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Lesson 1 Introduction to Pinyin

What is Pinyin and why do we need to start with it?

When you think of Chinese or Mandarin, the first thing that comes to your mind might be the Chinese characters. (Above is an example of a Chinese character).

But even the native speakers don't begin learning the characters right away. If you ask a four-year-old Chinese kid how to pronounce the character above, he/she might be just as confused as you are. That's exactly where Pinyin comes into play.

 

At the end of this lesson, you will understand and be able to describe:

  • The definition of Pinyin.

  • The main function of Pinyin.​​

  • The meaning of "ideogram".

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