Hacking Chinese Podcast

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...

You don’t need to be fluent to speak Mandarin with AI. These beginner-friendly chatbot activities offer low-pressure practice that builds confidence, comprehension, and conversation skills. #learnchinese #ai #chatbot #chatgpt #speaking #input Link to article on Hacking Chinese: Using AI chatbots for low-stress Mandarin speaking practice: https://www.hackingchinese.com/using-ai-chatbots-for-low-str...

A great tutor can accelerate your learning, but finding the right one isn’t easy. To get the best results, you need to be patient and try many options. Here is how! #learnchinese #tutor #teacher #online #offline Link to article on Hacking Chinese: How to find the perfect Mandarin tutor for you: A complete guide: https://www.hackingchinese.com/how-to-find-the-perfect-mandarin-tutor-for-you-a-comple...

How do you get good feedback on your Chinese writing using AI? What’s the best input method for students? And how do you find interesting topics to write about? #learnchinese #writing #ai #typing #topic Link to article on Hacking Chinese: Student Q&A: July, 2025: AI feedback, input methods and topics for writing: https://www.hackingchinese.com/student-qa-july-2025-ai-feedback-input-methods-and...

Does handwriting still have a place in modern Chinese learning? Let's explore 8 popular arguments in favour of writing characters by hand, each critically examined to see which ones truly stand up to scrutiny. #learnchinese #handwriting #hanzi #chinesecharacters Link to article on Hacking Chinese: 8 reasons to learn to write Chinese characters by hand: https://www.hackingchinese.com/reasons-to...

A great tutor can transform your Chinese learning, but how do you know if a tutor is good? Let's explore the key qualities that make a tutor truly effective! #learnchinese #tutor #teacher Link to article on Hacking Chinese: 7 characteristics of a great Chinese tutor or private teacher: https://www.hackingchinese.com/characteristics-of-a-great-chinese-tutor-or-private-teacher/ Take responsibili...

Having a tutor can be great for learning Chinese, but how much progress you make depends as much on you as on the tutor. Come prepared, stay engaged, and make the most of each session! #learnchinese #tutor #teacher #student Link to article on Hacking Chinese: How to get the most out of your Chinese tutoring sessions: https://www.hackingchinese.com/how-to-get-the-most-out-of-your-chinese-tutoring-s...

Believing the wrong things about learning Chinese can waste time and lead you astray. Let's explore eight myths that might be holding you back! #learnchinese #myths #hanzi #pronunciation #study Link to article on Hacking Chinese: 8 myths about learning Chinese that are holding you back: https://www.hackingchinese.com/myths-about-learning-chinese-that-are-holding-you-back/ 6 things in Chinese t...

Listening is essential when learning Mandarin, but not all listening situations are the same. By recognising different types of listening, you can improve your chances of successfully navigating spoken Mandarin. #learnchinese #listening #conversations #comprehension The best podcasts for learning Chinese: https://www.hackingchinese.com/the-best-podcasts-for-learning-chinese/ The best YouTube chann...

How do you get started with listening in Mandarin? What makes group conversations so challenging? And is it true that news broadcasts in Chinese are        harder than in other languages? #learnchinese #listening #beginner #news #conversations Chinese listening challenge, June 2025: https://www.hackingchinese.com/chinese-listening-challenge/ The Fluent Listener: Navigating Spoken Mandarin Like a F...

Is learning how to learn worth your time, or should you just engage directly with Chinese instead? The answer depends, but the longer your perspective, the more important it becomes to tweak your method! #learnchinese #how-to #progress #hackingchinese #efficiency Link to written article on Hacking Chinese: Will reading or listening to Hacking Chinese help you learn Mandarin? https://www.hackingchi...