Free Beginner Guides

Free guides for learning Chinese from zero, grouped by topic: HSK word lists, pronunciation, writing characters, grammar, and phrases for conversation, sport and travel.

HSK Vocabulary Lists

• HSK 3.0: What Changed — The new 9-level exam goes worldwide on 13 December 2026: word counts per level, the timeline, and which list to study.
• HSK 3.0 Level 1 Vocabulary List — All 294 words of the new level 1 with pinyin and meanings, plus links to every other HSK 3.0 level.
• HSK1 Vocabulary List — All 150 HSK1 words grouped by topic, with pinyin and English meanings.
• HSK2 Vocabulary List — 150 more words on top of HSK1: connectors, opinions and daily life.
• HSK3 Vocabulary List — 150 intermediate words with pinyin for opinions, connectors and everyday situations.
• HSK4 Vocabulary List — 272 upper-intermediate words with pinyin on abstract topics, opinions, work and society.
• HSK5 Vocabulary List — 203 advanced words with pinyin for formal writing and more nuanced arguments.
• HSK6 Vocabulary List — 171 top-level words with pinyin, including literary set phrases and academic vocabulary.

Pronunciation & Pinyin

• Pinyin Pronunciation Guide — All 4 tones, initials and finals, each with an example you can tap to hear.
• Chinese Sounds Guide — The 4 tones, tricky consonants (zh/z, ch/c, sh/x), special vowels and common mistakes, with audio you can tap.

Writing & Characters

• How to Write Chinese Characters — Your first character step by step: materials, method and practice grids.
• Chinese Stroke Order — 8 rules that make any character easier to write and remember.
• Learn Chinese Characters — A step-by-step method for memorising characters as a beginner.
• Chinese Radicals — 20 radicals that turn up in thousands of characters, with meanings and examples.
• Chinese Word Formation — 6 patterns for combining characters into words, with real compound examples.

Grammar

• Grammar Basics — 8 core rules: word order, negation, questions, 了 (le), 的 (de), measure words and more.
• Intermediate Grammar (HSK3+) — 10 patterns: 了/过/着 (le/guo/zhe), 把 (bǎ), 被 (bèi), comparisons, and result and potential complements.
• Chinese Action Words — 40+ common verbs (do, eat, drink, go, say, write, know, like) with grammar patterns and example sentences.
• Chinese Filler Words — 那个 (nàge), 就是说 (jiùshì shuō), 反正 (fǎnzhèng): the connectors that make speech sound natural.

Everyday Conversation

• Chinese Greetings — 10 phrases every beginner needs: 你好 (nǐ hǎo), 谢谢 (xièxie), 再见 (zàijiàn) and more.
• Meeting Someone New — Name, hometown and polite phrases for a first meeting.
• Chinese Small Talk — "How are you?" and the small talk that comes after 你好 (nǐ hǎo), with cultural context.
• Talking About the Weather — Hot, cold, rain, and the small talk that goes with it.
• Talking About Hobbies — What do you do for fun? Phrases for weekends and free time.
• Talking About Your Job — Office small talk, overtime, and a phrase with no English equivalent.
• Making Plans in Chinese — Invite, agree and reschedule: the phrases that carry a plan through.
• Phone Calls in Chinese — Answer, ask who's calling, and handle a bad connection.
• Texting in Chinese — WeChat phrases and slang, including 已读不回 (yǐdú bùhuí) and 摸鱼 (mōyú).
• Chinese Compliments — How to praise someone, and how to accept a compliment politely.
• How to Say Sorry — 对不起 (duìbuqǐ), 不好意思 (bù hǎoyìsi) or 抱歉 (bàoqiàn)? When to use each one.
• Agreeing & Disagreeing — How to agree, push back, and stay diplomatically vague.
• How to Say Goodbye — More than 再见 (zàijiàn): casual, warm and set phrases for leaving.

Sports & Fitness

• Sports in Chinese — Names of common sports and the verb each one takes: 打 (dǎ), 踢 (tī), 游 (yóu) or 跑 (pǎo).
• At the Gym — Equipment, the main lifts, counting sets and reps, and what to say to a trainer.
• Watching Sports — Scores, wins and losses, and how to cheer with 加油 (jiāyóu).

Travel

• Before You Go to China — 10 phrases to learn before a trip to China.
• Airport, Taxi & Shopping — What to actually say and do: Didi, WeChat Pay, bargaining and more.
• Asking for Directions — Straight, left, right and how far: 8 phrases for finding your way.
• Travel Phrases — 40+ practical phrases for restaurants, shopping, transport, hotels and emergencies.
• Ordering Coffee & Bubble Tea — Size, sweetness, ice level, and for here or to go.

Topic Words & Culture

• Chinese Numbers — Count to 100 in Mandarin, then use numbers for dates and prices.
• Colors in Chinese — 11 common colors with pinyin, example sentences and what each color means in Chinese culture.
• Family Members in Chinese — Dad, mom, siblings, grandparents and more, with pinyin and notes on how Chinese family titles work.
• Chinese Zodiac Signs — Find your Chinese zodiac animal by birth year. All 12 signs explained.

Using HanziBook

• How to Use HanziBook — A walkthrough of search, stroke animation, copybooks, lessons and more.