About us
This is a group for anyone wishing to learn Mandarin. We aim to provide a friendly community for anyone learning or wishing to learn Mandarin Chinese. We welcome people of all levels from beginner to native speaker. Founded, October 2009.
Joining the meetup group
To be a member of this group, you need to have a profile photo in which you are recognizable as yourself. This helps people recognize each other at meetups. This is required for all members joining after January 2022. For all members of the group, please do not use AI generated photos and photos of other people. Also, please join the group with your actual name and in your personal capacity, not as a company or organization.
Member information
As from June 2024, regular Meetup members (without an organizer subscription)
- Can view the information on the home page and event pages of public meetup groups.
- Can view names but not profile pictures on attendee lists for events.
- Cannot view the full members list.
- Can view the list of organizers.
March 2026 Reading Text
Stories of the Sahara - Ch. 16 - Hitchhikers
撒哈拉的故事 - 16 - 搭车客（节录）
作者：三毛
The Three Body Problem - Ch. 17 - Three Body: Newton, Von Neumann, the First Emperor, and Tri-Solar Syzygy
三体 - 17 - 三体、牛顿、冯·诺依曼、秦始皇、三日连珠（节录）
作者：刘慈欣
Links to all reading text files
Chinese text with pinyin and selected vocabulary and explanations provided in Google Sheets. Best viewed on Chrome or Firefox browsers.
March 2026 Topics
Mar 4 - All Mandarin Online Conversation Meetup - Advanced Learners
你有什么特别的才能？你最欣赏的才能是什么？
What special talents do you have? What talent do you admire most?
(suggested by Angela)
Mar 7 - Mandarin English Conversation Practice - Saturday Afternoon Online
你有什么特别的才能？你最欣赏的才能是什么？
What special talents do you have? What talent do you admire most?
(suggested by Angela)
Mar 11 - All Mandarin Online Conversation Meetup - Advanced Learners
你们日常会不会想自我提升还是会顺其自然？
Do you generally think about self-improvement or just let things take their natural course?
(suggested by Blanche)
Mar 18 - All Mandarin Online Conversation Meetup - Advanced Learners
引诱
Temptation(s)
e.g. chocolate - 巧克力
(suggested by Jan)
Mar 18 - Late Night Event - Learning Mandarin Online through Song Sharing
Songs about being a certain age.
有关具体年龄的歌曲
(from Audrey)
Mar 21 - Mandarin English Conversation Practice - Saturday Afternoon Online
不爱汽车爱什么？
If you don't love cars, what do you love?
(suggested by Angela)
Mandarin Language Groups
We run small groups for beginners and intermediate learners so they can build up their Mandarin language skills in a friendly, constructive environment. Advanced learners can practice with each other and help beginners. Once or twice a month we will have social and reading meetups for learners of all levels, held online on Zoom, or offline in a venue likely to be in London. We will also try to organize outdoor language exchange events for the group.
Zoom meetings
Please note that in our Zoom meetings, participants are encouraged to use the Zoom chat window to write down words and expressions to help each other learn. No participant has the right to restrict how and when another participant uses the chat window. The host has overall responsibility for how the meetup is conducted. Where there is anti-social behaviour, such should be reported to the host.
Event Cancellation
Some groups cancel events at the last minute because there are too few signups. We will not do this. If an event is announced, it will be held. Unless there is inclement weather, a natural disaster or a serious transport strike, there will not be a cancellation.
If an event can only be held if a certain number of members sign up, this will be stated on the event page when the event is announced.
No-Flake, Zero No-show group
Group events often involve reservations at restaurants and hiring of venues. Organizers have to put in a lot of effort to set up the event. Members might change work schedules and travel far to meet other members. It is inconsiderate to the group and its members to sign up for in-person events and then send in a last-minute cancellation or do a no-show.
No-shows and flake outs undermine the relationship between organizers and members, and destroy the community spirit of meetups. The attendance record has a large role to play in deciding how we host future events, and in the extreme case, if we can even have events.
We should try to make our group a no-flake, zero no-show group. Let's make a commitment to respect each other, and support group events by showing up.
‘People feel they don’t owe anyone anything’: the rise in ‘flaking’ out of social plans - The Guardian
No-shows:
If you sign up for an event, please show up. If you have a schedule change and can't make it, please change your RSVP to "Not going". All no-shows in all meetups from 2022 onwards have been marked as such, so the attendee lists all reflect actual attendance. For in-person meetups, no-shows will be recorded when and where it is practical to do so.
Group Links:
London Mandarin Learners Pages (Google Sheets)
Screenshots of all LML Pages (Google Docs)
Event Notes - 2022
Group Message Board - Archive - feature removed by Meetup in July 2024
Group Mailing List - Archive - feature removed by Meetup in July 2024
List of links to Reading Text - 2022
List of Chinese English Language Exchange and Learning meetup groups in the UK and North America
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Banner graphic:
選對 - Choosing Right - Uploaded By Erica (Minhua) - February 23, 2014
Reading Meetup: Twenty Tips: 阅读活动：二十个推荐
- from LML photo album
Featured event
Late Night Event - Learning Mandarin Online through Song Sharing
Suggested theme for this month:
Songs with a question in the title or lyrics.
歌名或歌词里问问题
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We'll join the Boston Mandarin Chinese Language Meetup at midnight London time for their monthly Online Language Learning through Song Sharing. This will be an international meetup event. Note the different Zoom Link!
This event is for members now living in the US and members in the UK who don't sleep at night.
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Words set to music give us the songs we know and love. Listen to a song, listen to it again, learn the words and the music. Find out what the song means. Memorize, and make it your own. Then share it with others, and pass it on.
歌词加上音乐，谱成了我们喜爱的歌曲。 好歌可以一听再听，学习歌词和曲调，挖掘出它的意义。把歌曲记到心里去，使它变成属于你自己的，然后跟大家分享。
We can learn language through song sharing. Let's get together online for an evening of song sharing and language learning. Each participant brings a song to share, and tells the group where and when they first heard the song, what it's about, who wrote it, and how it continues to inspire them.
我们通过分享歌曲能够学习语言。诚意邀请你来参加我们分享歌曲，学习语言的晚会。每位参与者选择一首想要分享的歌曲，给大家介绍一下自己如何接触到这首歌，以及歌词的意义，歌手是谁，歌曲带来什么启示。
This will be an intergroup meetup event. We'll join members of the Boston Mandarin Chinese Language Meetup Group for this online Mandarin Learners conversation practice meetup. This is a monthly event.
Attendance at the last Song Sharing event: 12
Start time:
11:59 PM London time (Wednesday, April 22nd, 2026)
7:00 PM US Eastern Time (Wednesday, April 22nd, 2026)
Note: Follows start time of the online Song Sharing event of the Boston Mandarin Chinese Language Meetup group.
Suggested theme for this month:
Songs with a question in the title or lyrics.
歌名或歌词里问问题
Event:
Zoom meeting room will open at 11:50 PM
RSVPs close at 11:00 PM
11:59 PM - Gathering song titles, Youtube links, lyrics.
12:15 AM - Song sharing
- We will play songs on Watch2Gether. The W2G link will be provided once the Zoom meeting starts.
- After each song, the person who suggested it tells the group about the song in the language they want to practice - English or Mandarin.
- Songs can be in any language, but we'll talk about them in English and Mandarin.
- Songs can be submitted at the beginning of the meetup, or by messaging the host.
- We should be able to do 7-8 songs over 2 hours. If more people show up we'll ask them to do their songs at the next song sharing event. We will hold one of these events each month.
- Please don't wait until the last minute to sign up and provide the Youtube link to your song. This makes it difficult to finalize the playlist and the lyrics file.
2:00 AM - End. Anyone who wants to chat in English can stay on for another half an hour.
Leaving before the end:
Participants can leave any time they like. The main thing is for everyone to listen to the songs, ask questions if they don't understand the lyrics, and share the learning experience together.
No-shows:
If you sign up for an event, please show up. If you have a schedule change and can't make it, please change your RSVP to "Not going". No-shows will be marked so that attendee lists can accurately reflect attendance.
Playlists:
Song sharing playlists from previous meetups.
Lyrics spreadsheets
Song Sharing Lyrics, Vocabulary and Notes - Google sheets format
- May 21st, 2025
- July 2nd, 2025
- July 30th, 2025
- August 20th, 2025
- September 24th, 2025
- October 29th, 2025
- November 26th, 2025
- December 17th, 2025
- January 21st, 2026
- February 18th, 2026
- March 18th, 2026
- April 22nd, 2026
Who should take part in this event?
- Mandarin Beginners
- Intermediate Mandarin learners
- Advanced Mandarin learners who would like to help other learners
- Native speakers of Mandarin who would like to help, and also practice English
Who should not take part in this event?
- People who just decided last week they wanted to start learning Mandarin.
- If you can't read basic Chinese characters in Pinyin, you're not a beginner. You need to spend a few months with a Mandarin teacher or a language learning App.
- Native speakers of Mandarin who only want to practice English.
Required:
- A computer with Zoom installed and updated.
- A reliable internet connection.
- A working webcam.
- Web browser such as Chrome, Firefox, Safari.
- Logging in on a computer/laptop is strongly recommended
Zoom link and password:
Please do not post Zoom login information on social media or on public pages of the Meetup website.
Webcams and Zoom usage
Participants will be asked to turn on their webcams so we can interact with each other just like we're in a face to face meetup. Please make sure your webcam and microphone are working before you log on.
Before logging in, please read the following regarding the usage of Zoom and how to have a better online meetup experience.
Usage of Zoom and Tips for a better online meetup
- *** No participant has the right to restrict how and when another participant uses the chat window. The host has overall control over how the meetup is conducted.
- Zoom recording by participants is disabled and is not permitted throughout the course of the meetup session. If for some reason part of the session needs to be recorded, this will be done by the host, and participants will be given forewarning.
- Taking photos and videos of participants and posting them online without permission is not allowed.
Upcoming events
3
Online Reading Meetup for all levels
·OnlineOnlineText from:
The Three Body Problem - Ch. 17 - Three Body: Newton, Von Neumann, the First Emperor, and Tri-Solar Syzygy
by Liu Cixin
三体 - 17 - 三体、牛顿、冯·诺依曼、秦始皇、三日连珠（节录）
作者：刘慈欣Reading text
Chinese text with pinyin and selected vocabulary and explanations provided in Google Sheets. Best viewed on Chrome or Firefox browsers.
048-A|Three Body: Newton, Von Neumann... - reading page with pinyin (beginners)
t-048-B - the original article (advanced)
t-048-C - vocabulary with pinyin and definitions (from Google, with corrections)
t-048-D - Chinese text with pinyin and definitions (beginners)Further Reading
The Three Body Problem on Wikipedia
三体 - 维基百科About the event
The purpose of this series of reading meetups is not to handhold participants through reading Chinese text, but to introduce written material that can readily be applied to one's learning of the language.Start time: 3:00 PM London time (Saturday, March 28th, 2026)
Zoom meeting room will open at 2:50 PM
RSVPs close at 2:00 PM3:00 PM - Introductions in Mandarin and English, Housekeeping announcements
3:15 PM - Reading in breakout rooms- We'll go into breakout rooms and learn the pinyin and vocabulary in the spreadsheet
- We take turns to read the text out loud and help each other get the pinyin and tones correct
4:15 PM - Sharing and discussion in the main room
- We'll share what we learnt in the breakout rooms.
- Ask questions about interesting vocabulary and sentence structures.
- Share background material about the text.
5:00 PM - End.
- Beginners can stay and read the text again.
- Advanced learners can stay to help if they have time.
- We'll try and help everyone taking part to read at least a paragraph of the text based on the characters and pinyin.
Leaving before the end
Participants can leave any time they like. The main thing is for everyone to try and take part in the Mandarin conversation, and make an effort to express themselves and communicate with others in Mandarin.Total no. of attendees
Previous Saturday morning reading event: 13No-shows:
If you sign up for an event, please show up. If you have a schedule change and can't make it, please change your RSVP to "Not going". No-shows will be marked as such, so that attendee lists can accurately reflect attendance.Webcams:
Participants will be asked to turn on their webcams so we can interact with each other just like we're in a face to face meetup. Please make sure your webcam and microphone are working before you log on.Who should take part in this event?
- Intermediate learners.
- Beginners who would like to try something more difficult.
- Advanced learners who would like to help other learners.
- Native speakers of Mandarin with good command of English who would like to help.
Who should not take part in this event?
- People who just decided last week they wanted to start learning Mandarin.
- If you can't read basic Chinese characters in Pinyin, you're not a beginner. You need to spend a few months with a Mandarin teacher or a language learning App.
- Native speakers of Mandarin who only want to practice English.
Required:
- A computer with Zoom installed.
- A reliable internet connection.
- A working webcam.
- Web browser such as Chrome, Firefox, Safari.
- A Gmail account for sharing Google sheets and docs.
Zoom link and password:
Please do not post Zoom login information on social media or on public pages of the Meetup website.
Before logging in, please read the following page:Usage of Zoom and Tips for a better online meetup
*** No participant has the right to restrict how and when another participant uses the chat window. The host has overall control over how the meetup is conducted.*
- Zoom recording by participants is disabled and is not permitted throughout the course of the meetup session. If for some reason part of the session needs to be recorded, this will be done by the host, and participants will be given forewarning.
- Taking photos and videos of participants and posting them online without permission is not allowed.
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Banner photo:
The Three Body Problem (Cover)
- from Wikipedia4 attendees
Mandarin Learning Resources for Beginners
·OnlineOnlineLet's meet online to share Mandarin Chinese learning resources
We'll try to cover the following:
- Installing and using Language input tools (Chinese Pinyin) on Chrome
- Installing and using Chinese keyboards on Windows and Mac OS
- Chinese web page reading extensions on Chrome
- Chinese typing practice using Pinyin Input
- Using Google sheets to keep a journal for learning MandarinThis will be an intergroup meetup event. We'll be joined by members of Mandarin learning groups in Boston and NYC for this online Mandarin Learning Resources sharing meetup.
Attendance will be limited to a total of 20 members across all groups. Please change your RSVP to "not going" if you can't attend, so that other people can sign up. If more advanced learners sign up, more places will open up on the RSVP list.
Start time:
3:00 PM London time (Sunday, April 5th, 2026)
- This event follows London timeZoom meeting room will open at 2:50 PM
RSVPs close at 2:00 PMWe'll be doing screen sharing, so please sign in on a computer, not your smartphone.
Leaving before the end
Participants can leave any time they like. But please try to log in on time, so that the host does not need to repeat explanations and announcements to latecomers.No-shows:
If you sign up for an event, please show up. If you have a schedule change and can't make it, please change your RSVP to "Not going". No-shows will be marked as such, so that attendee lists can accurately reflect attendance.Webcams:
Participants will be asked to turn on their webcams so we can interact with each other just like we're in a face to face meetup. Please make sure your webcam and microphone are working before you log on.Who should take part in this event?
- Beginners who do not know how to input Chinese characters using pinyin method.
- Beginners who would like to try constructing simple sentences with the words and phrases they know.
- Advanced learners who would like to help other learners.
- Native speakers of Mandarin with good command of English who would like to help.
Who should not take part in this event?
- People who just decided last week they wanted to start learning Mandarin.
- If you can't read basic Chinese characters in Pinyin, you're not yet a beginner. You need to spend a few months with a Mandarin teacher or a language learning App.
- Native speakers of Mandarin who only want to practice English.
Required:
- A computer with Zoom installed.
- A reliable internet connection.
- A working webcam.
- Web browser such as Chrome, Firefox, Safari.
- A Gmail account for sharing Google sheets and docs.
Zoom link and password:
Please do not post Zoom login information on social media or on public pages of the Meetup website.
Before logging in, please read the following page:
Usage of Zoom and Tips for a better online meetup
*** No participant has the right to restrict how and when another participant uses the chat window. The host has overall control over how the meetup is conducted.*- Zoom recording by participants is disabled and is not permitted throughout the course of the meetup session. If for some reason part of the session needs to be recorded, this will be done by the host, and participants will be given forewarning.
- Taking photos and videos of participants and posting them online without permission is not allowed.
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Banner graphic:
- 爱洗澡的小黑猫 - inspired by Jennifer's cats story - partially generated by Google Gemini AI7 attendeesLate Night Event - Learning Mandarin Online through Song Sharing
·OnlineOnlineSuggested theme for this month:
Songs with a question in the title or lyrics.
歌名或歌词里问问题----
We'll join the Boston Mandarin Chinese Language Meetup at midnight London time for their monthly Online Language Learning through Song Sharing. This will be an international meetup event. Note the different Zoom Link!
This event is for members now living in the US and members in the UK who don't sleep at night.
----
Words set to music give us the songs we know and love. Listen to a song, listen to it again, learn the words and the music. Find out what the song means. Memorize, and make it your own. Then share it with others, and pass it on.
歌词加上音乐，谱成了我们喜爱的歌曲。 好歌可以一听再听，学习歌词和曲调，挖掘出它的意义。把歌曲记到心里去，使它变成属于你自己的，然后跟大家分享。
We can learn language through song sharing. Let's get together online for an evening of song sharing and language learning. Each participant brings a song to share, and tells the group where and when they first heard the song, what it's about, who wrote it, and how it continues to inspire them.
我们通过分享歌曲能够学习语言。诚意邀请你来参加我们分享歌曲，学习语言的晚会。每位参与者选择一首想要分享的歌曲，给大家介绍一下自己如何接触到这首歌，以及歌词的意义，歌手是谁，歌曲带来什么启示。
This will be an intergroup meetup event. We'll join members of the Boston Mandarin Chinese Language Meetup Group for this online Mandarin Learners conversation practice meetup. This is a monthly event.
Attendance at the last Song Sharing event: 12
Start time:
11:59 PM London time (Wednesday, April 22nd, 2026)
7:00 PM US Eastern Time (Wednesday, April 22nd, 2026)Note: Follows start time of the online Song Sharing event of the Boston Mandarin Chinese Language Meetup group.
Suggested theme for this month:
Songs with a question in the title or lyrics.
歌名或歌词里问问题Event:
Zoom meeting room will open at 11:50 PM
RSVPs close at 11:00 PM
11:59 PM - Gathering song titles, Youtube links, lyrics.
12:15 AM - Song sharing- We will play songs on Watch2Gether. The W2G link will be provided once the Zoom meeting starts.
- After each song, the person who suggested it tells the group about the song in the language they want to practice - English or Mandarin.
- Songs can be in any language, but we'll talk about them in English and Mandarin.
- Songs can be submitted at the beginning of the meetup, or by messaging the host.
- We should be able to do 7-8 songs over 2 hours. If more people show up we'll ask them to do their songs at the next song sharing event. We will hold one of these events each month.
- Please don't wait until the last minute to sign up and provide the Youtube link to your song. This makes it difficult to finalize the playlist and the lyrics file.
2:00 AM - End. Anyone who wants to chat in English can stay on for another half an hour.
Leaving before the end:
Participants can leave any time they like. The main thing is for everyone to listen to the songs, ask questions if they don't understand the lyrics, and share the learning experience together.No-shows:
If you sign up for an event, please show up. If you have a schedule change and can't make it, please change your RSVP to "Not going". No-shows will be marked so that attendee lists can accurately reflect attendance.Playlists:
Song sharing playlists from previous meetups.Lyrics spreadsheets
Song Sharing Lyrics, Vocabulary and Notes - Google sheets format- May 21st, 2025
- July 2nd, 2025
- July 30th, 2025
- August 20th, 2025
- September 24th, 2025
- October 29th, 2025
- November 26th, 2025
- December 17th, 2025
- January 21st, 2026
- February 18th, 2026
- March 18th, 2026
- April 22nd, 2026
Who should take part in this event?
- Mandarin Beginners
- Intermediate Mandarin learners
- Advanced Mandarin learners who would like to help other learners
- Native speakers of Mandarin who would like to help, and also practice English
Who should not take part in this event?
- People who just decided last week they wanted to start learning Mandarin.
- If you can't read basic Chinese characters in Pinyin, you're not a beginner. You need to spend a few months with a Mandarin teacher or a language learning App.
- Native speakers of Mandarin who only want to practice English.
Required:
- A computer with Zoom installed and updated.
- A reliable internet connection.
- A working webcam.
- Web browser such as Chrome, Firefox, Safari.
- Logging in on a computer/laptop is strongly recommended
Zoom link and password:
Please do not post Zoom login information on social media or on public pages of the Meetup website.Webcams and Zoom usage
Participants will be asked to turn on their webcams so we can interact with each other just like we're in a face to face meetup. Please make sure your webcam and microphone are working before you log on.
Before logging in, please read the following regarding the usage of Zoom and how to have a better online meetup experience.Usage of Zoom and Tips for a better online meetup
- *** No participant has the right to restrict how and when another participant uses the chat window. The host has overall control over how the meetup is conducted.
- Zoom recording by participants is disabled and is not permitted throughout the course of the meetup session. If for some reason part of the session needs to be recorded, this will be done by the host, and participants will be given forewarning.
- Taking photos and videos of participants and posting them online without permission is not allowed.
3 attendees
Past events
630
