Curriculum
Learn Mandarin from word 1
A guided path through the first 1,000 words of Mandarin in frequency order. Chapter 1 is bespoke: an orientation, a starter vocabulary, word order, more pronouns, your first graded story, and the articles. From Chapter 2 onwards, rote ten-word sessions take you the rest of the way, with a milestone story at every hundred-rank mark.
Chapter 1 · 5 lessons
Introduction to Mandarin
1 grammar primer · 1 story milestone
Chapter 2 · 10 lessons
Words at ranks 1-100
10 vocab batches · ranks 1-100
Chapter 3 · 4 lessons
The copula 是 (shì): to be, and when not to use it
4 grammar primers
Chapter 4 · 13 lessons
Classifiers (measure words)
10 vocab batches · 2 grammar primers · 1 story milestone · ranks 101-200
Chapter 5 · 13 lessons
Adjectives as stative verbs
10 vocab batches · 2 grammar primers · 1 story milestone · ranks 201-300
Chapter 6 · 12 lessons
Aspect markers: 了, 在/正在, 过
10 vocab batches · 1 grammar primer · 1 story milestone · ranks 301-400
Chapter 7 · 12 lessons
Co-verbs: 从, 到, 在, 用, 坐, 给
10 vocab batches · 1 grammar primer · 1 story milestone · ranks 401-500
Chapter 8 · 12 lessons
Question formation in full
10 vocab batches · 1 grammar primer · 1 story milestone · ranks 501-600
Chapter 9 · 12 lessons
Conjunctions: paired and single
10 vocab batches · 1 grammar primer · 1 story milestone · ranks 601-700
Chapter 10 · 12 lessons
Complements of direction, degree, and manner
10 vocab batches · 1 grammar primer · 1 story milestone · ranks 701-800
Chapter 11 · 13 lessons
Location and existence: 在, 是, 有
10 vocab batches · 2 grammar primers · 1 story milestone · ranks 801-900
Chapter 12 · 13 lessons
Numbers, time, dates, currency
10 vocab batches · 2 grammar primers · 1 story milestone · ranks 901-1000
After the first 1,000
Once you have the first 1,000 down, the Core 1,000 and Core 5,000 lists let you self-pace the rest as a reference.