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A short, friendly read that gets you from zero to "I can read this" in the language you're learning.

Pinyin Primer

Mandarin pronunciation

Read and pronounce Mandarin in Roman letters. Tones, initials, finals, and the spelling traps that lie to English readers — the foundation for every Mandopop song you'll ever sing.

Don't see your language? More primers will land as we add languages. For now, you can also browse the song catalog and learn by singing.