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Ready to learn Mandarin Chinese? Or does it just seem overwhelming? The words don't sound like words you're used to, the characters are beautiful but baffling, and you're sure you'll never be able to master this. But if you know a little bit about the language before you start, it really won't seem that scary.

There are two sides of Mandarin Chinese pronunciation: tones and syllables. An example of a syllable is "ma." But the syllable "ma" has no meaning in and of itself; the meaning is determined by the tone in which you say the word. So whenever you study a new word, you not only have to remember the syllables making up that word but the tone in which those syllables are pronounced. When you learn Mandarin Chinese, remember to choose an instructional method that emphasizes audio learning, because you need to be able to hear and imitate the various different tones.

How many different tones are there? Mandarin Chinese has four different tones - a flat tone, a rising tone, a dipping tone, and a tone that rises a little and then falls. These tones are not difficult to replicate, but because they are so critical to the way you learn Mandarin, it's absolutely vital that you choose an instructional program with a strong audio component.

Now on to vowels and consonants! Mandarin Chinese has sixteen vowels and twenty-one consonants, many of which sound very different than their English counterparts. Your best bet as you learn Mandarin Chinese is not to assume that a Chinese "B" is pronounced exactly like an English "B", but to listen carefully to the way the sound actually is pronounced, noting the differences rather than the similarities. Another tip is to try and "fake" a Chinese accent as you practice your conversations. Subconsciously, you will actually produce a better, more authentic accent that way!

Many students beginning to learn Mandarin Chinese worry about the studying a language they can't read. It's certainly possible to learn Chinese without reading it at all; after all, toddlers don't learn to read before learning to speak, do they? Nonetheless, it's useful to be able to take study notes.

The solution to this problem is a system of using the Roman alphabet (the one we use) to render Chinese characters. This is called Pinyin, and it was actually developed by the Chinese to help very young children or illiterate adults learn to read the Chinese language in some form. Once English-speaking students learn Mandarin Chinese using Pinyin, it's much easier to learn traditional Chinese characters.

So - are you ready to learn Mandarin Chinese now? Remember to choose a good audio-based method, practice your accent faithfully, and start off reading in Pinyin. You're well on your way to speaking Chinese!

A good audio-based language course to use is Rocket Chinese Premium. It will help you learn Mandarin Chinese faster than any other way. Join Rocket Chinese Premium today and learn to speak Mandarin Chinese fast.