Blog

Learn Smarter with HanziFeed

Tips, comparisons, and guides for mastering Chinese characters.

April 22, 202612 min read

Pinyin Chart: Complete Guide to Mandarin Chinese Pronunciation

Complete pinyin chart with all 21 initials, 36 finals, 4 tones, and tone sandhi rules. Includes pronunciation tips for sounds that don't exist in English.

pinyinChinese pronunciationMandarin tonesbeginner Chinesepronunciation guide
Read article
April 20, 202610 min read

HSK 2026 Vocabulary: Complete Character Counts by Level

Complete HSK 2026 character counts by level, from HSK 1 (246 characters) through HSK 7-9 (1,342 characters). Cumulative totals and sample characters.

HSK 2026HSK vocabularycharacter listexam prepChinese proficiency
Read article
April 18, 202614 min read

Complete List of 214 Chinese Radicals with Meanings and Examples

Full list of 214 Kangxi radicals and 205 modern simplified radicals with meanings, pinyin, stroke counts, and example characters for Chinese learners.

Chinese radicalsKangxi radicalscharacter learningChinese charactersreference
Read article
April 16, 202612 min read

How to Study for the HSK Exam (2026 Edition)

Complete HSK exam study plan with timelines, character counts, and strategies for each level. Updated for the 2026 HSK restructuring.

HSKHSK examexam prepstudy planChinese proficiency
Read article
April 14, 202611 min read

How to Learn Chinese Characters: A Step-by-Step Method

A structured method to learn Chinese characters from zero to intermediate. Covers radicals, stroke order, SRS review, and proven study techniques.

Chinese characterscharacter learningstudy methodbeginner Chineseradicals
Read article
April 12, 202610 min read

How Many Chinese Characters Do You Need to Know? (By Level)

How many Chinese characters you need for HSK levels, newspaper reading, and full literacy. Real data on character counts and study timelines.

Chinese characterscharacter countHSK levelsChinese literacystudy planning
Read article
April 10, 202612 min read

The 100 Most Common Chinese Characters (and Why They Matter)

Frequency-ranked list of the 100 most common Chinese characters with pinyin, meanings, radicals, and study tips. Learn these first for faster reading.

Chinese characterscharacter frequencybeginner ChineseHSKstudy guide
Read article
April 8, 20269 min read

Best Duolingo Alternative for Learning Chinese (2026)

Outgrown Duolingo's Chinese course? Compare the best alternatives for serious character learning, including apps with radicals, stroke order, and full HSK coverage.

Duolingo alternativeChinese learningcharacter learningapp comparisonlanguage apps
Read article
March 25, 202615 min read

Why Chinese Characters Aren't Random: The Logic Behind 3,000 Characters

Chinese characters follow systematic rules: pictographic origins, semantic-phonetic compounds, and radical patterns that make 3,000+ characters learnable.

Chinese characterscharacter logichow Chinese workscharacter learningbeginners
Read article
March 25, 202614 min read

How Chinese Radicals Work: A Complete Guide to the 214 Building Blocks

How the 214 Kangxi radicals work, where they came from, and how to use them for faster character learning. Includes essential radical tables.

Chinese radicalsKangxi radicalscharacter learningChinese charactersHSK
Read article