The Skritter: Write Chinese and Skritter: Write Japanese mobile apps are getting a huge update with the 3.6.0 Progress release (now live)! Learn all about what’s new in the mobile apps below or download the …
The new HSK 3.0: What you need to know
Big changes are coming to the HSK, the most widely used proficiency test for Mandarin Chinese for non-native speakers. The new standard takes effect on July 1st, 2021, and in this post we take a deep dive into what changes are coming, what they mean for you as a student. We also present vocabulary lists for HSK 1-9, including lists specifically for handwriting.
How to Ask Yes/No Questions in Mandarin Chinese
Swipe the gallery images below to learn how to ask Yes/No questions in Chinese. Want to know about Wh- questions in Mandarin, (what/when/why, etc)? Click here. Read on to learn about how to use 吗/嗎 …
The Neutral Tone Demystified
The neutral tone in Mandarin causes a lot of confusion for many second language learners. What does “neutral” mean? How low or how high should the neutral tone be? How do you pronounce it? The …
Hacking Chinese Vocabulary Challenge, June 2021
This month, I’m running another vocabulary challenge on Hacking Chinese! It starts on June 10th and focuses on learning characters, words, and expressions in Chinese. In these challenges, you challenge yourself to learn more than …
Wh- Questions in Mandarin
In this post, we’ll learn the “Wh-” questions in Mandarin Chinese, and see how they are used in sentences.
The Ultimate Guide to Japanese Stroke Order
Welcome to the ultimate guide to Japanese character stroke order! If you’re new to Japanese and just want the most essential information, the Japanese character stroke order 101 is for you. Japanese character stroke order …
Looking for Freelance Japanese Content Writer
Skritter is looking for an amazing Japanese content writer to help expand our sentence database and help students learn new high-frequency vocabulary! UPDATE: The position has been filled, however if you would like to send …
Learning Japanese through Music, Part 12: 真夜中のドア (Midnight Door)
Click here to see more of these posts! This series of posts covers Japanese songs, along with their lyrics, and translations so you can make sure you learn every word. When translating Japanese, and especially for things …
Tone Sandhi: Third Tone
Tones are arguably the most difficult aspect of Mandarin for many second-language learners. The 3rd tone (三声 sānshēng), often known as Tone 3, causes a lot of trouble! Let’s understand why this is the case, and make it slightly easier for you!