Free guides to Chinese, from a Chinese teacher
Everything I write for learners, in one place. Practical guides to learn Chinese step by step: how long it takes, pinyin and tones, characters, everyday phrases, the HSK exam with complete word lists for every level, and Chinese culture from New Year to business etiquette.
By Zoey (Ziqiao Zang), Chinese teacher since 2011
The HSK exam
The official Chinese proficiency test, explained by a teacher who set up and ran an HSK online test centre, with the complete HSK 3.0 word list for every level.
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HSK exam guide
Levels, HSK 3.0, test centres, dates, fees and registration in the Netherlands.
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HSK 1
Word list, grammar, exam format and sample questions.
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HSK 2
Word list, grammar, exam format and sample questions.
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HSK 3
Word list, grammar, exam format and sample questions.
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HSK 4
Word list, grammar, exam format and sample questions.
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HSK 5
Word list, grammar, exam format and sample questions.
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HSK 6
Word list, grammar, exam format and sample questions.
Getting started
Where to begin, what is hard, what is easy, and the first things to learn.
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How long does it take to learn Chinese?
Realistic hours per HSK level, what is hard, what is easy, and a 12-month plan.
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Pinyin and the four tones
A clickable pinyin chart, the four tones, tone pairs and the classic mistakes.
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Chinese characters
How the script works, radicals, stroke order and the 100 most common characters.
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Basic Chinese phrases
Hello, thank you, sorry, I love you: with characters, pinyin and audio.
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Chinese numbers
Count from 1 to 100 and beyond, hand gestures and lucky numbers.
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Chinese grammar basics
Word order, 了, measure words, questions and the patterns that matter first.
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Best apps to learn Chinese
An honest review of Duolingo, HelloChinese, Pleco, Anki and free resources.
Language and culture
The background that makes the language make sense.
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Mandarin vs Cantonese
What Mandarin is, how it differs from Cantonese, and which one to learn.
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Chinese names
How Chinese names work, common surnames, and how to choose your own name.
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Chinese culture for learners
Values, everyday habits, festivals and Chinese culture in the Netherlands.
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Chinese New Year 2027
The date, the Year of the Goat, traditions, wishes and Amsterdam celebrations.
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Chinese zodiac calculator
Find your animal and element by birth date, with characters and pronunciation.
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Chinese business etiquette
Business cards, meetings, dinners, toasts and guanxi, explained by a teacher.
Learning Chinese in Amsterdam
Prefer to learn with a teacher? See the courses or read about Zoey.
Learn with Zoey
One-to-one or in a small group, online or in Amsterdam by arrangement. Tell Zoey what you want to achieve and she will suggest a plan.
About the author
Zoey (Ziqiao Zang, 臧子乔) has taught Chinese as a foreign language since 2011 and in the Netherlands since 2016. She holds a Master of Teaching Chinese to Speakers of Other Languages from Zhejiang Normal University and set up and ran an official HSK online exam centre with more than 250 candidates.