HSK 3.0 Level 1 · Units 1–6 free · New: Write 写
Learn Chinese with Laura
Speak real Mandarin from your very first lesson, and learn to write every HSK 1 character. 220 bite-sized lessons, aligned to the HSK 3.0 Level 1 syllabus and on into HSK 2, on a painted journey across China, with pinyin on every character and Laura cheering you on in her own voice.
- Units 1–6 free
- No credit card
- Phone or computer
Android beta
Android beta, join us
We're in beta testing now and we need your help. Join the Android beta to try the app before everyone else, and look out for the Beta Tester duck in your pond.
Android release 倒计时
Closed test ends: we apply for public Android release
· Hawaii time
Google Play closed testday – of 14
Countdown to the day we can apply to Google for the public Android release. Google then reviews the app, and Google decides how long that takes. This is not a launch date.
Inside the app
Learn, write, speak, compete and collect
Everything is one tap away on the bar at the bottom of your screen: Learn, Write, Tones, Ranks, your profile and the duck shop. New on Learn: a Today row with your next steps, and a one-minute survey that asks what you would like next.
Learn
A journey map, with 复习 Review on top
Lessons sit on a painted trail across China. The Review card at the top shows how many words are due and starts a quick review in one tap, so old words come back right before you forget them.
Write · new
Write 写: draw every HSK 1 character
All 179 HSK 1 characters, one at a time, in four steps:
- Details: meaning, radical and parts
- Watch the strokes animate
- Trace it twice
- Write it on your own
New: red beans for Write. Each character you write on your own earns 1 to 3 beans once, by its stars, plus 10 for every 10 characters, up to 30 a day.
Tones
See your tones as you say them
Tap the mic and say it out loud: your pitch is drawn over the target tone, so you can see how close you are. Practise the four tones, then tone pairs. The analysis runs on your own device.
Ranks
Climb the leaderboards
Weekly and all-time boards for red beans and course XP, plus boards for the HSK 1 and HSK 2 practice exams. Your duck stands next to your name.213Shop
The 鸭子商店 duck shop: 48 new items
Spend the red beans you earn by studying. New: vehicles to park beside your duck, scenic backgrounds and animated profile frames.
- 7 vehicles
- 11 backgrounds
- 11 frames
- hats, outfits & effects
Supporters & gifts
Supporter perks, and gifts for a friend
Gold and Diamond Supporter plans (monthly; yearly coming soon) include all of Level 1 and add the full HSK 2 course while subscribed, Supporter bonus lessons and a bonus mock exam, more red beans a day and a supporter badge and profile frame. You can also give HSK 2, or a month of Gold or Diamond, to another learner.
Coming soon to iOS and Android
Not in the stores yet: Android is in a closed test on Google Play, with no public release date from Google yet. Until then it works in the browser on any phone or computer.
Meet your teacher
From TikTok Live to your phone
I’m Laura. I started out teaching Chinese on TikTok Live, and now my lessons are on your phone. Learn Chinese anywhere, and collect ducks along the way.
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You can still find Laura teaching Chinese live on TikTok, and on her website.
Learning Chinese should feel like a trip, not a textbook. Say it out loud, laugh at the mistakes, and come back tomorrow. 加油 (you can do it!)
Why learners love it
Everything you need to really speak Chinese
A complete course from a real teacher, built to be fun enough that you come back tomorrow.
HSK 3.0 Level 1, then HSK 2
94 Level 1 lessons in 14 units, aligned to the HSK 3.0 Level 1 syllabus (300 words), then HSK 2: 54 lessons in 11 units, plus 10 HSK 2 theme lessons (64 in all). 220 lessons in all. Short lessons mix listening, reading, speaking and typing, and spaced review brings words back right before you forget them.
- Level 1 lessons
- 94
- Level 1 words
- 300
- HSK 2 lessons
- 54
A painted journey map
Travel through 26 hand-painted stops across China, from the Forbidden City to the pandas of Chengdu. New on Level 1: 南京 Nanjing and the island of 鼓浪屿 Gulangyu. Finish a stop and a passport stamp slams onto the page.
Tones & speaking practice
Say it out loud and see your pitch drawn over the target tone, in lessons and on the Tones tab. Nothing to install.
Write, with red beans
In Write (写) draw every HSK 1 character step by step. Each character you write on your own earns 1 to 3 red beans once, plus 10 for every 10, up to 30 a day.
Ranks
Weekly and all-time leaderboards for red beans, course XP and the practice exams, with your duck next to your name.
Laura’s real voice
Laura recorded her Chinese lines herself, so the greetings, hints and cheers you hear in your lessons really are her.
Ducks & rewards
Earn red beans in every lesson and spend them on 44 collectible ducks and 48 new items, including 7 vehicles, 11 backgrounds and 11 frames. Beans are earned only, never sold.
Culture bonus lessons
41 free extras on festivals, the zodiac, history, modern China, food, measure words and tones. They never block your path.
Your say: a quick survey
A one-time, one-minute survey on Learn asks what you enjoy and what you would like next, so learners help shape the next update.
No tone marks needed
Type pinyin the easy way: “nihao” is fine. No special keyboard, no hunting for ǎ.
Exams & certificates
5 practice exams, server-graded, with a certificate when you pass.
See it in action
Made for your phone
Real screens from the app. Learn on the bus, on the sofa or on a lunch break.
Your path
One lesson after another, on a painted trail across China.
Bite-sized lessons
Listen, tap, speak and type, with instant feedback.
New places to unlock
Every unit is a new stop, from Beijing to the pandas of Chengdu.
Special Lessons
Culture, history, food and more, whenever you like.
How it works
From hello to HSK, one stop at a time
Step 1: Create your free account
Sign up in seconds. Or try the first lessons without an account.
Step 2: Follow the path
14 Level 1 units, one painted stop each. Lessons are short, so one fits in a coffee break.
Step 3: Listen, speak, type and write
Hear Laura, say it into your mic, type the pinyin and draw the characters. Words come back right before you forget them.
Step 4: Collect stamps and ducks
Earn a passport stamp at every stop, red beans for the Duck Shop, and take the HSK 1 exam for a certificate.
Simple pricing
Start free. Unlock more when you’re ready.
HSK 3.0 Level 1
Free start
Units 1–6 (45 lessons), 41 bonus lessons, Write, Tones and an HSK 1 practice test. No ads, no credit card.
Start learning freeLevel 1 pack
$14.99 once
Units 7–14 (49 lessons, including Nanjing and Gulangyu), 15 theme lessons, the Level 1 exam and certificate. Yours for good. On the website only.
About the Level 1 packHSK 2
$14.99 once
54 lessons in 11 new stops, 10 theme lessons (64 in all) and the HSK 2 mock exam. Yours for good. First lesson free.
About the HSK 2 unlockSupporters
from $9 / month
Gold $9 · Diamond $24.99 a month
Monthly (yearly coming soon). HSK 2 while subscribed, Supporter bonus lessons, a gold badge and up to 200 (Gold) or 300 (Diamond) red beans a day. All of Level 1 included. Keeps Units 1–6 of Level 1 free for everyone.
See Supporter perks
FAQ
Questions, answered
Is it really free?
I’ve never studied Chinese. Is this for me?
Can I learn to write characters?
Do I have to type tone marks?
How does speaking practice work?
Is there an iPhone or Android app?
What is HSK?
Can I give it as a gift?
How do I pay for HSK 2?
More questions? Visit Help & FAQ
Your first stop is waiting
Say your first 你好 today
Free, on your phone or computer. It takes less than a minute to start.