Frequently Asked Questions

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Start with our Day-1 Beginner Course and learn at your own pace.

In your first week, complete the introduction lessons for:

• Pinyin
• Tones
• Chinese Characters

Then continue with these three courses alongside the Beginner Course. Check out our Learning Road Map for two paths: Full Path or Fast Track.

Try the first few lessons and quizzes of any course—they're free. You can also take the Final Exam of each course for free to see which level fits you best.

Yes! We have free lessons and quizzes for every course. No credit card needed.

Nope. Our courses include everything you'd get in a traditional textbook set (which can cost $150+): lessons, workbooks, character practice, and audio. It's all here.

We strongly recommend it. Learning characters from day one makes everything easier later. Our Chinese Characters Course explains why in the introduction lessons.

We teach Simplified Characters (used in Mainland China and Singapore). Once you know one system, it's pretty easy to read the other—there are patterns to how characters are simplified. We have a video lesson on this.

We have three types of courses:

Structured Courses

• Day-1 Beginner
• Level 1 (exceeds HSK 1)
• Level 2 (exceeds HSK 2)
• Level 3 (exceeds HSK 3)

Skill-Based Courses

• Pinyin Drills
• Tone Drills
• Chinese Character Writing

Speaking Courses

• How to Say in Chinese
• Speak Chinese Like a Native

All courses are created by Lili and Chuck, drawing on over 20,000 combined hours of teaching and studying Chinese at the university level. Every lesson is designed for online learning with a classroom feel, covering all language skills: speaking, listening, reading, writing, and interpreting.

Find all courses on the All Courses page. New here? Read our user guide to get oriented.

Click the "Mark Complete" button at the bottom of each lesson page (just above the comments). You can see all your progress and quiz stats on your Learning Progress page.

Check out these resources:

• How to type Chinese characters
• Pinyin spelling rules
• How to Type Chinese on Any System (full guide)

Absolutely. Post your questions in the comment section of the lesson or course page. Our educators respond there.

Before posting, check the pinned comments—common questions are answered there in detail. Sometimes we even turn them into full video lessons.

We're currently working on Level 3, which will have 50 lessons and 400 videos total. We release new lessons every few weeks.

After Level 3, we'll continue with Levels 4, 5, 6, and beyond. Each level grows exponentially—for example, Level 3 contains as much content as Beginner + Level 1 + Level 2 combined.

We can't guarantee exact release dates since each lesson requires different amounts of work, but as a member, you'll get access to everything new as it's released.

A membership gives you access to everything on the site: all current courses, lessons, quizzes, and features. You'll also get access to all new content released during your membership period.

Choose from:

• 1-month (renews monthly) — good for trying things out
• 6-month (renews every 6 months) — good for focused learners
• 12-month (renews yearly) — best value for committed students

See pricing

We don't offer pause or extension options. Membership is time-based access to everything on the site. That's why we offer free trial lessons so you can get a feel for the pace and content before committing.

First-time purchases: We don't offer refunds since we provide free sample lessons for every course. Try before you buy!

(We make exceptions sometimes—just contact us if you have a unique situation.)

Renewal charges: If you forgot to cancel and got charged for a renewal, we can refund you if:

• You contact us within 30 days of the charge
• You haven't accessed any lessons during that period

A small processing fee (from Stripe or PayPal) will be deducted.

Super easy:

1. Go to My Account
2. Click the Subscriptions tab
3. Click "Cancel"

Cancel anytime before your renewal date and you won't be charged again.

Nope! Canceling just stops future charges. You keep full access until the end of your current membership period (whether that's 1 month, 6 months, or 12 months from when you last paid).

It means you've cancelled, so you won't be charged again. Your membership is "pending" cancellation because you still have access until your current term ends.

Reset your password. Check your spam folder if you don't see the reset email in your inbox.

Head to your Account page and you can upload or change it there.

Your first and last name are for billing—they should match your payment card. They won't be shown publicly. What people see is your display name.

Edit it on your Account page. Your display name is what appears publicly on comments and quizzes.

Your username can't be changed (we use it to link your subscription and membership), but it won't be displayed anywhere if you've set a display name.

Update your email address.

If it's about a specific lesson or quiz, comment on that page. For anything else, contact us.