Learn Chinese — explained in your language
学汉语,一步步来
Free tools to learn Chinese — pinyin, tones, characters, vocabulary and grammar, explained in your own language.
- 12 Language
- 404 pinyin
- 150 Vocabulary
- 241 Characters
- 13 Grammar
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Daily reading
粒粒皆辛苦
lì lì jiē xīn kǔ
—— 李绅《悯农》
Chinese for English speakers
English has no tones, so tones will be your single biggest hurdle. The good news: word order is the same as English, and Chinese has no verb conjugation, no tenses, no plurals and no gender.
All tools
Learning path
A 30-day plan built only from what HanPath actually contains. Each day tells you exactly what to learn, and links straight to it.
SoundsPinyin
Pinyin is the romanisation of Chinese sounds. Pick an initial and a final, choose a tone, and hear it.
SoundsTones
Chinese has four tones plus a light neutral one. The same syllable with a different tone is a different word.
CharactersCharacters
Characters are built from radicals. Learn the building blocks and they stop looking like random drawings.
CharactersRadicals
A radical is the shared part of a family of characters. It usually hints at the meaning.
CharactersWriting
Writing by hand fixes characters in memory far better than tapping. Trace in the grid, then try from memory.
WordsVocabulary
150 core words and phrases with audio, grouped by topic. Tap any word to hear it.
WordsMeasure words
A measure word sits between a number and a noun. Chinese needs one for almost every noun — 一个人, 两本书.
WordsFlashcards
Spaced-repetition flashcards over the core vocabulary. Progress is saved in this browser only — no account, no server.
WordsQuiz
Quick multiple-choice quiz built from the core vocabulary. Pick the right meaning.
GrammarGrammar
Chinese grammar is simpler than you fear: no conjugation, no tense, no plural, no gender.
ReadingDaily reading
One short Chinese line every day. Read it aloud, listen to it, then look up the characters you do not know yet.
MoreFor you
What is easy and what is hard about Chinese depends on your first language. Here is your map.
MoreAbout
HanPath is a free, static, no-account site. Everything runs in your browser; your progress never leaves your device.
This browser has no speech synthesis, so the ▶ buttons stay silent. Everything else works — Chrome, Edge and Safari can read the sounds aloud.