Chinese isn't "hard", it is "different"
Chinese isn't "hard". It is "different". Even people highly motivated to learn can be daunted by the characters and tones. But... I have been studying with Mandarin Blueprint since late August 2025. Five weeks later, I am reading, writing and speaking sentences in Chinese characters with the correct tones (without Pinyin). Yes, these sentences are quite basic - but wow! I have learned 124 characters which are, by and large, the most commonly used. If you are seriously interested in learning Chinese, take a look at Mandarin Blueprint Lite. It is free. The first phase may seem tedious, slow, or "noisy", but it is all about learning how to learn. And frankly, it totally beats apps and community college (other ways I tried to learn)! There is a great online community to encourage and help you - and to share puns, stories, and travel photos. The founders remain super-engaged, holding in-person coffee chats on a regular basis. If you are a truly serious learner, you can upgrade to Mandarin Pro and keep moving forward. I did so quickly.