Hacking Chinese Podcast

99 - How to become fluent in Chinese

28 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Being fluent in Chinese is more about being good at applying what you know, rather than knowing everything. Many students focus too much on learning n...

98 - How to learn from your mistakes and errors when learning Chinese

21 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Making mistakes is a natural part of learning Chinese, but how can you make sure you learn as much as possible from the mistakes you make? The answer ...

97 - Do you have to learn to write Chinese characters by hand?

13 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Chinese characters are beautiful, but they take a long time to learn, especially if you want to be able to write them by hand. But do you actually nee...

96 - Which words you should learn and where to find them

06 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

When learning a language, it's important to know many words, but it's also important that you learn the right words. How do you know which words to le...

95 - Why you should use more than one Chinese textbook

30 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

A textbook can only provide a sliver of the content and activities you need to learn Chinese, but rather than throwing your textbook away, try using s...

94 - Analyse and balance your Chinese learning with Paul Nation's four strands

24 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

When learning Chinese, it’s hard to make sure you’re doing the right things. Paul Nation’s four strands allow you analyse and balance your learn...

93 - On accuracy, communication and comprehensibility when learning Chinese

16 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

As if learning basic tones wasn't enough, tones in Mandarin also influence each other and change depending on context. Some of these tone change rules...

92 - Obligatory and optional tone change rules in Mandarin

09 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

As if learning basic tones wasn't enough, tones in Mandarin also influence each other and change depending on context. Some of these tone change rules...

91 - How to find more time to practise Chinese listening

03 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Listening is probably the most important skill when learning Chinese, and the more you practise, the better. In order to listen as much as you should,...

90 - Are authentic texts good for learning Chinese or is graded content better?

27 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Authentic texts not written specifically for second language learners are rich, varied, interesting and engaging, but they can also be terribly diffic...

89 - What to read to improve your Chinese and why

20 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Reading in Chinese has many benefits, but why you read should also inform your choice of what to read. Link to article: What to read to improve your C...

88 - How to learn Chinese pronunciation as a beginner

11 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Tones in Chinese can be hard to master, but did you know that most of what you need is contained in just twenty words? Link to article: How to learn C...

87 - Focusing on tone pairs to improve your Mandarin pronunciation

04 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Tones in Chinese can be hard to master, but did you know that most of what you need is contained in just twenty words? Link to article: Focusing on to...

86 - Time quality: Studying the right thing at the right time

28 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Many students think that learning a language is limited to going to class, working your way through difficult texts or having conversations with nativ...

85 - 500 resources for learning and teaching Chinese, tagged by level, topic and type

21 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Finding the right resources for learning and teaching Chinese can be tricky considering how much there is on offer. How do you find resources suitable...

84 - How to start learning Chinese again after a break

14 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Are you picking up Chinese again after a break, and struggle to find the words and characters? Does spoken Mandarin sound vaguely familiar but incompr...

83 - Is it necessary to learn the stroke order of Chinese characters?

07 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Stroke order can feel difficult and pointless for beginners, but if you want to be able to write Chinese characters, it's important to get it right fr...

82 - How to survive and thrive in a difficult Chinese course

28 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

How do you survive a Chinese course that's too hard for you, regardless if you ended up there on purpose or because of circumstances? What are the key...

81 - The benefits of using 语文/國文 textbooks to learn Chinese

21 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Most foreigners learning Chinese rely on textbooks written specifically for foreigners, but what about textbooks written for native speakers, can’t ...

80 - Is taking a Chinese course that's too hard good for your learning?

14 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Chinese has a reputation for being hard to learn and it can be even harder if you take a course that is above your level. But why would you do that? W...

79 - How to improve your Chinese handwriting

08 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Learning to write Chinese characters takes a lot of time and might not be strictly necessary, but if you want to improve your handwriting, how should ...

78b - 文字冒险游戏及其在对外汉语教学中的应用

31 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Text adventure games are awesome for learning Chinese, but how do they work and how can you get the most out of them? Link to article in Chinese: 文字...

78a - Text adventure games and how to use them in the Chinese language classroom

31 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Text adventure games are awesome for learning Chinese, but how do they work and how can you get the most out of them? Link to article in English: Text...

77 - Best of Hacking Chinese 2021

26 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

2021 was an eventful year on Hacking Chinese, but which were the best articles and podcast episodes? Let’s summarise the year that was and highlight...

76 - A guide to Pinyin traps and pitfalls: Learning Mandarin pronunciation

17 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

When learning to pronounce Mandarin, you need to learn both the sounds and how they are written, usually with Pinyin. Did you know that many student e...

75 - Two reasons why pronunciation matters more than you think

11 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Pronunciation is usually limited to the first few weeks of a Chinese course, which is a pity, because clear pronunciation is important, whether or not...

74 - My best advice on how to learn Chinese characters

03 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Learning to read and write Chinese is a complex task with many layers, and there’s a risk of not seeing the forest for the trees, so let’s zoom ou...

73 - How to improve fluency in Chinese by playing word games

29 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

What if I told you that there is a game that helps you speak Chinese more fluently, is great for improving communicative ability and works well regard...

72 - The building blocks of Chinese, part 6: Learning and remembering compound words

21 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

How many characters do you need to know to be able to read Chinese? The truth is that characters only provide a foundation, so regardless of how many ...

71 - The building blocks of Chinese, part 5: Making sense of Chinese words

15 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

How many characters do you need to know to be able to read Chinese? The truth is that characters only provide a foundation, so regardless of how many ...

70 - Why spaced repetition software is uniquely well suited to learning Chinese characters

07 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

While spaced repetition software can be very useful, it also has some serious drawbacks. Fortunately, most of them don't apply to learning to write Ch...

69 - Should you learn the names of the strokes in Chinese characters?

29 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The best way to learn to read in Chinese is to read texts you can understand without constantly using a dictionary. As a beginner, such texts aren't e...

68 - The 7 best Chinese reading resources for beginners

22 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The best way to learn to read in Chinese is to read texts you can understand without constantly using a dictionary. As a beginner, such texts aren't e...

67 - 6 challenges students face when learning to read Chinese and how to overcome them

15 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

When learning to read Chinese you will encounter several challenges, some of them unique to Chinese. What are these challenges, what do they mean for ...

66 - Should you enrol in a Chinese course or are you better off learning on your own?

08 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Some people think enrolling in a course is the best way to learn Chinese, but others say that courses are useless, and swear by the effectiveness of s...

65 - Learning to read handwritten Chinese

01 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Everybody struggles with writing Chinese characters by hand, even if handwriting can often be avoided in a modern, digital society. But what about rea...

64 - Why your Chinese isn't as good as you think it ought to be

25 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Sooner or later, most students realise that their Chinese isn't as good as they think it ought to be. Why is that and what can you do about it? Link t...

63 - The building blocks of Chinese, part 4: Learning and remembering compound characters

19 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The key to learning Chinese compound characters is to learn the building blocks and how they fit together, including both the function of each compone...

62 - The building blocks of Chinese, part 3: Compound characters

11 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

A vast majority of Chinese characters are compounds, and understanding how the components fit together and which function they have, will make learnin...

61 - The beginner's guide to Chinese translation

06 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

People who have't spent a lot of time with different languages sometimes think that learning a new language is mostly about relabelling the world with...

60 - Using voice messaging as a stepping stone to Chinese conversations

27 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Being able to have a conversation is a goal for most students of Chinese, be it with loved ones, for professional purposes or for travel, but what if ...

59 - Can you use your phone's speech recognition to practise Chinese pronunciation?

21 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Speech recognition has improved immensely in recent years and talking to one's phone has become more common. Some apps also rely on this technology to...

58 - A smart method to discover problems with Mandarin sounds and tones

14 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

It's often hard to assess one's own pronunciation when learning Mandarin. People around you might understand what you are saying, but that doesn't nec...

57 - 7 ideas for smooth and effortless Chinese listening practice

06 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Understanding spoken Chinese can be hard, but the solution is simple: listen more. That is not always easy to do, though, because it's hard to both fi...

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

30 Aug 2021

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...

55 - Basic characters, components and radicals: The building blocks of Chinese, part 2

23 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Most Chinese characters are compounds consisting of two or more components, but some components are in themselves compounds that can be further broken...

54 - Chinese characters and words in a nutshell: The building blocks of Chinese, part 1

16 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Learning to read and write Chinese is a daunting task, but the challenge becomes more manageable if you focus on learning the building blocks, learnin...

53 - Boosting your Chinese character learning with Skritter

09 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Skritter is a modern tool for learning ancient characters. It combines active recall and spaced repetition with Chinese-specific tools and content. Wh...

52 - Hacking Chinese Podcast one-year anniversary Q&A

02 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

How do you study Chinese when you're busy with other things? How do you cope with a Chinese course that is too hard for you? And are translated texts ...

51 - Chinese language logging, part 3: Tools and resources for keeping track of your learning

27 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Logging you language  learning can be very useful, and there are many tools and resources out there to help you, but which are the best and how d...

50 - Chinese language learning in the twenty-first century: Towards a digital ecosystem? Interview with Julien Leyre

19 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Digital resources have made learning Chinese considerably easier than it used to be, but another problem has appeared: How can we make sense of and na...

49 - The benefits of using Wikipedia to look up words when learning Chinese

12 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Wikipedia is an encyclopedia, not a dictionary, but did you know that it can be better than a dictionary for looking up words when learning Chinese? L...

48 - How to get past the intermediate Chinese learning plateau

05 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

When you start learning Chinese, your ability to communicate increases with every word you learn, but as your level improves, this feeling goes away a...

47 - The new HSK 3.0: What you need to know

28 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

On July 1st, 2021, a new Chinese proficiency standard took effect. This will have big consequences for the HSK, the most widely used proficiency test ...

46 - Learning to understand regionally accented Mandarin

21 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

As soon as you leave the classroom, you will notice that people don't speak Chinese the way your teacher and textbook do. Why is that, and what can yo...

45 - The importance of tones is inversely proportional to the predictability of what you say

14 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Tones in Mandarin carry roughly as much information as vowels do, but still some people insist that tones are not very important, or even that native ...

44 - Lost in transcription: Saylaw, Ice Island and Aristotle

07 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Do you know the world's best footballer, Saylaw? What about Yàlǐshìduōdé? You probably do know them , even though you might not realise it. Link:...

43 - How important is reading speed on tests like HSK and TOCFL?

01 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Many students who take Chinese proficiency exams say that they understand the text, but can't read fast enough. Is that a valid complaint? And how fas...

42 - Chinese language logging, part 2: A healthy, balanced diet of Mandarin

24 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

How do you balance your learning to make sure you get a healthy diet of Mandarin? Logging how much you listen, speak, read and write is easy, but are ...

41 - Chinese language logging, part 1: Why and how to track your progress

19 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

How much time are you investing into learning Chinese? Most people don't actually know the answer to this question! Why is it a good idea to log your ...

40 - It's time to level up your Chinese pronunciation

12 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Clear pronunciation makes communicating in Chinese much easier; the time to level up your pronunciation is now Link to announcement: It's time to leve...

39 - How to look up Chinese characters you don’t know

03 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

There are many ways of looking up Chinese characters you don't know, but which is the best for students? Link: How to look up Chinese characters you d...

38 - What's the difference between Chinese pronunciation and Pinyin? Does it matter?

27 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

It's not uncommon for both students and teachers to treat Chinese pronunciation and Pinyin as the same thing, but they are not, and thinking that they...

37 - Learning the second tone in Mandarin Chinese

20 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

There are many different kinds of input methods available for Chinese, such as typing, handwriting, and speech to text, but which is the best for lang...

36 - Chinese input methods: A guide for second language learners

14 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

There are many different kinds of input methods available for Chinese, such as typing, handwriting, and speech to text, but which is the best for lang...

35 - Why is listening in Chinese so hard?

08 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Many students say that listening is the hardest part of learning Chinese, not speaking, reading or writing. Why is that? Could it be that listening in...

34 - Does using colour to represent Mandarin tones make them easier to learn?

30 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Many websites, apps and other resources for learning Chinese use colours to highlight tones, but does using colours really make tones  easier to ...

33 - The best free Chinese reading resources for beginner, intermediate and advanced learners

22 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Reading is the best way to expand vocabulary and learn about new things, but how should you approach reading in Chinese? And what are the best free re...

32 - 6 things in Chinese that are harder to learn than they seem

18 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Have you ever tried to do something in Chinese you thought would be fairly easy, only to find out it was much harder than you thought? Well, you're no...

31 - Hacking Chinese Challenges - Building language skills through daily practice and friendly competition

08 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Have you ever felt that you lack focus, that you don't spend enough time studying, and that it would be cool to cooperate with others to learn more Ch...

30 - Learning science in Chinese with 李永乐老师

01 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Have you ever wanted to listen in on great Chinese teachers when they talk about science, technology and related topics? Now, you can!  Original ...

29 - 5 levels of understanding Chinese characters: Superficial forms to deep structure

24 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Understanding is necessary for efficient learning, but when it comes to Chinese characters, is more understanding always better? Original article: 5 l...

28 - 20 tips and tricks to improve your Chinese writing ability

16 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

For most people, writing in Chinese is synonymous with writing characters, but there is in fact a lot more to it than that Original article: 20 tips a...

27 - 7 things you were taught in Chinese class that are actually wrong

11 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Have you ever been taught something that later turns out not to be true? Here are 7 things commonly taught in Chinese class, that are actually wrong. ...

26 - Learning the third tone in Mandarin Chinese

02 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The third tone in Mandarin causes problems for many learners. Are you sure you are pronouncing it correctly? Original article: Learning the third tone...

25 - Welcome to the Hacking Chinese Pronunciation Course

31 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Pronunciation is one of the most overlooked areas of learning Chinese. Here's my attempt to fix that problem! In this week's episode, I share the firs...

24 - The most serious mistake students make when learning Mandarin pronunciation

19 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Learning to pronounce Mandarin is not easy, but many students make it a lot harder than it needs to be. Original article: The most serious mistake stu...

23 - Best of Hacking Chinese 2020

13 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

I published 47 articles on Hacking Chinese in 2020. Here is a summary of the most popular ones, as well as my own favourites. Original article: Best o...

22 - Can too much guidance make you learn less Chinese?

06 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Guidance can make learning Chinese easier, but if used incorrectly, it can actually make you learn less. Original article: Can too much guidance make ...

21 - How to not fail with your New Year resolution to learn Chinese

31 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

A new year, a new beginning, the perfect time to commit to levelling up your Chinese and achieve greatness! Or is it? Original article: How to not fai...

20 - 7 things Chinese students should during the winter vacation

22 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Around this time of year most institutions take a break from teaching Chinese, but that doesn't mean that you should stop learning. Original article: ...

19 - Nine answers to questions about Pinyin and Chinese pronunciation

16 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Learning to pronounce Mandarin can be tricky, and if you misunderstand the link between spoken sounds and Pinyin spelling, it gets a lot worse. Origin...

18 - The forking path: A human approach to learning Chinese

08 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Setting long-terms goals is easy, but sticking to them over months and years is much harder. Why is that, and are there any alternatives? Original art...

17 - How good is your Chinese?

01 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

I think most of us evaluate our own language proficiency all the time, but is such intuitive self-assessment useful? And are there any good alternativ...

16 - An introduction to extensive reading for Chinese learners

23 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

We've all heard that reading is great for language learning, but what if I told you that most Chinese learners are actually going about it the wrong w...

15 - Celebrating ten years of Hacking Chinese

17 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

10 years. 472 articles. 650,000 words. It's hard to believe, but I've been writing articles on Hacking Chinese for more than a decade now! Original ar...

14 - Why you should listen to the Hacking Chinese podcast

11 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

I prefer listening over reading in many cases, which is partly why I created the Hacking Chinese Podcast. But why should you listen to it? Will it imp...

13 - Dealing with Chinese characters you keep mixing up

03 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

When we first start learning Chinese, each new character is hard to learn, but as we learn more, it gets easier. But a new problem soon appears: Mixin...

12 - When spaced repetition fails, and what to do about it

28 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The goal of spaced repetition software is to schedule reviews efficiently, delaying as long as possible, but not so long that you forget. But when it ...

11 - Why learning Chinese pronunciation by using English words is a really bad idea

20 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Learning Mandarin pronunciation is not easy, so some people use English words to approximate Chinese pronunciation. This is a really bad idea. Origina...

10 - Chinese is fascinating and exciting, not weird and stupid

13 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

When learning a foreign language, some things might appear weird or even stupid. But does a negative attitude towards Chinese make it harder to learn?...

09 - Are mnemonics too slow for Chinese learners?

06 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Mnemonics are clever memory devices designed to make it easier to remember things, but considering that they take time both to create and retrieve, ar...

08 - How to get honest feedback to boost your Chinese speaking and writing

29 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Feedback is important for learning, because it can show you how to not use the language and highlight things you hadn't noticed before. But gettin...

07 - Diversify how you study Chinese to learn more

22 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

How is it possible to spend 80 hours a week learning Chinese? And what can you learn from that, even if you find it hard to find any time to study wha...

06 - Learning Chinese words: When quantity beats quality

15 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Everybody knows that having a large vocabulary is important, but how important is it for Chinese learners? And how should you go about learning more c...

05 - The key to unlocking your first semester of Chinese

08 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

When you first start learning Chinese, everything is new. There is so much to learn, so many questions. What are the most common challenges beginners ...

04 - Why not going to China now could actually be good for your Chinese

01 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Most people agree that immersing yourself in the language is the best way to learn, but what if I told you that delaying your trip might actually be g...

03 - How to not teach Chinese characters to beginners: A 12-step approach

25 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

I started learning Chinese well over a decade ago, and I have encountered many great teachers. But I have also seen truly terrible teaching, especiall...

02 - What important words are missing from HSK?

18 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

HSK is one of the most widely used proficiency tests for Chinese, and many students strive to learn the vocabulary associated with each level. But wha...

01 - Should you learn to speak Chinese before you learn Chinese characters?

11 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Should you learn Chinese characters from the start, or focus on speaking first? There are good arguments for both approaches, but one makes more sense...