Greetings and Core Pronouns
Essential Greetings
Greetings are the foundation of any language conversation. Start with these words to introduce yourself and respond appropriately in common situations.
- 你好 (nǐ hǎo) means "hello." Example: 你好，我叫李明。(Hello, I'm Li Ming.)
- 谢谢 (xièxie) means "thank you." Example: 谢谢你。(Thank you.)
- 不客气 (bú kèqi) means "you're welcome." Example: 不客气，应该的。(You're welcome.)
- 对不起 (duìbuqǐ) means "sorry." Example: 对不起，我迟到了。(Sorry, I'm late.)
- 没关系 (méi guānxi) means "it's okay." Example: 没关系，别担心。(It's okay, don't worry.)
- 再见 (zàijiàn) means "goodbye." Example: 再见，明天见。(Goodbye, see you tomorrow.)
Core Pronouns and Verbs
Pronouns replace nouns and appear constantly in conversation. The verb "to be" (是) and its negation (不) are equally essential.
- 我 (wǒ) means "I, me." Example: 我是美国人。(I'm American.)
- 你 (nǐ) means "you." Example: 你叫什么名字？(What's your name?)
- 他 (tā) means "he, him." Example: 他是我的朋友。(He's my friend.)
- 她 (tā) means "she, her." Example: 她是老师。(She's a teacher.)
- 我们 (wǒmen) means "we, us." Example: 我们是朋友。(We are friends.)
- 你们 (nǐmen) means "you (plural)." Example: 你们好。(Hello everyone.)
- 他们 (tāmen) means "they." Example: 他们在哪里？(Where are they?)
- 是 (shì) means "to be, yes." Example: 我是学生。(I am a student.)
- 不 (bù) means "no, not." Example: 我不喜欢咖啡。(I don't like coffee.)
- 什么 (shénme) means "what." Example: 这是什么？(What is this?)
| Term | Meaning | Pronunciation | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| 你好 | hello | nǐ hǎo /ni˨˩˦ xaʊ˨˩˦/ | 你好，我叫李明。(Hello, I'm Li Ming.) |
| 谢谢 | thank you | xièxie /ɕjɛ˥˩ ɕjɛ/ | 谢谢你。(Thank you.) |
| 不客气 | you're welcome | bú kèqi /pu˧˥ kʰɤ˥˩ tɕʰi/ | 不客气，应该的。(You're welcome.) |
| 对不起 | sorry | duìbuqǐ /tweɪ˥˩ pu tɕʰi˨˩˦/ | 对不起，我迟到了。(Sorry, I'm late.) |
| 没关系 | it's okay | méi guānxi /meɪ˧˥ kwan˥ ɕi/ | 没关系，别担心。(It's okay, don't worry.) |
| 再见 | goodbye | zàijiàn /tsaɪ˥˩ tɕjɛn˥˩/ | 再见，明天见。(Goodbye, see you tomorrow.) |
| 是 | to be, yes | shì /ʂɻ̩˥˩/ | 我是学生。(I am a student.) |
| 不 | no, not | bù /pu˥˩/ | 我不喜欢咖啡。(I don't like coffee.) |
| 我 | I, me | wǒ /wɔ˨˩˦/ | 我是美国人。(I'm American.) |
| 你 | you | nǐ /ni˨˩˦/ | 你叫什么名字？(What's your name?) |
| 他 | he, him | tā /tʰa˥/ | 他是我的朋友。(He's my friend.) |
| 她 | she, her | tā /tʰa˥/ | 她是老师。(She's a teacher.) |
| 我们 | we, us | wǒmen /wɔ˨˩˦ mən/ | 我们是朋友。(We are friends.) |
| 你们 | you (plural) | nǐmen /ni˨˩˦ mən/ | 你们好！(Hello everyone!) |
| 他们 | they | tāmen /tʰa˥ mən/ | 他们在哪里？(Where are they?) |
| 什么 | what | shénme /ʂən˧˥ mə/ | 这是什么？(What is this?) |
Essential Verbs and Actions
High-Frequency Action Verbs
Verbs drive sentences and let you express what you do or want. These ten verbs appear in nearly every basic conversation.
- 有 (yǒu) means "to have." Example: 我有一只猫。(I have a cat.)
- 没有 (méiyǒu) means "to not have." Example: 我没有钱。(I don't have money.)
- 去 (qù) means "to go." Example: 我去学校。(I'm going to school.)
- 来 (lái) means "to come." Example: 请过来。(Please come over.)
- 吃 (chī) means "to eat." Example: 我吃米饭。(I eat rice.)
- 喝 (hē) means "to drink." Example: 我喝水。(I drink water.)
- 看 (kàn) means "to look, to watch." Example: 我看电视。(I watch TV.)
- 听 (tīng) means "to listen." Example: 我听音乐。(I listen to music.)
- 说 (shuō) means "to speak." Example: 我说中文。(I speak Chinese.)
- 读 (dú) means "to read." Example: 我读书。(I'm reading a book.)
Expressing Desires and Emotions
These verbs let you describe what you want, feel, or think. They're crucial for moving beyond basic statements.
- 写 (xiě) means "to write." Example: 我写字。(I write characters.)
- 做 (zuò) means "to do, to make." Example: 你在做什么？(What are you doing?)
- 想 (xiǎng) means "to want, to think." Example: 我想去中国。(I want to go to China.)
- 喜欢 (xǐhuan) means "to like." Example: 我喜欢咖啡。(I like coffee.)
- 爱 (ài) means "to love." Example: 我爱你。(I love you.)
- 学习 (xuéxí) means "to study." Example: 我学习中文。(I study Chinese.)
| Term | Meaning | Pronunciation | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| 有 | to have | yǒu /joʊ˨˩˦/ | 我有一只猫。(I have a cat.) |
| 没有 | to not have | méiyǒu /meɪ˧˥ joʊ˨˩˦/ | 我没有钱。(I don't have money.) |
| 去 | to go | qù /tɕʰy˥˩/ | 我去学校。(I'm going to school.) |
| 来 | to come | lái /laɪ˧˥/ | 请过来。(Please come over.) |
| 吃 | to eat | chī /tʂʰɻ̩˥/ | 我吃米饭。(I eat rice.) |
| 喝 | to drink | hē /xɤ˥/ | 我喝水。(I drink water.) |
| 看 | to look, to watch | kàn /kʰan˥˩/ | 我看电视。(I watch TV.) |
| 听 | to listen | tīng /tʰiŋ˥/ | 我听音乐。(I listen to music.) |
| 说 | to speak | shuō /ʂwɔ˥/ | 我说中文。(I speak Chinese.) |
| 读 | to read | dú /tu˧˥/ | 我读书。(I'm reading a book.) |
| 写 | to write | xiě /ɕjɛ˨˩˦/ | 我写字。(I write characters.) |
| 做 | to do, to make | zuò /tswɔ˥˩/ | 你在做什么？(What are you doing?) |
| 想 | to want, to think | xiǎng /ɕjaŋ˨˩˦/ | 我想去中国。(I want to go to China.) |
| 喜欢 | to like | xǐhuan /ɕi˨˩˦ xwan/ | 我喜欢咖啡。(I like coffee.) |
| 爱 | to love | ài /aɪ˥˩/ | 我爱你。(I love you.) |
| 学习 | to study | xuéxí /ɕɥɛ˧˥ ɕi˧˥/ | 我学习中文。(I study Chinese.) |
Daily Nouns and Numbers
Everyday Nouns
Nouns name people, places, and things you encounter daily. These words appear in menus, directions, and introductions.
- 人 (rén) means "person." Example: 那个人是谁？(Who is that person?)
- 家 (jiā) means "home, family." Example: 我回家。(I'm going home.)
- 朋友 (péngyou) means "friend." Example: 他是我的好朋友。(He's my good friend.)
- 水 (shuǐ) means "water." Example: 一杯水。(A glass of water.)
- 茶 (chá) means "tea." Example: 我喜欢喝茶。(I like drinking tea.)
- 饭 (fàn) means "meal, rice." Example: 吃饭了吗？(Have you eaten?)
- 钱 (qián) means "money." Example: 多少钱？(How much money?)
- 学校 (xuéxiào) means "school." Example: 我的学校很大。(My school is big.)
- 老师 (lǎoshī) means "teacher." Example: 她是我的老师。(She's my teacher.)
Essential Numbers
Numbers let you tell time, count items, and discuss prices. Master 1 to 10 first, then build to larger numbers.
- 一 (yī) means "one." Example: 一杯咖啡。(One cup of coffee.)
- 二 (èr) means "two." Example: 二十岁。(Twenty years old.)
- 三 (sān) means "three." Example: 三个人。(Three people.)
- 四 (sì) means "four." Example: 四点钟。(Four o'clock.)
- 五 (wǔ) means "five." Example: 五个苹果。(Five apples.)
- 十 (shí) means "ten." Example: 十块钱。(Ten yuan.)
- 百 (bǎi) means "hundred." Example: 一百。(One hundred.)
| Term | Meaning | Pronunciation | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| 人 | person | rén /ʐən˧˥/ | 那个人是谁？(Who is that person?) |
| 家 | home, family | jiā /tɕja˥/ | 我回家。(I'm going home.) |
| 朋友 | friend | péngyou /pʰəŋ˧˥ joʊ/ | 他是我的好朋友。(He's my good friend.) |
| 水 | water | shuǐ /ʂweɪ˨˩˦/ | 一杯水。(A glass of water.) |
| 茶 | tea | chá /tʂʰa˧˥/ | 我喜欢喝茶。(I like drinking tea.) |
| 饭 | meal, rice | fàn /fan˥˩/ | 吃饭了吗？(Have you eaten?) |
| 钱 | money | qián /tɕʰjɛn˧˥/ | 多少钱？(How much money?) |
| 学校 | school | xuéxiào /ɕɥɛ˧˥ ɕjaʊ˥˩/ | 我的学校很大。(My school is big.) |
| 老师 | teacher | lǎoshī /laʊ˨˩˦ ʂɻ̩˥/ | 她是我的老师。(She's my teacher.) |
| 一 | one | yī /i˥/ | 一杯咖啡。(One cup of coffee.) |
| 二 | two | èr /ɚ˥˩/ | 二十岁。(Twenty years old.) |
| 三 | three | sān /san˥/ | 三个人。(Three people.) |
| 四 | four | sì /sɻ̩˥˩/ | 四点钟。(Four o'clock.) |
| 五 | five | wǔ /wu˨˩˦/ | 五个苹果。(Five apples.) |
| 十 | ten | shí /ʂɻ̩˧˥/ | 十块钱。(Ten yuan.) |
| 百 | hundred | bǎi /paɪ˨˩˦/ | 一百。(One hundred.) |
How to Study Chinese Effectively
Three Proven Study Techniques
Mastering Chinese requires the right approach, not just more hours. Research in cognitive science shows three techniques produce the best outcomes: active recall (testing yourself rather than re-reading), spaced repetition (reviewing at scientifically-optimized intervals), and interleaving (mixing related topics rather than studying one in isolation).
FluentFlash is built around all three. When you study basic Chinese words with our FSRS algorithm, every term is scheduled for review at exactly the moment you're about to forget it. This maximizes retention while minimizing study time.
Why Passive Review Fails
The most common mistake is relying on passive review methods. Re-reading notes, highlighting textbook passages, or watching videos feels productive, but these produce only 10 to 20 percent of the retention that active recall achieves. Flashcards force your brain to retrieve information, which strengthens memory pathways far more than recognition alone.
Pair flashcards with spaced repetition scheduling and you can learn in 20 minutes a day what would take hours of passive review.
Your First Two Weeks
- Create 15 to 25 flashcards covering the highest-priority concepts
- Review them daily for the first week using FSRS scheduling
- As cards become easier, intervals automatically expand from minutes to days to weeks
- Stay focused on material at the edge of your knowledge
- After 2 to 3 weeks, Chinese concepts become automatic rather than effortful
- 1
Generate flashcards using FluentFlash AI or create them manually from your notes
- 2
Study 15-20 new cards per day, plus scheduled reviews
- 3
Use multiple study modes (flip, multiple choice, written) to strengthen recall
- 4
Track your progress and identify weak topics for focused review
- 5
Review consistently, daily practice beats marathon sessions
Why Flashcards Work Better Than Other Study Methods for Chinese
The Testing Effect
Flashcards aren't just for vocabulary. They're one of the most research-backed study tools for any subject, including Chinese. The reason comes down to how memory works. When you read a textbook passage, your brain stores that information in short-term memory. Without retrieval practice, it fades within hours.
Flashcards force retrieval, which transfers information from short-term to long-term memory. The "testing effect," documented in hundreds of peer-reviewed studies, shows that flashcard learners consistently outperform re-readers by 30 to 60 percent on delayed tests.
How Retrieval Strengthens Memory
This isn't because flashcards contain more information. It's because retrieval strengthens neural pathways in ways passive exposure cannot. Every time you successfully recall a Chinese concept from a flashcard, you make that concept easier to recall next time.
FSRS Algorithm Optimization
FluentFlash amplifies this effect with the FSRS algorithm, a modern spaced repetition system that schedules reviews at mathematically-optimal intervals based on your actual performance. Cards you find easy get pushed further into the future. Cards you struggle with come back sooner.
Over time, this builds remarkable retention with minimal time investment. Students using FSRS-based systems typically retain 85 to 95 percent of material after 30 days, compared to roughly 20 percent retention from passive review alone.