Hacking Chinese

A better way of learning Mandarin

Articles published in November 2025

  1. Black Friday discounts on Hacking Chinese courses: Learn more for less

    Let my courses guide you towards your Chinese-learning goals, now with $31 off until Tuesday, December 3! Already enrolled or not interested for yourself? Give the gift of language to someone else, or simply help spread the word!

    Read →

  2. Cultivate your Chinese flashcard garden… or burn it down and start afresh

    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?

    Read →

  3. 4, 3, 2, 1: Fluency! A great technique to boost your Mandarin speaking ability

    Do you want to speak Mandarin fluently, no matter what your level is? Use the 4/3/2 technique to build confidence and flow!

    Read →

  4. The Fluent Listener: Navigating Spoken Mandarin Like a Fish in Water is open until November 17

    Develop essential Mandarin listening skills with my new course, The Fluent Listener. Enrol by November 17 for lifetime access to video lessons, curated resources, tailored guidance, and a supportive learning community.

    Read →

  5. How to talk about Chinese characters in Chinese

    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.

    Read →

  6. Chinese vocabulary challenge, November 2025

    It’s time for a vocabulary challenge! It starts on November 10th, so enrol, set your goal and learn as many characters and words as you can before the end of the month. This challenge is sponsored by Skritter, so there are also prizes on the line! This article contains more information about the challenge, some important things to keep in mind as well as some advice about learning Chinese characters and words.

    Read →