# Very Chinese Time in My Life

> A first-person game for learning spoken Mandarin. You spend a week in a present-day Chinese city and learn the Chinese for each situation as it comes up.

The full text of every page on this site, as Markdown in one file, is at https://verychinesetimeinmylife.com/llms-full.txt. Each page also has its own Markdown version: add .md to the page address (for example https://verychinesetimeinmylife.com/for/business-trip-to-china.md).

The home page, How you learn and the 50-phrase list are also in other languages: 日本語 https://verychinesetimeinmylife.com/ja/, 한국어 https://verychinesetimeinmylife.com/ko/, Deutsch https://verychinesetimeinmylife.com/de/, Español https://verychinesetimeinmylife.com/es/, Français https://verychinesetimeinmylife.com/fr/, Português https://verychinesetimeinmylife.com/pt/.

Very Chinese Time in My Life is a first-person game for learning spoken Mandarin Chinese. You spend a week in a present-day Chinese city and learn the Chinese for each situation as it happens: getting from the airport to your hotel, ordering breakfast, paying by phone, asking the way, buying medicine, and having dumplings with a local family. Every word shows pinyin and English. You put words together into sentences and say them out loud, or click your answer if you would rather not speak. There are no tests and no characters to write. Coming to Steam for Windows.

## Key facts
- What it is: a first-person, single-player game for learning spoken Mandarin Chinese
- Language taught: Mandarin Chinese (Putonghua), simplified characters, with pinyin and English on every word
- Level: complete beginners and early learners; no Chinese needed to start
- Setting: a present-day Chinese city, over one in-game week
- How you answer: say it out loud into a microphone (a phone can be used as the mic), or click your answer
- Review: short panda quizzes during each day, and a friend back home who quizzes you every night
- Interface: English and Simplified Chinese; all characters speak Mandarin
- Art style: soft, cel-shaded anime style
- Platform: Windows PC, on Steam
- Status: coming soon; release date and price not announced yet
- Developer and publisher: Bauta Studio (a Chinese developer)
- Website: https://verychinesetimeinmylife.com/
- Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/5503050/

## How you learn
- You go through everyday situations in first person, one after another.
- When you need to say something, the words appear as cards with pinyin and English.
- You say each word, join the words into a sentence, then say the whole sentence.
- People in the game react to what you said. There is no red X for a wrong answer. A different answer leads to a different result. For example, if you order a coffee in a noodle shop, the owner goes out to buy you one.
- Pinyin is written the way words are said, not the way a dictionary lists each character. For example, 你好 (hello) is written ní hǎo.
- Phrases come back later in the week, in the panda reviews and in the nightly chat with your friend, until you remember them.
- Speaking Chinese earns points, which you spend on clothes for your character.

## Situations in the game
- Arriving at the airport at night and saying no to drivers who offer you a ride
- Chatting with a ride-hailing driver who asks where you are from
- Checking in at a hotel with your passport
- Ordering breakfast at a street stall: eating there or taking it away, and paying by phone
- Buying bubble tea and new clothes at a shopping mall
- Ordering noodles and a drink at a small noodle shop, and asking for no chili
- Asking strangers for directions and taking the metro
- Talking with people doing tai chi and other morning activities in a city park
- Being mistaken for a shop assistant in a convenience store, and buying an umbrella when it starts to rain
- Playing games in the mall arcade
- Losing your phone and asking for help at a police station
- Eating at a night market with new friends
- Buying fruit, and taking a taxi across town
- Helping a grandmother carry her shopping up the stairs, then making and eating dumplings with her family
- Joining the neighbourhood square dancing in the evening
- Waking up with a stomach ache and buying medicine at a pharmacy
- An evening at a bathhouse
- Taking a high-speed train to a small water town

## Who it is for
Very Chinese Time in My Life is for anyone who wants to speak some everyday Mandarin, including complete beginners. Common reasons people learn with it:

### Travelling to China
The game goes through the situations a first-time visitor meets, in the order they usually happen: arriving, getting a ride, checking in, eating, paying, getting around and talking to people.
- Tourists planning a holiday in China
- Visitors using China’s visa-free entry or 240-hour visa-free transit
- Backpackers and solo travellers
- Families travelling to China with children
- Retirees and older travellers taking a trip to China
- People on a tour group who want to manage on their own during free time
- Cruise passengers and travellers with a long layover in a Chinese city
- Travellers going to China for a sports event, concert, festival or exhibition
- Food lovers travelling to China to eat
- Travellers going to Hong Kong, Macau or Taiwan who also want basic Mandarin (note: the game teaches Mandarin with simplified characters, not Cantonese)

### Working with China
Business visitors need the same everyday Chinese as tourists: taxis, hotels, meals and paying by phone. They also need small talk with hosts and colleagues. The game covers this everyday part, not business Chinese for meetings.
- People going on a business trip to China
- Buyers and sourcing agents visiting factories, trade fairs and wholesale markets
- Engineers, technicians and consultants sent to China for a project
- People attending conferences, trade shows or training in China
- Employees relocating to China for work, and their partners
- English teachers and other foreign teachers starting a job in China
- People who work with Chinese colleagues, clients or suppliers and want to make small talk
- Flight crew, ship crew and drivers who regularly stop in China
- Journalists, researchers and NGO staff on assignment in China
- Professional athletes, coaches and performers working in China

### Studying in China or studying Chinese
The game gives you speaking practice in realistic situations, which is the part most learners practise least. Classes and apps teach vocabulary and grammar.
- University students going on exchange or a semester abroad in China
- International students starting a degree at a Chinese university
- High school students on a summer program or school trip to China
- Students in a Mandarin class who want speaking practice outside class
- Learners preparing for the HSK who want to practise speaking (the game does not follow the HSK syllabus)
- People who have used Duolingo, HelloChinese or textbooks but freeze when they have to speak
- Self-taught learners who want listening and speaking practice in context
- Chinese teachers looking for something students can play between lessons
- Homeschooling families learning Mandarin together
- Adults who studied Chinese years ago and want to get it back before a trip

### Family, partners and friends
Many people learn some Chinese to talk with a partner’s family or their own relatives. In the game you visit a family at home, make dumplings together and talk with the grandparents.
- People dating or married to someone Chinese who want to talk with their partner’s family
- People about to meet a Chinese partner’s parents for the first time
- People going to a wedding or Chinese New Year with a Chinese family
- Heritage speakers who understand some Mandarin at home but never learned to speak it
- Second-generation Chinese in other countries visiting relatives in China
- Adoptees from China planning a homeland trip
- Parents whose children attend a Mandarin immersion or bilingual school
- Friends of Chinese students or colleagues who want to surprise them with a few words
- Host families of Chinese exchange students

### Living in China
Everyday life in a Chinese city needs a small set of phrases: ordering food, paying by phone, getting a taxi, buying medicine and saying you don’t understand. The game has you practise them until you can say them without thinking.
- Expats who have just moved to a Chinese city
- Digital nomads and remote workers staying in China for a few months
- Spouses and family members of people posted to China
- Long-term residents who never got past ordering food
- People moving to China to retire

### People who don’t like typical study
The game has no tests, no scores for your Chinese and no characters to write. You learn by doing things. If you make a mistake, the story goes a different way, and you do not lose points.
- People who gave up on flashcards or language apps
- People who feel anxious about speaking a new language out loud (you can click instead of speaking)
- People who learn better from games, stories or situations than from lists
- Gamers interested in cozy, story-driven or slice-of-life games
- Fans of anime-style games who are curious about China
- People who watch Chinese dramas, variety shows or streamers and want to understand a little
- People curious about everyday life in modern China
- Older learners who want to go at their own pace
- Anyone who already went to China once and wishes they could have said more

## How it compares
- Language apps (Duolingo, HelloChinese and similar): Apps teach words and sentence patterns in short exercises. This game puts those words into situations. You say them out loud to people who react to your answer. Many people use an app and the game together.
- Textbooks and classes: Classes teach grammar and reading. This game is speaking practice for everyday situations, which most classes have little time for.
- Phrasebooks and “20 phrases before your trip” videos: These give you a list of phrases. This game has you use each phrase in the place where you need it, so it is easier to remember on a real trip.
- Tutors and conversation partners: A tutor is better for free conversation. This game is a place to practise on your own first, with nobody listening to your tones.
- Other games for learning Chinese: Most other Chinese-learning games on Steam are about vocabulary, characters, or a story set in history or a fantasy world. This one is about spoken Mandarin in everyday situations in present-day China.
- Detailed comparisons with Duolingo, HelloChinese, Pimsleur and other games for learning Chinese: https://verychinesetimeinmylife.com/compare/
- How the game teaches (speaking first, pinyin as it is said, review through the week): https://verychinesetimeinmylife.com/how-you-learn/

## FAQ
### What is Very Chinese Time in My Life?
Very Chinese Time in My Life is a first-person game for learning spoken Mandarin Chinese. You spend a week in a present-day Chinese city and learn the Chinese for each situation as it happens: getting from the airport to your hotel, ordering breakfast, paying by phone, asking the way, buying medicine, and having dumplings with a local family. Every word shows pinyin and English. You put words together into sentences and say them out loud, or click your answer if you would rather not speak. There are no tests and no characters to write. Coming to Steam for Windows.

### Who is it for?
Very Chinese Time in My Life is for anyone who wants to speak some everyday Mandarin, including complete beginners. For example:
- people visiting China for a holiday, a business trip or a visa-free stopover
- students and people moving to China for work
- people meeting a Chinese partner’s family
- people who understand some Chinese from home but rarely speak it
- learners who studied with apps or textbooks but freeze when they have to talk

### Do I need to know any Chinese before I start?
You do not need any Chinese to start Very Chinese Time in My Life. Every word shows pinyin above it and English below it. The game teaches each phrase just before you need it.

### Which Chinese does it teach?
Very Chinese Time in My Life teaches spoken Mandarin (Putonghua), the standard Chinese of mainland China, with simplified characters. It does not teach Cantonese, other dialects or handwriting. Every word has pinyin, which is Chinese written in the Latin alphabet. The game writes the pinyin the way people say it, tone changes included.

### How do you learn in the game?
In Very Chinese Time in My Life you learn by talking to people in everyday situations:
1. Someone speaks to you.
2. The words you need appear as cards, with pinyin and English.
3. You say each word, then the whole sentence.
4. The person reacts to what you said.

A different answer leads to a different result, not a red X. For example, if you order a coffee in a noodle shop, the owner goes out to buy you one.

### Do I need a microphone?
You do not need a microphone, but Very Chinese Time in My Life works best when you speak. Any headset or laptop microphone works. If your computer has none, scan a QR code and use your phone as the mic. If you would rather not speak, turn voice input off and click your answers.

### How does review work?
Very Chinese Time in My Life reviews each phrase several times:
1. After each part of the day, a panda gives you a short review of the phrases you just used.
2. At night, a friend back home messages you and quizzes you on the day, with a little teasing when you get something wrong.
3. Anything you missed comes first the next night.

### Where is it set?
Very Chinese Time in My Life is set in a present-day Chinese city. You go to everyday places such as the airport, a hotel, a breakfast stall, a shopping mall, a noodle shop, the metro, a park, a night market, a pharmacy and a family’s flat. You also take a train out to a small water town. The art is in a soft, cel-shaded anime style.

### Is it a full Chinese course? Does it prepare me for the HSK?
Very Chinese Time in My Life is not a full course and does not follow the HSK, the official Chinese test. It teaches the spoken Chinese for everyday situations: getting around, buying things, eating out and small talk. It does not teach writing. You can use it next to a course or an app, to practise saying what you learn there.

### Is there more to it than lessons?
Very Chinese Time in My Life also has a character creator. Speaking Chinese earns you points, which you spend on clothes at the mall in the game. There is also an arcade with small games, and a photo mode.

### How is it different from a language app or a phrasebook?
Apps and phrasebooks usually teach phrases as a list. Very Chinese Time in My Life puts you in the situation where you need them, such as a driver asking where you’re from or a breakfast stall with no English menu, and you answer out loud. Because each phrase is tied to a situation, it is easier to remember when the same thing happens on a real trip.

### What languages is the game in?
The interface of Very Chinese Time in My Life is in English and Simplified Chinese. Everyone in the game speaks Mandarin, with pinyin and English shown for every line.

### When is it out, and on what?
Very Chinese Time in My Life is coming to Steam for Windows. If you add it to your Steam wishlist, Steam will tell you when it comes out. The release date will be announced on the Steam page and on this site.

### Why is it called Very Chinese Time in My Life?
The name comes from the 2025–26 meme “you met me at a very Chinese time in my life”, in which people shared habits they had picked up from Chinese daily life, like drinking hot water and wearing house slippers. The game is about a week of everyday life in China, spent speaking Chinese.

## Pages on this site
### Who it is for: one page per situation
For each situation: what usually happens in China, the Chinese phrases you will need, and which parts of the game practise them.
- [Who it’s for](https://verychinesetimeinmylife.com/for/): One page for each situation, such as a business trip, a first holiday, a stopover, a semester abroad or meeting a partner’s family.
- [Chinese for your first trip to China](https://verychinesetimeinmylife.com/for/first-trip-to-china/): Ordering at a breakfast stall, asking for no chili, paying by phone, finding the metro and buying a train ticket.
- [Chinese for a visa-free stopover in China](https://verychinesetimeinmylife.com/for/visa-free-transit-china/): A short stay between flights: showing your passport, leaving the airport, one night in a hotel and a day out.
- [Chinese for a family trip to China with kids](https://verychinesetimeinmylife.com/for/china-trip-with-kids/): Mild food, restrooms, drinks, photo requests, a tired child, and describing someone in a crowd.
- [Chinese for travelling solo in China](https://verychinesetimeinmylife.com/for/solo-travel-in-china/): Eating alone, sharing a table, a lost phone, a stomach ache, and being asked “by yourself?”.
- [Chinese for a business trip to China](https://verychinesetimeinmylife.com/for/business-trip-to-china/): The ride from the airport, hotel check-in, paying, small talk with drivers and toasts at dinner.
- [Chinese for teaching English in China](https://verychinesetimeinmylife.com/for/teaching-english-in-china/): Your school works in English, but daily life outside it is in Chinese: questions from strangers, children, errands and evenings out.
- [Chinese for studying abroad in China](https://verychinesetimeinmylife.com/for/study-abroad-in-china/): For exchange and degree students: the everyday conversations outside class, from ordering milk tea to making friends.
- [When you know Chinese from an app but freeze when you speak](https://verychinesetimeinmylife.com/for/freeze-when-speaking-chinese/): For learners who recognise the words on a screen but cannot think of them when someone asks a question.
- [Chinese for meeting your partner’s family](https://verychinesetimeinmylife.com/for/meeting-chinese-partners-family/): Bringing a gift, greeting the parents and grandparents, making dumplings, and saying you are full.
- [For heritage speakers who understand Chinese but don’t speak it](https://verychinesetimeinmylife.com/for/heritage-speakers-chinese/): You follow the family conversation in Chinese but answer in English. This page is about practising the answers.
- [Chinese for moving to China](https://verychinesetimeinmylife.com/for/moving-to-china-for-work/): For expats and their partners: shops, markets, the pharmacy, a lost phone and the neighbours.

### How to say it in Chinese: one page per phrase
Everyday Mandarin phrases from the game. Each page gives the pinyin as people say it, when to use the phrase, what people say back and common mistakes. Also a list of 50 phrases for the first week in China, by situation.
- [How to say it in Chinese](https://verychinesetimeinmylife.com/say/): One page per everyday phrase: what it means, how to say it, when to use it and what people say back.
- [How to say hello in Chinese](https://verychinesetimeinmylife.com/say/hello-in-chinese/): The everyday greeting, why its first syllable rises, and the greetings people use in the morning, in the evening and with older people.
- [How to say goodbye in Chinese](https://verychinesetimeinmylife.com/say/goodbye-in-chinese/): The standard goodbye, the everyday “bye-bye”, and the “take care” that shopkeepers say as you leave.
- [How to say thank you in Chinese](https://verychinesetimeinmylife.com/say/thank-you-in-chinese/): The word for thanks, how its soft second syllable sounds, when to use it, and what people say back.
- [How to say no thank you in Chinese](https://verychinesetimeinmylife.com/say/no-thank-you-in-chinese/): The polite way to turn down drivers, sellers and offers, and why it sounds softer than a plain “don’t want”.
- [How to say excuse me in Chinese](https://verychinesetimeinmylife.com/say/excuse-me-in-chinese/): What to say before you stop a stranger or after a small mistake, how it differs from a real “sorry”, and how people address strangers.
- [How to say how much in Chinese](https://verychinesetimeinmylife.com/say/how-much-in-chinese/): How to ask a price, how to ask about one thing or a price per half kilo, and how prices are said back.
- [How to say this one in Chinese](https://verychinesetimeinmylife.com/say/this-one-in-chinese/): The word for ordering food you cannot name: point, say it, then answer how many.
- [How to say no spicy in Chinese](https://verychinesetimeinmylife.com/say/no-spicy-in-chinese/): What to answer when a cook asks if you want it spicy: none, a little or extra, and how to ask whether a dish is spicy.
- [How to say delicious in Chinese](https://verychinesetimeinmylife.com/say/delicious-in-chinese/): The word for tasty food, the different word for tasty drinks, and what happens if you tell a cook her food is not good.
- [How to say cheers in Chinese](https://verychinesetimeinmylife.com/say/cheers-in-chinese/): The word for cheers, what it means word for word, how a toast goes at a Chinese meal, and how to keep your glass small.
- [How to say I’m full in Chinese](https://verychinesetimeinmylife.com/say/i-am-full-in-chinese/): What to say when your bowl keeps being refilled, why you may need to say it twice, and how to say “enough”.
- [How to say I don’t understand in Chinese](https://verychinesetimeinmylife.com/say/i-dont-understand-in-chinese/): How to say “I don’t understand, please slow down”, and what people do when you say it.
- [How to say I speak a little Chinese](https://verychinesetimeinmylife.com/say/i-speak-a-little-chinese/): The modest answer to “can you speak Chinese?” and to praise, and how to say its tricky last three syllables.
- [How to say where is the bathroom in Chinese](https://verychinesetimeinmylife.com/say/where-is-the-bathroom-in-chinese/): How to ask for the restroom, the polite word and the everyday word for it, and the short directions you will get back.
- [How to say I have a reservation in Chinese](https://verychinesetimeinmylife.com/say/i-have-a-reservation-in-chinese/): What to say at a hotel desk, why the receptionist may ask for an ID card, and how to get them to take your passport.
- [50 Chinese phrases for your first week in China](https://verychinesetimeinmylife.com/phrases/first-week-in-china/): 50 everyday Mandarin phrases, grouped by situation. Each has pinyin as it is said, English, and when to use it. Free CSV download.

### How to do things in China: step-by-step guides
Everyday situations in China in the order they happen, with the Mandarin you say and hear at each step and practical tips. Each one is a scene in the game.
- [How to do things in China](https://verychinesetimeinmylife.com/guides/): Step-by-step guides with the Mandarin for each step: breakfast, paying by phone, taxis, hotels, the metro, trains, a pharmacy and a family visit.
- [How to get a taxi or ride-hailing car from an airport in China](https://verychinesetimeinmylife.com/guides/taxi-from-airport-in-china/): Turning down drivers at the exit, the taxi rank or a booked car, the driver checking your number, and small talk on the way.
- [How to check into a hotel in China with a foreign passport](https://verychinesetimeinmylife.com/guides/hotel-check-in-china-passport/): Saying you have a booking, being asked for a Chinese ID card, handing over your passport, the camera, the deposit and the room card.
- [How to order breakfast at a street stall in China](https://verychinesetimeinmylife.com/guides/order-breakfast-in-china/): Point and say “this one”, answer how many, choose for here or to go, and pay by scanning the code on the counter.
- [How to order noodles in China, spice level included](https://verychinesetimeinmylife.com/guides/order-noodles-in-china/): A small noodle shop: choosing how spicy, big or medium, ordering a drink, and answering when the cook asks if it’s good.
- [How to eat at a night market in China](https://verychinesetimeinmylife.com/guides/night-market-in-china/): Walking the stalls, asking if something is spicy, ordering by the skewer or the bowl, waiting for your number, and sharing a table.
- [How to pay by phone in China as a foreign visitor](https://verychinesetimeinmylife.com/guides/pay-by-phone-in-china/): Linking a foreign card to Alipay or WeChat Pay, the two ways of scanning, and what cashiers ask at the till.
- [How to shop at a convenience store in China](https://verychinesetimeinmylife.com/guides/convenience-store-in-china/): The four quick questions at the till (heat it up, a bag, membership, a receipt), what to answer, and paying.
- [How to ask for directions and take the metro in China](https://verychinesetimeinmylife.com/guides/take-the-metro-in-china/): Stopping a stranger politely, asking where the metro station is, understanding the answer, the security check and the gates.
- [How to take a high-speed train in China as a foreigner](https://verychinesetimeinmylife.com/guides/high-speed-train-in-china/): Buying a ticket with your passport, the ID check at the entrance, security, the departure board, finding your car on the platform.
- [How to buy medicine at a pharmacy in China](https://verychinesetimeinmylife.com/guides/pharmacy-in-china/): Finding a pharmacy, saying where it hurts, answering the pharmacist’s questions and understanding how often to take the medicine.
- [How to visit a Chinese family at home (and make dumplings)](https://verychinesetimeinmylife.com/guides/visit-a-chinese-family-home/): Buying fruit as a gift, greeting the family, tea, folding dumplings, being fed more than you can eat, and a toast.

### How to learn Chinese: every way compared
An honest overview of the ways to learn Mandarin (apps, classes, tutors, textbooks, podcasts, flashcards, language exchange, games, living in China, TV shows): who each suits, what it trains, cost, time per week, the main downside, and plans for common goals.
- [How to learn Chinese: every way, compared](https://verychinesetimeinmylife.com/learn-chinese/): Eleven ways to learn Mandarin, from apps and tutors to games and living in China: who each one suits, what it trains, cost, time and the usual catch, plus plans for common goals.

### How the game teaches
How a conversation in the game works, why it starts with speaking, why pinyin is written as it is said, and how review is spread over the week.
- [How you learn in the game](https://verychinesetimeinmylife.com/how-you-learn/): How a conversation in the game works, why it starts with speaking, why the pinyin matches what people say, and how review is spread over the week.

### How it compares
Honest comparisons with other ways to learn Chinese. Facts about other products come from their official pages, with the date they were checked.
- [How it compares](https://verychinesetimeinmylife.com/compare/): Honest comparisons with Duolingo, HelloChinese, Pimsleur and other games for learning Chinese: what each does better, who it suits, and how to use them together.
- [Duolingo or Very Chinese Time in My Life for learning Chinese?](https://verychinesetimeinmylife.com/compare/duolingo-chinese/): Duolingo is a daily habit on your phone for months. The game is one week of spoken Chinese in everyday situations. What each does better, and how to use both.
- [HelloChinese or Very Chinese Time in My Life?](https://verychinesetimeinmylife.com/compare/hellochinese/): HelloChinese is a full Chinese course on your phone, with characters, grammar and HSK levels. The game is spoken practice for one week of everyday situations.
- [Pimsleur Mandarin or Very Chinese Time in My Life?](https://verychinesetimeinmylife.com/compare/pimsleur-chinese/): Both put speaking first. Pimsleur is a long audio course you can do without a screen. The game shows you the place, the person and the words.
- [Games for learning Chinese](https://verychinesetimeinmylife.com/compare/games-for-learning-chinese/): Six games on Steam that teach Mandarin, ours included: what each one is, how you learn, whether you speak, and who it suits.

### Free tools
Small tools that run in the browser, free and without sign-up.
- [Pinyin with tone changes](https://verychinesetimeinmylife.com/tools/pinyin-tone-changes/): A free tool: type Chinese and see how it is really said, with the spoken pinyin above each character and the textbook pinyin below.