Hacking Chinese Podcast

Spoken Mandarin can feel like an onslaught of similar sounds, half-recognised tones and unknown words. To add insult to injury, it's often too fast! Should you slow it down? If so, how? #learnchinese #listening #speed #rateofspeech #fast #slow Link to article on Hacking Chinese: Chinese listening, fast and slow: Three ways of slowing down Mandarin speech: https://www.hackingchinese.com/chinese...

2025 has come to an end. Which were the most popular articles on Hacking Chinese last year? The most popular podcast episodes? It's time to summarise the year that was and highlight the things you really shouldn’t miss! #learnchinese #2025 #bestof #hackingchinese Link to article on Hacking Chinese: Best of Hacking Chinese 2025: https://www.hackingchinese.com/best-of-hacking-chinese-2025/ All a...

How is it possible to spend 80 hours a week learning Chinese? And what can you learn from that, even if you're busy juggling work, family and other commitments? #learnchinese #immersion #busylife Link to article on Hacking Chinese: Diversify how you study Chinese to learn more: https://www.hackingchinese.com/diversified-learning-is-smart-learning/ Learning Chinese in the shower with me: https:...

You can build vocabulary in Chinese with flashcard apps and spaced repetition, but reading is more effective and more enjoyable. It helps you recognise words, understand how they work in context and build your sense of how the language works. #learnchinese #reading #vocabulary #srs #flashcards #wordswing Link to article on Hacking Chinese: Reading is a lot like spaced repetition, only better: http...

How long does it take to learn a Chinese character or word? It varies, but some vocabulary just refuses to stick, no matter what you do. These are called leeches, and if you don't deal with them, they'll suck you dry. #learnchinese #leeches #vocabulary #flashcards #srs Link to article on Hacking Chinese: Chinese characters and words that refuse to stick: Killing leeches: https://www.hackin...

Everybody knows that knowing many words is important, but how important is it? And how should you expand your vocabulary in Chinese? #learnchinese #vocabulary #words #characters Link to article on Hacking Chinese: Learning Chinese words: When quantity beats quality: https://www.hackingchinese.com/the-importance-of-knowing-many-words/ Anki, the best of spaced repetition software: https://www.hackin...

Chinese characters are beautiful and fascinating, but learning to write them by hand is time-consuming. If you want to learn to write Chinese characters by hand with the least possible time investment, what's the best approach? #learnchinese #characters #hanzi #handwriting #strategy A minimum-effort approach to writing Chinese characters by hand: https://www.hackingchinese.com/a-minimum-effort...

Flashcards are powerful, but what if your deck feels more like an overgrown thicket than a carefully cultivated garden? Do you clear away the weeds and bring it back under control, or burn it all down and start afresh? #learnchinese #vocabulary #flashcards #srs #characters #words Link to the article on Hacking Chinese: Cultivate your Chinese flashcard garden... or burn it down and start afresh: ht...

Do you want to speak Mandarin fluently, no matter what your level is? Use the 4/3/2 technique to build confidence and flow! #learnchinese #fluency #fluent #432 #speaking #paulnation Link to the article on Hacking Chinese: How to talk about Chinese characters in Chinese: https://www.hackingchinese.com/talk-chinese-characters-chinese/ How to become fluent in Chinese: https://www.hackingchinese.com/h...

How do native speakers talk about Chinese characters? The writing system is not phonetic, so you can't spell out words, but it is still possible to talk about Chinese characters. Let's explore how! #learnchinese #characters #hanzi #spoken Link to the article on Hacking Chinese: How to talk about Chinese characters in Chinese: https://www.hackingchinese.com/talk-chinese-characters-chinese/...

Going abroad to learn Chinese in an immersion environment can be great, but unless you plan to stay for years, you might be better off delaying your trip. #learnchinese #immersion #travel #abroad #home Link to the article on Hacking Chinese: Why not going to China now could actually be good for your Chinese: https://www.hackingchinese.com/why-not-going-to-china-now-could-actually-be-good-for-your-...

How small can Chinese characters be while still being legible? How much information do they contain per unit area? And what can a big Rubik’s cube teach us about Chinese characters? #learnchinese #hanzi #characters #pixelfont #rubikscube Link to the article on Hacking Chinese: What a big Rubik’s Cube taught me about Chinese characters: https://www.hackingchinese.com/what-a-big-rubiks-cube-taught-m...

Slang and swearing often top the list of what people want to learn in a foreign language. But is this curiosity actually helpful for learners, or just a fun distraction? #learnchinese #slang #vocabulary #swearing Link to the article on Hacking Chinese: Learning (or not learning) Chinese slang: https://www.hackingchinese.com/learning-not-learning-chinese-slang/ 3 things I wish I had known as a begi...

Learning to write characters is an integral part of learning Chinese, but how do you practise writing them? Do you type? Write on paper? Or… on the canvas of your mind? #learnchinese #chinesecharacters #hanzi #writing #vocabulary #typing Link to the article on Hacking Chinese: 7 ways to learn to write Chinese characters: https://www.hackingchinese.com/7-ways-of-learning-to-write-chinese-characters...

I started learning Chinese well over a decade ago, and I have encountered many great teachers. But I have also seen truly terrible teaching, especially when it comes to Chinese characters. #learnchinese #characters #hanzi #teaching Link to the article on Hacking Chinese: https://www.hackingchinese.com/how-to-not-teach-chinese-characters-to-beginners-a-12-step-approach/ Note: This is an updated ver...

Chinese character components are usually placed in predictable ways, so if you remember the components, you can often write the character. But not always. Some characters share components but differ only in how they're arranged. #learnchinese #charcaters #hanzi #compounds #components #composition Link to the article on Hacking Chinese: Same building blocks, different characters: How component...

Believing the wrong things about learning Chinese can waste time and lead you astray. Let's explore 8 more myths that might be holding you back! #learnchinese #myths #hanzi #input #study Link to the article on Hacking Chinese: 16 myths about learning Chinese that are holding you back: https://www.hackingchinese.com/myths-about-learning-chinese-that-are-holding-you-back/ Learning Chinese throug...

Most Chinese learners want one thing above all: to speak better. Many turn to a teacher for guidance, but that is only the first step. True progress depends on how you work with that teacher. #learnchinese #tutor #teacher #speaking #lessons Link to the article on Hacking Chinese: How to improve your Mandarin speaking skills with a tutor: https://www.hackingchinese.com/how-to-improve-your-mandarin-...

HSK is the most widely used proficiency test for Chinese, and many learners aim to master the vocabulary at each level. Yet some of the most important words are missing from the HSK. #learnchinese #hsk #vocabulary Link to article on Hacking Chinese: https://www.hackingchinese.com/what-important-words-are-missing-from-hsk/ Note: This is a rerecorded version of episode 2 originally published in 2020...

Can you ask questions in Mandarin but struggle to understand the answers? Do you feel that you know the words, but people just speak too fast? And why do words in Chinese sound so similar? #learnchinese #listening #fluent #comprehension #course Link The Fluent Listener: Navigating Spoken Mandarin Like a Fish in Water: https://www.hackingchinese.com/courses/the-fluent-listener-navigating-mandarin-l...

Can you really learn Mandarin through listening and reading alone? What is comprehensible input, and how do you get enough of it? And how do speaking, writing, grammar, and flashcards fit in? #learnchinese #comprehensibleinput #ci #input #reading #listening Link to article on Hacking Chinese: Learning Chinese through comprehensible input: https://www.hackingchinese.com/learning-chinese-comprehensi...

The fastest way to learn to communicate in Chinese is to learn classroom expressions first. Master essential phrases that help you learn Mandarin without relying on English! #learnchinese #classroom #teaching #expressions #phrases #vocabulary Link to article on Hacking Chinese:  Classroom Mandarin: Essential expressions for learning Chinese in Chinese: https://www.hackingchinese.com/classroom-mand...

There are over 500 articles and more than 1 million words on Hacking Chinese. How are you supposed to absorb all that information and inspiration as a student? Let’s discuss how to get the most out of my website and podcast!  Back-to-school course discount, 2025: https://www.hackingchinese.com/back-to-school-hacking-chinese-course-discount/ Use the code “kai1xue2” before the end of August 20! Tags...

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 for most students. Please note: This is a rerecorded version of episode 1. That means that it's both episode 1 and episode 261. #learnchinese #mandarin #hanzi #spoken #written Link to article on Hacking Chinese: Should you learn to speak Chinese bef...

Does handwriting still have a place in modern Chinese learning? Let's explore 8 more popular arguments in favour of writing characters by hand to see if they hold up to scrutiny. #learnchinese #handwriting #hanzi #chinesecharacters Link to article on Hacking Chinese: 16 reasons to learn to write Chinese characters by hand: https://www.hackingchinese.com/reasons-to-learn-to-write-chinese-charac...