Mandarin Chinese · Your first words
A little
Chinese.
A new way to say hello to the world. Reveal a word, swipe a card, and meet it again in a picture quiz.
Discover the words3 new words per stepAbout 5 minutesNo rush
Big discoveries start small.
A small daily ritual
Five minutes, at your pace.
Three new words, a useful phrase and a little practice. Come back whenever you like: every step stays here.
Latest publication ·
All the steps 1
At home
· about 5 minutes
Three words to look around you. Listen, recognise the pictures and try saying a sentence.
Reveal. Swipe. Try again.
Your little deck
0 / 3 set asideTry to remember, then reveal. Words you want to review will come back.
Word recordings use AI-generated voices.
A little conversation
Now, say it out loud.
Practise “At home” with an AI voice. One word at a time, with space to try again.
3 minutes3 words to explore
Checking voice availability…
You are speaking with an AI. Starting sends your microphone audio to OpenAI to answer you. Positive Times does not save this conversation; the transcript below stays on this page. Privacy and provider retention.
Sources for this step
Progress lasts for this visit.
A small field guide
Those little marks matter.
Pinyin writes Mandarin sounds using the Latin alphabet. The marks above the vowels show the tones: the pitch of your voice is part of the word.
These are simplified pitch shapes. In speech, tones can change: nǐ hǎo is usually pronounced ní hǎo. A syllable without a tone mark, as in xièxie, has a light neutral tone.
About the words and sources
An introduction to Mandarin with simplified characters, not a complete language course. The illustrations are visual memory aids, not explanations of the characters’ origins. Pronunciation uses an AI-generated Mandarin voice. Optional voice lessons let you practise with an AI tutor.