Practical guides to Mandarin pronunciation, grammar, vocabulary, Chinese characters, culture and effective learning strategies.
Chinese Characters
An in-depth guide to Chinese characters: what they are, how they differ from words and pinyin, the four types of characters (pictographs, ideographs and phonetic-semantic compounds), how many you need to know, and practical ways to learn them.
Chinese Vocabulary
A guide to saying goodbye in Mandarin, from casual 拜拜, 再见 and 明天见 to formal farewells such as 告辞, 后会有期, 一路顺风 and 慢走, with pinyin, meanings and notes on when each expression fits.
Chinese Characters
A step-by-step guide to typing Chinese: how pinyin, five-stroke and handwriting input methods work, how to install a Chinese keyboard on your computer or phone, how to type ü, select the right characters and enter whole words and phrases.
Learn Chinese
A comprehensive roadmap for learning Mandarin from a long-time learner: why many people give up, how to set goals and beat procrastination, classes vs self-study, and a phase-by-phase plan covering tones, characters, listening, speaking and reading.
Inside ChineseSkill
A first-person interview with Yan Jiayu (Sherry Yan), the Mandarin voice heard in ChineseSkill lessons at the time of publication. She talks about her MA in Teaching Chinese to Speakers of Other Languages, how she prepares recordings and working with the team.
![HSK 3 Vocabulary List [PDF]](https://storage.ghost.io/c/ce/3a/ce3ad4cc-87ad-4eb1-9430-650fbd60a7a3/content/images/size/w600/chineseskill-migration/be/be1c8857d4195fb3-3.png)
HSK
This article presents the 300-word HSK 3 vocabulary list used when it was published, with characters, pinyin and English meanings. HSK 3 builds on HSK 1 and 2 words; check the current official syllabus before your exam.
HSK
This article presents the HSK 2 vocabulary list used at publication: 150 new words combined with the 150 HSK 1 words, each with characters, pinyin and English meaning. Check current official HSK materials before using it for exam preparation.
HSK
This article presents the 150-word HSK 1 vocabulary list used when it was published, with characters, pinyin and English meanings. Study each word with pronunciation and an example, and confirm the current official HSK syllabus before your exam.
Life in China
A short 2020 article on a Chinese online survey about taking phones into the bathroom to listen to music, watch videos or study. The update explains why its '90%' headline is not a verified national statistic and should not describe current behaviour.
Chinese Culture
The Dragon Boat Festival (端午节, Duānwǔ Jié) falls on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month. This article explains why dragon boats are raced, who the poet Qu Yuan was and the customs linked to the festival.
Life in China
A short article on a 2018 Chinese consumer report about sleep, in which many respondents described difficulty sleeping. The update explains that reported poor sleep is not the same as a clinical insomnia diagnosis and when to seek professional help.
Life in China
A 2020 snapshot of China's space program, from the Long March rocket family to the Long March-5 launch of the Tianwen-1 Mars mission in July 2020. The FAQ adds what happened next and explains why the article is not a complete launch count.