What to watch to learn Chinese
Everything 2 working Chinese teachers told us they would actually put in front of a learner, with a note on why each one works and the level it suits.
52
Recommendations
2
Teachers
Standard Chinese
Picked by
I've spent most of my adult life learning and teaching Mandarin, including four years of study in Taiwan, and I run Hacking Chinese. These picks pull together my full guides to the best YouTube channels and podcasts for learning Chinese, sorted by level, and that sorting is the point: the best pick is the one you can mostly understand, so start where you actually are, not where you'd like to be.
See Olle Linge’s picks
Blabla Chinese
A hundred super-beginner stories in slow, friendly Mandarin with plenty of visual support, made to be understood before you've learned much at all.
Beginner
Diane Neubauer (杜雁子)
A comprehension-based teacher whose gentle zero-beginner playlists, Mandarin visits with her chickens included, let you start listening from literally nothing.
Beginner
Lazy Chinese
Some of the best Chinese-only comprehensible input on YouTube, story videos you can follow with almost no English; the same creator's podcast runs under the name Comprehensible Chinese.
Beginner
Mandarin Click
Slow, HSK-graded stories with everything labelled by level, so you always know exactly what you can handle next.
Beginner
Melnyks Chinese
Theme-based, progressive audio lessons with transcripts that work in audio-only form, a gentle start for complete beginners.
Beginner
Shianguu Hsieh
Rare male-voiced comprehensible input for beginners, with simple drawings that carry the meaning; only thirteen videos, but precious ones.
Beginner
Slow & Clear Chinese
Beginner listening with no English at all, made understandable through gestures, props and images, usable from your very first day.
Beginner
Stickynote Chinese
A small comprehensible-input channel whose beginner playlist needs no vocabulary or prior knowledge to enjoy.
Beginner
Acquire Mandarin
Calm comprehensible-input videos in two tracks, beginner and intermediate-plus, so the channel grows with you.
Beginner-Intermediate
Alison Mandarin
Stories told twice, once at natural pace and once slowly with characters and Pinyin, so early learners can climb between the two.
Beginner-Intermediate
Chinese Mandarin Cherry
Videos labelled intermediate but really upper beginner, with less hand-holding: a good bridge when beginner content starts feeling easy.
Beginner-Intermediate
Crazie Laoshi
Chinese taught with real personality: story and listening playlists that stay almost entirely in Chinese, pitched at upper beginners.
Beginner-Intermediate
Learning Chinese through Stories
Stories told entirely in Chinese, often paired with a second episode discussing the story, graded from novice through advanced.
Beginner-Intermediate
Story Learning Chinese with Annie
Story videos mostly or entirely in Chinese in lots of formats, games and picture talks included, spanning beginner to intermediate.
Beginner-Intermediate
Dashu Mandarin (大叔中文)
Three teachers chatting naturally about China, culture and society for intermediate learners and up; also an excellent podcast.
Intermediate
Haike Mandarin
Two best friends chatting naturally about everyday topics, like eavesdropping on real Mandarin conversation.
Intermediate
Learn Mandarin in Mandarin with Huimin
Long, natural monologues entirely in Chinese, each episode tagged with a difficulty rating so you can find your level.
Intermediate
Learn Taiwanese Mandarin
Casual, unscripted monologues in Taiwanese Mandarin, ideal for tuning your ear to Taiwan's accent and everyday phrasing.
Intermediate
Mandarin Corner
Street interviews and real conversations with dual subtitles, everyday Mandarin at the speed people actually speak it.
Intermediate
MaoMi Chinese
Scripted monologues for intermediate learners, with the harder words patiently explained in Chinese.
Intermediate
Speak Chinese with Da Peng (大鹏说中文)
Short daily-expression episodes and interviews in clear, natural Mandarin, one genuinely useful phrase at a time; also runs as a podcast.
Intermediate
TeaTime Chinese
Nathan talks in slow, clear Chinese about everything from daily life to history, an ideal first step into podcast listening.
Intermediate
Unconventional Chinese
An entertaining, well-produced intermediate playlist built around travel and interviews that lives up to the channel's name.
Intermediate
Will Hart (何威)
A British learner who reached advanced Mandarin and shares how, in Chinese, so you improve your method and your listening at once.
Intermediate
ChinesePod
A vast archive built up since 2007; the intermediate and advanced feeds are where the real value is.
Intermediate-Advanced
Convo Chinese
Genuine unscripted dialogues spanning daily life to global politics, with native guests and the occasional advanced learner.
Intermediate-Advanced
Banlatie (半拿铁)
Business stories for native listeners: two hosts trade hour-long deep dives into famous companies and founders, in real conversation.
Advanced
Behind the Headlines (锵锵三人行)
Roundtable's legendary predecessor: roughly five thousand episodes of three-way talk from 1998 to 2017, still superb listening.
Advanced
CyberPink (疲惫娇娃)
Native-level culture conversations about film and TV that wander far beyond the screen, usually one to two hours long.
Advanced
Diudiu Sci-Fi Radio (铥铥科幻电波)
Long, wide-ranging science-fiction discussions from classic novels to Chinese TV, made for native sci-fi fans.
Advanced
Li Yongle (李永乐老师)
A Beijing teacher explaining science, maths and the news to native speakers with a whiteboard, fascinating input once your Mandarin is strong.
Advanced
Morning Coffee (声动早咖啡)
Short daily business-news episodes, a way to stay current and grow professional vocabulary at the same time.
Advanced
Roundtable (圆桌派)
A beloved roundtable talk show where guests debate culture and society, full-speed natural Mandarin for advanced ears.
Advanced
Story FM (故事FM)
Real people telling their own life stories in their own voices, roughly nine hundred episodes of authentic Chinese.
Advanced
TESTV
Product reviews for native viewers that are fun even when you don't care about the gadget, in fast, natural Mandarin.
Advanced
Chinese Zero to Hero
Probably the best-produced grammar explainers on YouTube, organized by HSK level, with the higher levels taught in Chinese.
Grace Mandarin Chinese
One of YouTube's most popular channels about the Chinese language: pronunciation analysis, natural phrases and learning tips, mostly in English.
I'm Learning Mandarin
Interviews and deep dives on learning Chinese, with guests who bring more than just their own story.
Mandarin HQ
Real-world street Mandarin dissected: accent comparisons and phrase breakdowns that show how people actually speak.
Outlier Linguistics
How Chinese characters really work, explained by the team behind the Outlier character dictionary.
PeggyTeachesChinese
Chinese language and culture videos since 2009, from Taiwan travel to street interviews, over three hundred videos deep.
ShuoshuoChinese (说说中文)
Popular, clearly explained videos about Chinese vocabulary, grammar and culture, mostly in English with plenty of native examples.
Skritter
The character-app team's channel, with some of the clearest videos on how Chinese characters and vocabulary actually work.
The best podcasts for learning Chinese
The companion guide for your ears: every podcast recommendation here and more, with advice on what to listen to at each level.
The best YouTube channels for learning Chinese
Olle's full, regularly updated guide to thirty-plus channels sorted from zero beginner to native-level content, with advice on how to actually learn from them.
The Hacking Chinese Podcast
Olle's own podcast and channel about how to learn Mandarin effectively: strategy, problem-solving and getting more from the hours you put in.
You Can Learn Chinese
Lively episodes on how to learn Mandarin, each with an interview to keep you encouraged and inspired.
Yoyo Chinese
One of the longest-running learner channels: lessons, real conversations with native speakers, pronunciation and characters.
What to watch to learn Taiwanese Mandarin
Picked by
Zoey Huang
Taiwanese Mandarin
I teach Mandarin in Taipei, mostly to engineers and managers who need it for work, so everything here is Taiwanese Mandarin and short enough to fit around a full day. Start with whichever one you would actually open on a Tuesday evening, then let it get harder as your ear catches up. The news podcast at the end is the one to save for when you are aiming at C1.
See Zoey Huang’s picks
Grace Mandarin Chinese
A Taiwanese teacher taking apart tones, pronunciation and the phrases people really use. Explained in English, so it works long before you can follow a whole conversation.
Beginner-Intermediate
台味中文 (Learn Chinese, the Taiwanese Way)
Everyday Taiwanese Mandarin at a pace a learner can follow, on ordinary life in Taiwan. No new episodes are coming, but the back catalogue is still worth every hour.
Intermediate
莫彩曦 Hailey
An American who built a life in Taiwan, talking about food, family and everything that surprised her, in fluent Mandarin with subtitles. Real Taiwanese speech with something to hold onto.
Intermediate
全球串連早安新聞 (Morning Taiwan Glocal News)
A daily morning news show in full-speed Mandarin, world headlines and Taiwanese ones side by side. This is the one to reach for when you are pushing toward C1.
Advanced
Frequently asked
What can I watch to learn Chinese?
Olle Linge of Hacking Chinese recommends Blabla Chinese, Diane Neubauer (杜雁子), Lazy Chinese and Mandarin Click, 52 teacher-chosen picks in total (Taiwanese Mandarin). Each links out to where you can watch or listen, with a note on the right learner level.
What can I watch to learn Taiwanese Mandarin?
Zoey Huang of Mandarin Mindset recommends Grace Mandarin Chinese, 台味中文 (Learn Chinese, the Taiwanese Way), 莫彩曦 Hailey and 全球串連早安新聞 (Morning Taiwan Glocal News), 4 picks in Taiwanese Mandarin. Each links out to where you can watch or listen, with a note on the right learner level.
What are the best podcasts to learn Chinese?
Olle Linge, who teaches Mandarin Chinese at Hacking Chinese, recommends Melnyks Chinese, Learning Chinese through Stories, Haike Mandarin, Learn Mandarin in Mandarin with Huimin, Learn Taiwanese Mandarin, MaoMi Chinese, TeaTime Chinese, ChinesePod, Convo Chinese, Banlatie (半拿铁), CyberPink (疲惫娇娃), Diudiu Sci-Fi Radio (铥铥科幻电波), Morning Coffee (声动早咖啡), Story FM (故事FM), I'm Learning Mandarin, The Hacking Chinese Podcast and You Can Learn Chinese. Each one links out to where you can watch or listen, with a note on the level it suits.
What are the best YouTube channels to learn Chinese?
Olle Linge, who teaches Mandarin Chinese at Hacking Chinese, recommends Blabla Chinese, Diane Neubauer (杜雁子), Lazy Chinese, Mandarin Click, Shianguu Hsieh, Slow & Clear Chinese, Stickynote Chinese, Acquire Mandarin, Alison Mandarin, Chinese Mandarin Cherry, Crazie Laoshi, Story Learning Chinese with Annie, Dashu Mandarin (大叔中文), Mandarin Corner, Speak Chinese with Da Peng (大鹏说中文), Unconventional Chinese, Will Hart (何威), Behind the Headlines (锵锵三人行), Li Yongle (李永乐老师), Roundtable (圆桌派), TESTV, Chinese Zero to Hero, Grace Mandarin Chinese, Mandarin HQ, Outlier Linguistics, PeggyTeachesChinese, ShuoshuoChinese (说说中文), Skritter and Yoyo Chinese. Each one links out to where you can watch or listen, with a note on the level it suits.
What are the best podcasts to learn Taiwanese Mandarin?
Zoey Huang, who teaches Taiwanese Mandarin at Mandarin Mindset, recommends 台味中文 (Learn Chinese, the Taiwanese Way) and 全球串連早安新聞 (Morning Taiwan Glocal News). Each one links out to where you can watch or listen, with a note on the level it suits.
What are the best YouTube channels to learn Taiwanese Mandarin?
Zoey Huang, who teaches Taiwanese Mandarin at Mandarin Mindset, recommends Grace Mandarin Chinese and 莫彩曦 Hailey. Each one links out to where you can watch or listen, with a note on the level it suits.