Learning Some Basic Chinese Through Scratch

Scratch isn’t just for learning programming—it can also be a creative and interactive way to learn new languages, including basic Chinese. With its block-based system and visual design, Scratch allows learners to build games, stories, and quizzes that help reinforce vocabulary, pronunciation, and sentence structures in a fun and memorable way.

Whether you're a parent, teacher, or student, this article will show how to start learning simple Chinese through Scratch projects.

💡 Why Learn Chinese Through Scratch?

Learning Chinese can feel intimidating at first—new characters, tones, and unfamiliar grammar. But Scratch makes it easier by turning learning into a game.

Benefits:

🎮 Interactive Learning – Click, drag, hear, and respond to Chinese words

🎧 Multisensory Approach – Combine visuals, sound, and movement

🎯 Customizable Projects – Tailor content to match the learner’s level

🧩 Build-as-you-learn – Reinforce language naturally through creation

🧒 Who Is It For?

Children who are learning Chinese at school

Beginner learners of any age

Teachers designing bilingual lessons

Parents who want fun at-home practice tools

🔤 What Can You Learn?

Through simple Scratch projects, you can learn:

Skill	Example
Basic Characters	Words like “你好” (Hello), “我” (I), “爱” (Love)
Pinyin	Match sounds to Chinese characters
Greetings & Introductions	“我叫李雷” (My name is Li Lei)
Numbers & Colors	Counting from 1–10, learning “红色” (red), etc.
Everyday Vocabulary	Animals, food, weather, family words

 

🧪 Simple Project Ideas to Try

Here are a few project ideas you can build right away using Scratch to learn basic Chinese.

📘 1. Chinese Flashcards

Goal: Show a character and let users click to reveal pinyin and sound.

Sprite shows: “猫”

When clicked: display “māo” + play pronunciation

You can use costumes to switch between word and pinyin

Upload audio clips or record your own voice!

🔧 Scratch Blocks Used: when this sprite clicked, switch costume, play sound

🎯 2. Chinese Word Matching Game

Goal: Drag and drop the correct Chinese word to the matching image.

Image of an apple 🍎

Player drags “苹果” onto the image

Show success or error message

🔧 Scratch Blocks Used: go to, if touching, say, change score

🎤 3. Learn to Say Hello

Goal: Teach a basic Chinese greeting through animation.

Character walks in and says:

“你好！我叫小明。”

Add voice recording for better pronunciation practice.

🔧 Scratch Blocks Used: say, broadcast, wait, recorded sound

🎲 4. Quiz: What's This Word?

Goal: Build a basic quiz with multiple choice answers.

Ask: “Which of these means ‘cat’?”

A. 狗 B. 马 C. 猫

If user clicks “C”, give positive feedback.

🔧 Scratch Blocks Used: ask, if-then, join, answer

🛠 How to Get Started

Visit scratch.mit.edu

Create an account (optional, but useful for saving projects)

Set your language to Chinese (中文) in the globe icon

Browse the Scratch community for inspiration by searching “Chinese”

📚 Tips for Better Learning

👂 Use real audio: Record yourself or use TTS for better listening skills

🧠 Use repetition: Repeat key words across several projects

✍️ Add writing practice: Show stroke order animations if possible

🤝 Collaborate: Make Chinese learning a group activity

🌈 Example Vocabulary List to Use

Chinese	Pinyin	English
你好	nǐ hǎo	Hello
谢谢	xièxie	Thank you
我	wǒ	I / Me
苹果	píngguǒ	Apple
猫	māo	Cat
红色	hóngsè	Red
一 二 三	yī èr sān	One Two Three

 

🎁 Bonus: Where to Find Resources

Pinyin and audio: https://dict.baidu.com

HSK vocabulary lists (Beginner level)

Scratch community projects (Search for “Learn Chinese”)

Free Chinese fonts and icons

So why not remix a project like this one(https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/118565200/) and start your own Chinese-learning adventure today?

 

Website: Learning Some Basic Chinese Through Scratch https://platogame.com/news/view/4

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