Everyday Chinese
Greetings, food, travel, shopping and small talk. For complete beginners and up.
Levels: beginner to intermediate
Live online Chinese lessons
Learn Chinese with Chinese university students.
Live lessons with tutors trained by TBE. Speak real, everyday Chinese from your first class, and help your tutor practise English along the way.
Your first lesson is free. No payment details needed.
Lesson 1 · Model sentenceHSK 1
你可以介绍一下你自己吗？
Can you introduce yourself?
- Tone 1
- Tone 2
- Tone 3
- Tone 4
- Neutral
2013TBE founded in Changsha, China
35,000University students trained as tutors
1,200Learners so far
10Countries our learners come from
From sign-up to your first conversation
Four steps. Your learning advisor walks you through each one.
- Step 1
Sign up
Tell us your level, your goals and your time zone. It takes two minutes.
- Step 2
Free trial lesson
One free live lesson. Your tutor checks your level and you see how classes work.
- Step 3
Meet your tutor
We match you with a tutor whose schedule fits yours. Your advisor shares the price options.
- Step 4
Learn every week
Regular live lessons online, with practice between classes.
Our method
Learn one sentence. Use it everywhere.
Each lesson is built around a model sentence you will use in real life. You learn it in four steps, then swap in new words to say many new things.
Based on LIPS, the speaking method TBE has used with university students for over ten years.
- LListenHear the sentence, then the words in it.
- IImitateCopy your tutor's tones, phrase by phrase.
- PPractiseSay it clearly, loudly, then quickly. Three times each.
- SShowUse it in a new situation: 你可以介绍一下你的家乡吗？ Can you tell me about your hometown?
Pick the Chinese you need
Prices are shared by your learning advisor after your free trial lesson.
HSK Exam Prep
Practice for the HSK and HSKK speaking test, with past-paper drills and mock tests.
Levels: HSK 1–4
Business Chinese
Meetings, calls, negotiation and workplace manners for people who work with China.
Levels: some Chinese needed
Your tutors
Students your age, from universities across China
Every tutor is a Chinese university student trained by TBE before their first lesson. They know how hard Chinese can feel, because they are learning English the same way.
That makes it an exchange. You learn Chinese, they practise English, and you both gain a friend on the other side of the world.
About us
Part of a Chinese education group since 2013
TBE Chinese Institute is the international Chinese program of Yulong Huaxing Education Group, based in Changsha, Hunan. Its founding brand, TBE (Talk Bar Education), teaches spoken English, public speaking and career skills to university students.
TBE runs teaching centres in Changsha, Xiangtan, Hengyang, Wuhan, Nanchang and Taiyuan, and works with more than ten universities.
The people behind TBE Chinese Institute
Li Chen 李晨
Chairman, Yulong Huaxing Education Group
- Founder of TBE (Talk Bar Education) and of the group's AI English learning program for children
- Career and entrepreneurship mentor at more than ten universities in Hunan
- Named one of China's top 100 university student entrepreneurs by the Communist Youth League Central Committee
Zhu Zhongqin 朱中琴
Executive Vice President
- Built TBE's university English teaching system and leads teaching nationwide
- Visiting scholar at the University of Nottingham, UK
- Holds TEM-8, China's highest certificate for English majors, and has taught live English classes to 10,000 learners at once
Owen Buckland 欧文
President, International Chinese Division
- Founded Buckland International Business Foreign Language School in Yangshuo in 1993
- Since 1999 has recruited and trained more than 2,000 foreign teachers for over 1,000 schools across China
- Has run Chinese, tai chi and calligraphy classes for foreign learners from 12 countries and regions; visiting scholar at Columbia University (2007)
Questions
How much do lessons cost?
Your first lesson is free. After it, your learning advisor explains the lesson packages and prices so you can choose what suits you.
Who are the tutors?
Chinese university students trained by TBE in our teaching method before they teach.
Can I choose my lesson times?
Yes. Tell us your time zone and we match you with a tutor who is free when you are.
What do I need for an online lesson?
A computer or phone, headphones and a stable internet connection. Your advisor sends you the lesson link before class.
I have never studied Chinese. Is that OK?
Yes. Many learners start from zero. Your first lesson begins with greetings and pinyin.
Free trial lesson
Say 你好 to your tutor this week.
Fill in the form and a learning advisor will contact you within one working day to book your free lesson.