BaoBao Talk
Free guides
Guides to learning Mandarin
Straight answers to the questions every beginner hits, and how to turn each answer into daily practice. No fluff, no filler vocabulary lists.
How to learn Chinese characters
Copying a character 50 times is the slowest way to learn it. Here is the method that works: components, stroke order, active recall and spaced review.
HSK 1 character list: how many do you need?
HSK 2.0 asked for 150 words; HSK 3.0 Level 1 expects around 300 characters. Here is what changed, what you must read versus write, and where to start.
How to practise Chinese tones
The four Mandarin tones explained, why tone pairs are the real difficulty, and a 10-minute daily routine that trains your ear before your mouth.
Chinese stroke order rules
Seven stroke order rules cover almost every Chinese character. Learn them with worked examples, and find out why stroke order still matters when you type.
How long does it take to learn Chinese?
Realistic hour counts for HSK 1 to HSK 6, what the 2,200-hour figure actually means, and the four factors that change your timeline most.
Spaced repetition for Chinese
Why reviewing just before you forget beats re-reading, how FSRS picks each interval, and how to keep a Chinese review backlog from forming.
Pinyin chart: initials and finals
How pinyin splits every Mandarin syllable into an initial and a final, the spellings that mislead English speakers, and a drill order that fixes them.
How to practise Chinese speaking alone
Shadowing, self-talk and speech recognition give you spoken Chinese practice with feedback and nobody else in the room. Here is the routine.
Chinese listening practice for beginners
Native podcasts are too fast at HSK 1. Here is what comprehensible input means, how to find material at your level, and a daily listening routine.
How to study for the HSK 1 exam
What is on the HSK 1 exam, an eight-week study plan from zero, and how to tell you are ready to book the test.
Put the method into practice
Everything in these guides is built into BaoBao Talk: stroke practice, tone drills, speaking with feedback, and reviews scheduled for you.