draft
Mandarin Principles
Guiding Rule
Section titled “Guiding Rule”Prove it works first. Build the system second.
The biggest failure mode is not technical accuracy, it is quitting early.
What Gets Memorized
Section titled “What Gets Memorized”- meaning
- pronunciation (pinyin sound shape)
- tone
- character structure (radicals/components)
- locus position in a palace
Quality Standard for Scenes
Section titled “Quality Standard for Scenes”- strange, vivid, and concrete
- one clear action, not abstract symbolism
- obvious sound link to the Mandarin syllable
- explicit tone marker included
Recall Standard
Section titled “Recall Standard”A word is considered learned when you can:
- recall meaning from the locus
- recall sound + tone from the scene
- recognize character structure from your notes