Ni hao, Australia! Are you planning to visit a country where Chinese is spoken, or just keen to learn the basics?
Learn Chinese for everyday use in these practical and inexpensive classes, aimed at absolute beginners. This course also prepares you for in-depth Chinese language study.
Study online via Zoom.
Upcoming courses
Delivery mode
online, online classroom
Date
29 April–17 June 2026 6pm–8pm (GMT+10) Brisbane time
Absolute beginners with no previous knowledge of Chinese who:
want to learn Chinese for everyday use, or
are preparing for in-depth Chinese language study.
Entry requirements
No entry requirements
Simply enrol online to begin your language journey!
What you'll learn
Gain the speaking skills and confidence to have conversations about everyday topics, such as introducing yourself, ordering food and drinks, asking for directions, time, transport and more.
Time commitment
This is an online course that will require roughly 16 hours to complete.
8 x 2-hour sessions
Course curriculum
Language functions
Greetings and leave-taking
Introducing yourself
Language structures
Introduction to Pinyin and 4 tones
Pronouns: wǒ, nǐ, tā
Question words: ma, ne
Language functions
Enquiring about and stating nationality
Exchanging phone numbers
Language structures
Question words nǎ, nǎr
Negative adverb bù
Preposition zài
Countries
Numbers 1 to 10
Language functions
Introducing friends and colleagues
Introducing and talking about family
Asking how old you are
Talking about marital status and children
Language structures
Possessive particle: pronoun + de
Number + Measure Word + Noun
Numbers 1 to 100
Language functions
Ordering and offering meals and drinks
Making choices
Expressing likes and dislikes using food vocabulary
Understanding a Chinese menu
Language structures
Courtesy expressions
Question word shénme and question ending in hǎo bù hǎo
Question pattern: A háishì B
Verbs yào, lái
Adverbs before verbs
Phrases for expressing appreciation
Vocabulary for Chinese dishes
Language functions
Talking about what there is in town, where it is and when it is open
Asking how far somewhere is
Asking the way
More directions
Getting help to understand or communicate
Language structures
Verb yǒu/ méiyǒu in the sense of ‘to exist’ or not
Verb/preposition zài
Time division during the day
Simple directional complement
Question phrase Zěnme qù
Language functions
Identifying colours, clothes or fruits
Asking ‘how much’, understanding prices and bargaining
Language structures
Chinese Currency units yuán/jiǎo/fēn
Verbs xiǎng, yào
Adjectives before nouns
Language functions
Booking accommodation and checking in
Making requests when booking a hotel room
Language structures
Question words shénme shíhou
Preposition cóng... dào...
Days and dates
Verbs néng, kěyǐ
Language functions
Finding out travel times
Buying tickets
Asking about public transport
Language structures
Question pattern jǐ diǎn
Conjunction huòzhě
Time words
Assessment
There are no assessments for this short course.
Certification and accreditation
You can request a Certificate of Attendance if you attend at least 75% of the course.
Cost
Applicant
Price
Early bird
A$360
Standard
A$390
GST is included in the cost
To qualify for the early-bird price, you must enrol by the following dates:
for courses starting in April: 30 March 2026
for courses starting in October: 7 September 2026.
