What Olle Linge says to watch to learn Mandarin Chinese
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.
Olle Linge chose these in their own guides, which say more than fits on this page. Read the originals:
Beginner
8 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
Beginner-Intermediate
6 picks
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
Intermediate
10 picks
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
Intermediate-Advanced
2 picks
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
Advanced
9 picks
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
Also worth your time
11 picks
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 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.
Olle Linge teaches Mandarin Chinese at Hacking Chinese. These are their own recommendations, shared with Reelang. Found this useful? See picks in other languages.