Lanki

Beginner guide

Pinyin: a map for pronunciation

Pinyin writes Mandarin sounds with Roman letters. It is a reading aid, not a replacement for listening or for Chinese characters.

All guides / Pinyin: a map for pronunciation

Read three layers together

On a Lanki card, the characters show the written word, the pinyin suggests its pronunciation, and the English gloss points to one beginner meaning. For example, 我 / wǒ / “I; me” appears in 我是学生。 / wǒ shì xué sheng. / “I am a student.”

The same letters do not always sound like their English counterparts. Use pinyin as a prompt to listen and imitate a reliable speaker or recording when you can; this static library does not provide audio.

Try a small routine

  1. Look at the characters and pinyin together.
  2. Say the complete example slowly; mark where one word ends and the next begins.
  3. Cover the English translation and explain the sentence in your own words.
  4. Return to the characters without pinyin when you are ready.

Continue with the tone guide or browse the lessons.