Learn Chinese nǐ hǎo to hotpot
Standard Mandarin with simplified characters, from your first nǐ hǎo to the noodle shop, the subway and Spring Festival. 913 lessons that play like a game.
For English speakers, for now: the course is taught from English. More languages are coming soon.- lessons
- 913
- characters, level by level
- 3,500
- real-life topics
- 114
Luffy says hello: 你好！
The whole course
Your trail through China
126 units and 913 lessons, with a landmark at the end of every stage. Here's the whole course, stop by stop.
- Unit1
Hanzi
450 lessons
- Unit35
The Noodle Shop
4 lessons
- Unit92
Sightseeing
4 lessons
- Unit126
Weddings
4 lessons
Hanzi
12 levels · 3,500 simplified characters
- Level 137 lessons
- Level 237 lessons
- Level 337 lessons
- Level 437 lessons
- Level 537 lessons
- Level 637 lessons
- Level 737 lessons
- Level 837 lessons
- Level 937 lessons
- Level 1037 lessons
- Level 1137 lessons
- Level 1243 lessons
Everyday Mandarin Chinese
114 units · real-life scenes, level by level
- First Words & Greetings5 lessons
- Introducing Yourself4 lessons
- Asking for Help5 lessons
- Numbers & Counting4 lessons
- Money & Paying4 lessons
- Time & Dates5 lessons
- This & That4 lessons
- Small Questions Everywhere4 lessons
- Mandarin Class4 lessons
- Family4 lessons
- Vending Machines4 lessons
- Café4 lessons
- The Household Goods Shop4 lessons
- Park4 lessons
- Friends4 lessons
- Birthdays & Gifts4 lessons
- Holidays (first look)4 lessons
- Fast Food4 lessons
- Convenience Store5 lessons
- The Grocery Store5 lessons
- Bakery & Breakfast Shop4 lessons
- Pizza Place4 lessons
- The Noodle Shop4 lessons
- Allergies & Dietary Needs4 lessons
- The Department Store5 lessons
- Clothing & Sizes4 lessons
- The Bookstore4 lessons
- Dry Cleaning & Laundry4 lessons
- Trains & Subway4 lessons
- Buses4 lessons
- Taxi & Rideshare4 lessons
- Directions4 lessons
- Bikes & Bike Share4 lessons
- Kitchen4 lessons
- The Bathroom4 lessons
- Living Room & Bedroom4 lessons
- Laundry at Home4 lessons
- The Library4 lessons
- The Museum4 lessons
- Arcade4 lessons
- Movies4 lessons
- Karaoke4 lessons
- Pool & Beach Day4 lessons
- Spring4 lessons
- Summer4 lessons
- Fall4 lessons
- Winter4 lessons
- Souvenirs & Gifts4 lessons
- Hotpot Restaurant4 lessons
- The Bar4 lessons
- Deliveries4 lessons
- The Electronics Store4 lessons
- The Post Office4 lessons
- Bank & ATM4 lessons
- Hair Salon & Barbershop4 lessons
- Aches & Feeling Sick4 lessons
- Pharmacy4 lessons
- Doctor's Office & Urgent Care4 lessons
- The Airport4 lessons
- High-Speed & Long-Distance Trains4 lessons
- The Auto Shop4 lessons
- Garbage & Recycling4 lessons
- Neighbors4 lessons
- Pets4 lessons
- After-School Club4 lessons
- Police & Emergency Help4 lessons
- The Community Center4 lessons
- Singing & Music4 lessons
- Concerts4 lessons
- Temple Fair & Festival Stalls4 lessons
- Soccer4 lessons
- Basketball Game4 lessons
- Gym & Fitness4 lessons
- Day Spa & Hot Springs4 lessons
- Hiking & National Parks4 lessons
- Camping4 lessons
- Fishing4 lessons
- Rain & Storms4 lessons
- Hotels4 lessons
- Sightseeing4 lessons
- Phone Calls4 lessons
- Visiting Someone's Home4 lessons
- Spring Festival Visits4 lessons
- Phone Plan4 lessons
- Home Repairs4 lessons
- The Dentist4 lessons
- Eye Doctor & Optical Shop4 lessons
- Driving a Car4 lessons
- Ferries & Islands4 lessons
- Utilities & Bills4 lessons
- Home Trouble4 lessons
- Moving In4 lessons
- Elementary School4 lessons
- High School4 lessons
- University4 lessons
- The Job Hunt4 lessons
- Firefighters & Fire Safety4 lessons
- Dance & Movement4 lessons
- Martial Arts4 lessons
- Ski Trip4 lessons
- Ocean & Water Sports4 lessons
- Emergency Preparedness4 lessons
- Planning a Trip4 lessons
- Guesthouse4 lessons
- Dating4 lessons
- Social Media4 lessons
- The Hospital5 lessons
- Finding an Apartment4 lessons
- At the Office4 lessons
- Work Communication4 lessons
- Public Service Office4 lessons
- Travel Trouble4 lessons
- Apologies & Complaints4 lessons
- Weddings4 lessons
Try it now
Play a lesson right now
No sign-up, no download. This mini-lesson uses real words from the course.
A first visit
Welcome, thank you, come in, have a seat and goodbye.
A taste of the real course. Nothing here is saved.
What you'll be able to do
From the noodle shop to the Great Wall
Tones and characters
Hear the tone, see the word
Mandarin rides on four tones, and characters snap together into words. Tap any word to hear it.
Four tones, four words
Change the tone and you change the word: tāng is soup, táng is sugar. Hear all four tones.
Characters snap together
手 hand + 机 machine is a mobile phone. 火 fire + 锅 pot is hotpot. Learn the pieces and words start to explain themselves.
Pinyin shows the way
Pinyin writes every sound in Latin letters, with the tone on top, so you can read words out loud from day one.
Read it your way: hanzi or pinyin. Switch any time in course settings.
The game
Every lesson is a game
Combos, streaks, XP, sapphires, a weekly leaderboard, and a party when you nail it.
Stack combos: at ×5 your combo strikes gold.
Keep your streak: a lesson a day, and a streak freeze for the day you miss.
Earn XP, and more when you beat your best.
Score 90% or more for the perfect-lesson party.
Race the weekly leaderboard, reset every Monday.
Review what you've learned right before you'd forget it.
Get a sapphire for every XP and spend them in the Shop.
Your language
Learn Chinese from English, for now
Right now the Chinese course is taught from English. Miaru's other languages are on the way.
Available now
English
Coming soon
Deutsch
日本語
한국어
Italiano
Français
Español
Português
Русский
Bosanski
Српски
Hrvatski
Slovenščina
Română
Slovenčina
Български
Magyar
Українська
Polski
Nederlands
Čeština
Dansk
Norsk
Svenska
Suomi
Ελληνικά
Türkçe
Bahasa Indonesia
Bahasa Melayu
ไทย
Filipino
Tiếng Việt
हिन्दी
नेपाली
Questions
Chinese, questions answered
Which Chinese does Miaru teach?
Standard Mandarin (Putonghua) with simplified characters, as it's spoken and written in mainland China. The everyday scenes are set in Beijing: the noodle shop, the subway, a temple fair and Spring Festival visits.
Can I learn Chinese from my own language?
Not yet. For now the Chinese course is taught from English, so you'll need to read English to follow it. More languages are coming soon. The Japanese, Spanish and English courses are already taught in 34 languages.
What are tones, and does Miaru teach them?
Mandarin has four tones, plus a light neutral one, and a tone can change the word: tāng is soup, táng is sugar. Pinyin marks the tone on every syllable, and every word and sentence has audio in a female and a male voice.
Can I learn Chinese with pinyin?
Yes. In course settings you choose how Chinese is shown: hanzi or pinyin. Start with pinyin and switch to characters when you're ready.
How many characters does Miaru teach?
3,500 simplified characters in 12 levels, 450 lessons in all, starting from 一, 二, 三. Each one comes with its pinyin and its meaning, on flashcards, match boards and quizzes.
Will I learn to speak Chinese, or only to read it?
Both. The 114 everyday units are built around conversation: new words, real sentences, then scenes with Luffy, from ordering noodles to asking the way. Every word and sentence has audio you can replay and slow down.
How many lessons are in the Chinese course?
913 lessons in 126 units: 12 hanzi levels with 450 lessons, and 114 everyday units with 463 lessons.
How do you say hello in Chinese?
你好 (nǐ hǎo). It's the very first line of the everyday course, on a first visit, along with 谢谢 (xièxie), thank you, and 再见 (zàijiàn), goodbye.
Is Chinese hard to learn?
It's different, not impossible. The grammar is friendly: verbs never change their form, and nouns have no plural. Tones and characters take practice, so Miaru brings them back in reviews right before you'd forget them.
Does Miaru teach traditional characters?
Not for now. The course uses simplified characters, the standard in mainland China and Singapore.
Your first nǐ hǎo is waiting
Start in your browser right now, or get the app and take Luffy with you.
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- Explore Spanish
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114 units · 463 lessons
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114 units · 463 lessons
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