My Indian colleague learned 200 Chinese characters in 3 months. Here's his actual method.

Kurokun

My friend Rajesh from Bangalore is an engineer. He's methodical. When he decided to learn Chinese, he didn't mess around.

Three months later, he knew 200 characters. Could read basic menus. Could understand street signs. Couldn't hold a conversation yet, but he could SURVIVE.

His method (the disciplined version):

1. Anki flashcards — 30 minutes every morning
He used a pre-made deck called "HSK 1-3." 30 new cards per day. Reviewed old cards. Never skipped a day.

2. Skritter — 15 minutes every evening
For writing practice. He focused on stroke order. "If I learn it wrong from the start," he said, "I'll never fix it."

3. One YouTube video per day
He watched "ChinesePod" or "Mandarin Corner" during his commute. Just listening. Not actively studying.

4. Label everything in his apartment
His fridge said 冰箱. His door said 门. His bed said 床. He saw Chinese characters every time he moved.

5. Order food in Chinese once a week
He'd go to a local restaurant, point at the menu, and try to say the dish name. Sometimes he got the wrong thing. He ate it anyway.

What he DIDN'T do:

❌ He didn't try to learn tones first. "I'll pick them up as I go." (He didn't. His tones are still terrible. But he's understood.)
❌ He didn't pay for a tutor. "Too expensive. Apps are enough for now."
❌ He didn't practice speaking with strangers. "I'll do that at 500 characters."

His results after 3 months:

• 200 characters recognized
• 50 characters he could write
• Could read a basic menu (with some guessing)
• Could navigate the metro (all signs are in characters)
• Couldn't hold a conversation
• Couldn't read a newspaper

Rajesh: "200 characters doesn't sound like much. But it's enough to not feel completely helpless. I can order food, find the bathroom, and read street signs. That's 80% of daily survival."

The math: 200 characters = about 30% of daily-use written Chinese. 500 characters = about 75%. 1,000 characters = you can read most everyday text.

Rajesh's goal: 500 characters in 6 months. Then he'll start speaking practice.

Anyone else learning characters? What's your method?