Chinese Learning Guides
Short, practical guides on the parts of Mandarin that trip learners up the most — written from real learner questions, each one connected to the free tools on this site.
Tone Sandhi: when written tones change in speech
Why 你好 is really ní hǎo, what 一 and 不 do before different tones, and the half-third tone. The rules pinyin never shows you.
October 25, 2026
HSK 2.0 vs HSK 3.0: what changed and when
Six levels became nine, the standard took effect on July 1, 2026, and the first new exam is on December 13, 2026. What it means for your study plan.
October 25, 2026
的, 得, 地: which de to use
Three characters, one sound, three different jobs. A simple test to pick the right one — and why even native speakers mix them up.
October 25, 2026
The listening cliff: you can read, but you can't understand
Why words you know on paper become invisible at native speed, and the practice methods that actually move listening forward.
October 25, 2026
Duolingo for Schools is shutting down: a teacher's guide
The free teacher dashboard sunsets July 31, 2027 and new teacher accounts are closed. What teachers lose, and where free Chinese-specific tools fit in.
November 1, 2026
The first HSK 3.0 exam: what changes on December 13, 2026
The new standard took effect July 1, 2026 and the first exam follows on December 13. Word counts by level, characters, and what to study first.
November 1, 2026
Anki for Chinese: a free HSK 3.0 deck
A free .apkg with 12,000+ notes across seven decks, built on the same data as this site — plus setup steps and a daily review habit that sticks.
November 1, 2026
Chinese measure words: 个, 只, 条, 张 — and when 个 is fine
The shape logic behind measure words, the core set that covers daily speech, and when the universal 个 is the right answer.
November 1, 2026