As a beginner, you should first connect Pinyin learning to Chinese characters. Beginners often start by learning vocabulary and reading short sentences with pinyin, the system for pronouncing Chinese characters. To advance, reading Chinese characters is crucial. This is because similar-sounding words in pinyin can have different characters and meanings. Overlooking this can lead to confusion and difficulty in understanding text. Here are two tips to help you.

Tip 1: Learn Chinese Radicals

Chinese radicals are parts of characters that hint at their meaning. For instance, the human radical ‘亻’ is in words about people like ‘他tā (he)’ and ‘们mén (plural marker)’. The water radical ‘氵’ suggests water-related characters, like ‘游yóu (swim)’ and ‘河hé (river)’.

Tip 2: Use Flashcards

Learning Chinese characters is easier with fun methods, like flashcards. They’re portable for practice anytime. If you prefer digital tools, apps like Quizlet offer flashcard functions. They turn learning into games and tests, reinforcing your studies.

Here are some supplements reading for you.
Chinese Reading Practice: A Guide for Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced learners

How to Improve Your Mandarin Chinese Reading Skills

Where To Find the Best Chinese Graded Readers

MandarinBean Review: Practice Chinese Reading and Listening

Du Chinese Review – an Excellent Chinese Reading App

There are several resources for reading practices with Pinyin, especially useful for beginners in Chinese learning:

Chinese Graded Readers: These are books designed for learners at different proficiency levels. They typically come with Pinyin alongside the Chinese characters. Some popular series include “Chinese Breeze” and “Mandarin Companion.”

Apps and Websites: There are numerous apps and websites offering Chinese reading practice. For instance, “Du Chinese”, “Mandarin Bean” and “The Chairman’s Bao” provide graded reading materials with Pinyin annotations. These can be particularly helpful as they often include audio recordings as well.

Children’s Books: Chinese children’s books often come with Pinyin. Reading these books can be a fun and engaging way to practice, especially for basic vocabulary and sentences.

Online Articles and Blogs: Some websites offer short articles or blog posts in Chinese with Pinyin. For example, Chinese websites for language learners, like “Mandarin Bean” or “HSK Reading”, often have such features.

Flashcards and Language Learning Tools: Tools like Anki or Quizlet may have user-generated content for Chinese reading practice, where Pinyin is often included.

YouTube Channels: Some YouTube channels dedicated to teaching Chinese might offer reading practice videos where they display the text with Pinyin.

Tutoring Websites: Platforms like iTalki or HelloTalk allow you to connect with native speakers. You can ask them to provide reading materials with Pinyin or practice reading during your conversation sessions.