Hacking Chinese Podcast

199 - Chinese character learning for all students

27 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Learning to write Chinese characters by hand takes a lot of time, but in today's digital society, is handwriting even necessary? Let's explore...

198 - Learning to hear the sounds and tones in Mandarin

21 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

As infants, we perceive the world without filters. Learning our first language, we form categories of sounds, aiding understanding but losing the abil...

197 - 24 great resources for improving your Mandarin pronunciation

14 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Using the right resources is important when learning anything, but it's essential when learning Mandarin pronunciation. Here are 24 great resource...

196 - Student Q&A, May 2024: Understanding strangers, listening with transcripts, and which podcasts to avoid

07 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Why is your teacher is so much easier to understand than anybody else? Should you read transcripts or subtitles before, during or after listening? And...

195 - Why is listening in Chinese so hard? Beyond tīng bu dǒng, part 6

01 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Many people assume that the hardest part of learning Chinese must be the characters or the tones, but it turns out that most learners struggle more wi...

194 - Chengyu, a magic key to Chinese language and culture, or a waste of time?

23 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Chengyu are idioms linked to ancient literature. Are they the key to Chinese language and culture or a waste of time? #learnchinese #chengyu #idiom #v...

193 - Interview: Insights from Skritter’s Complete Guide to Learning Chinese

15 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

If I wrote a comprehensive guide to learning Chinese with a special focus on vocabulary, what would it look like? Now you can find out - for free! #le...

192 - Student Q&A, April 2024: Learning chengyu, listening to yourself and using role-playing games to learn Chinese

09 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Is recording and listening to your own Chinese useful for improving your speaking ability? How can you use chengyu to expand your repertoire? And how ...

191 - Is speaking more important than listening when learning Chinese?

01 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

What languages do you speak? Do you speak Chinese? We often use speaking to represent language ability in general, but does that mean that speaking is...

190 - The best podcasts for learning Chinese in 2024

25 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Podcasts let you create your own Chinese immersion experience, with level-appropriate stories and authentic conversations. Learn flexibly on the go wi...

189 - Real communication: What it is, why you want it and how to get it

18 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

A language is a structured system used for communication, so the idea to focus on communication when learning Chinese sounds obvious, but it’s surpr...

188 - How to learn Chinese in the long term with intrinsic motivation

12 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

While strong motivation doesn't necessarily accelerate your learning or improve your memory, without it you won't spend enough time learning C...

187 - Student Q&A, March 2024: Reading aloud, finding word boundaries, and working actively with reading materials

06 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

How can you improve your ability to read aloud in Chinese? How can you learn to see where a word starts and ends in a text? And how can you make sure ...

186 - Outlier Chinese Character Masterclass review: Understand more, learn faster, remember longer

26 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Mastering Chinese characters, whether you find them enchantingly beautiful or overwhelmingly complex, is essential for literacy in Chinese. Outlier Li...

185 - The Hacking Chinese guide to Mandarin tones, part 3: Learning to hear and say tones

19 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Learning to hear and pronounce the tones in Mandarin as an adult learner can be tricky, but with the right methods, anyone can do it! #learnchinese #t...

184 - The Hacking Chinese guide to Mandarin tones, part 2: How important are tones?

12 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Are perfect tones necessary to communicate in Chinese? Or can you ignore tones and still be understood? Or does the truth lie somewhere in between? #l...

183 - The Hacking Chinese guide to Mandarin tones, part 1: What are tones?

05 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Learning tones is a unique challenge for most learners of Chinese. What are tones? How important is it to learn tones? And how do you learn to both he...

182 - Student Q&A, February 2024: Typing or handwriting, using new words in texts, and how to use AI to improve your writing

29 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Is it better to practise writing Chinese on a computer or by hand? How do you find the right words when writing? And how can you leverage AI to improv...

181 - Listen more and learn more by building a personal Chinese audio library

22 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The more you listen, the more you learn, but listening more is not as easy as it sounds. By building a personal Chinese audio library, you ensure that...

180 - 8 great ways to scaffold your Chinese listening and reading

15 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Listening and reading in Chinese can be a challenge, especially when your level is not high enough. To understand more and thereby also learn more, us...

179 - Best of Hacking Chinese 2023

08 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In 2023, I published one article and one podcast episode every week. Which was the best article? The most popular podcast episode? Let’s summarise t...

178 - Student Q&A: Chinese music, too much Mandarin in the classroom, and listening

01 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Is listening to music a good way to learn Chinese? How can you learn to understand Mandarin spoken in noisy environments? And what if your teacher spe...

177 - 12 ways chatting online will improve your Chinese

25 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Chatting online is seldom considered a method for learning Chinese, but it has several unique benefits. While generally regarded as a frivolous waste ...

176 - How to best use flashcards to learn Chinese

18 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Flashcards; some people love them, some people hate them. The goal of Hacking Chinese is to go beyond the black and white and figure out how things wo...

175 - Why flashcards are terrible for learning Chinese

11 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Flashcards are often viewed as a silver bullet, promising swift mastery of characters, words and more, but relying on flashcards too much has serious ...

174 - Student Q&A, December 2023: How many words to learn, if it's good to learn radicals, and whether to learn simplified or traditional characters

04 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

How many words is reasonable to learn in a day? Will focusing on radicals make this easier? And should you learn simplified or traditional characters,...

173 - Why flashcards are great for learning Chinese

27 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The humble flashcard: A key component in a successful strategy, or a distraction from what truly matters? Few things have sparked as much debate as th...

172 - Chinese reading speed revisited

22 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Learning to read Chinese is an achievement in itself, but how fast you can read also matters, regardless of your level. So how do you increase your re...

171 - Is learning things by heart good for improving your Chinese?

13 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Learning things by heart used to be a mainstay of language education but is now often frowned upon. Is learning things by heart good for improving you...

170 - The 10 best free Chinese reading resources for all levels (2023 edition)

09 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Reading is a great way to build vocabulary, learn grammar and expand your horizons. Here are the ten best free Chinese reading resources for beginners...

169 - Student Q&A: Reading Pinyin or characters, comprehensible vs. compelling content and reading tools

02 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

How do you transition from reading Pinyin to reading characters? Are compelling texts better than comprehensible texts? And which tools should you use...

168 - Shapeshifting Chinese characters

23 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Most Chinese characters are well-behaved and easy to recognise in compound characters. Some components are sneaky, though; they change appearance depe...

167 - You won't learn Chinese simply by living abroad

16 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

A widespread myth about learning Chinese is that you will master the language simply by living in an immersion environment. However, how much you lear...

166 - 100 hours of Chinese listening in 3 weeks: What I learnt and how to apply it

09 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The more you listen, the more you learn. That's why I listened to one hundred hours of Chinese in just three weeks. Here's what I learnt and h...

165 - Student Q&A: Expanding vocabulary quickly, learning by watching videos and nailing dictation tests

04 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

How do you build a broad vocabulary in Chinese quickly? How do you best use video-sharing platforms to boost your learning? And how should you study t...

164 - Listen more than once: How the replay button can help you learn more Chinese

26 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Listening more than once is a simple yet overlooked trick for improving your listening ability. By replaying audio, you give your brain more time to p...

163 - The cheapest and most convenient way to improve your spoken Chinese

18 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The cheapest and most convenient way to improve your speaking ability in Chinese is… to talk to yourself! Beyond being both easy and free, speaking ...

162 - Improving your Chinese pronunciation by mimicking native speakers

12 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The best way to improve your Chinese pronunciation is to mimic native speakers. But why, and how exactly should you go about it? #learnchinese #pronun...

161 - Student Q&A: Listening more than once, assessing pronunciation and the merits of flashcards

06 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

For some, the allure of Chinese lies in language, culture and society, but for many, practical utility is also important. So, how long do you have to ...

160 - How long do you have to study Chinese to make it useful?

28 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

For some, the allure of Chinese lies in language, culture and society, but for many, practical utility is also important. So, how long do you have to ...

159 - Getting the most out of your learning with Hacking Chinese

21 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Hacking Chinese can seen as a very long response to the question of what I would have done differently if I could go back in time and learn Chinese ag...

158 - Should you throw away your Chinese textbook?

15 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Many students rely on textbooks to learn Chinese, but is this a good idea? Some people say that to unleash your full potential, you should throw your ...

157 - How translation to another language can help you learn Chinese

07 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Have you tried translating Chinese to your native language as learning method? You should; it has more benefits than you might realise! Link to articl...

156 - Hacking Chinese Podcast three-year anniversary Q&A

02 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Should you drop everything you’re doing to learn Chinese for one year? How should you approach reading at an intermediate level? And how do you choo...

155 - Is Chinese difficult to learn?

24 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Is Chinese difficult to learn, even impossible? Or is it in fact quite easy? The answer is that learning Chinese is difficult, but not in the way most...

154 - Timeboxing Chinese: Get more done in less time

17 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

If you don’t invest the necessary time into learning Chinese, it doesn’t matter how good your method is. Timeboxing is a wonderful way to get more...

153 - Insights from the new HSK 7-9: Interview with Sara Jaaksola

10 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Are you curious about the new HSK? Do you want to know what it’s really like to take and pass the advanced level? And how should you prepare to ace ...

152 - How I learnt Chinese, part 7: Teaching, writing, learning

03 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Reaching an advanced level in Chinese is the goal of many learners, but what do you do when you get there? And is there such a thing as being done wit...

151 - How narrow reading and listening can help you bridge the gap to real Chinese

26 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Varying your diet of Chinese reading and listening practice is often considered good, indeed necessary, but this could be wrong. In some cases, variat...

150 - Seeing through the illusion of advanced Chinese learning

21 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Courses and textbooks encourage narrow but advanced proficiency in Chinese, but if you want to be able to communicate well, you need to see through th...

149 - Why travelling isn't the best method to learn Chinese

12 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Travelling is often touted as one of the best ways to learn a language, but is it really? What are some downsides of travelling to learn Chinese, and ...

148 - How I learnt Chinese, part 6: Graduate program in Taiwan

05 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

I’ve spent two years in a master’s program for teaching Chinese as a second language, designed for native speakers and taught in Chinese. Here’s...

147 - Learning Chinese with the aid of technology: Interview with Jake Gill from Skritter

29 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

You probably know what it’s like to use apps for learning Chinese vocabulary, but do you know what it’s like to run a company that builds such app...

146 - Get to know your Chinese voice to level up your speaking ability

22 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Have you listened to a recording of yourself speaking Chinese, only to find that your voice sounds unfamiliar and strange, like another person? Then t...

145 - How learning some basic theory can improve your Mandarin pronunciation

16 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Listening, mimicking and getting feedback is the best way to learn Chinese pronunciation, but unless you're a small child or extremely talented, a...

144 - Learning Chinese is more like walking a thousand miles than running 100-metre dash

08 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Learning Chinese is more like walking a thousand miles than running 100-metre dash. Make sure that your strategy works in the long term Link to articl...

143 - How I learnt Chinese, part 5: Returning to Sweden

02 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Learning Chinese full time is easy, the hard part is to make progress, even when you’re occupied with other things. Link to article: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠...

142 - Becoming a better listener as a student of Chinese: Beyond tīng bu dǒng, part 5

24 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Many things influence listening comprehension in Chinese, some are related to the language, and some to the situation, but some are also related to yo...

141 - Vocabulary lists that help you learn Chinese and how to use them

18 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Learning new characters and words from a list is rarely a good idea, but there are exceptions! Let's have a look at five types of vocabulary lists...

140 - Should you learn Chinese vocabulary from lists?

10 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Students often rely on lists to learn new Chinese characters and words. This can be useful in some situations, but there are also many problems with t...

139 - How I learnt Chinese, part 4: My second year in Taiwan

03 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

I learnt a lot in my first year in Taiwan, but the more I learnt, the more I realised that a single year would not be enough. Link to article: ⁠⁠⁠...

138 - 6 benefits of learning Chinese through sports

27 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The general benefits of physical activity are of course well-known, but the more specific benefits for learning languages are often overlooked, so let...

137 - Should you use an efficient method for learning Chinese even if you hate it?

20 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Methods for learning Chinese can be good because they are efficient, because they to focus on the right content, or because they are enjoyable, allowi...

136 - Don't try to improve everything at once when learning Chinese

13 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

To communicate in Chinese, many skills need to work in unison, but trying to improve all of them at once is a recipe for frustration. Instead, limit y...

135 - How I learnt Chinese, part 3: My first year in Taiwan

06 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

My second year of learning Chinese was largely spent in Taiwan, where I learnt a lot, despite not always using the best approach. Link to article: How...

134 - Learn Chinese by playing Mahjong (麻将, májiàng)

27 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Playing games is a wonderful way of learning Chinese and 麻將 (májiàng) is one of the simplest games around. Apart from the numbers 1-9, you only ...

133 - Hacking Chinese Pronunciation: Learning Mandarin finals

20 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Learning Mandarin finals is mostly about understanding how vowels work and how they are combined. Link to my pronunciation course: Hacking Chinese Pro...

132 - Can ChatGPT pass the HSK?

13 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

ChatGPT has been all over the news for its ability to interact with humans. It has even been used to pass university exams. But how good is ChatGPT at...

131 - How I learnt Chinese, part 2: Learning Mandarin in Sweden

06 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

My first year of learning Chinese was spent in an intensive but conventional university environment. While I learnt a lot, many things were also left ...

130 - Beginner Chinese listening practice: What to listen to and how

31 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The best way to learn to understand spoken Mandarin is to listen as much as you can to engaging content you can make sense. In this article, I go thro...

129 - Using the HSK as a roadmap to learning Chinese

25 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

For some students, the HSK is not just a proficiency test, but also a roadmap to learning Chinese. Is treating it as such a good idea? And if you do, ...

128 - How I learnt Chinese, part 1: Where it all started

17 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Some people have a clear goal in mind when they start learning Chinese, others just stumble into it and have to figure things out along the way. Link ...

127 - Best of Hacking Chinese 2022

09 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

2022 was a year of stability on Hacking Chinese; consistent but without major breakthroughs. What was the most popular article? The most popular podca...

126 - 8 tips for learning Chinese as an introverted student

03 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Introverts are not worse language learners than extroverts, but not using opportunities to communicate can slow you down. Here are some methods I've u...

125 - Hacking Chinese reader and listener survey

29 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

500 articles and 125 podcast episodes on Hacking Chinese, but how is this content created? And what do you think about it? Link to article: Hacking Ch...

124 - Learn Chinese efficiently, not quickly

19 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Learning Chinese efficiently is a better goal for most people than learning Chinese quickly. Link to article: Learn Chinese efficiently, not quickly: ...

123 - Learning to process spoken Mandarin quickly and effortlessly: Beyond tīng bu dǒng, part 4

12 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Our ability to consciously process spoken Mandarin is limited; the only way forward is to listen so much that processing becomes automated. Link to ar...

122 - Learning Chinese words, characters and components

06 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Vocabulary is the foundation of all other language skills. But how should you learn Chinese words, characters and character components? Link to articl...

121 - Using what you already know to aid listening comprehension in Chinese: Beyond tīng bu dǒng, part 3

28 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Listening comprehension is not only about extracting information from the spoken Mandarin you hear, it's also about applying what you already know and...

120 - The simple trick I used to double the amount of Chinese I listen to

22 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Learning to understand spoken Chinese requires an awful lot of listening practice. In this episode, I’ll introduce and explain a simple trick that a...

119 - Standard pronunciation in Chinese and why you want it

14 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

What pronunciation should you learn if your local friends say one thing and your teacher something else? How should you navigate the space between sta...

118 - Tone errors in Mandarin that actually can cause misunderstandings

08 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Accidentally saying “chest hair” in Chinese when you actually mean “panda” is certainly amusing, but it rarely causes misunderstandings. Let’...

117 - How to study Chinese when you don’t feel like it

02 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The more you study the better, but what if you don't feel like studying at the moment? Instead of giving up, gear down and find ways of learning Chine...

116 - Are there any shortcuts for learning Chinese?

24 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Some say that there are no shortcuts for learning Chinese, others say that there are many shortcuts. So which one is it, are there any shortcuts for l...

115 - The 10 best free Chinese listening resources for beginner, intermediate and advanced learners

18 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Listening is the most important skill of all, because it accelerates all other learning and is crucial for social integration. What are the best free ...

114 - Learning the neutral tone in Mandarin

12 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The neutral tone in Mandarin Chinese can be tricky to learn. How is it pronounced? Is it a fifth tone? And how do you know when it should be used? Lin...

113 - Training your Chinese teacher, part 1: Introduction

04 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Finding a good Chinese teacher is not easy, but there are many things you can do to get more out of the time you spend with a teacher, and  in a ...

112 - From sound to meaning in Mandarin: Beyond tīng bu dǒng, part 2

26 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Listening comprehension is essential when learning Chinese, but if we want to improve, we need to move beyond tīng bu dǒng and identify what the pro...

111 - A guide to Chinese listening comprehension: Beyond tīng bu dǒng, part 1

20 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Listening comprehension is essential when learning Chinese, but if we want to improve, we need to move beyond tīng bu dǒng and identify what the pro...

110 - Kickstart your learning with the Skritter Character Course

13 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

What’s the best way to learn Chinese characters as a beginner? The Skritter character course is my  best attempt at answering that question. Li...

109 - Focusing on Mandarin tones without being distracted by Pinyin

06 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

When Chinese characters appear next to Pinyin, the familiar letters distract us from the characters. Wouldn’t it be nice if we could keep informatio...

108 - Take responsibility for your Chinese learning now

29 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

You should be responsible for your own learning, and if you outsource that to someone else, the results might be disastrous. This might sound obvious,...

107 - 50 beginner questions about learning Chinese

23 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Learning Chinese as a beginner can be confusing. Here are answers to 50 common questions asked by new learners! Link to article: 50 beginner questions...

106 - Learning to pronounce Mandarin with Pinyin, Zhuyin and IPA

16 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Which transcription system should you use when learning Mandarin: Pinyin, Zhuyin or perhaps IPA? Let’s discuss their pros and cons! Link to article ...

105 - 10 ways of using games to learn and teach Chinese

08 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Games are great for learning languages. Here are ten ways you can use games to learn or teach Chinese as a second language! Link to article: 10 ways o...

104 - Hacking Chinese Podcast two-year anniversary Q&A

02 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

How do you stop translating in your head? Is it worthwhile to study a Pinyin chart? And how do you learn traditional characters after learning simplif...

103 - How to learn Chinese characters as a beginner

26 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Whole books have been written about how the Chinese writing system works, and really understanding Chinese is a lifelong adventure, but what do you do...

102 - 7 ways to write Mandarin tones

21 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

There are many ways of writing down the tones of Mandarin beyond the standard tone marks. Which are they and what pros and cons do they have for learn...

101 - Chinese language question triage: When to ask whom about what

11 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

When learning Chinese, questions about the language pop up all the time, but what's the best way to answer them? Link to article: Chinese language que...

100 - The most common Chinese words, characters and components for language learners and teachers

06 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

A good  principle for choosing what to learn is to focus on the most useful things first, but how do you know what's most useful? Frequency lists...