‘Nǐ hǎo’.
If only you’d been using Duolingo already you’d know that means ‘hello’ in Mandarin. But don’t worry, it’s not too late to start learning.
With its quick lessons and game-like features, Duolingo makes learning a language feel more like playing than studying, offering courses in over 20 tongues, including Mandarin.
Unlike Spanish, German, French or any of the other languages the app can help you master, Mandarin is a tonal language with different vocal structures, and one that requires users to come to terms with a character set that’s entirely new to them. Fortunately, Duolingo’s approach makes this more manageable.
Using voice-recognition technology to help you perfect pronunciation, it’ll check that when you attempt a rising second tone, it doesn’t sound like a falling fourth tone, and that your first tone is remaining high and level.
This is just step one of ensuring you’re grasping the right end of the language stick though. Like other courses in Duolingo, the Mandarin lessons evolve through machine learning, with the app looking at where users get stuck or give up to help refine its teaching methods and create courses tailored to different skill levels.
Duolingo’s lessons are free and bite-size. You decide how much time you want to invest each day, be it 5, 10, 15, or 20 minutes, with XP (experience points, as gamers know) earned upon completing modules that helps you track your progress.