MTC · NTNU · Dangdai Curriculum

A Course in Contemporary Chinese Book 1 — Absolute Beginner

CEFR A1 Band A · Novice 1 ~250 new words 100–150 hrs

Progress toward full fluency across the 6-book series

Key Topics

Introductions and greetings
Family members and home
Food, restaurants, and ordering
Shopping, money, and numbers
Transport and directions
Time, scheduling, and daily routines

After Book 1 you can

Hold basic introductions, order food at a restaurant, ask for prices, read numbers and basic signs, and navigate simple daily exchanges in Taipei.

10 Lessons — Book 1

#	Lesson Title	Key Grammar
1	First Introductions	是 sentences, 呢 questions, negation with 不
2	Family and Home	Possessive 的, 有/沒有, measure words 個·位
3	Hobbies and Plans	想 + verb, frequency adverbs, 嗎 questions
4	Shopping and Money	Numbers to 10,000, measure words 塊·毛, 多少
5	Food and Cuisine	Ordering patterns, 一點 vs. 一些, verb-object compounds
6	Locations	Position words (上面·下面·旁邊), 在 + place
7	Time and Scheduling	Clock time, duration 了, sequential 先…再…
8	Transportation	Comparison A 比 B + adj, 要/得, modal verbs
9	Plans and Dates	Future with 要/會, date expressions, topic-comment
10	Descriptions	Stative verbs, colour compounds, 覺得 + clause

Book 1 Vocabulary Deep-Dives

Each Book 1 lesson has a full vocabulary article: complete word lists with pinyin, English, and character-level dictionary links, plus grammar notes and cultural context.

First Introductions

Greetings, pronouns, and basic politeness.

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Family and Home

Family members, housing, and the particle 的.

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Hobbies and Plans

Sports, weekends, and invitation language.

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Shopping and Money

Numbers, prices, and convenience stores.

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Food and Cuisine

Beef noodles, stinky tofu, and ordering food.

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Locations

Directions, campus buildings, and position words.

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Time and Scheduling

Telling time, appointments, and daily routines.

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Transportation

Trains, HSR, scooters, and travel comparisons.

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Plans and Dates

Calendars, future plans, and travel suggestions.

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Descriptions

Colors, fruits, and describing experiences.

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Sample Vocabulary — Book 1

Character	Pinyin	Meaning
你好	nǐ hǎo	hello
喜歡	xǐhuān	to like
多少錢	duōshǎo qián	how much money
捷運	jié yùn	MRT (metro)
牛肉麵	niúròu miàn	beef noodle soup

These are 5 representative words. Book 1 introduces ~250 new vocabulary items in total.

Frequently Asked Questions — Book 1

How long does Book 1 take to complete?

At MTC, Book 1 covers approximately one semester of intensive study — about 15 weeks at 20 classroom hours per week. Self-studiers typically take 4–6 months at one hour per day. Progress accelerates significantly in a Taiwan immersion environment.

What level of Chinese do I need to start Book 1?

None. Book 1 is designed for absolute beginners with no prior exposure to Mandarin. The first lesson begins with greetings, pronouns, and basic sentence structure using 是.

Does Book 1 cover Zhuyin (BoPoMoFo)?

A Course in Contemporary Chinese uses Pinyin as its romanisation system, not Zhuyin. However, if you are attending MTC, your teacher will likely introduce both systems. Zhong Chinese displays Pinyin throughout its vocabulary interface.

Study Book 1 with Zhong Chinese

All ~250 vocabulary items from Book 1 are available in Zhong Chinese as FSRS-powered flashcards — so every word you learn gets reviewed at exactly the right time.

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