Home Courses Languages Chinese Courses Chinese Courses CoursesBeauty and Fashion Courses Culture, Society and Environment Courses Dance Courses Handicrafts Courses Languages Arabic Courses Chinese Courses Danish courses Dutch Courses English Courses Estonian Courses Finnish Courses French Courses German Courses Greek Courses Italian Courses Japanese Courses Korean Courses Latin Courses Persian Courses Polish Courses Portuguese Courses Russian Courses Spanish Courses Swedish Courses Thai courses Ukrainian courses Benefits for Members of the Pro Trade Union Media, Computer skills and Photography Music Courses Sports Courses Theatre and Improvisation Visual arts Well-being Courses Written Expression and Communication Open University Studies Benefits for Union Members Tiivistelmä On our Chinese courses at Helsingin aikuisopisto, you can start learning Mandarin Chinese from scratch or continue at beginner level (level 0–A1.3). In spring 2027 we offer an intensive beginners’ course, its continuation course, a beginners’ continuation course and Chinese 3. On the courses you practise everyday conversations, Chinese pronunciation with the help of pinyin and the structure and symbolism of Chinese characters. Classes are held at our building in Töölö (Runeberginkatu 22–24), and the courses cost €117 and €134. Please note that our Chinese courses are taught in Finnish with Chinese used where appropriate. The language of instruction is always shown in the course details in the registration system. See all our courses taught in English. Courses Frequently asked questions Registration The Chinese language Chinese is the world’s most widely spoken language, with more than a billion native speakers. It belongs to the Sino-Tibetan languages, which also include Tibetan and Burmese, for example. The name Chinese is often used to mean Mandarin Chinese, which is spoken in northern China and is the official language of the Chinese state and the language of instruction in its schools. All literate Chinese people understand the written language, whatever their dialect. Basic grammar and the writing system Chinese grammar is very simple at a basic level. Chinese words are not inflected at all, and there are no tenses or plurals as such. Chinese is a tonal language: a word pronounced with a different tone has a completely different meaning. Mandarin Chinese has four tones and a fifth, neutral tone. The Chinese writing system is the oldest writing system still in use. There are around 100,000 characters, but around 7,000 are in common use, of which around 3,000 are the most frequent. Knowing around 2,000–3,000 characters is usually enough to read a Chinese newspaper. Which course is right for you? If you want to…Explorestart Chinese from scratchIntensive Chinese for beginnerscontinue straight after the intensive beginners’ courseIntensive Chinese for beginners, continuationcontinue for the whole spring after about one term of studyChinese beginners’ continuationdeepen your Chinese after about two and a half years of studyChinese 3 Courses in spring 2027 This list is based on the published spring 2027 programme. You can always find up-to-date information, course descriptions and available places in the registration system. All courses are held at Runeberginkatu 22–24. The Finnish course name is shown in brackets. On the beginner-level courses, you practise getting by in Chinese, especially in everyday conversations such as greeting people, asking questions and talking about your family, and later also about travel plans, shopping, restaurants and business encounters. You learn about the structure and symbolism of Chinese characters, practise pronunciation with pinyin and learn the basics of grammar. Intensive Chinese for beginners, level 0 (Kiinan intensiivialkeet): Tue 18.40–20.40, 26 Jan – 16 Mar 2027, Li Bai-Saturo, €117. No previous study needed. Textbook: Chi le ma – Kiinan peruskurssi, chapters 1–3. Intensive Chinese for beginners, continuation, A1.1 (Kiinan intensiivialkeiden jatko): Tue 18.40–20.40, 30 Mar – 18 May 2027, Li Bai-Saturo, €117. Follows on from the intensive beginners’ course. Textbook: Chi le ma, chapters 4–6. Chinese beginners’ continuation, A1.1 (Kiinan alkeiden jatko): Thu 18.45–20.15, 28 Jan – 15 Apr 2027, Li Bai-Saturo, €134. For learners with about one term of Chinese or the intensive beginners’ course. Textbook: Chi le ma, chapters 4–6. Chinese 3, A1.3 (Kiinan jatko 3): Mon 18.45–20.15, 25 Jan – 19 Apr 2027, Li Bai-Saturo, €134. Everyday spoken Chinese, Chinese New Year and Chinese theatre. For learners with about two and a half years of Chinese. Textbook: Hanyu Jiaocheng Book 1 B, which uses English as its support language. Good to know Location: Runeberginkatu 22–24, Helsinki. How to find us. Language of instruction: The courses are taught in Finnish with Chinese used where appropriate. Levels: The course levels follow the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (level 0, A1). Finnish national proficiency scale • Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) Textbooks: Textbooks are not included in the course fee. We recommend that you buy the textbook right after the first class. The audio files for Chi le ma can be downloaded free of charge from the publisher’s Nova app. You can buy textbooks from bookshops, online bookshops and publishers’ websites. We do not supply textbooks. Payment: Language courses cannot be paid for with Edenred or Epassi culture and sport benefits. If your employer offers a tax-free culture benefit (up to €400 a year) that you would like to use for language studies, we can make a separate agreement with your employer. You choose the course, and we invoice the full fee or the part your employer covers directly to your employer. Please contact our study guidance or office for more information. Certificate: You can request a certificate from our office once the course has ended. Frequently asked questions Are the Chinese courses taught in English? No. The courses are taught in Finnish with Chinese used where appropriate. The textbook on Chinese 3 uses English as its support language. Can I start Chinese from scratch in spring? Yes. Intensive Chinese for beginners (level 0) starts at the end of January, and no previous study is needed. It is followed by Intensive Chinese for beginners, continuation, which starts at the end of March. Is Chinese a difficult language? Chinese grammar is simple at a basic level because words are not inflected. The tones and the characters are more challenging, but you practise pronunciation with pinyin and learn the characters gradually. Which Chinese do you teach? We teach Mandarin Chinese, which is the official language of the Chinese state and the language of instruction in its schools. Can I join a course that has already started? Yes. You can join the intensive beginners’ course during the first two classes and the other courses later. Register for the course but do not pay, and email toimisto@helao.fi to tell us when you will start. We will send you a payment link with an adjusted price. Can I pay with Edenred or Epassi? No. Language courses cannot be paid for with culture and sport benefits. You can, however, use a tax-free culture benefit from your employer through a separate agreement. Please contact our office for more information. See also Language courses: all the languages we teach. Japanese courses: from a quick start course to elementary level. Korean courses: from intensive beginners to elementary level. Thai courses: spoken Thai for travellers, taught online. Teachers of language courses: meet our teachers. Chinese ink painting and calligraphy – beginners (Kiinalainen tussimaalaus ja kalligrafia – alkeet): 30–31 January 2027, €93, taught by painter Hong Liu-Sertti. A continuation course starts in May (Kiinalainen tussimaalaus ja kalligrafia – jatkokurssi). Taiji and Kung Fu: traditional Chinese movement arts. Registration Browse all our Chinese courses and register online. Our study guidance can help you choose a course and answer questions about your studies. For more information about our Chinese courses, please contact Niina Kerppola, Head of Foreign Languages, at niina.kerppola@helao.fi.
