Start learning Chinese from zero
No prior knowledge needed. Here is a clear 6-step roadmap to take you from pinyin to your first spoken sentence.
6 steps to start right
Follow this order to build a solid foundation. Each step links straight to the matching practice on Hanbeego.
- 拼一
Pinyin — the romanization
Get familiar with initials, finals and how they combine. This is the key to reading every Chinese character.
Start - 声二
Tones — 4 tones + neutral
Same syllable, different tone, different meaning (mā/má/mǎ/mà). Practice this early to speak clearly.
Start - 字三
Basic characters
Start with high-frequency characters and radicals, and practice correct stroke order. Recognize characters faster.
Start - 词四
HSK 1 vocabulary
Your first ~150 words: greetings, numbers, pronouns and common verbs — with audio and SRS flashcards.
Start - 语五
Basic grammar
Good news: no verb conjugation, no plurals. Master word order and the particles 了, 的, 吗 and you can communicate.
Start - 听六
Listening & speaking
Listen a lot to get used to the sounds, then echo short sentences. Build the confidence to speak every day.
Start
3 things that help you learn faster
Study every day
15 minutes a day beats a 3-hour weekend cram. Keep your streak to build the habit.
Tones come first
Wrong tones are the hardest mistake for native speakers to understand. Read aloud and compare with the audio.
Spaced repetition
SRS flashcards remind you to review a word just before you forget it — long-term memory without rote learning.
What should a beginner learning Chinese study?
Many beginners aren't sure where to start. The short answer: learn pinyin and tones first, because they are the pronunciation foundation of all Chinese. Only once you can read pinyin and tell the four tones apart should you move on to recognizing characters.
After pronunciation, build vocabulary at the HSK 1 level (about 150 common words) alongside practicing basic characters. Chinese grammar is fairly simple — no verb conjugation, no tenses — so you only need the Subject–Verb–Object word order and a few particles to form complete sentences.
Finally, don't learn in a vacuum. Listen often and speak back every day so the sounds and tones become reflexes. Hanbeego arranges all of these steps into an HSK 1–9 roadmap with audio, SRS flashcards and interactive practice, taking you from zero in a structured way.
Frequently asked questions
問Should beginners learn pinyin or characters first?
Learn pinyin and tones first. Pinyin helps you pronounce correctly from day one; once you can read pinyin, learning to recognize characters becomes much easier.
問How long does it take to learn Chinese from scratch?
At 15 minutes a day, most learners reach HSK 1 (basic communication) in about 2–3 months. Consistency matters more than long cramming sessions.
問Is Chinese hard to learn?
Pronunciation and tones are the hardest part at first, but the grammar is easy: no conjugation, no plurals, no tenses. Once you get past pronunciation, you progress quickly.
問How many characters do I need to start?
You don't need thousands of characters right away. The ~150 words of HSK 1 are enough to greet people, introduce yourself and handle basic everyday situations.
問Is learning on Hanbeego free?
All HSK 1 content — vocabulary, lessons, audio and practice — is free. You only need Premium when you want to continue from HSK 2 onward and use the AI Tutor.