What you'll learn
Begin your journey into the Mandarin Chinese language and culture with our Mandarin Chinese courses online!
This beginner-friendly course is designed for complete beginners and offers a clear, supportive introduction to Mandarin Chinese — no prior experience required. You’ll start learning practical, everyday Mandarin from the very first classes, building confidence step by step.
Mandarin Chinese is often more logical than people expect. The language has no verb conjugations, no plurals, and no grammatical gender, making it highly accessible for beginners. You’ll learn how Mandarin works through Pinyin (the phonetic system used to represent sounds), while gradually being introduced to commonly used Chinese characters.
As a tonal language, Mandarin places strong emphasis on listening and pronunciation. With guidance from an experienced native Mandarin-speaking tutor, you’ll learn to recognise and use tones accurately, communicate using simple sentence structures, and understand how spoken and written Mandarin work together. Alongside language skills, you’ll gain insight into Chinese culture and everyday communication.
Learning outcomes
By the end of this Mandarin Chinese: Beginners Level 1 course, you should be able to:
- Understand the difference between the Pinyin system and written Chinese characters
- Hear, recognise, and pronounce Mandarin tones
- Greet people and introduce yourself and others using basic sentence structures
- Ask and answer simple questions, including personal information and country of origin
- Use basic negative structures in Mandarin
- Indicate possession and belonging
- Use common measure words correctly
- Say numbers, including phone numbers and age
- Tell the time, days of the week, and months of the year
- Distinguish between formal and familiar speech
- Recognise and use basic Chinese characters and vocabulary
- Demonstrate introductory understanding of Chinese culture
- Use basic Mandarin and cultural awareness to support communication in the workplace
Course content
What will be covered in this Mandarin Chinese: Beginners Level 1 course?
Topics
- Greetings
- Introducing yourself and asking names, countries, and nationalities
- Alphabet (Pinyin) and numbers
- Dates and time
- Family members
- Basic Mandarin vocabulary
- Chinese culture
Grammar
- Use of tones
- Asking simple questions
- Basic sentence structures
- Forming negative sentences
- Introduction to measure words
Intended audience
Who is this Mandarin Chinese: Beginners Level 1 course for?
- Complete beginners with no prior experience learning Mandarin Chinese
- Learners interested in Chinese language and culture
- People planning travel or personal connections in Chinese-speaking regions
- Anyone curious about learning a tonal language in a structured, supportive environment
- Apply basic Mandarin language and cultural knowledge to communicate effectively with Chinese-speaking colleagues or customers, supporting workplace collaboration and interactions.
Course venue
Online via Zoom
- Zoom details will be emailed with your enrolment confirmation
- A device with a stable internet connection is required
Course materials
What to bring to class
- Notebook and pen
- Course textbook (see below)
Textbook
Students need to purchase the course textbook for our Learn Mandarin Chinese for Beginners Course and Learn Mandarin Chinese for Beginners: Level 2 Course.
Integrated Chinese Level 1, Part 1, 4th Edition (3rd Edition is okay)
ISBN: 9781622911356
or
Easy Peasy Chinese: Mandarin Chinese for Beginners
ISBN: 9780241513279
Please check to see which textbook is required for your class
We recommend purchasing your textbook after the confirmation of your course (usually within three working days of the proposed start). The enrolment fee does not include the textbook.
Certificate of completion
Achievement Recognition
Upon successful completion of the course with at least 80% attendance, you will receive a Certificate of Attendance, recognising your participation and commitment to learning Mandarin Chinese.
Additional information
- Course delivery: Fully online through interactive virtual classrooms
- Certificate: A Certificate of Attendance is provided to students who successfully complete the course
- Enrol in three Mandarin Chinese language courses and receive an automatic 15% discount
What's next?
What other Mandarin Chinese classes do we offer?
After completing this course, you may wish to continue with Mandarin Chinese Course: Beginners Level 2, where you’ll build on your foundation and develop greater confidence using Mandarin in everyday situations.
Enrol in both Mandarin Chinese Course: Beginners Level 1 and Beginners Level 2 and save 10% using the promo code GROUP10 at checkout. Please visit our discounts page for full details. Please visit our discounts page for full details.
Course testimonials
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sonia said: Loved the course and the ability to complete via Zoom! The tutor was excellent. Great at explaining things, very patient. Due to work commitments it was important to be able to access recordings, which I did from time to time. Have re-enrolled.
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Patrick said: It was a joy, learning Mandarin with Candy. The classes were clearly structured with weekly topics. The addition of little videos and anecdotes made the whole experience even more fun. I highly recommend!
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Sonny said: Fang is very knowledgeable and friendly. No exam means less stress. Online course makes it convenient. I learnt more than I expected to.
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Amanda said: Our tutor was awesome. So experienced and dedicated. Our class was great, lots of lovely people. Venue location is easy to get to. I will definitely be back to do Level 2.
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Kerrie said: Although the course was delivered via Zoom our tutor was able to engage the whole class, making lessons most interactive and interesting. I felt participants learnt a lot, particularly with explanation of cultural situations that enhanced our understanding. I would be happy to continue with Zoom lessons.
Course tutors
Fang Zhao
Great reasons to enrol in a short course with us
Small classes
A personal approach means quality learning, so you can enjoy plenty of interaction with your instructor and the chance to ask questions.
Short & sweet
Our short courses & workshops get straight to the point, providing the skills you need with minimal commitment of your precious time.
Facilities & equipment
Our range of venues suit every type of course, are easy to get to, and have the equipment and tech needed to support your learning.
Easy, secure enrolment
Enrol online 24/7 with a safe, convenient 3-step process, and you can change your mind up to 7 days before class starts.
Quality instructors
Our educators bring first-hand experience and knowledge, with up-to-the-minute practices from diverse industries.
Business or pleasure
Our courses help you rapidly increase your skills and knowledge, for professional development or personal interest.
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Classes Online Courses
<p>Begin your journey into the Mandarin Chinese language and culture with our <a href="https://www.sydneycommunitycollege.edu.au/courses/learn-language/mandarin">Mandarin Chinese courses</a> online!</
...If there isn't a class to suit you, please join our waitlist and we will notify you when we have places available. Join waitlist for Mandarin Chinese Course: Beginners Level 1
If there isn't a class to suit you, please join our waitlist and we will notify you when we have places available. Join waitlist for Mandarin Chinese Course: Beginners Level 1
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