Free · 4 printable PDFs
Learn 50 characters.
Read half the story.
One sheet per story, A1 level: every character in the book, most frequent first, with pinyin and English meaning. Start at the top and you learn the characters you'll meet most.
- Print-ready PDF
- Pinyin + English meaning
- Most frequent first
One sheet per story
Each sheet has every character in that book. The first 50 on it already cover this much of the text:
Journey to the West
A1 · 605 characters
first 50 = 52%
Legend of the White Snake
A1 · 443 characters
first 50 = 61%
Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio
A1 · 334 characters
first 50 = 67%
Romance of the Three Kingdoms
A1 · 551 characters
first 50 = 54%
What's on a sheet
How to use them
- 1
Print it
Or keep the PDF on your phone.
- 2
Start at the top
The order comes from the story itself, so you learn the characters it uses most first.
- 3
Cross them off
When you read or hear the story, keep the sheet beside you and cross off each character once it sticks.
Questions
Is it really free?
Yes. Leave your email and the PDFs arrive in your inbox. No card, no trial, nothing to cancel.
Who is it for?
Beginners. The stories are A1 editions: classic Chinese tales retold with a small set of characters, which is why a few dozen of them do most of the work.
Do I need the books?
No. Each sheet works on its own: every character the story uses, most frequent first. Most of the ones at the top you'll meet in any Chinese text.
Get all 4 sheets
One email, 4 PDFs, free.
Want every character, not just one story's?
The sheets come out of Character Mastery: the 2,500 characters behind 98% of everyday Chinese, scheduled so you keep them. About an hour a day gets you through all of them in three months. Want to go further? The course runs all the way to 4,000.