Learning Mandarin can feel overwhelming, especially when you’re hunting for quality, free resources. You might be asking: “Where can I find the best tools that won’t break the bank?”.
Luckily, there’s a wealth of free content to help you on your language journey. From podcasts to apps and entertainment options, we’ve got you covered. Let’s break it down into the four essential skills: listening, speaking, reading, and writing—and even some fun learning methods.
Build a Basic Understanding of the Language First
Before diving into any free resources, it’s crucial to establish a solid foundation in Mandarin Chinese.
Acquiring basic knowledge of the language will not only make learning more efficient but will also help you navigate the challenges that come with mastering Mandarin.
Here are four essential areas you need to understand:
Chinese Tones
Mandarin is a tonal language, which means the meaning of a word can change depending on the pitch used to pronounce it. There are four main tones, and mastering them is key to being understood by native speakers. If you’re new to tones, we have a detailed article to help you get started.
Chinese Spelling – Pinyin
Pinyin is the Romanization system for Chinese characters, helping learners pronounce words accurately. Learning Pinyin is an essential step in developing good pronunciation. Check out our guide on Pinyin for a comprehensive breakdown.
Chinese Characters
While Pinyin helps with pronunciation, learning Chinese characters is fundamental for reading and writing. Characters might seem daunting at first, but breaking them down into building blocks makes them easier to remember. We’ve covered the basics of Chinese characters in another article, so be sure to give it a read.
Chinese Grammar
Chinese grammar is simpler in some ways than English but has its own unique structure and rules. To communicate effectively, it’s important to familiarize yourself with word order, sentence structure etc. We’ve written an in-depth guide on Chinese grammar to get you started.
By building a basic understanding of these core elements, you’ll be better equipped to dive into the more dynamic aspects of learning Mandarin.
Listening + Speaking
Listening and speaking are two skills that go hand-in-hand when learning Mandarin.
Fortunately, you don’t need expensive courses to improve in these areas—plenty of free options are available!
Talk Chineasy Podcast
The Talk Chineasy Podcast brings you 7-minute daily Chinese lessons, making it easy to fit learning into your busy schedule. Hosted by our founder, ShaoLan, and featuring special guests, each episode teaches practical vocabulary and useful Chinese phrases while sharing fascinating cultural insights and stories. Whether you’re just starting out or looking to enhance your language skills, Talk Chineasy offers a perfect blend of language learning and cultural exploration to keep you engaged every day.
ChinesePod
ChinesePod is another excellent resource, offering three distinct podcast series: Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced. Each show features real-life dialogues on a range of topics, catering to learners at different stages. Whether you’re just starting out or aiming to refine your listening skills, ChinesePod provides structured lessons and diverse content to help you progress progressively.
Melnyks Chinese Podcast
Melnyks Chinese Podcast is a well-structured audio course designed for beginner to intermediate learners. It covers foundational aspects of Mandarin, including tones, character strokes, and grammar. The podcast offers step-by-step lessons focusing on practical and frequently used expressions in various everyday contexts. Ideal for those seeking a systematic and thorough approach, it helps build a solid language base while gradually expanding knowledge.
Slow Chinese Podcast
The Slow Chinese Podcast features short stories and news articles in Mandarin, delivered at a slower, more manageable pace for learners. Each episode is tailored to enhance listening skills while providing exposure to real-world content. It’s perfect for intermediate to advanced learners who want to improve their listening comprehension in a relaxed environment.
YouGlish
YouGlish is a powerful tool for practicing listening comprehension in Mandarin. It lets you search for specific Mandarin words or phrases within YouTube videos and select content from various regions—such as Mainland China, Taiwan, or Hong Kong. Instantly, you can hear how native speakers from that region use the terms in real-world contexts. This tool is excellent for reinforcing vocabulary, improving pronunciation, and familiarizing yourself with different accents and speech patterns. Most importantly, YouGlish helps you understand how Chinese words are used in context. Simply type in the word or phrase you want to explore, and YouGlish will provide video examples, making your listening practice both dynamic and effective.
HelloTalk: Language Exchange App
While listening to Chinese materials is crucial, achieving fluency also requires ample speaking practice. HelloTalk is a free app that connects you with native Mandarin speakers for real-time conversation practice. You can engage in voice messages, text chats, and correct each other’s sentences, fostering a collaborative and interactive learning environment. This exchange helps you practice speaking and improve your language skills in a practical and engaging way. Other similar apps to explore are Tandem and HiNative.
Talk Chineasy App: Speak with Ease
The Talk Chineasy app is designed to make Mandarin learning interactive and enjoyable. While it isn’t entirely free, it offers free levels and interactive lessons focused on improving speaking and listening skills. The app provides real-time pronunciation feedback and practical scenarios, making speaking Chinese more accessible and effective.
Reading + Writing
Learning to read and write Chinese characters can be one of the most challenging aspects of mastering Mandarin. Instead of aiming to read a complete Chinese paragraph or story right away, focus on building your vocabulary recognition first.
Unlike English and most European languages, Chinese text does not have spaces between words. Recognizing which characters form meaningful chunks or words is crucial for understanding and comprehending Chinese text accurately.
Anki
Anki is a free flashcard program that uses spaced repetition to help you memorize Chinese vocabulary effectively. You can download pre-made decks or create your own, tailored to your specific learning needs. This method is particularly useful for retaining characters over time. Anki’s spaced repetition system (SRS) ensures that you review vocabulary at optimal intervals, enhancing your long-term retention and mastery of reading.
Pleco
Pleco is a powerful and versatile free dictionary app that goes beyond simple definitions. It offers a wide range of features, including stroke order animations to help you learn how to write characters correctly, customizable flashcards for reinforcing vocabulary, and tools to improve character recognition. With Pleco, you can also access example sentences to see how characters are used in context, which aids in understanding their meaning and usage. This comprehensive app is an invaluable resource for learners looking to enhance their reading and writing skills in Mandarin. To explore additional free online Chinese-English dictionaries, check out our in-depth article here.
Hacking Chinese’s Reading Resources
Hacking Chinese provides an excellent reading guide with a collection of free resources like graded readers, ebooks, and online texts. These resources will help you improve your reading comprehension step by step.
Chinese Reading Practice
The Chinese Reading Practice site provides a diverse collection of free short stories and articles, categorized by difficulty level. Each text is available in both English and Simplified Chinese, and you have the option to display or hide pinyin. The site also includes explanations of key language points within the articles, helping you learn new vocabulary in context. Whether you’re a beginner or an advanced learner, this resource is designed to make reading Chinese texts both accessible and engaging.
Chineasy App
For a unique approach to Chinese reading and writing, check out the Chineasy app. Although it’s not fully free, the app offers free lessons that help you build a solid foundation in character recognition through visual illustrations.
Chineasy’s unique and intuitive illustrated Chinese characters make it easy to form associations with the characters and their meanings. This approach is perfect for beginners looking to learn characters in an engaging and fun way, offering a distinctive blend of learning experiences to accommodate different types of learners.
Having Fun While Learning
Learning Mandarin doesn’t have to revolve around textbooks alone. You can enhance your language skills while being entertained by exploring these engaging resources.
Netflix & Amazon Prime
Platforms like Netflix and Amazon Prime offer a wide selection of Chinese-language dramas, movies, and documentaries. On Reddit, you’ll find discussion forums that highlight the latest and most popular C-Dramas to watch. When watching these shows, try using Chinese subtitles to boost both your listening and reading comprehension. It’s an enjoyable and effective way to immerse yourself in the language while absorbing authentic, real-world dialogue.
YouTube
YouTube is a goldmine for free Mandarin content, offering endless opportunities to practice your listening skills. Channels like Happy Chinese, This Group of People (這群人), and 杰里德Jared, featuring both Chinese and English subtitles, provide a wide variety of vlogs, skits, and lifestyle videos in Mandarin. These channels immerse you in authentic language use, exposing you to different accents, dialects, and casual conversations. Watching this type of content is a fun and natural way to improve your listening comprehension and expand your vocabulary in context.
TikTok
Follow creators on TikTok who post short, engaging videos about learning Mandarin. Many native speakers share language tips, helping you pick up colloquial phrases, slang, and cultural insights. Hashtags like #LearnMandarin or #ChineseLanguage will lead you to a variety of content creators, offering daily, bite-sized learning opportunities in a fun and casual format.
Sing Chinese Songs
A fun and effective way to improve your listening, speaking, and reading skills simultaneously is by learning and singing Chinese songs. Memorizing lyrics and understanding their meanings will help you become comfortable with common phrases, pronunciation, and even character recognition. Platforms like YouTube and QQ Music (the equivalent of Chinese Spotify) offer a wide range of Mandarin songs, often with subtitles, to help you follow along and practice as you sing.
Watch Your Idols’ Live Stream
One of the most engaging ways to practice Mandarin is by watching your favorite Chinese-speaking idols or influencers during their live streams. Platforms like Douyin (the Chinese version of TikTok) and Bilibili (哔哩哔哩) host regular live streams where celebrities, vloggers, and gamers interact with their audience in real time. These streams expose you to authentic, unscripted conversations, allowing you to hear various dialects, accents, and slang. It’s an exciting way to immerse yourself in the language while following your favorite stars.
Conclusion
With the handpicked free resources above, you don’t need a hefty budget to effectively learn Mandarin Chinese. However, it’s important to set aside regular time for studying if you want to make steady progress. Choosing the right resources for your current level and setting clear goals for the skills you want to improve are key to success. You don’t need to use all the tools at once—pick a few that resonate with you, and stick with them until you feel ready to advance. Start small, stay consistent, and most importantly—enjoy the journey of learning!
