Hacking Chinese

A better way of learning Mandarin

Articles published in April 2026

  1. How to not memorise Chinese characters: The anatomy of bad mnemonics

    Mnemonics are clever memory techniques that help you remember everything from PIN codes to Chinese characters. Good mnemonics make learning easier, but bad ones can distract you or even hold you back.

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  2. The best time to start learning Chinese is now: A guide for expats

    The best time to start learning Chinese might be behind you, but the second-best time is now. If you’ve been surrounded by Mandarin for years and keep putting off learning the language, this guide is for you!

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  3. Improve your Chinese conversations by listening to the listener

    Listen o thelistener

    The obvious way to learn Mandarin is to listen to a person speaking the language. The less obvious way is to listen to the person who isn’t speaking in a conversation. What can you learn by listening to the listener?

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  4. Chinese reading challenge, August 2026

    It’s time for a Chinese reading challenge! It starts on August 10th, so enrol, set your goal and read as much as you can before the end of the month. This article contains more information about the challenge, as well as some advice about improving reading ability in Chinese.

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