Learning a language takes a lot of time, but fortunately, you can do most of the truly time-consuming parts on your own. For example, learning to...
Category: Chinese
The beginner’s guide to Chinese translation
Translation from your native language is usually something to be avoided when learning a foreign language. If you construct sentences in your native...
The benefits of using Wikipedia to look up words when learning Chinese
For most people, Wikipedia is just an encyclopedia similar to other encyclopedias except that it covers more content and is perceived as less...
The best podcasts for learning Chinese in 2025
Podcasts let you create your own Chinese immersion experience, with level-appropriate stories and authentic conversations. Learn flexibly on the go...
The best YouTube channels for learning Chinese in 2025
Videos are ideal for learning Chinese. The visual element makes the content more comprehensible and engaging, resulting in effective and enjoyable...
the-building-blocks-of-chinese-part-1-chinese-characters-and-words-in-a-nutshell
The building blocks of Chinese, part 1: Chinese characters and words in a nutshell | Hacking Chinese
The building blocks of Chinese, part 2: Basic characters, components and radicals
Most Chinese characters are compounds, meaning that they consist of several meaningful components rather than being pictures that can’t be broken...
The building blocks of Chinese, part 4: Learning and remembering compound characters
So far in this series, we have looked at characters that started out as pictures, such as 女 (nǚ), “woman”, 子 (zǐ), “son; child”, and 马/馬 (mǎ),...
The building blocks of Chinese, part 5: Making sense of Chinese words
How many Chinese characters do you need to know to be able to read? How many characters are there in total? These are common questions that are...
The cheapest and most convenient way to improve your spoken Chinese
Speaking a foreign language fluently requires many things to come together at once. You need to decide what to say, retrieve the right Chinese words...