The Blog

Learn Mandarin Here
Free Email Course

Tag: chunking chinese

  • How I Actually Learn Mandarin: Your Questions Answered

    How do I actually learn Mandarin? You’ve been asking, so this post answers your questions directly. Flashcards have been a huge part of my journey, so most of the questions are about them, but we’ll also cover listening, speaking, native-speed reductions and how long it all took.

    By the way, feel free to watch the video version here

    Cloze deletion or English-to-Mandarin flashcards?

    Both work very well, and I used both. They just have different strengths.

    • Cloze deletion blanks out part of a Mandarin sentence and you fill the gap.
    • English-to-Mandarin shows you an English sentence and you recall the whole Mandarin sentence.

    Cloze deletion: great for thinking in Mandarin

    Because the whole card is in Mandarin, cloze cards train you not to translate into English. They also sharpen your sense of context: where a word naturally goes in a sentence.

    The downside is that you start recognising the shape of the card. After enough reviews, you see where the gap is and the answer pops out automatically. You haven’t really done the work.

    The fix is what I call sentence transformation: take the original sentence and make new versions by swapping parts in and out. It’s harder at lower levels, but it beats the recognition problem.

    English-to-Mandarin: great for building sentences

    The obvious worry here is translation. But translation only causes two real problems for learners:

    1. Translating while listening. If you have to convert everything to English to understand it, you’ll fall behind. The cure is listening so much that you simply don’t have time to translate, and consciously telling yourself to just understand and enjoy it.
    2. Translating word for word when speaking. Learners who don’t know how a Mandarin sentence is built go English word, Mandarin word, English word, Mandarin word.

    That second one breaks what I call the conversation rule: in a real conversation you don’t have time to translate, because the conversation will have moved on before your sentence is ready.

    The way around both is to learn in chunks. With chunks, you aren’t translating word by word; you’re slotting ready-made pieces together.

    The big advantage of English-to-Mandarin cards is that you build whole sentences rather than filling gaps. That mimics what you actually do in conversation. It’s why, when I built my fluency trainer, I moved to whole English-to-Mandarin sentences: for many learners, it can work better (as long as you don’t translate word-for-word). That said, try a mix of both in Anki and see what works for you.

    How to make good cloze deletions

    Should you hide the whole chunk? Most of the time, yes. If that chunk is what you’re trying to learn, hide all of it.

    Should you add English? It depends on how clear the gap is:

    • If the context makes the missing piece obvious, keep the card entirely in Mandarin.
    • If you’re hiding a whole chunk, you’ll usually need English to make it specific. That’s fine.

    A big weakness of cloze cards is that without English they can be so vague that almost anything fits the gap. At that point you’re guessing, not learning.

    There’s also a middle option: split the chunk into two cloze deletions, one per part. Then you can usually work it out from context without any English.

    Should you make several cards for each chunk?

    My view here has changed over time. To use a chunk flexibly in conversation, you need to see it in several contexts. So I’d add two or three cards for important chunks, especially with English-to-Mandarin cards (multiple cloze cards for one chunk tend to look the same anyway).

    Balance that against how fast your vocabulary is growing. Go big on the chunks that really matter, not on everything.

    A feature I’m excited about in my Fluency Trainer is this: attach several very similar sentences to one chunk, each with small changes, and show a random one at each review. You see a new context every time, so you internalise the chunk instead of memorising a sentence.

    That’s the real skill behind speaking confidently. It isn’t reciting memorised sentences like a script; it’s building sentences on the spot to say what you mean.

    20,000+ flashcards: don’t the reviews run away?

    Not if the cards are good. When I was adding 10 to 15 new cards a day and getting over 90% right with long-term retention, I had around 100 reviews a day. If you’re quick, that’s 15 to 20 minutes.

    The catch: go back and delete or fix the cards you keep failing. Most of the time, forgetting something isn’t about your memory. It’s a poorly designed card.

    Do I still use Anki?

    Yes, every day, because all my reviews live there. But I now put new material into my fluency trainer instead. Abandoning Anki for new cards was a tough call after using it for so long. The main reason is that I can speak into the trainer, and I simply prefer it.

    I actually think flashcards matter more as you advance:

    • Beginner: somewhat less important.
    • Intermediate: very important.
    • Advanced: still very important, because new words and chunks are rarer and more technical. You may not hear them again for a long time, so a flashcard is your snapshot of it.

    So even at a high level, keep treating new material as seriously as you did early on.

    Should you delete old cards?

    Yes and no. Mature cards end up with review intervals of years, so they barely cost you anything. I can’t be bothered to delete them, so I leave them. Badly designed cards, though, I delete or fix straight away.

    Can I buy your Anki decks?

    I get this question constantly, and the answer is no. I don’t sell them or even give them away, because flashcards should be personal.

    Beyond the core chunks everyone needs to build sentences, your vocabulary depends on your job, family, where you live and your background. What you talk about will be different from what I talk about. My cards make sense to me, but they’d be a rocky road for anyone trying to go from beginner to fluent with them. Personalised cards will serve you far better.

    This is why, although I think my Fluency Trainer curriculum works very well, I encourage my students to add their own sentences they come across into the system to personalise their learning.

    Do Mandarin subtitles hurt your listening?

    In Mandarin they’re unavoidable: almost every video comes with subtitles. The key is not becoming over-reliant on them, and the easiest way is to listen to lots of podcasts, which have none.

    Mix subtitled video with plenty of podcasts and real conversations and you’ll be fine. Subtitles are even a plus, because they make looking up new words and sentence mining much easier.

    Imitation and self-talk (自言自语)

    Listening and repeating is one of the best things you can do. I did a lot of shadowing and sentence-by-sentence imitation, because pronunciation, and especially rhythm, is a big issue for non-native speakers.

    You don’t need a native accent. You do need a solid one that anyone can understand clearly and easily. Five to ten minutes a day repeating native speakers will get you there.

    Self-talk is something I’m a big believer in. Most of us listen, read and study characters a lot, but don’t speak nearly enough. Speaking is a skill that needs training, and talking to yourself lets you practice anywhere, any time.

    The risk is that you might be making mistakes. Don’t worry too much, as long as they don’t get in the way of communicating and you get corrections when you need them. To lower the risk, stick to things you’re confident about.

    For example, when I was studying medicine at university, I’d sit in my room between study sessions naming objects in Mandarin until I hit one I couldn’t name. It grew my vocabulary and my confidence speaking out loud.

    How do you get things out of Anki and into conversation?

    A lot of learners find words get stuck in their flashcards. Anki gets something into your head so you can say it. Using it repeatedly is what makes it stick for life:

    • in real conversations, ideally
    • out loud, on your own
    • in your own practice sentences
    • in practice with AI
    • through sentence transformation (see above)

    At its simplest: make a list of the things you struggle to say, and make your own sentences with them until they come out naturally in conversation.

    Why can’t I keep up with native-speed speech?

    One Mandarin learner commented on a YouTube video of mine saying they know all the official tongue positions but get lost in the reductions native speakers use. Are they hearing it wrong?

    Mostly, it’s just speed. Native speech feels impossibly fast at first, but once you’ve heard enough of it, it almost starts to sound slow.

    There are some real reductions, though, especially in northern China. In fast speech, sh and zh initials often soften into something close to an r sound. For example: [add example word or phrase]. This is probably the most common reduction that trips learners up.

    The solution is lots and lots of listening. You’ll gradually start to notice these and pick them up.

    Why Mandarin sentences can feel ambiguous

    Another learner asked how to use context quickly to follow what someone is saying. I think the real issue is that Mandarin can be quite vague. Unlike English, it often drops the subject, and a sentence can carry more than one meaning.

    Here’s an example I came across while designing some learning materials: 你应该早点来找我. Depending on context, it can mean either:

    • Past: “Why didn’t you come and find me earlier?” (you should have)
    • Future: “You should come and find me early.”

    This comes up a lot in Mandarin. To handle it:

    • get plenty of exposure and have lots of conversations
    • be aware that this ambiguity exists
    • practice at the sentence level so you really understand how Mandarin sentences are built

    It’s one of the harder, often-overlooked nuances of the language, and it simply takes practice.

    Podcast recommendations for HSK 4–5

    First, some news: I’m going back to making Mandarin podcasts myself, aiming for one a week with my girlfriend and other guests. Expect stories about my life, some crazy things that have happened, Mandarin learning and culture.

    Beyond that, my two top picks:

    • Tea Time Chinese – slightly easier, and one I recommend a lot.
    • 大叔中文 Dashu Mandarin – slightly harder. I’ve been on their channel many times and it’s one of my favourites. Nearly every learner I speak to loves it.

    How long did it take me?

    I’ve been learning Mandarin consistently for nearly seven years, and I’ve almost never missed a day. After about two years I was pretty happy with my level.

    The five years since have mostly gone into expanding my vocabulary, especially the technical side: language for my PhD, medicine and similar topics.

    Got more questions?

    I’d love to do more relaxed Q&As like this, talking through the problems you’re having with Mandarin. If anything here raised a follow-up, or I misread your question, drop it in the comments either here or over on my YouTube channel, and I’ll answer it next time.

  • The 5 Most Common Chinese Pronunciation Mistakes (From 1,000+ Student Recordings)

    I listened to over 1,000 recordings from my Chunking Chinese students, and the same handful of Chinese pronunciation mistakes came up again and again.

    These weren’t beginner-only problems. Plenty of intermediate learners, with good vocabulary and solid grammar, were still tripping over the same sounds and tones. The good news? Once you know what to listen for, every one of these is fixable.

    Here are the five most common Chinese pronunciation mistakes I heard, with real example phrases so you can check whether you’re making them too:

    1. Mixing up u and ü
    2. Forgetting the tone change on 一 (yī)
    3. Forgetting the tone change on 不 (bù)
    4. Confusing j and zh
    5. Confusing x and sh

    Mistake 1: Mixing up u and ü

    The single most common Chinese pronunciation mistake I heard was confusing u and ü (often typed as v). And it goes both ways.

    PhrasePinyinWhat I often heard
    路上小心点儿lù shang xiǎoxīn diǎnr路 said as lǜ (like 率)
    考虑kǎolǜ虑 said as lù (like 路)

    路 lù (road) and 率 lǜ (rate, as in 效率) are completely different syllables. So are 虑 lǜ and 路 lù. Swap them and your listener has to guess what you meant.

    How to fix it:

    • u is made with rounded lips pushed forward and the tongue pulled back, closer to the “u” in “pull” than to British “food”, but held longer with tightly rounded lips.
    • ü is made with the tongue forward, as if saying “ee”, then rounding your lips without moving your tongue.
    • Try this: say “eeee”, keep your tongue still, and slowly round your lips. That’s ü.

    Watch out for the spelling trap. After j, q, x and y, ü is written as plain u (句 jù, 去 qù, 需 xū, 鱼 yú). It’s still ü. Only after l and n do you see the two dots: 绿 lǜ, 女 nǚ.

    Mistake 2: Forgetting the 一 (yī) tone change

    Most students learn 一 as yī (first tone) and then say it that way everywhere. But in real speech, 一 changes tone depending on the syllable that follows it. This is called tone sandhi.

    The rule:

    • Before a 4th tone → 一 becomes 2nd tone (yí)
    • Before a 1st, 2nd or 3rd tone → 一 becomes 4th tone (yì)
    • On its own, when counting, in numbers or as an ordinal (第一) → it stays yī
    PhraseNext syllableSay it as
    一天tiān (1st)yì tiān
    一年nián (2nd)yì nián
    一起qǐ (3rd)yìqǐ
    一下xià (4th)yíxià
    差一步bù (4th)chà yí bù

    Pay special attention to 一下 yíxià. Because it’s so common (等一下, 看一下, 注意一下), getting it right makes you sound more natural instantly.

    Tip: Textbooks often print 一 as yī no matter what. Don’t trust the written tone mark; look at the next syllable, this way you won’t fall into the trap of making this common chinese pronunciation mistake.

    Mistake 3: Forgetting the 不 (bù) tone change

    不 follows a similar pattern, and it’s even simpler:

    • Before a 4th tone → 不 becomes 2nd tone (bú)
    • Everywhere else → it stays 4th tone (bù)
    PhraseNext syllableSay it as
    不是这样的shì (4th)bú shì zhèyàng de
    不要yào (4th)búyào
    不喜欢xǐ (3rd)bù xǐhuan

    Why does this happen? Two falling 4th tones back to back are awkward to say quickly, so Mandarin softens the first one into a rising tone. Native speakers do it without thinking.

    If you say bù shì instead of bú shì, people will still understand you, but it’s one of the clearest signs that someone learned Chinese from a textbook rather than by listening.

    Mistake 4: Confusing j and zh

    To English ears, j and zh both sound a bit like the English “j” in “jump”. To Chinese ears, they’re clearly different, and mixing them up changes the word.

    PhrasePinyinWatch for
    这句话zhè jù huàzh in 这, then j in 句
    你住在哪儿nǐ zhù zài nǎr住 is zh, not j
    注意一下zhùyì yíxià注 is zh, not j
    具体jùtǐ具 is j, not zh

    How to fix it:

    • j is a flat-tongue sound. Rest the tip of your tongue behind your lower front teeth and press the middle of your tongue up against the roof of your mouth. Lips slightly spread.
    • zh is a curled-tongue (retroflex) sound. Lift the tip of your tongue and curl it back slightly, just behind the ridge above your upper teeth.

    Notice the link with Chinese Pronunciation Mistake 1: 句 jù and 具 jù are really jü, while 住 zhù and 注 zhù use a plain u. So if you get j vs zh right, the vowel usually falls into place too. The pair 这句话 (zhè jù huà) is a great drill because it puts both sounds side by side.

    Mistake 5: Confusing x and sh

    This is the same problem as j vs zh, just with a hissing sound instead. x and sh both sound like the English “sh” to beginners, but they’re made in different parts of the mouth.

    PhrasePinyinWatch for
    学生xuéshengx first, then sh
    先生xiānshengx first, then sh
    小时xiǎoshíx first, then sh
    休息xiūxiboth are x
    时候shíhoush, not x

    How to fix it:

    • x uses the same flat-tongue position as j: tongue tip down behind your lower teeth, lips spread, as if smiling. It sounds lighter and higher.
    • sh uses the same curled-tongue position as zh: tongue tip lifted back behind the upper gum ridge. It sounds deeper and darker.

    Shortcut: j, q and x are a family (flat tongue). zh, ch and sh are a family (curled tongue). Fix one sound in each family and the others usually follow.

    Words like 学生 and 先生 are perfect practice because you have to switch from x to sh mid-word.

    How to check your own pronunciation

    You can’t fix a mistake you can’t hear. This is the routine I recommend to my students:

    1. Record yourself saying every example phrase in this post.
    2. Listen back the next day, with fresh ears, and compare to a native speaker recording.
    3. Pick one mistake to focus on for a week. Trying to fix everything at once rarely works.
    4. Practise in chunks, not single words. Tone changes like 一下 and 不是 only show up in real phrases.

    Frequently asked questions

    What is the most common Chinese pronunciation mistake? From over 1,000 student recordings, the most common was mixing up u and ü, for example saying 路 (lù) like 率 (lǜ), or 考虑 (kǎolǜ) with a plain u.

    When does 一 change to yí? Before a 4th-tone syllable, such as 一下 (yíxià) and 一样 (yíyàng). Before 1st, 2nd and 3rd tones it becomes yì.

    When does 不 change to bú? Only before a 4th tone, such as 不是 (búshì) and 不要 (búyào). Otherwise it stays bù.

    What’s the difference between j and zh in Chinese? j is made with the tongue tip down behind the lower teeth. zh is made with the tongue tip curled up behind the upper gum ridge.

    How do I tell x and sh apart? x uses a flat tongue and spread lips and sounds lighter. sh uses a curled-back tongue and sounds deeper.

    The Chunking Chinese Fluency Trainer

    These five Chinese pronunciation mistakes were found when I listened to student recordings from our Chunking Chinese Fluency Trainer. If you want to improve your pronunciation to speak Mandarin more clearly and train yourself to speak in ‘chunks’ to speak Mandarin more naturally and confidently in conversation, I highly recommend checking it out.

  • How to Improve Mandarin Listening: A Complete Roadmap to Understanding Native Speakers

    If you’ve ever wondered how to improve Mandarin listening, you’re not alone.

    Recently, a student emailed me asking to share a bit more about my method of how to improve Mandarin listening. They were interested as to why I could understand everything the hosts on 大叔中文 asked me whilst being interviewed on their channel, whilst they personally struggled when it came to understanding native Mandarin content.

    How to improve Mandarin Listening?
    How to Improve Mandarin Listening?

    This is one of the most common frustrations in Mandarin learning.

    You can:

    • Hold basic conversations
    • Pass vocabulary tests
    • Finish your Anki reviews

    But when you turn on a native TV show like 家有儿女 – suddenly you understand… almost nothing.

    So in this guide, I’ll give you a complete, practical roadmap on how to improve Mandarin listening, step by step.

    Step 1: How to Improve Mandarin Listening by Identifying Your Bottlenecks

    Before fixing anything, we need to diagnose the problem.

    Businesses analyse weak points before scaling. Athletes identify weak muscle groups before building a training plan.

    If you want to truly work out exactly how to improve Mandarin listening, you must first identify your listening bottleneck.

    There are five major ones:

    Accent

    Standard Mandarin (普通话) is one thing.

    But real-life Mandarin? That’s another story.

    For example, 家有儿女 features a strong Beijing accent. If you’ve only trained your ear on slow, standard textbook audio, regional accents can feel overwhelming.

    Speed

    Native speakers talk fast.

    Even if you “know” the vocabulary, your brain may not process it quickly enough.

    Vocabulary

    If your vocabulary size isn’t large enough, comprehension breaks down immediately.

    This one is straightforward:
    No words = no understanding.

    Sentence Structure

    Do you understand how Mandarin sentences are built?

    Native speakers rely heavily on:

    • Common chunks
    • Set phrases
    • Repeated sentence patterns

    If you only learn isolated words, you’ll struggle to process full sentences at natural speed.

    Conversational Listening Block

    This is sneaky.

    You understand podcasts alone…

    But freeze in real conversations.

    That’s pressure-based listening failure, and it’s very common.

    In fact when I first moved to Manchester to go to University and started having conversations in real life, face-to-face, as opposed to over video call, I was shocked to find my listening comprehension dropped dramatically. This is because I wasn’t used to being under ‘face-to-face’ pressure when listening to Mandarin.

    Now ask yourself:
    What is actually stopping you? What are your ‘listening bottlenecks’?

    If you want to know for you personally how to improve Mandarin listening, clarity comes before action.

    Step 2: How to Improve Mandarin Listening with Targeted Solutions

    Once you identify your bottleneck, you need a specific solution.

    Just like a doctor prescribes treatment based on diagnosis, your listening practice must match your weakness.

    Here’s how.

    If Accent Is Your Bottleneck

    To improve Mandarin listening across accents:

    • Listen to speakers from different regions
    • Rotate podcasts and YouTube channels
    • Watch content featuring northern and southern accents

    If you only train with one “clean” accent, your comprehension will collapse in real-world situations.

    If Speed Is Your Bottleneck

    Two powerful tools:

    1. Line-by-Line Imitation

    Pause. Replay. Imitate. Repeat.

    This forces your brain to process Mandarin at higher speeds.

    2. Gradual Native Exposure

    Shift your input ratio:

    • Start with 70% learner content
    • Slowly move toward 70% native content

    Progressive overload works in listening just like in the gym.

    If Vocabulary Is Your Bottleneck

    You must:

    • Make flashcards for high-frequency words
    • Focus on useful vocabulary
    • Learn words in context

    Vocabulary is foundational when learning how to improve Mandarin listening.

    If Sentence Structure Is Your Bottleneck

    Stop learning single words.

    Start learning in chunks.

    For example:
    Instead of memorising 就, learn full patterns like:

    • 早就…了
    • 就算…也…
    • 一…就…

    When you can use these patterns, you will automatically understand them when you hear them.

    If you want to learn Mandarin in Chunks, check this out.

    If You Have Conversational Listening Block

    You need pressure training.

    That means:

    • Regular conversations
    • Language exchange partners
    • A tutor

    Listening alone is different from listening under pressure.

    If listening under pressure causes your listening to crumble, then, the answer to ‘how to improve Mandarin listening‘ is really simple. You must simulate real conversations.

    Step 3: How to Improve Mandarin Listening by Reducing Friction

    Here’s why most learners fail:

    Not because they don’t know what to do.

    But because they don’t remove friction.

    Friction is invisible resistance. I wrote a detailed post about what friction is and how to reduce it as much as possible in your Mandarin learning. You can check it out here.

    For example:

    • Gym far away – you skip workouts
    • Rainy weather – you stay inside

    Listening has friction too.

    So how do we reduce it?

    Reduce Listening Friction

    • Download podcasts in advance
    • Use autoplay
    • Prepare a “Watch Later” playlist
    • Queue content before bed

    Make listening automatic.

    When your ears are free – Mandarin should be playing.

    Reduce Flashcard Friction

    If flashcards take 2 hours to create, you won’t keep doing them.

    Automate where possible.
    Keep cards simple.
    Avoid overcomplicating your workflow.

    Consistency beats intensity when it comes to how to improve Mandarin listening.

    Step 4: You’re Probably Not Listening Enough

    This might be uncomfortable.

    But it’s true.

    Many learners think:
    “10 minutes a day is fine.”

    It isn’t, if your goal is fast progress.

    When a student once asked me for the bare minimum to maintain rapid improvement, I told them:

    • 1 hour of listening per day
    • Complete Anki reviews

    For most learners, I recommend:

    • At least 30 minutes of listening daily
    • Plus flashcard reviews

    And here’s the key:

    Listening doesn’t mean sitting at a desk.

    It includes:

    • Walking the dog
    • Commuting
    • Working out
    • Cooking

    If your ears are free, you can train them.

    Learning how to improve Mandarin listening is less about intensity and more about volume over time.

    So try and list out all the times you could be listening and aren’t, then reduce the friction as much as possible.

    And I guarantee that if you actually do these steps, in a few months time your listening will have improved dramatically.

    Why Listening Takes So Long to Improve

    Listening feels slow to improve because:

    • It requires massive exposure
    • It depends on vocabulary depth
    • It depends on chunk recognition
    • It requires processing speed

    There’s no shortcut.

    But there is a roadmap.

    Final Thoughts on How to Improve Mandarin Listening

    If you want real progress:

    1. Identify your bottleneck
    2. Apply targeted solutions
    3. Reduce friction
    4. Increase daily listening volume

    Most importantly:

    Be honest about how much you’re actually listening.

    If you consistently get:

    • 30–60 minutes daily
    • Active chunk learning
    • Conversational exposure

    Your listening ability will skyrocket.

    Mastering how to improve Mandarin listening isn’t mysterious.

    It’s systematic.

    And once you identify what’s holding you back, progress becomes inevitable.

    In fact, everything in Mandarin learning can be and should be systematic. If you want me to help you implement my system to improve Mandarin listening and speaking, click here.

  • How to Collect High-Quality Mandarin Chunks (Without Overwhelming Yourself)

    In the last post, we looked at why the lexical approach works so well for spoken Mandarin and the four main types of Mandarin chunks native speakers rely on.

    But there’s a question that always comes next:

    “Okay… but where do I actually get these chunks from?”

    And just as importantly:

    “How do I know which chunks are worth learning?”

    Because not all chunks are created equal.

    In this post, I want to show you how to collect high-quality Mandarin chunks from real input, without drowning in notes, flashcards, or resources.

    The Real Goal: Mandarin Chunks You Can Actually Use

    Before we talk about where to collect Mandarin chunks, we need to clarify the goal.

    You are not collecting Mandarin chunks to:

    • understand grammar better
    • sound impressive on paper
    • memorise lists

    You are collecting Mandarin chunks to:

    • speak more smoothly
    • think less while talking
    • sound natural in real conversations

    That one filter alone will save you a huge amount of time.

    Where High-Quality Mandarin Chunks Come From

    The best chunks don’t come from textbooks.

    They come from how Mandarin is actually used.

    Here are the most reliable sources.

    1. Real Conversations (The Gold Standard)

    If you only choose one source, make it this.

    Pay attention to:

    • phrases people repeat
    • reactions that appear again and again
    • sentence starters natives use without thinking

    Examples you might hear constantly:

    • 原来如此
    • 说实话
    • 对我来说
    • 难怪你这么说

    If multiple native speakers say the same thing in similar situations, that’s a chunk worth keeping.

    2. Podcasts and YouTube (Especially Casual Speech)

    Scripted news Mandarin is fine, but spoken fluency lives in casual content.

    When listening, don’t ask:

    “Do I understand every word?”

    Ask instead:

    “What keeps showing up?”

    That’s where the chunks are.

    3. TV Shows (But Only If You’re Selective)

    TV can be very useful, if you focus on:

    • everyday situations
    • realistic dialogue
    • modern settings

    You’re not watching for entertainment alone.
    You’re watching for reusable language.

    How to Spot a “Good” Chunk

    Here’s a simple test.

    A chunk is high-quality if it meets at least two of these conditions:

    1. You hear it often
    2. It works in many situations
    3. You could imagine yourself using it
    4. It would be hard to translate word-for-word
    5. It feels “complete” when spoken

    For example:

    • 在我看来……
    • 把……当成……
    • 说白了……

    These aren’t just sentences.
    They’re tools.

    What Not to Collect (This Matters)

    One of the biggest mistakes learners make is collecting:

    • rare vocabulary
    • overly specific sentences
    • impressive but unnatural phrases

    If you’ve never heard a chunk used naturally, don’t prioritise it.

    Fluency comes from high-frequency usefulness, not novelty.

    How Many Chunks Should You Learn?

    Less than you think.

    A small number of well-chosen chunks will:

    • outperform hundreds of isolated words
    • reduce hesitation
    • improve accuracy automatically

    Focus on:

    • A few chunks a day
    • using them repeatedly
    • seeing and encountering them in different contexts

    Depth beats quantity every time, especially when learning Mandarin with the Chunking Chinese Method as an intermediate learner.

    How to Practice Chunks So They Stick

    Here’s a simple, sustainable approach:

    1. Notice the chunk
    2. Write down one natural example
    3. Say it out loud
    4. Change one element
    5. Use it again later

    For example:

    对我来说，这个不太重要
    对我来说，现在最重要的是时间

    You’re not memorising, you’re training patterns. I call this practice sentence transformations and this is exactly the kind of practice I teach my students to do in Chunking Chinese.

    Why This Feels Easier Over Time

    At first, chunk learning feels slow.

    Then something clicks.

    You stop asking:

    “How do I say this?”

    And start thinking:

    “Which chunk fits here?”

    That’s when Mandarin stops feeling like a 1000 piece puzzle without the picture and starts feeling like a system you can actually use. In fact, those are the exact words of one of my students.

    Final Thought

    Spoken Mandarin isn’t built word-by-word.

    It’s built chunk by chunk.

    If you collect the right chunks and with enough base vocabulary to swap in and out of them, practice them lightly but consistently, and hear them often enough, fluency becomes a by-product, not a struggle.

    And that’s exactly how native-like Mandarin is really learned.

  • The 5 Types of Mandarin Chunks That Will Transform Your Speaking Skills

    If you’ve ever felt like you know a lot of Mandarin but still struggle to speak smoothly, this article is for you.

    The problem usually isn’t vocabulary size.
    It’s that most learners are learning the wrong units.

    Mandarin isn’t spoken in single words.
    It’s spoken in chunks.

    Once you understand the different types of Mandarin chunks, speaking becomes faster, more natural, and far less stressful, because the grammar is already built in for you.

    Let’s break this down.

    Why the Lexical Approach Works So Well for Mandarin

    The lexical approach is based on one key idea:

    Fluency comes from retrieving chunks, not assembling sentences word by word.

    This works especially well in Mandarin because:

    • word order carries most of the meaning
    • many structures repeat constantly
    • native speech relies on set patterns, not rules

    When you learn chunks:

    • grammar becomes automatic
    • sentence structure stops being a conscious decision
    • speaking feels calmer and more confident

    You’re not “building” Mandarin anymore from scratch anymore, you’re instead just using the prefabricated building blocks that native speakers have provided us with .

    The 4 Main Types of Mandarin Chunks

    Through teaching and working with learners, I’ve found that most useful types of Mandarin chunks fall into four broad categories.

    Please bear in mind these are practical categories as opposed to clearly defined academic or pedagogical categories.

    Let’s go through each one of these types of mandarin chunks with clear, practical examples.

    Types of Mandarin Chunks – Sentence Patterns（句型）

    Sentence patterns are fixed structures where:

    • the logic is built into the pattern
    • you change content, not structure

    Common examples:

    既然……那就……
    Since … then …

    不但……而且……
    Not only … but also …

    一……就……
    As soon as … then …

    Example sentences:

    • 既然你已经决定了，那就试试看吧
    • 不但便宜，而且很好用
    • 我一到家就给你打电话

    Why this works:

    • cause, contrast, or sequence is already encoded
    • word order is fixed
    • the sentence sounds complete and natural

    These patterns let you produce hundreds of sentences from one chunk.

    This is the power of learning in chunks, you spend some time learning a simple pattern but the gain is huge. Once you’ve internalised these you can use them to express thousands of ideas.

    If you want to check out my free PDF that explains 30 Mandarin sentence patterns that are really important for intermediate learners to learn then click here

    Types of Mandarin Chunks – Sentence Templates（句子模板）

    Sentence templates are more specific than patterns and often express:

    • time
    • experience
    • emotional states

    Common examples:

    我已经很久都没有……了
    最近我一直在……
    让我最头疼的是……

    Example sentences:

    • 我已经很久都没有用中文聊天了
    • 最近我一直在准备考试
    • 让我最头疼的是发音

    Templates are powerful because:

    • tense and aspect are handled for you
    • emphasis is natural
    • they reflect how native speakers actually talk

    You’re not guessing, you’re reusing a proven structure that natives use and just swapping out a tiny part to change the idea being conveyed.

    Types of Mandarin Chunks – Sentence Starters（句子开头）

    Sentence starters help you:

    • begin speaking smoothly
    • reduce hesitation
    • guide the direction of the sentence

    Common examples:

    我很好奇……
    说实话……
    老实说……
    对我来说……

    Example sentences:

    • 我很好奇你是怎么学中文的
    • 说实话，这个有点难
    • 对我来说，这个方法很实用

    These chunks are especially helpful if you:

    • freeze when starting a sentence
    • overthink word order
    • feel anxious when speaking

    They give your brain a clear entry point. I often find that a lot of learners struggle to start speaking because they can’t start the sentence, but once you’ve learnt these kinds of sentence starters you not only buy yourself some more thinking time, you also start the sentence off strong giving yourself more confidence.

    If you want to get your hands on some useful Mandarin sentence starters carefully selected for intermediate learners click here.

    Types of Mandarin Chunks – Short Phrases & Fixed Expressions（固定短语）

    These are high-frequency expressions that:

    • carry emotion
    • sound extremely natural
    • rarely translate directly

    Common examples:

    原来是这样呀
    怪不得……
    难怪……
    说来话长

    Example usage:

    • 原来是这样呀，我明白了
    • 怪不得他这么忙
    • 说来话长，以后再跟你说

    These phrases:

    • make your Mandarin feel alive
    • help you react naturally
    • instantly raise your “native-ness”

    They’re small, but incredibly powerful.

    Why These Types of Mandarin Chunks Make Grammar Automatic

    Here’s the key idea:

    Learning chunks help you use native-like Mandarin grammar naturally and intuitively without having to memorise an entire textbook full of rules

    Instead of:

    • choosing word order
    • worrying about particles
    • translating in your head

    You retrieve:

    • something you’ve already used
    • something that already worked
    • something that already sounds right

    This is why chunk-based learners:

    • speak faster
    • hesitate less
    • make fewer structural/grammar mistakes

    How to Start Using These Chunks Effectively

    To apply this in real life:

    1. Collect chunks from listening and reading
    2. Learn them as full sentences
    3. Use them in speaking or writing
    4. Get feedback
    5. Reinforce them with spaced repetition

    This is how passive Mandarin becomes spoken Mandarin.

    Final Thought

    If you want to sound natural in Mandarin, stop asking:

    “What’s the rule here?”

    Start asking:

    “What chunk would a native speaker use?”

    Once you train your brain to think in chunks, Mandarin stops feeling complicated, and starts feeling usable.

    Knowing these chunk types is the first step. Using them when you speak is the hard part, so we built the Chunking Chinese Fluency Trainer to help you with exactly that. Check it out here

  • How To Use the Lexical Approach to Master Spoken Mandarin

    If you’ve been learning Mandarin for a while but still struggle to speak smoothly and naturally, the problem probably isn’t your grammar or vocabulary

    It’s how you’re learning words.

    Most learners treat Mandarin like a puzzle made of individual vocabulary items and grammar rules. Then, when it’s time to speak, they try to assemble everything in real time, and freeze.

    The lexical approach solves this problem.

    In this article, I’ll show you:

    • what the lexical approach actually is (without academic jargon)
    • why it works especially well for Mandarin
    • how to apply it step by step to improve your spoken Chinese

    What Is the Lexical Approach? (In Plain English)

    The lexical approach is based on one simple idea:

    We don’t speak using single words, we speak using pre-fabricated chunks.

    Native speakers store and use:

    • set phrases
    • sentence starters
    • common patterns
    • collocations

    Not isolated words plus grammar rules.

    Think of Mandarin like Lego:

    • traditional learning = individual bricks
    • lexical approach = pre-built larger blocks

    When you learn chunks, you’re no longer building sentences from scratch. You’re slotting pieces together and just swapping words in and out of a set template.

    That’s why speech becomes faster, more fluent, and less stressful.

    Why the Lexical Approach Works So Well for Mandarin

    Mandarin is perfect for chunk-based learning because:

    • word order matters more than inflection
    • many structures repeat constantly
    • native speech relies heavily on fixed patterns

    You can check out examples of chunks in my free PDFs here

    These aren’t “grammar points” in real life.
    They’re ready-made tools.

    Learners who ignore this end up with:

    • huge passive vocabulary
    • strong listening skills
    • very weak speaking ability

    This is what I often call “silent Chinese.”

    Passive Vocabulary vs Active Vocabulary

    One of the biggest misunderstandings in language learning is assuming that:

    “If I understand it, I can use it.”

    That’s not true.

    • Passive vocabulary = words you recognize
    • Active vocabulary = words you can use automatically

    The lexical approach and my whole Chunking Chinese Method is about systematically converting passive knowledge into active speech.

    And that only happens through use, not exposure alone.

    Step 1: Collect Chunks From Real Input

    Your chunks should come from:

    • things you listen to
    • things you read
    • real conversations

    Not word lists.

    While listening or reading, ask:

    • “Would I actually say this?”
    • “Does this feel useful in real conversation?”

    Good chunks are usually:

    • short
    • flexible
    • high-frequency

    You can check out some examples of useful chunks in my free PDFs

    These are far more powerful than just learning single nouns or adjectives.

    Step 2: Learn Chunks in Context (Not Isolation)

    Never learn a chunk or new vocabulary item alone.

    Always attach it to:

    • a full sentence
    • a situation
    • a meaning you understand

    Context is king in language learning.

    Your brain remembers meaning + usage + situational context, not explanations.

    This is also why I’m not a fan of heavy grammar study, most nuance is picked up through repeated exposure and use. Although a little explanation can often help to initially understand the chunk, like I do in my chunking videos.

    Step 3: Use Anki to Reinforce Chunks (Properly)

    Spaced repetition is extremely powerful if you use it correctly.

    For lexical learning, your cards should:

    • focus on full sentences
    • highlight the chunk
    • encourage recall, not recognition

    The goal isn’t to “know the chunk.”

    The goal is:

    When you want to express an idea, the chunk comes out automatically.

    That’s a huge difference.

    Step 4: Output Early (Yes, Even If You’re Not Ready)

    This is where many learners hesitate.

    They wait until:

    • pronunciation is perfect
    • grammar feels solid
    • confidence magically appears

    That moment never comes.

    Speaking early does two things:

    1. It exposes gaps in your knowledge
    2. It forces chunks into active use

    I’ve found that chunks I use shortly after learning:

    • stick faster
    • feel more natural
    • are almost impossible to forget

    Step 5: Use Feedback to Lock Chunks In

    Making mistakes isn’t the problem. In fact they are great opportunities to learn.

    Repeating mistakes over and over again without realising is.

    When you speak:

    • ask for feedback
    • check if your chunk sounds natural
    • ask how a native speaker would say it

    Then, and this is crucial, turn that feedback into:

    • a corrected sentence
    • a new chunk
    • a new Anki card

    This creates a feedback loop:
    input ? output ? feedback ? refinement

    Over time, your Mandarin becomes:

    • more native-like
    • more accurate
    • more fluent

    Why This Approach Reduces Speaking Anxiety

    When you speak using chunks:

    • you’re not inventing sentences on the spot
    • you’re not mentally checking grammar rules
    • you’re not translating word by word

    You’re simply retrieving patterns you’ve already used before.

    That’s why fluency feels calm, not forced.

    Final Thoughts

    If you want to master spoken Mandarin, stop asking:

    “How many words do I know?”

    Start asking:

    “How many chunks can I actually use? How many words can swap in and out of set templates to express thousands of ideas naturally?”

    The lexical approach:

    • simplifies Mandarin
    • speeds up speaking
    • turns understanding into real communication

    And most importantly, it makes speaking feel manageable.

    If you want a clear system for applying this approach step by step (including how to design chunk-based Anki cards and practice them effectively), that’s exactly what I break down in my Chunking Chinese programme as well as helping you learn hundreds of chunks in the context of native-written diary entries.

    You can learn more about Chunking Chinese here.

    But even if you start with just one thing:
    – learn fewer words, learn better chunks.

    That alone will change how your Mandarin feels when you speak.

  • Is Chinese the Hardest Language to Learn?

    You have probably heard this sentence many times:

    “Chinese is the hardest language to learn.”

    But is Chinese the hardest language to learn, especially for English speakers? Or is this belief exaggerated by myths, fear, and inefficient learning methods?

    In this article, we will honestly break down and answer the question: is Chinese the hardest language to learn, why so many people think so, and why Chinese may actually be easier than you expect when approached correctly.

    Why Do People Think Chinese Is the Hardest Language to Learn?

    Before we challenge the idea, we need to understand where it comes from. There are several real reasons why learners believe the answer to ‘Is Chinese the hardest language to learn’ is a strong and certain ‘yes’.

    Chinese Vocabulary Feels Completely Unfamiliar

    One major reason people say Chinese is the hardest language to learn is vocabulary.

    From a linguistic point of view, Chinese is very distant from English. English shares a large number of roots with Latin and Ancient Greek, which makes learning other European languages easier. English speakers can often guess words in Spanish, French, or Italian.

    Chinese offers no such advantage.

    If you show a Chinese sentence to an English speaker who has never studied Chinese, they will not recognize a single word. This lack of familiar vocabulary makes Chinese feel overwhelming in the early stages.

    Chinese Characters Make Learning Feel Impossible

    Another major reason Chinese is considered the hardest language to learn is the writing system.

    To read Chinese, learners must:

    • Memorize thousands of characters
    • Learn the pronunciation (pinyin) of each character
    • Recognize characters without an alphabet

    Although characters contain radicals, they do not reliably tell you how a word is pronounced. Unless you have seen a character before, it is very difficult to guess its pronunciation or tone.

    If you also decide to learn handwriting, the time investment increases even more. This is why many learners feel Chinese is the hardest language to learn when they first encounter characters.

    Cultural Differences Change How You Speak

    Many learners struggle with Chinese not because of grammar, but because of culture.

    Language reflects how people think.

    For example, when a Chinese speaker receives a compliment, they often respond modestly:

    “No, no, I still have a lot to learn.”

    However, English speakers are more likely to say:

    “Thank you! I really appreciate it.”

    Neither response is wrong, but only one sounds natural in Chinese. To sound fluent, learners must gradually learn to think in Chinese, which adds to the belief that Chinese is the hardest language to learn.

    Tones Are Extremely Difficult for Beginners

    Tones are often cited as proof that Chinese is the hardest language to learn.

    Most English speakers have never used tones to distinguish meaning. As a result, learners struggle to:

    • Hear tone differences
    • Produce tones accurately
    • Understand how critical tones are

    But with a bit of practice they don’t have to be as hard as you might think. I’ve helped hundreds of intermediate learners fix their pronunciation with my Chunking Chinese system.

    Is Chinese Really the Hardest Language to Learn?

    Despite these challenges, the idea that Chinese is the hardest language to learn is only half true.

    Chinese has several features that actually make it simpler than many European languages.

    Chinese Pronunciation Is More Systematic Than You Think

    While tones are difficult, the rest of the pronunciation system is quite logical.

    Chinese uses a limited set of initials and finals. Many of these sounds are similar to English sounds, which makes them easier for English speakers to master.

    Once learners focus on the sounds that do not exist in English, progress becomes much faster. With consistent listening and shadowing practice, pronunciation improves steadily.

    This is an important reason why Chinese is not necessarily the hardest language to learn.

    Chinese Grammar Is Surprisingly Simple

    One of the strongest arguments against the idea that Chinese is the hardest language to learn is grammar.

    Chinese grammar has:

    • No verb conjugations
    • No tenses
    • No grammatical gender
    • No plural forms

    Instead of complex grammar rules, Chinese relies heavily on fixed sentence patterns and common collocations. Once you learn a small number of sentence structures, you can reuse them to express hundreds of meanings.

    This makes Chinese extremely suitable for learning through chunks and patterns rather than grammar memorization.

    Chinese Learners Receive Strong Social Support

    Another overlooked factor is motivation.

    Chinese speakers are often very encouraging toward foreigners learning their language. Positive feedback builds confidence, and confidence leads to speaking.

    Speaking more leads to faster improvement, which helps learners push through the stages where Chinese feels like the hardest language to learn.

    Is Chinese The Hardest Language To Learn or Just Time-Consuming?

    Is Chinese the hardest language to learn for an English native speaker?

    Here is the most honest answer:

    Chinese is not impossible, it is time-intensive.

    No language is too hard to learn. Some languages simply require:

    • More repetition
    • More exposure
    • More long-term consistency

    Chinese takes longer to reach a high level, but that does not mean the answer to is Chinese the hardest language to learn is a definite ‘yes’.

    Final Thoughts: Is Chinese the Hardest Language to Learn?

    So, is Chinese the hardest language to learn?

    It is challenging, yes. But it is also logical, structured, and learnable with the right approach.

    If you focus on:

    • Sentence patterns
    • Chunk-based learning
    • Listening and reading daily

    Chinese becomes far less intimidating.

    Difficulty does not mean impossibility. With patience and the right strategy, you can learn Chinese, and enjoy the process along the way.

    I’d really like to help you with this.

    If you want to learn Chinese efficiently through chunking, patterns, and real input, I would recommend checking out Chunking Chinese.

    At Chunking Chinese we help intermediate Mandarin learners across the world speak naturally and confidently in just 100 days…

    and I want you to be one of them.

  • The Most Underrated Tip for How to Get Fluent in Mandarin Chinese

    If you have ever wondered how to get fluent in Mandarin Chinese faster and with less frustration, there is one underrated concept almost no one talks about. It is not a memorization trick, a new app, or a study schedule. It is something far more powerful and far more reliable.

    Every successful Mandarin learner shares one thing. They willingly put in hundreds, sometimes thousands of hours listening, reading, speaking, and immersing themselves in the language. They become absorbed by it. They want more, not because they force themselves, but because they enjoy it.

    The question is simple. How do you reach that point where Mandarin becomes something you genuinely love learning every day?

    It sounds really simple bit if you can answer that question you’re well on your way to really learning how to get fluent in Mandarin Chinese.

    Here are four practical steps you can start using today.

    Follow Your Interests in Mandarin

    Mandarin becomes far easier when you learn from content that excites you. Many learners make the mistake of forcing themselves through boring textbooks or exercises simply because they think they should.

    But Mandarin is a language filled with amazing content at every level. You can learn through:

    • Chinese dramas and web series
    • vloggers on Bilibili
    • cooking channels
    • gaming streams
    • Chinese TikTok (Douyin)
    • graded readers designed for learners
    • podcasts and casual conversation videos

    When I began learning Mandarin, I didn’t touch a textbook. I built my vocabulary almost entirely through content I was genuinely interested in. It made the process effortless and fun.

    This approach helps you stay consistent, and consistency is the real secret to how to get fluent in Mandarin Chinese.

    Build Positive Mandarin Experiences

    A lot of learners only experience correction, drilling, and pressure. That kills motivation quickly.

    What helped me the most was spending hours and hours with Chinese friends and speaking Mandarin in social settings. We joked, ate together, travelled, and talked for hours. These experiences made Mandarin feel warm, positive, and meaningful.

    Ask yourself:

    • Where can I speak Mandarin and enjoy it?
    • What Chinese communities can I join?
    • Who can I talk to that makes the language feel exciting?

    Feedback is important, but positivity is essential. The more you enjoy using Mandarin, the more you’ll want to return to it each day.

    Give Mandarin Real Meaning in Your Life

    Mandarin is not an easy language. If it has no personal meaning to you, it will feel harder than it needs to be.

    Think about what makes Mandarin meaningful for you. It could be:

    • connecting with a Mandarin speaking partner or family
    • understanding Chinese culture on a deeper level
    • reading a Chinese novel or comic in its original form
    • wanting to communicate during travel around China
    • building friendships in Chinese speaking communities

    Meaning doesn’t always exist at the start. For me, meaning came from friendships I developed and the cultural experiences I had. The more Mandarin became part of my life, the easier it was to stay committed.

    Meaning creates passion, and passion leads to fluency.

    Celebrate the Little Wins in Mandarin

    Progress in Mandarin never moves in a straight line. One day you’ll understand everything. The next day, it will feel like you’re back at zero. This happens to everyone. So understanding this idea is so key if want to know how to get fluent in Mandarin Chinese.

    That is why celebrating small wins is so important.

    A little win can be:

    • understanding a phrase instantly in a Chinese TV show
    • using a new sentence pattern smoothly
    • reading a graded reader faster than last week
    • remembering a character without reviewing it
    • finishing a conversation without switching to English

    These moments matter. They show you that you are progressing. Over months, these small wins add up and transform your confidence.

    Final Thoughts

    If you want to know how to get fluent in Mandarin Chinese, remember this. Fluency doesn’t come from the perfect textbook or the perfect app. Although these can certainly be helpful along the way. It comes from becoming genuinely absorbed in the language.

    Follow your interests. Build positive experiences. Give the language meaning. Celebrate the small victories.

    If you do these things, Mandarin will no longer feel like something you have to learn. It will become something you want to learn every single day.

    So their you have it, we’ve covered some really unorthodox, very much overlooked advice about how to get fluent in Mandarin Chinese.

    By the way, if you want more guidance that actually moves you forward in Mandarin, I created something special for you.


    My free seven day email course walks you through the exact methods I used to get fluent, and you’ll receive two powerful sentence pattern and sentence starter PDFs that you can start using immediately so you stop freezing up in conversations.


    Click here and start making real progress in Mandarin today

Wait! Before You Go...

Join thousands of learners mastering Mandarin with our proven methods. Get free tips and resources delivered straight to your inbox!