So you need to learn Mandarin Chinese? Honestly, it’s not terrifying! This ancient and beautiful language is a work of art, and with a little background knowledge about how it works, you’ll find yourself more than equal to the task of learning it.

There are two sides of Mandarin Chinese pronunciation: tones and syllables. An example of a syllable is “ma.” But the syllable “ma” has no meaning in and of itself; the meaning is determined by the tone in which you say the word. So whenever you study a new word, you not only have to remember the syllables making up that word but the tone in which those syllables are pronounced. When you learn Mandarin Chinese, remember to choose an instructional method that emphasizes audio learning, because you need to be able to hear and imitate the various different tones.

What are the various tones used in Mandarin Chinese? The first is a high, even tone, neither rising nor dropping in pitch. The second is a rising tone, the third is a falling tone, and the fourth tone rises at the beginning and then falls at the end. Don’t take our word for it, though – when you decide to learn Mandarin Chinese, choose a method that will let you hear and replicate those tones for yourself.

But Mandarin isn’t all about tones – its twenty-one consonants and sixteen vowels are the building blocks of individual words. Many of these sounds will seem unfamiliar to English-speakers, but you learn Mandarin Chinese, focus on the ways the Chinese is different from English rather than the ways they are the same. Concentrate on perfecting a Chinese accent and you’ll be astonished at your degree of success!

Many students beginning to learn Mandarin Chinese worry about the studying a language they can’t read. It’s for certain conceivable to learn Chinese without reading it at all; after all, toddlers don’t learn to read before learning to speak, do they? still, it’s useful to be able to take study notes.

This problem has a relatively simple solution! English-speaking students can learn Mandarin Chinese using a Romanized alphabet called Pinyin – in other words, they use the same alphabet used in English (plus a few diacritical marks) to accurately render Chinese syllables. Beginning students who use Pinyin to read and write Mandarin Chinese typically have no difficulty transitioning to Chinese characters as they work up in their studies.

I’ll bet you feel much more confident in your ability to learn Mandarin Chinese, don’t you? Don’t forget – begin with a method that emphasizes listening to native speakers, practice your accent every day, and learn Pinyin before you try memorizing Chinese characters. Follow these simple steps and before you know it, you’ll be speaking Chinese!

A good audio-based language course to use is Rocket Chinese. It will help you learn Mandarin Chinese quicker than any other way.