Print this page Beginner Mandarin Chinese: Course 1

This introductory course begins the Mandarin Chinese learning journey with no prior study required. Students develop foundational communication skills for greeting and introducing themselves, asking and answering personal questions, talking about family and occupations, and using numbers, time, dates, money and prices in everyday situations.

Students develop essential Mandarin sentence patterns and vocabulary alongside a structured introduction to Pinyin, pronunciation and the four tones. Grammar covers basic 是 (shì) and 有 (yǒu) sentences, question forms, location and quantity expressions, measure words, numbers, time and dates, colours and basic verb-object constructions.

DELIVERY MODE

Language courses are offered in two delivery modes:

• Face-to-Face: WEA Sydney
• Online: via Zoom or Microsoft Teams

Please check the delivery mode listed before enrolling, as some classes are face-to-face and others are online.

TEXTBOOK

• Hello Chinese / Ni Hao Zhongwen 1 (Shanghai Jiaotong Uni Pre, 2016), ISBN: 9787313156846

Suggested Textbook Suppliers: Abbey's Bookshop · Intext Book Company / Language International Bookshop · The Language People

The textbook is not included in the course fee. Please check textbook availability with the supplier and wait until your course is confirmed before purchasing. WEA Sydney cannot accept responsibility for textbook purchases if a course is cancelled. Courses are confirmed or cancelled at least 7 days before the start date.

COURSE OUTLINE

Communication

• Greeting people and introducing yourself, including your name and nationality
• Asking and answering basic personal questions about family, occupation and age
• Talking about family members and occupations
• Using numbers and discussing time, years, months and dates
• Talking about money, prices and quantities
• Asking about and describing colours
• Shopping and buying everyday things

Grammar

• 是 (shì) sentences for identifying and describing people and things, including affirmative and negative forms
• Asking for and introducing names, including 哪 (nǎ) questions and repeating a question with 呢 (ne)
• 有 (yǒu) sentences for expressing possession and existence, including asking about family size
• Location expressions and 都 (dōu) for expressing a shared situation
• Measure words for people and family members
• Numbers from 1–100, including the distinction between 二 (èr) and 两 (liǎng)
• Time and date expressions, including days, months, dates and their order
• Money, prices and quantities using 数 + 量 + 名 structures
• 很 (hěn), 太 (tài), 一点儿 (yìdiǎnr) and 有（一）点儿 (yǒu yìdiǎnr) for expressing degree
• Basic verb-object constructions and their affirmative and negative forms

Phonetics

• The Pinyin system
• Basic Mandarin pronunciation
• Initials and finals
• The four tones
• Pronunciation and tone practice

Vocabulary

• Greetings and introductions
• Names, countries and nationalities
• Family members
• Occupations and age
• Numbers
• Time, years, months and dates
• Money, prices and shopping
• Colours
• Common everyday expressions

LEARNING OUTCOMES

By the end of this course, students should be able to:

1. Introduce themselves and exchange basic personal information, including names, nationalities, family, occupations and age.
2. Communicate about everyday information such as numbers, time, dates, money, prices, quantities and colours.
3. Recognise and produce basic Mandarin sounds and tones using Pinyin, while beginning to work with Chinese characters.