more advanced conversations with Chinese speakers and express yourself fluently and accurately. Chinese people will consider your Chinese excellent if you can complete this world, and you’ll be able to communicate about a wide range of topics with ease.

Overall, World 4 is an essential milestone in your Chinese learning journey, as it marks the point at which you’ve developed a high proficiency in the language. With time and regular practice, you’ll be able to progress through this world and continue to build your Chinese skills, eventually reaching fluency.

World 5 (HSK5): Encounter a wide range of topics and situations

World 5 (HSK5) is an advanced-level world that builds on the skills you’ve developed in previous worlds. This world includes more challenging vocabulary and will help you understand everything in a show or difficult newspaper article. You’ll learn to use more advanced grammar structures and idiomatic expressions and encounter a wide range of challenging vocabulary words that will help you express yourself more accurately and fluently in Chinese.

By the time you complete World 5, you’ll have reached a high level of Chinese proficiency and be able to understand most spoken and written Chinese. You’ll be able to engage in advanced conversations with Chinese speakers and understand more complex texts and materials. If you can complete this world, you can consider yourself fluent in Chinese – meow!

Overall, World 5 is an important step in your Chinese learning journey, as it helps you develop a high level of proficiency in the language and prepares you for more advanced topics. With time and regular practice, you’ll be able to progress through this world and continue to build your Chinese skills, eventually reaching fluency.

World 6 (HSK6): A great way to further refine your skills and take your Chinese to an even higher level

World 6 (HSK6) is the last world being developed and will focus on high-level vocabulary and idioms, with fewer grammar points but more cultural elements in the dialogues. This world is designed for advanced learners who want to take their Chinese to the next level and become proficient in the more complex and idiomatic language.

In this world, you’ll encounter a wide range of challenging vocabulary words and idiomatic expressions that will help you express yourself more accurately and fluently in Chinese. You’ll also learn more about Chinese culture and customs, which will help you better understand and communicate with Chinese speakers.

While World 6 is more challenging than the previous worlds, it will take your Chinese to an even higher level and help you develop a high level of proficiency in the language. 

Overall, World 6 is an exciting new addition to the Ninchanese curriculum and is an excellent way for advanced learners to take their Chinese to the next level.

The other courses: get specific

But that’s not all – Ninchanese also has unique worlds that cater to specific interests or needs. The Chinese Phrasebook, for example, is an excellent resource for anyone traveling to China, as it covers essential phrases and real-life situations. Here’s the stand-alone app.  And the Chinese Character Universe world is a fun and interactive way to learn Chinese characters.

So whether you’re a beginner or an advanced learner, there’s something for everyone on Ninchanese. With time and regular practice, you’ll be able to learn all the characters, grammar, and tones and have fun doing it. Just remember to stay motivated (as we say in Chinese: 加油!), and don’t be afraid to explore different worlds and see what interests you.

We hope you find this information helpful and encourage you to check out our curriculum at https://ninchanese.com/chinese-curriculum-hsk1-beginner-basic-speaker/ to learn more. If you have any further questions, don’t hesitate to reach out to us – we’re here to help you on your Chinese learning journey!

Wishing you all the best, 

Jean-Rémi

 Ninchanese co-founder

The post A Guide to the Chinese Learning Levels Courses on Ninchanese appeared first on Ninchanese.

Early last year, in 2021, the Chinese Testing Center sent the Chinese learning world into a frenzy.

They announced there would be a new HSK 3.0. 9 new HSK levels instead of the 6 existing ones, a full revamp of the content in each level, and a whopping addition of 3,000 words to learn. The new HSK 3.0 promised to bring with it a lot of changes for Chinese learners everywhere.

Related: Read all about the rumors and facts surrounding the new HSK 3.0

A key date in the introduction of the new HSK 3.0 was: March 2022.

What was supposed to happen to the HSK in March 2022?

In March 2022, as we wrote here, testing for the higher levels (HSK 7, HSK 8, and HSK 9) would officially start.

But… April 1st went by, and this was no April fool’s joke: there was nothing new regarding the new HSK 3.0. Higher-level tests had definitely not started. The most advanced HSK level was still HSK 6.

Related: Learn HSK 6 with the complete HSK 6 Course on Ninchanese.

Granted, Covid and the pandemic have put a foil on everyone’s plans and delayed many things. So, quite understandably, March 2022 was a deadline that wasn’t met.

Fast forward to now (November 2022), and the situation is pretty much the same. Almost. Things are slowly changing. Finally!

Update on HSK 3.0 November 2022: Mostly nothing new for HSK 1-6 BUT some news

So far, there has been no news on a possible new release date for HSK 3.0 for levels 1 through 6.

No official testing material, no official lists aside from what was released last year as part of the “Standard” for learning.

So don’t believe all the sites that say they have an update: there’s none. Or, actually, that’s the update. HSK 1 to 6 will remain exactly the same as they are now.

I repeat: no changes to come in the next 2 to 3 years regarding the HSK 1-6. They will remain exactly the same.

What does that mean?

This means the HSK 2.0 is still the most up-to-date system of Chinese proficiency tests. HSK 1 through HSK 6  tests won’t be changing, and HSK 1-6 learning content won’t be modified.

Your test results are still valid. Phew!  Plus, purrfect news: you can prepare for all HSK levels on Ninchanese! From HSK 1 to HSK 6, we’ve got you for all your Chinese learning needs.

That’s the official word: no HSK 3.0 in sight, for now, for levels HSK1 to 6. In 2 to 3 years, there’ll be a “gradual adaptation of the HSK 1-6 levels to meet the new “Standards”. No deadline has been given for that, either. Wait and see, people, wait and see.

Of course, we’ll keep monitoring the situation. So in the meantime, relax. Keep on studying as you have been.

We will be the first to let you know if anything changes on that HSK 3.0 front. In a couple of years.

HOWEVER.

Drumroll please….

Testing begins for HSK 7, HSK 8 and HSK 9

There’s finally news regarding the new advanced HSK 7 to 9 levels.

The very first HSK 7-9 “test” test is said to have taken place! On November 26th, 2022, to be precise.

Yes, test singular, since it’s one single test for all three new levels. Then, based on your results, you’re told which new HSK level you belong to.

Here’s an official description of the HSK 7 to 9 test’s goals (link in Mandarin Chinese), and more info about the test format.

That’s all we know so far.

What else is new HSK? (April 2022 update)

That doesn’t mean, though, that nothing else is new in the HSK World!

What’s new (since the end of 2021) is that you can take your HSK test at home, from the comfort of your own living room. That’s, of course, if you don’t have an HSK testing center nearby. For details and calendar dates of upcoming HSK Tests, read this.

When taking the home version of the HSK, what’s also new is there’s an HSK Speaking test now to take. Not to worry, Ninchanese also prepares you to speak Chinese, so you’re covered.

Lastly, we’re also very proud to announce that you can now prepare for the complete HSK 6 on NInchanese! Wet finished adding the very last HSK 6 content, and it’s all there for you to study!

The Nincha Team

Stay in touch with us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest.

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Ninchanese is free to use!

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The post HSK 3.0 November 2022 Update: Did the new HSK 3.0 come out? appeared first on Ninchanese.

Reader apps provide graded Chinese texts and tools to help you decipher a text quickly. Today we’re reviewing Du Chinese, one of the most popular Graded Chinese readers.

What is Du Chinese?

Du Chinese is an online and mobile text reader.

Available on iOS and Android, it helps you read Chinese texts with a few well-done tools.

Du Chinese is excellent for improving your reading skills and understanding Chinese stories. It’s purfect for Chinese learners who want to be able to read Chinese texts and reinforce what they already know.

读 Du means to read in Chinese, so even the name shows you how much it wants to help you read in Chinese.

Content of Du Chinese app

What kind of content does Du Chinese offer? You have lots to choose from! You can browse over 1,900 texts on the app, which is impressive.

There’s plenty of text categorized into New Lessons and Top Stories. There are also a few Series of Novels in Chinese, which are stories in multiple chapters. In addition, you have some categories like Business in China, Everyday Life, Language, and Funny Stories. You can extend each type of category with the see more button.

The Du Chinese team or other Chinese schools like Go East Mandarin, LTL, or Excel Mandarin write these stories, which says a lot about the quality of the content.

Stories, organized by level

Any Chinese learner that’s attempted to read in Chinese knows that it can be hard to find a text that suits them well.

Du Chinese thought of that and made it easy for you.

With their graded system, there’s content available at every level, whether you’re a newbie or an advanced Chinese learner.

Moreover, all their texts, from the single-page stories to the multi-chapter longer ones, are carefully tagged by level, so you always know what you’re diving into.

Some story recommendations to start with Du Chinese

Wondering where to start? There are quite a few recommendations when you open the app and have indicated your reading level, and I recommend trying one that looks interesting.

Here are also a few series that I like to get you going. “Ben’s life in China” is a fantastic series to read, full of helpful content to know at the intermediate level. It’s perfect if you are living in the country. You could consider it a great addition to our course “the Chinese Phrasebook” on Ninchanese.

If you’re a beginner, you can read the “story of a cat” (obviously, considering you’re learning with cats on Ninchanese!). The series is elementary and goes slow, with quite a lot of repetition of accessible characters. It’s maybe even a little too easy, but it’s an excellent start for beginners looking to ease into reading Chinese texts.

You can also try the “funny story” section with a very Chinese humor style. I’ll let you explore that one; I’m sure you’ll find one story amusing.

How do you use Du Chinese?

A pleasant reading experience

If you just want to get reading, it’s pretty straightforward. Select a story, and you are presented with the text to read.

The text itself is well presented, without any fuss. There are three parts to the screen on the mobile app:

• first, a translation tool part, where the translation of a word or sentence is,
• then, the middle, the most prominent part, is the Chinese text you are reading,
• and finally, the last part at the bottom is the menu. You access different customization options from there.

Easy tools to help you understand what you’re reading

Imagine you start reading the text and find a sentence you don’t understand. You can touch it and be presented with its complete translation at the top, above the text.

Or there’s a word you don’t understand. Touch it longer or hover over it; you can see a brief definition. Overall, it’s pretty easy to look up words you don’t know, thanks to a well-done text segmentation.

It’s also nice to have the translation available with your reading, all in one place.

Generally, the translation is good but sometimes a little short. Don’t worry; you can also long press on a word to get more info, which will take you to another page to see more definitions.

The definitions are from a free dictionary called CEDict, which is pretty good. We also used it in Ninchanese as a basis and then improved. So that’s an excellent point for them.

Sometimes, words are missing sentence examples, but you can always go to an external dictionary to see more info on that word.

Listen to the story as you read along, or turn it into a Chinese podcast

When reading, you can also press the play button at the sentence and hear the whole text read to you, with a nice little cursor, karaoke-style, to help you follow along. That makes it simple to follow while the voice reads it.

You can also easily pause the reading whenever you want or go back to a specific part of the text by simply touching the word or sentence you want to hear again.

Want to take a break from reading? You can also listen to the story being read with no text. I can imagine that being handy while on the go, jogging, for instance.

Customization options galore

Once you’re familiar with the app and know how you want your reading experience, you can customize how you want to read the text, to how you like it.

Change the reading speed

By default, the speed is set at 1x, which, in my experience, is actually quite slowed down. But it’s a good starting speed.

You can slow it down even more or go up to 1.5x speed, which sounds more like a normal speaker’s speed. So, at higher levels, that feels like a more natural speed.

Also, from what I have experienced, some texts are faster, so maybe they change the average speed depending on the difficulty of the text.

Show the pinyin (or don’t)

There’s a button directly on the text screen you can toggle on or off to choose whether you want the pinyin shown above the Chinese characters. That’s helpful because sometimes you know what it means but not the pinyin.

Turn off full translations

You can decide whether you want the app to show sentence translations or not. This is nice if you only want to see the translation of a word and not the whole sentence.

Plenty of visual options

If you go further into the submenu, you’ll find the rest of the customization options. Visually, your options are:

• You can choose simplified or traditional characters.
• You can select the font size for Chinese characters and pinyin.
• You can choose different types of fonts, which is helpful to get used to reading Chinese in various fonts, or if you prefer a different font to see the strokes more.
• You can underline the HSK level on each character. It’s cool, but I don’t recommend using it since it makes the text harder to read. But, you do as you like.
• You can customize how you want your character readings. Here, Du Chinese goes further than other reading apps. You can decideif you wisht to show pinyin for every character or only for some problematic words, such as words from higher HSK levels or names.
• Lastly, you can choose the transliteration model: the app can show you pinyin, tone marks only, or the Bopomofo system used in Taiwan instead.

The one thing I would have liked to see is an option to preset the sound speed I wanted. By default, as mentioned, the sound is at 1x, which I found too slow. I have to manually set it back to 1,5x at the beginning of each text. No biggie, but it definitely could be an option.

Simple navigation

Once you start reading a text and returning to the app later, the last story you read will be waiting for you on your homepage. You’ll find a shortcut to continue reading and studying the text, which is pretty nice. You can jump to the text from the homepage, and it is pretty straightforward to return to the lessons.

I would have liked to have more than one story in my home if I had started two or three texts simultaneously. For example, I expected that my favorite story would be there, but it wasn’t. Why can you star a story (presumably to favorite it), if you can’t find it again on the app’s home?

If you want to read something else, you need to use the nav bar and hit the discover button. There you’ll find all the content of Du Chinese.

Different approaches based on your level

All those ways to tailor your reading experience can be a little dizzying at first. But, not to worry, Du Chinese also adapts what it shows you based on the level of the text you’re reading.

Suppose you’re reading a newbie text. The sound is slowed down to make it easy for you when you’re starting. Then, gradually, as you go up in levels, the speed of the sound increases.

At higher levels, you also might not get translations automatically shown to you, and the app will only display pinyin for new or challenging words.

If you like how it’s presented, keep it that way. Or dive into the settings to make your reading time just the way you want it.

Does Du Chinese include flashcards?

Yes, Du Chinese has a built-in flashcard system. Admittedly, it’s a simple flashcard system, but it does the job.

What I like about it is when you’ve added a character to your learning stack, it shows you as an example the sentence where you first encountered that word. Sure, it’s not necessarily the most straightforward sentence that explains the word, but you understand the sentence better after a while. And finally, you can cram your words if you want to practice your Chinese a little more.

Can I learn Chinese with Du Chinese?

To answer this question fast, no, you won’t learn Chinese with Du Chinese. But you’ll improve your Chinese reading and listening skills if you use the option.

You won’t have clear Chinese grammar lessons or train yourself to make sentences or speak Chinese as Ninchanese does. There is no explicit curriculum on this graded reader; you are free to wander.

That’s what is great about it. It’s a great reader and will help significantly train your understanding of Chinese passively. So, in sum, it’s a great app in addition to your favorite learning app Ninchanese.

Is the Du Chinese web app or the mobile app better?

The web app is pretty pleasant; the interface is quite the same as the mobile app. It’s fast and easy to use. It’s easier to navigate between lessons on the web app, but reading a text on your mobile on the go is a plus for this kind of app.

Is Du Chinese free? The premium of the Du Chinese app

Some of the stories on Du Chinese are free so you can try Du Chinese out first.
But you’ll quickly realize that the more exciting stories are premium-only, which is entirely understandable.

Du Chinese uses a subscription-based model. Plans are priced at $15 per month.

On Du Chinese, they have three different types of “lessons.” First are stand-alone articles, there are also courses (articles connected within a single theme), and, lastly, multi-chapter stories, which all add up to thousands of lessons within Du Chinese. In addition, while I don’t have the exact number for you, they release about 5-7 free weekly lessons.

Is Du Chinese worth it? Is Du Chinese good?

Yes. It has a lot of content, and it is easy to use. You can use the web or mobile app, and you’ll improve your Chinese reading.

Du Chinese Discount

We discussed with the Du Chinese team to see if we could get you a nice discount on your subscription.
Peter, the cofounder of Du Chinese, was very kind and shared a great discount code that you can use on the app.

You’ll get a 20% discount with the code: NINCHANESE20.

The post Du Chinese Review of a great graded Reader appeared first on Ninchanese.

So the first thing you need to do is know your objectives. Is it learning Chinese for a trip? Or to watch C Drama? Speaking with families? If it’s to knowing how to speak Mandarin for a journey, learning Chinese is pretty easy and fast.

If your objective is to be fluent in Chinese, then it’s not really difficult to start and understand how the Chinese language works, but it will require time. But it’s pretty fast to learn simple sentences if you want to have a basic conversation. If you want to be proficient then yes, Chinese is difficult to learn.

Once you know your objectives, you can choose a course on Ninchanese. There’s a course for every level and every need.

How do I start learning Chinese?

Starting to learn Chinese is easy. The first step is to learn to recognize Chinese characters and associate them with the right tones. Tones are essential in Chinese sounds since they give the correct meaning.

Once you understand the characters correctly, learning Chinese feels more like a puzzle. The Chinese grammar is pretty straightforward and more accessible than in most languages.

Then you need to know how to speak, and for that, practice and repetition are critical. On Ninchanese, you can learn the vocabulary, pinyin, and grammar, and with a voice recognition feature, you can also learn to speak.

How do beginners learn Chinese?

You start by learning characters and pinyin. Then you move on to words and sentences and then basic conversations. To learn Chinese means breaking the language into four parts: reading, speaking, listening, and writing. Being excellent and becoming fluent in Chinese is difficult.

The first thing is to choose an excellent method; otherwise, you’ll waste time. Ninchanese is made with beginners in mind, and it’s easy to start learning Chinese with Ninchanese.

The most advanced Chinese learners on the app can hold conversations and speak freely about what is on their minds. You’ll begin by learning Chinese characters and some basic grammar.

Then you’ll move on to easy dialogues. And every time you complete a stage on Ninchanese, you’ll get better and better. Once you finish Ninchanese, you’ll be as advanced as a Chinese scholar.

Can I learn Chinese on my own? Is Chinese difficult to learn alone?

Yes, you can learn Chinese on your own. There are a lot of resources to help you learn Chinese. And it is the way to learn Chinese since it takes time to learn the characters. You can’t expect a teacher to make the memorization for you!

You will be the one making efforts and then use it to speak with Chinese people. However, learning Chinese is much easier if you have regular contact with a native speaker. Learning with a partner, in a class, or through a language exchange is a good complement to Ninchanese and makes it much easier.

So the best is to have a self-learning method like Ninchanese so you can learn Chinese online and double it with a teacher or natives friends.

Can you learn Chinese without writing?

To learn the Chinese language, you need to know the characters. With today’s computers, you can learn to type with an IME, a Chinese keyboard of sorts, which simplifies learning the language.

Thanks to the IME, it means you can type in Chinese rather than write in Chinese. This improvement is much more effective and valuable. It might seem that Chinese is difficult for the beginner for, such a complicated language. I would say learning the base of writing is essential. Knowing how stroke orders work is important and will help to read a character better.

The great news is learning how to write a character is fast. The same rules apply to every character, so once you know it, you can just learn to recognize a character. 

How many words do you need to know to be fluent in Chinese?

You need to learn around 2500 characters to be fluent in Chinese, at least comfortable. You can learn all these characters on Ninchanese for free.

In addition, there is a Chinese character (or a combination of them) for everything, so you can know many more Chinese characters than is necessary to be fluent in Chinese. You often know characters from your field of work that other people, even Chinese, do not know. 

Can you learn Chinese without living in China?

Yes, you can learn Chinese without moving to China. If you do not live in China and your exposure to Chinese learning is limited, you can still progress in your Chinese knowledge.

So don’t despair, you can learn the language without going to the country. And you can start today. Then, once you have a great foundation, you’ll be ready to go to China and continue your learning there if you want.

How long does it take to become fluent or conversational in Mandarin?

Depending on how much time you spend a day and what you consider conversational, there are no set time limits to be able to speak Mandarin. However, you will reach a level of fluency at which the native ability in speaking, both written and pronunciation, will be much stronger.

Let’s say you’re learning every day on Ninchanese. In a month, you can achieve the HSK 1 level, which will grant you the ability to speak basic Chinese. In 6 months, you can have an intermediate level and speak about a lot of practical subjects. In certain situations, you’ll feel like you’re fluent! But for some other situation, you won’t be. And in a year, you achieve the advanced level of Chinese. At this level, you’ll be able to speak about every situation you encounter, but you will still likely have words you don’t know or idea you still have difficulty expressing.

If you learn any language, there will still be things to learn, words you don’t know, but you’ll be able to learn it pretty fast. The most difficult is to learn every day for a long time. So you need to make a good habit and have a routine installed in your life.

Can you learn Chinese by watching movies?

Watching Chinese movies helps to be better in Chinese. But it is a very superficial learning process. So no, you can’t learn Chinese only by watching a movie.

That being said, watching a movie is an excellent way to improve, but you need to be at least at an intermediate level to have it benefit your learning. So I recommend you not just watch movies or play games in Chinese but also read Chinese books, try to listen to conversations, and use Ninchanese to learn.

Having a method to learn alongside watching movies will make it more efficient, and you will memorize the characters better.

Should I learn to speak or write Chinese first?

This is a good question. You need to learn both at the same time. Focus on learning to speak first. You will have better communication skills and pronunciation. Still, it will be hard to read or write, which is a significant part of how a language works.

Chinese characters are unique and a part of the beauty of the Chinese language. The best way to learn Chinese is to learn the language while understanding the culture. And reading texts from Chinese author is a great way to learn more about China and its culture.

So, learn to speak and read Chinese characters first. Writing will come easily once you know how to do that.

So I hope I have answered the majority of question beginner ask us about learning Chinese. The journey is definitively fun, and it is incredibly rewarding to learn such a language spoken by one-third of the population.

The post Is Chinese difficult to learn? appeared first on Ninchanese.

So cheer up and let’s keep learning!

1. China might be closed, but that doesn’t mean you can’t visit other Chinese-speaking places.

Yeah, waiting for China to reopen is taking a while. But, hey, there are plenty of Chinese-speaking places in the world. The great news is that some have reopened already!

The meowsome Gardens by the Bay in Singapore are another good reason to learn Chinese – Photo by Isaac Matthew 

Did you know Singapore, for instance, has the Chinese language as one of its official languages? Plus you can travel there again.
Taiwan is slowly reopening too. There’s still a quarantine, true, but it’s being regularly shortened. Here’s to hoping there’ll be none one day soon! With the fact you can now learn in Traditional Chinese on Ninchanese, you have everything you need to get ready to go!

Related: Simplified or Traditional Chinese: which should you learn?

2. China might be far but there are plenty of occasions to speak Chinese around you.

Next to English and Spanish, Chinese is the most spoken language in the world.
So, look around you. You’re bound to find occasions to speak Chinese. To hear Chinese.
Chinatowns. Stores. People.

DC’s Chinatown is one of the many places you can go to practice speaking Chinese – Photo by Richard Tao

Go talk! There are plenty of occasions, everywhere! Just the other day, I chatted a good hour with the salespeople in a Chinese tea shop in Bangkok’s Chinatown.

Finding occasions to speak in Chinese, when you’re learning, is essential. Otherwise, you get rusty! Believe me, from experience, getting a chance to speak in Mandarin, if anything, will act as a great motivation to review what you’ve learned in Chinese so far and practice some more in Chinese!

Did you know, for instance, that Richmond, Canada has a 74% Asian population? It has the highest concentration of Chinese nationals outside of China. Why not schedule a trip there?

And if there are no real occasions where you live, go online. Learn Chinese online. Find people to talk to online. Come chat in Chinese on our Discord chat. Game in Chinese with Chinese speakers. Find yourself an online pen pal. The options are endless, you just have to go looking for them!

Related: What is the Chinese language?

3. It’s good for you from an economic point of view

What’s the downside to knowing an additional language in the job market? None, really.
What’s the downside to knowing the language spoken by one of the biggest economic powers in the world? Even more non-existent. In fact, it’s another meowsome reason to learn Chinese!

China’s brand new skyscrapers – Photo by Road Trip with Raj

From working in China to working with China, to working with Chinese people, for Chinese people, in Chinese, you have plenty of options.
Do you want to do business with China? Have Chinese suppliers?
Do you want to do translations? Interpretation?
In all those fields and many others, knowing Mandarin Chinese, and Business Chinese is a huge plus. So get your learning on!

Related: Explore the Chinese Business course on Ninchanese and get ready to do business in Chinese! 

Liking these reasons to learn Chinese so far? Here’s more!

4. It allows you to see the world from a different perspective

By learning the Chinese language, you’re opening yourself up to a different way of seeing the world, of perceiving it.

See the world differently. Photo by Yiran Ding

Learning Mandarin Chinese helps you have a different world approach. Concepts and ideas are expressed differently in Chinese.

It can be small things, like the fact you don’t “take” medicine, for instance, you “eat” it in Chinese ((You 吃药). And bigger things. For example, the Chinese sentence order is wildly different from, say, the way sentences are shaped in English.
Or the fact that you and me, we might think “I” and point to ourselves. We’re used to thinking solo. A Chinese speaker, when tasked with drawing “I”, the self, might, on the contrary, draw themselves surrounded by others. The concept of “self” is a little different in the Middle Kingdom.

It’s the little details like that that give you insights into how the Chinese people think. Personally, I find that endlessly fascinating. It’s definitely one of the reasons I’ve never stopped learning Chinese.

Plus, if expanding your understanding of cultural differences wasn’t your cup of tea, seeing the world in a different way helps you grow your critical thinking skills. With all the fake news and conspiracy theories swirling around, you (and we all) seriously need that…

5. It’s good for your brain

Learning any language is wonderful for your brain. It develops new areas of your mind and, in particular, strengthens your natural ability to focus and process information.

Learn Chinese and fire up your brain connections! – Photo by Moritz Kindler

Mandarin Chinese, with its beautiful characters and lack of alphabet? It’s like acid for the brain. In a meowsome, wonderful way. It creates in your brain all those new connections. Purrfect to form and strengthen your brain. Go for it.

For instance, a 2003 study found that people who speak Mandarin Chinese use both temporal lobes of their brains to understand the language.  In contrast, English speakers only use the left temporal lobe. Unlock a whole new temporal lobe!

There are plenty of other reasons for learning Mandarin that are good for your brain:

• It keeps your brain healthy. No neural network degradation for you, good person!
• It helps form good thinking patterns in your brain.
• It develops new areas of your mind and utilizes other parts of your brain.
• Some studies say it even helps with math skills!

What’s not to like?

Related: Why learn Mandarin Chinese, the language of Confucius?

6. Chinese culture and history are still very cool

You can’t visit the huge country that is China at the moment, sure. But China still has an extremely interesting history and culture you can explore from afar and learn more about.

There’s a lot to love in Chinese culture aesthetically. Photo by Sahil Pandita

From a rich culture, which led to some amazing inventions for instance, to epic historical events, there’s a lot to discover. And why not do that in Chinese directly? That’s a great reason to learn Chinese!

Related: 10 amazing inventions you didn’t know were Chinese
All you need to know about Chinese dynasties

If you like the idea of learning more about Chinese history but aren’t into history books or museums, there are many many historical C-dramas, as well as youtubers you can check out! Also, check out Ninchanese where you’ll learn Chinese culture as you learn Chinese!

Related: 8 Vloggers to watch to learn more about Chinese culture

7. Reason to learn Chinese: You gain access to a whole new world of content and culture

There’s a large quantity of high-quality Chinese-language content out there, you just need to know how to find it!

From Music to Games, to Movies, to Art, to books… there are a lot of Chinese-speaking artists to discover.

Related: 30 Chinese celebrities to know about

On TV, Cdramas and Taiwanese dramas have a lot of fans, and rightly so!

Related: 10 popular TV shows to improve your Chinese

Romantic and historical C-dramas get their fair share of fans, and  Chinese Wuxia and XianXia are also two media genres that are very popular.

Related: Platforms to watch Chinese videos.
Films to watch

Music and books

In books, there’s a lot to discover too! From Chinese classics like the JingPing Mei, or… to science fiction novels, China and Chinese-language artists have a lot to offer. Take the time to explore!

If you’re more a fan of video games, lots of great offers there too.

 8. Beautiful language Chinese characters

Mandarin Chinese is an amazing language, and its Chinese characters are endlessly fascinating.

There’s the fact Chinese is the oldest written language in the world, dating back to over 4000 years ago.

There’s the fact there’s no alphabet, and that Chinese characters are usually logical. Most Chinese characters contain components and a phonetic component. There are also many opportunities for art with Chinese characters, especially Chinese calligraphy.

In short, Chinese characters are an excellent reason to learn the Chinese language. At the very least, explore the language!
Chinese characters also enable very intriguing poetry to exist. Ever heard of the poem composed only of the sound “shi”? It has a meaning, of course, and is written using many different characters!

9. [Insert your own reason to learn Chinese]

Here’s a secret. All that matters is that you find pleasure in knowing the language.

Truth be told, you don’t need a specific good reason to keep learning a language. You need yours. All you need is to want to learn it. If the language interests you, you’re golden. No need for a huge, lofty goal. It can be a very small goal. Or even, just the fact you derive pleasure from learning and knowing the language.
So find what motivates you and keep learning! Everyone has their own reason to learn Chinese.
Whatever your reason, we’re here to help you learn Mandarin Chinese! It’s all happening on Ninchanese.

And one more thing…

If you want to continue learning Chinese with authentic and entertaining content, then you’ll love Ninchanese.

With Ninchanese, you get a complete method to learn Chinese which has you speaking, reading, writing, and more in Chinese. What’s more, whether you’re a beginner or an advanced learner, there’s content your level on Ninchanese and plenty more!

Start using Ninchanese on the web, with your computer or tablet, or on your phone with the Android app.

The Nincha Team

Stay in touch with us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest.

Try the best way to learn Chinese today.
Ninchanese is free to use!

Sign up now

The post 9 meowsome reasons to still learn Chinese even though China is CLOSED appeared first on Ninchanese.

Photo by Natalie Ng

Ready to learn how to say different cuts of meat in Chinese? So you can easily order yummy slices of meat for your next 火锅 huǒ guō hot pot? Or finally, know what kind of meat is in Chinese dumplings? Then Chinese Meat recipes will hold no secret for you!

First, let’s see how to say meat in Chinese as well as Chicken, Turkey, Pork, Lamb, Duck, Veal, and Beef in Chinese.

And no, don’t even ask, we won’t be talking about cat meat in Chinese or any other kind of strange meat (it seems like people look up rat meat in Chinese? The horror). Dog Meat is sometimes eaten in winter because it’s super caloric meat to eat, but we’ve never come across any other type, so enough with the rumors! Alright? Here we go.

Types of Meat in Chinese

Photo by Usman Yousaf

Good to know: In China, you’ll often come across dish names that simply say 肉 ròu Meat. In most restaurants (the obvious exception being Halal Uyghur restaurants ), 肉 will by default be pork. That’s because, traditionally, pork is the most consumed meat (or at least was in the past).
If you’re not sure whether it’s going to be pork or not or are trying to avoid eating pork, better check with your waiter/waitress first!

You’ll also often just see 鸡 jī chicken, 鸭 yā duck, 羊 yáng lamb, mutton, 牛 niú Beef on their own, without the 肉 thrown in, on a menu. So you might not see duck meat in Chinese, but you’ll definitely see 鸭 and a favorite, 烤鸭 yā Roast Duck!

Cuts of Meat in Chinese

Chinese Meat Skewers Photo by Chuan

Love meat skewers? You’re going to love these other street food dishes, then, we bet!

Chicken wings in Chinese and more chicken parts

Chicken Wings are a very loved Chinese food – Photo by George Zheng.

Curious to know how to say scallion in Chinese or cilantro? Check out these Chinese food lists then!
More of a hands-on learner? Then learn directly how to say meat, scallion, and more in Chinese: the Chinese Food World on Ninchanese will teach you and much more!

Just a few of the many things you can learn in the Chinese food course on Ninchanese

Now, let’s get back to our Chinese words for meats.

Parts of Pork in Chinese and Pig Meat-based Products

Pork Meat is often used in Chinese Dumplings – Photo by Alex Hu

Want to learn how to read and say all these meats in Simplified and Traditional Chinese? The Chinese Meats Vocabulary Stage in the Chinese Food World is waiting for you!

The Chinese Cooking World is made for foodies learning Chinese!

Want also to know how to order these meats and other dishes from a restaurant? The Chinese Food World is what you need. Check it out here! 

The Nincha Team

Stay in touch with us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest.

Try the best way to learn Chinese today.
Ninchanese is free to use!

Sign up now

The post Chinese vocabulary for meat: All you need to know for Beef, Chicken, Pork and more! appeared first on Ninchanese.

Fact or rumor? There’s going to be a new HSK test.

Fact: Yes, it’s official. The current HSK system is on its way out. The Chinese language test WILL be changing in the future. BUT: it’s not on its way out quite yet. Not will it be out in 2021. 

The International Chinese language test HSK stands for HSK (汉语水平考试 Hànyǔ Shuǐpíng Kǎoshì). It’s the official Chinese language proficiency test. It focuses on checking non-native Chinese learners’ ability to use Chinese to communicate in life, study, and work.

However, before you get all worried: We’re talking about something happening in the future. There’s no new HSK test yet. There’s even very little clear (= official) information available yet on how the HSK will change nor when. The official Centre for Language Education and Cooperation (previously called the Hanban) that organizes HSK testing, ChineseTest.cn, has barely just begun releasing information on this matter. So no need to freak out.

Is this making you feel even more confused? Keep reading to understand why everyone is suddenly talking about a new HSK test and new HSK levels coming out!

Fact or rumor? The new HSK is officially going live on July 1st.

Rumor: July 1st, 2021 is an important date, but not quite for the reason you think.

See, on March 31st, the Chinese MOE (Ministry of Education) announced that it would implement a new Standard for Chinese Proficiency and guidelines for foreigners learning Chinese officially on July 1st, 2021. Here’s the announcement in English on Twitter. That’s what’s going live on July 1st, 2021.

On July 1st, the MOE will implement a new standard for Chinese learning as a foreign language.

Huh? What’s that got to do with the HSK? Hold your horses. We’re getting to it.

263 pages to determine Chinese proficiency

Along with the announcement, they released an extensive pdf called “The Standard for Chinese Proficiency in International Chinese Language Education” (国际中文教育中文水平等级标准 in Chinese – guó jì Zhōng wén jiào yù Zhōng wén shuǐ píng děng jí biāo zhǔn).

This pdf details the new proficiency standards for all those learning Chinese as a foreign language in Chinese. You can read the 263-page long pdf in Chinese here.  From here on out, we’ll refer to this document as “the Standard,” alright?

As you can imagine, once it’s officially implemented on the 1st of July 2021, the document will serve as an important basis for measuring Chinese learners’ language proficiency! The new Standard’s goal, after all, is to guide all Chinese (as a foreign language) learning, teaching, testing, and evaluating. Will this include the HSK tests? You bet.

As a result, it’s confirmed a new HSK test, or at the very least, a revised Chinese Proficiency Test will follow. Just not on July 1st.

Fact or rumor? The new HSK tests will start soon.

Rumor. We’ve established the new HSK (some call HSK 3.0) won’t be released on July 1st. We are also sure the new HSK tests won’t be starting any time soon. Why? for starters, the official HSK site has not announced anything yet. A massive change of this sort is not exactly something you spring on people.

Some say the first new HSK exams will start in November 2021, but that’s been proven to have definitely only been a rumor so far! There’s no ETA yet on a possible release of the new – or revised – HSK 3.0 and no indication of how long this will take. Think about it. New tests and textbooks need to be written; students need to be aware of the tests’ new content, and exam centers need to get ready. Surely they’ll give everyone some headstart!

The Official Twitter Account for the HSK says there won’t be any changes to the HSK this year.Will the new HSK tests really start in 2021? Or will it be in 2022? in 2023? Only time will tell, but our guess is not for 2021.
So, on this matter, stay tuned!

April 28th Update: New HSK tests will definitely not be released before March 2022! Plus, as expected, it’s been confirmed levels HSK 1 – 6 won’t be adjusted any time soon. Certainly not this year.
March 2022 is the official release date for the higher HSK levels.
How do we know? There was an academic symposium on April 20th, 2021 in Beijing to discuss the new standards and timelines.

Also: the Official Twitter Account for the HSK tweeted this:

The HSK Official Twitter accounts confirms many things, including the fact testing on the new HSK won’t start until March 2022

Translation: “A lot of candidates saw the formal implementation fo the new Standards on July 1st, 2021 and think that this is the time for HSK to start to adjust. However, the scientific development of hsk7-9 level based on the standard needs a process. At present, it is planned to take the test in December 2021 and officially launch the test in March 2022. Hsk7-9 will adopt the form of “one paper with three levels”, that is, one test paper, and the level will be determined according to the results.”

What are the take-aways, in a nutshell?

• The current HSK 1 – 6 tests will not be adjusted in 2021 at all.
• There’ll a test run of the new Advanced HSK levels ( HSK 7-9)  in December 2021
• Testing for the higher levels (HSK 7-9) will officially start in March 2022. 

Fact or rumor? There’s going to be an increase in the number of levels. There’ll be HSK levels 1-9 now.

Part fact, part rumor.
Fact: This new Standard establishes nine new levels, divided into 3 tiers (Elementary, Intermediate, and Advanced).  As you know, the existing HSK tests have 6 levels, with level 1 being the most beginner and HSK 6 the most advanced.

The new system proposed in the Chinese Proficiency guidelines follows a different organization than that of the current HSK:
– it is split into 3 levels (tiers): Elementary, Intermediate, and Advanced,
– each level (tier) is again sub-divided into 3 levels, for a total of 9 levels. These 9 levels are sometimes referred to as bands.

Organization of the new 9 levels – will they be used for the HSK?

At each of these levels, learners acquire 300 new characters. That makes, in theory, 2,700 new characters to know in total if you were starting from scratch.  There are also specific vocabulary requirements to know (11092 at the highest level) and grammar points (527 total).

The Standard’s 200+ pdf highlights all the syllables, characters, words, and grammar points required to know. These are detailed by level. If you want to get ahead and consider these the New HSK vocabulary lists in PDF, you definitely can! The complete new HSK vocabulary lists are here. All 263 pages of them!

Fact or rumor? As the official Chinese proficiency test, the new HSK will follow the same level and quantitative requirements as the Standard.

At this stage, still a rumor. Or if you prefer, part fact, part rumor.
A new HSK exam has been expected for a while now. Pretty normal; this new Standard has been in the works for quite some time.

See, the “Standard for Chinese Proficiency in International Chinese Language Education”‘s goal is to offer a better way to evaluate a Chinese learner’s ability to communicate and their Chinese knowledge and skills. They call this the “four-dimensional benchmark.”
In other words, the goal is to be able to pinpoint more accurately a learner’s level.

It’s also what has happened in the past. If you look back, in 2007, the MOE defined new Chinese proficiency standards. These were much like these in 2021. Following that, a new HSK system, with 6 levels – the current Chinese Proficiency Tests (HSK) we all know now – was implemented.
So it’s only logical to expect the same to happen here. In academic minds, the 2007 version of the HSK exam was (already) the new HSK test, called HSK 2.0. Now, 13 years later, we’re moving onto the “new” new HSK exam (2021), which some like to call HSK 3.0.

But does that mean it’ll conform exactly to what is said in the guidelines? It’s too early to tell to what extent its organizers will modify the HSK test.

All The head of the Chinese – International Language Exchange and Cooperation Center of the Ministry of Education has announced that the HSK exam will be optimized and upgraded using the Standard, and its “3 tier, 9 levels” system as reference.

Based on this, there’s a high likelihood that new HSK levels may appear and that these new levels could replace existing HSK levels. However, It’s too early to tell how the HSK tests and levels will change. Nor do we know how closely it’ll follow the Standard. We should know more soon about that, as 2021 continues. So stay tuned

Fact or rumor? There’s going to be a HSK level 7, a level 8, and a level 9.

Mostly fact (and a little bit rumor).
One of the Standard’s biggest differences is introducing higher levels above the existing advanced HSK 6 level, which was previously considered the highest. The intention is to help advanced learners get even further in their learning, to reach a near-native level.

With the new Standard, there’s also a desire to have a system that reflects the European Language classification better: the Common European Framework of Reference for Language (CEFR). This may sound barbaric, and perhaps CEFR levels like A1, A2, B1, B2, C1, C2 will speak more to you.

The HSK was split into 6 different levels, modeled in part to correspond to the 6 levels of the CEFR classification. However, academics argued that the higher HSK levels didn’t quite correspond to the C1 and C2 expectations of the CEFR. In comes the new Standard for Chinese language proficiency.

Based on this, it’s pretty safe to expect there’ll be more levels added to the HSK, yes. Will it go up to HSK level 9 though? There’s reason to doubt that, as we’ll see below.

Fact or Rumor. There’s going to be a hardcore HSK 9 level for super fluent Chinese learners.

Curious about this new rumored level HSK 9? We agree: the new advanced tier in the Standard, with levels 7 through 9, is the most mysterious.

What’s also interesting is that in the Standard, levels 7 to 9 are grouped. They have a shared Chinese Character and word requirement. In this advanced tier, learners will be expected to know an additional 1200 characters and a whopping extra 5636 words.

But that doesn’t mean you need to start getting ready for a level 9 of HSK immediately. For all we know, it won’t even exist as such. A single “advanced” HSK exam might exist instead. Then based on your results, you’d be awarded level 7, 8, or 9.

So, based on information available at the moment, we say rumor. A likely rumor, but still a rumor.

April 28th Update: Our hunch was right! It’s been confirmed that a new single “advanced” HSK exam will be introduced, for the new HSK levels 7-9. The format is called “one paper, three tests” – or as we like to put it – one test, three levels. Advanced HSK learners looking to reach HSK levels 7, 8 or 9 will take the same test. Then depending on their results, they’ll know where they place: Hardcore 7, 8 or 9. All quite impressive!

Also, judging from the Standard document, these new levels will be really quite advanced. They seem reserved for those that plan on needing Chinese professionally, such as:

• Chinese translators and interpreters.
• Jobs in International Politics and trade
• Chinese language educators and linguists,
• and more!

The expectations in terms of skills and knowledge associated with these levels seem to indicate that. So not for everyone.

But if you already had an HSK 6 level, and were looking for more content to learn, then that’s good news for you, no?

Fact or rumor? I’m going to have to learn over 10 000 words to pass the test now.

Part fact, part rumor. That number does come from somewhere. Where? You guessed it, the Standard.

The document indicates the number of characters, words, and grammar items Chinese learners will be expected to know at the different levels. To give you an idea, Chinese learners will be expected to know 1110 syllables,  3000 Chinese characters, 11092 Chinese words, and 572 grammar items at the highest level (which is near-native).

That being said, that’s at the highest level.
The requirement for the Elementary level (levels 1 – 3) is much lower, understandably. When you finish the Elementary level, the Standard expects you to know 900 Chinese characters (with which you’ll know how to make 2,245 words). At the end of the Intermediate level (level 4-6), you’ll be expected to know 5,446 words and 1800 characters.
Compare that with the number of words a native Chinese person knows. That’s not too bad, is it?

Fact or rumor? There are a zillion new words in the new HSK

If the new HSK tests follow the Standard, then yes, it does seem the list of words has been changed quite a bit. Some words were moved to higher or lower levels, and others were introduced or removed.  We think that’s a good thing, though, as the HSK lists for the current HSK could be a little… puzzling at times.

If you want to get a headstart and see the vocabulary lists in PDF, you definitely can!
The complete new HSK vocabulary lists are here. All 263 pages of them! For a more usable version – if you’re comfortable with Github -, check out this ongoing project by Mike Lowe (the creator of Pleco, a great Chinese dictionary to have on your phone) and others.
Lastly, at this point, it’s still speculation, but this infographic compares the current HSK content with the lists in the Standard.

Fact or rumor? With all these exam changes, the new HSK is going to become super difficult.

Rumor: That’s definitely not the goal of the new Standard, and there’s no reason the HSK tests to become suddenly super hard!
The new Standard was developed primarily to modernize and reflect the rise of Chinese learning worldwide.

More and more learners are learning Chinese, and thanks to that, there are lots of different types of Chinese learners now, from newbies to learners with a more advanced level. So if anything, with the new Standard, you’re shown there’s even more to learn than you previously thought!

New potential types of HSK exercises

New types of exercises may be introduced in the HSK exams since the Standard details the five language skills it considers a Chinese learner should have in Chinese. These are:

• Chinese listening,
• Speaking,
• Reading (the Standard includes requirements in terms of reading speed at each level),
• Writing (that includes the ability to handwrite some characters – or at least to know how to copy them quickly -),
• And translation. The translation bit is new, so you can expect this to crop up in future HSK exams.

So, if these are translated into the HSK exams, there are certainly new elements you’ll have to prepare for. Will all this make the HSK tests more difficult? We doubt that. They’ll stay hard. It’s a test one needs to study and prepare for, after all, but it won’t become super difficult to the point of being impossible.

Fact or rumor? My “official” HSK level is going to go down?

Uncertain at this point. What may change is your “official” HSK level in the future. At this point, however, this is only a guess and by no means a fact.
The new HSK system could have 9 levels, where the existing one had 6.  If the revised HSK 3.0 follows that 9 level system, then indeed, your “official” level could go down a bit.

Let’s look at an example by comparing the new level 3 and the current HSK level 3.
According to the document, by the time you finish the new level 3, you’re expected to know a total of 2245 words.
In the current HSK, you need to know a total of 600 words, roughly at the HSK level 3.
If the same system is applied to the HSK exam, yes, that would be quite an increase in the number of words to know at level 3. In fact, in the new system (HSK 3), that would correspond to a new HSK level 2. Quite a change! This is only a theory at this point; we’ll know more soon.

If we follow that logic, one’s “official” proficiency might indeed go down a few levels! But that won’t make you any less good at Chinese, nor the HSK tests more difficult. If anything, it’ll just give learners more content to learn and new goals to work towards.

Fact or rumor? We’re going to have to learn more words at every level? Even at the beginner level, level 1 is going to go from 150 words to 500.

Yes and no. If the new HSK levels follow the Standard’s organization, then yes, it’s a fact that there’ll be more words and more content to learn. Requirements in terms of the number of characters to know overall could increase for HSK takers.

The content distribution could also change, with elementary levels gaining more words. The beginner levels are quite short in the current HSK. However, if you follow the new “Standard” levels, it looks like they won’t be as succinct in the new system. They won’t become tough overnight either, don’t worry!

The learning curve will be more balanced. For instance, you had to know only about 150 words at the current levels HSK 1 & HSK 2. This number then jumped to 2000+ for HSK level 6! In the new system, an equal number of characters is learned at every level. You’ll be required to learn 300 new Chinese characters per level.  The number of Chinese words to know also increases gradually at each level.

So yes, Level 1 might have a steeper threshold from before. The Standard lists the requirements for Level 1 at 300 Chinese Characters and 500 new words. Perhaps this will mean that the new HSK 1 will be a combination of the “old”  HSK 1 + HSK 2. It might take more time to prepare, but that’s all.

Fact or rumor? I might as well cancel my plan to take the HSK 3 test in 2 months.

Rumor. On the contrary, go for it! Whatever level you were going to take, don’t hold off.
It’s too early to tell when and how the Centre for Language Education and Cooperation (previously called the Hanban) will implement new HSK tests. We guess that it’s unlikely it’s any time soon!

Changing the test to turn it into the HSK 3.0 is going to take a while. Several months, and possibly years. First of all, they are still offering test dates for the existing HSK until 2022, if not later. Besides, universities and other structures that require passing a certain level of HSK to enter or apply have not changed their requirements yet. So, all in all, there’s no rush.

So: If you were planning on taking the current HSK test, go for it. You can still follow the existing HSK syllabus and prepare for your test. If that changes, we’ll be sure to let you know. UPDATE: It’s been confirmed nothing will change before, at the earliest, March 2022. So go for it!

Be sure to check out the course content on Ninchanese! There’s everything you need to prepare to take the HSK test on the app:
– content to prepare HSK level 1
– a course to prepare HSK level 2
– Preparation material for HSK Level 3 preparation material
– Content preparation for HSK Level 4 content preparation
– Material for HSK Level 5, in two parts
– Learning content for HSK Level 6, in two parts (part 2 ongoing)
– And detailed Grammar Lessons for each level.

When the new HSK 3.0 comes out, you can decide if you want to take it as well! And who knows, by that time, you might be ready to try a higher level!

What does that mean for Ninchanese? Will you be updating your Chinese learning content?

Ninchanese uses its own in-house curriculum for all your Chinese learning needs. Its 6 main Story worlds are roughly based on HSK levels. This allows you to prepare for the existing HSK tests, and additionally, the HSK levels provide a good conversational basis. However, the 6 main story worlds include many other words more useful to know in daily life. There are also many other worlds on Ninchanese full of themed content to learn, such as the Chinese food world or the Chinese Component course. Add to that the massive Chinese Character Universe, and there’s already plenty to do! You can currently learn over 15,000 words and characters on Ninchanese,

We will, of course, carefully keep checking what the new Standard is all about when it comes to the HSK. Whatever new additional content there is to learn, we will be happy to bring it to you! Our goal is always to bring you useful and relevant content in Mandarin Chinese, and that won’t change!

So there you have it. Everything we know, so far. In conclusion, there’s no need to panic! Yet, maybe, and we’re pretty sure, ever.
In the coming months and probably weeks, we’ll know more. This page will be regularly updated with the latest information to come out on the new HSK (HSK 3.0). So come back to this post regularly to learn more about the new HSK exam (2021 edition)!

The post New HSK Levels 2021: No need to panic! What to expect (April 28th Update) appeared first on Ninchanese.

The benefits of learning Chinese are multiple!

More and more students are taking classes to learn Mandarin Chinese, one of the most practiced languages in the world! As you know, China is on the rise, so it’s an understandable trend. Not only because of its booming economy but also because the Chinese language has particularities that make it interesting to learn. Learning a language benefits everyone, you, the individual, the family if you have Chinese relatives and communities in a larger sense.

Now, let’s discover why you should start Mandarin Chinese lessons already!

The multiple and unexpected benefits of Learning Chinese:

Significant advantages for the brain

As you start to learn a new language, especially Chinese, it will benefit your brain in many ways. According to a survey by the Journal of Neuroscience in 2015, bilinguals have better cognitive flexibility. It’s easier for them to do a task than others who speak only their native language.

Specifically, the mandarin Chinese language is a miracle tool to make the brain do its work. The Chinese language helps to activate a specific zone in your brain that other languages do not. That is because characters are graphical in nature, so we need to use that zone in our brain more to recognize them. Need another medical reason? Scientists have discovered that Chinese speakers tend to be less affected by Alzheimer’s or are affected by it later in their life than those who don’t speak Chinese. You know, Chinese is composed of thousands of characters to learn. Practice those, and your memory won’t have a rest! You’ll train your muscle memory more than with other languages. 

Because Chinese characters develop imagination

As you learn to write Chinese, you’ll discover the beauty that hides in the traditional art of calligraphy. You’ll develop your art skills by drawing characters, and so you’ll end up both developing your creative mind and your mental faculty. The fine art of calligraphy helps to build your subtle artistic movement in a good sense! As you discover new characters, you’ll find many ancient cultural meanings hidden in them. It’s almost as appreciating prose poems. also, when you understand the Chinese components, it’s easy to make a story to understand how characters fuze to make new characters and meaning, up to you to make a little story about it.

Ninchanese is an incredible app for learning Chinese!

” I actually graduated from the University of Edinburgh with a MA in Chinese.
I’ve used Ninchanese daily, and it has helped me a lot!  “

 – Connor, Ninchanese User

Try Ninchanese, an award-winning method to learn Chinese today:

Start Learning Now

Discover a completely new language

The Chinese characters

Interestingly, when learning Chinese, you’re learning a diametrical opposite language compared to our familiar Germanic/Latin language. Contrary to French, Spanish, or Italian, where we can guess the meaning of an unknown word, it is almost impossible to guess a character’s definition at a glance.

You must study Mandarin Chinese characters and review them one by one, Ninchanese SRS is made especially to learn better the Chinese characters. Chinese characters are numerous, and even one character can have multiple meanings: these are called polyphonic characters. But no worry, there’s a way to learn them faster by knowing Chinese character components. You’ll find an excellent course on Ninchanese about radicals and components, that we recommend doing when you are learning Chinese. 

A tonal language

Contrary to English, Mandarin Chinese use tones in pronunciation. Tones are pretty powerful stuff that changes the meaning of a word. So you’ll have to know a Chinese word’s form in characters and also their tones. It’s an entirely different way to speak than what we are used to in English. Yes, it’s sometimes frustrating, but it’s also sometimes amusing!

So, take great care of how you pronounce your characters. Depending on your intonation, the meaning will change! Thankfully, pinyin facilitates the learning process and helps you know which pronunciation to use. Also, the ninchanese app has a speech recognition system that understands your tone and analyzes them for you.

Speak Chinese to Visit China

Who doesn’t want to walk on the great wall of China?

China is the 4th most visited country in the world. So, naturally, China has an essential role in tourism, and many people, from all over the world, come to see its beautiful ancient constructions like the Great Wall and temples. More modern constructions also attract a lot, like, high buildings. If you’re going to visit China, then you should absolutely download our Chinese phrasebook app made for Chinese, it will be really handy.

How about immersing yourself in Chinese society to learn their language?

Whether it is for a holiday, staying with a Chinese family, or only for studying Chinese, being in the country is a great way to learn Chinese. Chinese society’s manners matter and they are handy to know when dealing with Chinese people.

It’s not convenient to use a dictionary or a translating app when you’re speaking directly with someone, so speaking the Chinese language will allow you to make direct communication with natives. That way, you’ll make real connections with the people.

There are multiple benefits to understanding Chinese when you are in China. First, you’ll recognize the signs on the road since they are all in Chinese. And so, you’ll be able to visit Chinese cities without the need to ask and bother people to find your road. Then you’ll have access to hidden experiences that other tourists can’t have. A good thing to know is Chinese likes to bargain, and as you buy souvenirs, speaking Chinese will give you a real advantage by getting you the best price possible! 

China’s billion-strong population will likely shape the coming days of the world, and it is indeed a good move to learn to speak Chinese. It’s becoming more and more important to understand the Chinese people and their society.

Ninchanese is an incredible app for learning Chinese!

” I actually graduated from the University of Edinburgh with a MA in Chinese.
I’ve used Ninchanese daily, and it has helped me a lot!  “

 – Connor, Ninchanese User

Try Ninchanese, an award-winning method to learn Chinese today:

Start Learning Now

Knowing Chinese to work in China

Mandarin Chinese is the most widely-spoken spoken language globally and one of the largest marketplaces in one nation with 1.28 billion people. So, knowing Mandarin Chinese opens a learner to many career opportunities. The Chinese language is a bridge between an emerging China and the rest of the world.

More people speak Mandarin Chinese than they speak English! One out of seven people speaks Chinese on earth. Chinese speakers are everywhere nowadays, like China, Taiwan, Singapore, and other Asiatic countries. But Chinese speakers are also present in North America, Europe, and, more recently, Africa.

As you can see from the facts above, it’s no wonder that speaking and learning mandarin Chinese are necessary skills today. By learning Mandarin Chinese, you will be able to communicate with more and more people.

Learn Chinese & Discover an Ancient Culture

China is one of the universe’s oldest and richest continuous cultures, over 5000 months old.

Being skillful in mandarin Chinese allows you to know their society better. Old or recent, you’ll discover many other exciting tales, very different from what you’ve previously learned. You’ll also see films in Mandarin Chinese and play a mandarin Chinese video game. China is opening up and creating a lot of cultural content. Knowing how to speak Chinese is the best way to make sure you’re there to enjoy it.

PS: And on the side, learning Chinese characters will help understand their neighbors, the Japanese. As the Japanese language uses many Chinese characters, even if there are differences, it’s close enough to get some insight.

So all in all, China has a richer culture and a rich language that will benefit you in multiple ways. Have fun learning Chinese with Nincha!

The post Why learn Mandarin Chinese, the language of Confucius? appeared first on Ninchanese.

The Chinese language can have very meaningful country names like 美国 (the US) which means “beautiful country” or 法国 (France) which means “Lawful country”. That sounds cool, right? But why is America called beautiful country in Chinese? And by that logic, what’s the name of your country?

How foreign countries get their name in the Chinese language

Country names in Chinese are formed usually in three ways:

• Element of description of the country + 国 (which means country).
  Usually it’s a characteristic of the country that’s chosen, along with, if possible, a character that is phonetically close to the country’s name.
  美国 (which is the name in Chinese for the US, with 美 resembling the “mer” in America)， 德国 (Germany’s country name in Chinese)，法国 (France in Chinese) and 英国 (Great Britain’s name in Chinese) are all formed that way.
• Phonetically:
  The other way of naming foreign countries in Chinese is by transliterating the name into Chinese, purely based on sound. As such, a lot of country names in Chinese are based on the phonetic pronunciation of countries. They try to be as close as possible to the name of the country originally, but that’s not always possible.
  Some are pretty easy to guess, however! Can you guess which countries are 澳大利亚 and 古巴?
  Meaning-wise, most country names in Chinese won’t have a literal meaning that makes a lot of sense, but sound-wise, they’ll be close!
• Literal names:
  Lastly, a few foreign names got quite literal names. South Africa is “南非” with 南 for the South, and 非 from 非洲which means Africa in Chinese. Iceland is another great example. Its name is literally the “Ice island” 冰岛. Cool, no?

All the world’s country names in Chinese

Here’s the list of Chinese names of countries, organized alphabetically, with their name in Mandarin Chinese, English name, and pinyin pronunciation. Just pick out your country from the list of country names in Chinese below, read this article on how to talk about your nationality and you’ll be good to go!

The post Country Names in Chinese Mandarin appeared first on Ninchanese.