A Chinese character doesn't spell out its sound, so a learner of 
Taiwan Mandarin meets two puzzles in every new word: what it looks like and how it's said. Taiwan's answer is zhuyin, a set of sound symbols printed beside the characters in children's papers like Mandarin Daily News. A list can teach you a character once. You start to know it on sight after you've read it in many sentences you already follow. Comprehensible input is the name for Taiwan Mandarin you can mostly follow, where every new character shows up inside a sentence that already makes sense.
What Comprehensible Input Looks Like
In the picture, each row is a sentence and each bar is a word. The gray words are ones you know, and the purple one is new.
About one unfamiliar word per sentence, while you still follow the meaning.
The words around the new one tell you what it means, and the audio tells you how it sounds. At first, that means two-line scenes at a night market stall, with zhuyin over every character. Later, a whole news paragraph gives you enough clues to work out a word without zhuyin. If you keep losing the thread, pick something easier for a while.
Your Roadmap by Level
Bubblegum sorts its lessons into six levels, and each one starts with a sentence a learner might say about their reading. Pick the one that sounds most like you. Mandarin Daily News and PTS have no levels of their own, so the rows are a rough match.
- First Steps
I can't read zhuyin yet
Learn the 37 zhuyin symbols and the tone marks, and listen to easy Taiwan Mandarin while you do.
Bubblegum's free Zhuyin course - Level 1
I'm just starting out and can't read much yet
Read two-line scenes about snacks and prices with zhuyin over every character. Play the audio each time, so the sound and the character arrive together.
Level 1 lessons about night markets - Level 2
I can read basic characters and simple sentences
Read short chats at a tea shop with the translation hidden. Open it only when a whole line stops making sense.
Level 2 lessons about bubble tea - Level 3
I follow conversations on familiar topics
Mandarin Daily News writes for children in Taiwan and prints zhuyin beside the characters. Read one short article on a topic you like, from start to finish.
Mandarin Daily News - Level 4
I understand most content but miss some nuance
Read lessons about songs from Taiwan, then listen to the song with the words in front of you. Notice which lines you now catch by ear.
Level 4 lessons about Mandopop - Level 5
I read complex topics but rare words slow me down
PTS News is Taiwan's public broadcaster. Read a report on a story you already know from English news, and guess new words from the paragraph before you look them up.
PTS News - Level 6
I read at near-native level
Read essays and novels by writers from Taiwan, and compare how two news sites tell the same story. When you listen, notice the small words people use to soften a request.
Once you can read a row's material with little help, try the next row. If you're looking up something in nearly every line, go down one.
Try It on a Real Lesson
Poppy, your AI tutor in the language app Bubblegum, writes Taiwan Mandarin lessons in traditional characters for your level and interests. The lesson below is one of hers, about night market food. In Bubblegum, you also get Taiwan audio, word meanings, and grammar help.
One Night Market, Three Levels
From Bubblegum’s guide Talking About Night Market Food and Visits. It works here the way it works inside Bubblegum.
I know a few words, or I can sound out words but not much else.
Visiting the Night Market
Xiaoming went to the night market.
Hello! What would you like to eat?
Hello! I want this one. Thank you!
Switch from Level 1 to Level 3 and read the same scene again. The longer lines reuse words you met at Level 1, so the new ones are easier to work out.
Frequently Asked Questions About Comprehensible Input
Should I Keep Zhuyin On While I Read?
Keep it on for characters you don't know yet, and turn it off once a character feels familiar. If your reader lets you hide it word by word, you can read without it sooner.
How Much Time Should I Set Aside?
Three to five hours a week works well, in sittings of 15–30 minutes or more. Give most of it to reading and listening, and a little to talking with a teacher or a friend from Taiwan.
Which App Should a Beginner Choose?
If you are serious about learning Taiwan Mandarin, start with Bubblegum. Poppy writes lessons at your level about things you like. Our Taiwan Mandarin app comparison covers readers, dictionaries with Taiwan readings, and courses made in Taiwan.
Is Bubblegum Free?
Yes. The lesson library is free for everyone, because we believe everyone should be able to learn. It holds lessons that other learners asked Poppy for. A new custom lesson costs us real money to make, so your first one is free, and Bubblegum Pro gives you unlimited custom lessons.
