Videos are ideal for learning Chinese. The visual element makes the content more comprehensible and engaging, resulting in effective and enjoyable learning. But what videos should you watch? What are the best YouTube Channels?
In this article, I’m going to recommend the best YouTube channels I know for learning Chinese. My recommendations are based both on my experience learning and teaching Chinese and student recommendations.
If your favourite channel isn’t listed, please leave a comment below and let me know! Don’t forget to include why it’s your favourite channel.
Tune in to the Hacking Chinese Podcast to listen to the related episode (#240):
Available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube and many other platforms!
The best YouTube channels for learning Chinese: Overview
This article is pretty long, so here is an overview so you can find what you’re looking for.
- Introduction
- Three types of videos for learning Chinese
- Podcasts or videos for learning Chinese?
- Learning Chinese is not like learning other subjects
- You don’t learn Chinese by watching YouTube videos in English
- How to watch content in Chinese on YouTube for optimal learning results
- How difficult should the Chinese be? Use the input pyramid!
- Scaffolding: How to make difficult content easier to understand
- The Fluent Listener: Navigating Spoken Mandarin Like a Fish in Water
- The best YouTube channels in Chinese
- The best YouTube channels about the Chinese language
- The best YouTube channels about learning Chinese
- Some final words
Introduction: Three types of videos for learning Chinese
When considering video resources for Chinese learning, it can be useful to distinguish between three types of content:
- Content in Chinese: This is the primary type of content you should focus on. It can be learner-friendly materials created with language students in mind or authentic content for native speakers. Engaging with and making sense of Chinese directly is the primary driver of language development. You don’t need the other types of content on this list, but you have to have comprehensible input.
- Content about Chinese: These might be videos where someone speaks mostly in English about the Chinese language, maybe introducing an interesting topic, explaining a grammar pattern, or exploring the origins of a character. While these can be enjoyable and provide interesting insights, students grossly overestimate how much Chinese they learn from these videos.
- Content about learning Chinese: This is often in English and covers methods, strategies, and tips. While it can be valuable to a degree, it should not form the core of your study routine. My own content is sorted into this category.
In this article, I’ve included recommendations for all three types of content but since the first one is by far the most important, that’s what I will focus on the most.
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Podcasts or videos for learning Chinese?
The line between video-sharing services like YouTube and podcast platforms like Apple Podcasts is becoming blurred. Many podcasters (including myself) put their episodes as videos on YouTube, and some more visual content creators post their videos on Apple Podcasts.
For this article, I’m using the distinction that if you have to watch a video, it’s not a podcast, and therefore belongs in this article. If you can consume the content mostly as intended only by listening, even if there might be video support, it is a podcast. To qualify as a podcast, it also needs to be available on most podcast platforms. I have written a separate article about the best podcasts for learning Chinese, so check that out for even more great learning resources: The best podcasts for learning Chinese in.
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Learning Chinese is not like learning other subjects
Learning Chinese is not like learning other subjects. In mathematics, you benefit greatly from your teacher going through the underlying principles and, in social sciences, clear explanations can be effective in helping you understand how governments work.
Learning Chinese is not like this. While you might benefit indirectly from someone explicitly teaching you a new word or grammar pattern, most learning is implicit. It’s the result of engaging directly with the language, through listening and reading. Students, and teachers, tend to overestimate how much can be directly taught.
This is called the “interface problem” in second-language acquisition research if you want to read up on it. This is why I emphasise content in Chinese so much in this article. The other types of videos might help you learn, but probably not as much as you think.
Learn Chinese implicitly through exposure with a seasoning of explicit instruction
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You don’t learn Chinese by watching YouTube videos in English
A great model for analysing the way you learn is Paul Nation’s four strands. In a nutshell, he proposes four types of learning that should be equally balanced:
- Meaning-focused input: Listening and reading language you’re mostly familiar with, with a focus on understanding the content, as opposed to learning new words or grammar.
- Meaning-focused output: Speaking and writing using language you’re mostly familiar with, with a focus on conveying meaning, as opposed to using words you just learnt or practising a specific grammar pattern.
- Language-focused learning: Explicitly learning about the language (characters, vocabulary, pronunciation, grammar, etc.), plus input and output where most of the language isn’t familiar.
- Fluency development: Any language activity where you encounter nothing or almost nothing you aren’t familiar with. The goal is only to get better at using what you’ve already learnt. The focus is on meaning. How to learn the most Chinese from videos you watch
Note that three out of four strands are about engaging with language that is largely familiar to you and where you can focus on meaning. Only one strand, language-focused learning, is reserved for intensive studying of difficult content, such as the next chapter in your textbook or a YouTube video that is too advanced for you.
Analyse and balance your Chinese learning with Paul Nation’s four strands
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How to watch content in Chinese on YouTube for optimal learning results
For a more in-depth discussion on this approach, see the article How to use YouTube and other video platforms to learn Chinese. Here is an overview of the method I proposed there:
Explore new resources: Spend a small portion of your time exploring new channels and content. Start by checking the recommendations below. Naturally, if you’re not using YouTube now, finding a few channels you like might take a while, but avoid spending too much time browsing and trying to find the perfect resource.
Watch and listen: Depending on the length of the video, watch it in one go or break it into sessions. Watch it without pausing or looking anything up, focusing on general comprehension. If your listening ability matches the difficulty level, try listening before watching. For beginners, visual support is key, so use it if needed. Visual support is also useful for more advanced students tackling challenging content.
Watch and listen again: Assuming that you have chosen something you’re interested in watching, it’s almost always a good idea to watch and listen more than once. This allows you to understand more as you can focus on different things each time you listen and can rely on what you gleaned from earlier listens in later ones. If you don’t understand the gist even after listening more than once, you need to find something easier.
Use scaffolding: To understand more than the gist, you might need to rely on various types of support. Much of this scaffolding is built-in to YouTube and easily accessible, such as closed captions, and lower playback speed, whereas others might require third-party plug-ins or programs, such as pop-up dictionaries or subtitles converted to Pinyin. More about scaffolding tools later.
Download the audio: One drawback of YouTube compared to podcasts is that unless you have premium, you need the screen on, and an internet connection. This limits when and where you can watch. One solution is to download the videos, or only the audio. This is not possible without third-party tools unless you have premium, and such tools may be against the terms of service, so this is in no way meant to be legal advice. As an example, I have found, downloaded and listened to many audiobooks on the Chinese platform Bilibili.
Review (on the go): Having audio from videos available while commuting, jogging, or doing chores is a great way to reinforce learning. Add this content to your personal Chinese audio library and revisit it regularly. This is much more likely to happen if you have the audio available wherever you are, including without internet and your device’s screen turned off, compared to if you have to be actively using YouTube.
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How difficult should the Chinese be? Use the input pyramid!
When watching content which is mostly in Chinese, most students will ask themselves what the right level of difficulty is. Should you watch content where you understand everything, or is it better to just dive in and watch Chinese TV shows from day one? Or maybe something in between?
The answer is: Yes! You should do all of those things. But you should focus mostly on content where you can understand at least the gist and preferably more than that.
To help you think about the question of difficulty, I’ve created a model I call The Input Pyramid, which I’ve described in detail in this article. There’s also a video available here.
In essence, you should listen to Chinese on all difficulty levels, but as the pyramid shape implies, you should focus much more on extensive listening, which is when unknown words and grammar don’t get in the way of understanding.
As a beginner, this will be tricky, but do your best and it will be fine! There are also some tricks you can use to make the language easier to understand.
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Scaffolding: How to make difficult content easier to understand
Unless your Chinese is quite advanced, most YouTube videos will be too hard for you, especially those not aimed at language learners. Through scaffolding, you can make the content more accessible. Naturally, video content in itself already comes with an important form of scaffolding in the form of visual support. As long as what’s shown on screen supports your understanding of what’s being said, this can be immensely helpful.
Here are some other things you can experiment with:
- Playback speed: Adjust YouTube’s playback speed. Slowing audio (0.75–0.95 speed) helps process spoken language, but too much slowing can make comprehension harder.
- Closed captions and transcripts: Many videos have captions. Try listening without them first to boost comprehension. Use captions afterward to clarify tricky parts, especially for character recognition or vocabulary lookup.
- Language learning plugins: Chrome plugins like Language Learning with YouTube add dual subtitles, pop-up dictionaries, and other tools. Paid options like FluentU or Language Player offer structured learning features.
For more about scaffolding your Chinese learning, see 8 great ways to scaffold your Chinese listening and reading.
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The Fluent Listener: Navigating Spoken Mandarin Like a Fish in Water
Looking to understand Mandarin in a natural way, no matter your level? My course The Fluent Listener helps you create an immersive listening environment while providing you with key strategies to enhance your listening skills.
Strengthen your ability to understand and engage in conversations, build connections with others, and dive deep into Chinese society and culture, making you feel 如鱼得水 (rúyúdéshuǐ), like a fish in water!
The Fluent Listener: Navigating Mandarin Like a Fish in Water
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The best YouTube channels in Chinese
Below, I have collected my favourite YouTube channels with content entirely or largely in Chinese. I have tried to list them in order of difficulty, with the easiest ones first.
However, please note that most channels offer a variety of content on different levels. I have recommended each channel at the level where I think they are at their best, so some channels will have content on other levels as well. Some channels also mix content largely in English and content largely in Chinese.
Here are the four categories:
The best YouTube channels in Chinese: Zero beginner (A0)
Creating content in Chinese for students with no experience in the language is challenging, but there are brave and skilled teachers who do so. Note that some of these channels ramp up difficulty rather quickly, so don’t hesitate to jump from channel to channel.
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Lazy Chinese – Comprehensible Input
This channel is one of the best beginner-friendly, Chinese-only channels I’ve found. She gives you plenty of listening practice without spending five minutes speaking English for every minute of Chinese. There is often no English spoken at all. The podcast version can be found by searching for “Comprehensible Chinese”, but if you’re a complete beginner, you definitely want to stick to video.
Suggested playlist(s): Beginner Chinese stories with comprehensible input + TPRS
Suggested first video: L01| Comprehensible input Chinese | TPRS | Self-introduction in Chinese | my mum and my boyfriend
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Mandarin Click
Mandarin Click is one of the best channels on YouTube for beginners. They offer many videos completely in Chinese, spoken in a slow and clear manner, with supporting images and body language. If you really want it, they also have translations into English. Feel free to explore the channel, but in my opinion, the playlists called Slow Chinese Stories are the best.
Suggested playlist(s):HSK1 Comprehensible Input Stories
Suggested first video:HSK1 | 我的家 My Home | Comprehensible Input Stories HSK1 Practice Bundle 1/4 | Beginner Chinese
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Diane Neubauer 杜雁子 Chinese learning & teaching
Diane is a Chinese teacher focusing on comprehension-based learning and teaching. Her YouTube channel contains content for both students and teachers. Zero beginners should check out the two playlists that I recommend below. Teachers might want to check out her podcast here: Conversations about Language Teaching.
Suggested playlist(s): Mandarin Chinese talks & visits with my chickens, Learning to read Chinese: very beginning reading
Suggested first video: Visiting the hens: very beginning Mandarin Chinese 1
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Slow & Clear Chinese
Slow and Clear Chinese offers beginner-friendly listening practice without using any English. They can do this even for absolute beginners by using gestures, images, body language and props in their videos. This is one of the very few resources I’ve found that you can use right from day one without relying heavily on English translations and explanations.
Suggested playlist(s): Immersive Chinese Series
Suggested first video: Learn Chinese – Immersive Series Lesson 1 (Absolute Beginner)
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Blabla Chinese – Comprehensible Input
This is another great YouTube channel focusing on comprehensible input. The videos are well-produced with clear and slow speech, although not so slow that it becomes unnatural. There’s also a lot of visual support, including props she uses while recording, or images presented on screen. There are other playlists that work better when you’re not entirely new to Chinese, but still a beginner.
Suggested playlist(s): 100 Chinese Stories Series [SUPPER BEGINNER] (although there aren’t 100 stories)
Suggested first video: Ep01_Story1 Surprised Dating | 100 Chinese Stories Series | Comprehensible Input | SUPER BEGINNER
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Shianguu Hsieh (Chinese Story Listening)
This channel has a few things going for it. First, it’s the only channel I’ve found with beginner-friendly comprehensible input spoken by a male speaker. Second, he makes great use of simple drawings to help you understand. Third, the content is reasonable engaging.
The only drawback is that the channel is inactive and only has 13 videos. I’ve chosen to recommend it here because there are so few resources for zero beginners that stay almost entirely in Chinese.
Suggested playlist(s): All videos (there is no playlist)
Suggested first video: Chinese Story for Beginners #1
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Jun – Stickynote Chinese
A comprehensible input channel with few but good videos. While the recommended playlist is suitable for zero beginners, I would suggest starting with one of the other A0 resources if this is literally your first engagement with Mandarin. You don’t need any vocabulary or prior knowledge to benefit from this playlist, but it doesn’t start with things like pronouns and basic verbs, so you might want to get those first. This works great as your second or third A0 playlist.
Suggested playlist(s):Beginner – Comprehensible Input Mandarin
Suggested first video: Easy Mandarin for ABSOLUTE Beginners (HSK0/1) – Mandarin Immersion
Note: The channel owner has disabled video embedding, so this is just a screenshot.
If you found this helpful and want more structured resources by difficulty level and topic, along with expert tips to improve your listening skills, check out my course, The Fluent Listener.
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The best YouTube channels in Chinese: Beginner (A1-A2)
Now that you know some basic words and how they fit together to form common phrases, the number of available YouTube channels skyrockets. Please note that even though you’re not a zero beginner, you might still benefit from engaging with easier content. Some channels also overlap between the categories because they have content on different levels.
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Lazy Chinese – Comprehensible Input
This channel is one of the best beginner-friendly, Chinese-only channels I’ve found. She gives you plenty of listening practice without spending five minutes speaking English for every minute of Chinese. There is often no English spoken at all. The podcast version can be found by searching for “Comprehensible Chinese”. Note that while some of the playlists are labelled “intermediate”, I think they still belong in the A1-A2 range, especially considering the pedagogical approach which makes them very accessible.
Suggested playlist(s): Low Intermediate Stories with Comprehensible Input+TPRS, Intermediate Chinese stories with comprehensible input and TPRS, High Intermediate Chinese Stories with Comprehensible Input+TPRS
Suggested first video: Intermediate | When trying out new and weird food | “Brainwash” your mouth🤔｜Comprehensible Chinese
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Mandarin Click
Mandarin Click is one of the best channels on YouTube for beginners. They offer many videos completely in Chinese, spoken in a slow and clear manner, with supporting images and body language. Feel free to explore the channel, but in my opinion, the playlists called Slow Chinese Stories are the best.
Suggested playlist(s): Anything labelled HSK 1-4
Suggested first video: 我感冒了 | Slow Chinese Stories Beginner | Chinese Listening Practice HSK 2/3
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Alison Mandarin
This channel focuses on teaching Chinese through natural conversations, storytelling, and practical language tips. Alison speaks Mandarin at a learner-friendly pace, making it accessible for language learners at different levels. Videos are typically split into two, with one at normal pace without subtitles and one spoken at a slower pace with characters and Pinyin, along with some images.
Suggested playlist(s):Slow Chinese stories for beginner, Slow Chinese stories for upper beginner
Suggested first video: [ENG SUB] HSK1-2 Slow Chinese stories｜listening practice ：小明一家
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Crazie Laoshi
Crcazie Laoshi teaches Chinese with skill and personality! There are many different types of videos on her YouTube channel, some of which contain a fair amount of English, but some that are entirely or mostly in Chinese. I have suggested some of my favourite playlists below, but there are more. Most content is aimed at beginners (A1-A2) even if it says “intermediate”.
YouTube introduction: I am a Mandarin Chinese teacher living around the world. I come from the countryside in Anhui province with the dream of bridging relationships among different cultures. Language and culture are inseparable, and I enjoy introducing culture to language learners and learning about their culture. Comprehensible stories are my medium to share the Chinese language, and culture and connect to the world. 叫我疯子老师吧！我来自中国农村，梦想用语言架起不同文化沟通的桥梁。用语言品读文化，文化理解语言。创作有趣可理解的故事来帮助更多的人学习中文。
Suggested playlist(s): Chinese Story for Real BeginnersChinese Listening&Respond HSK1-3, Learn Chinese through Stories, Intermediate
Suggested first video: Learn Chinese with Simple Stories, Cook Rice First time HSK1
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Story learning Chinese with Annie
This YouTube channel contains lots of content mostly or entirely in Chinese, for beginner and intermediate learners. Some of the playlists are not clearly labelled, but check the recommended playlists to see what you think and then browse around for more.
Unlike many other channels, this one has videos with varying formats, including games, talking about pictures, and much more (not just vlogs or someone having a conversation).
Suggested playlist(s): 汉语故事 chinese stories for beginning and intermedium level, Comprehensible input for beginners
Suggested first video: Easy Chinese listening exercise for HSK1 ,HSK2 AND HSK3 NO.1
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Acquire Mandarin
This channel has quality content on all levels, but it’s particularly good for beginners and lower intermediate learners. Poona is great at presenting interesting content while staying in Chinese, relying on pictures, body language and explanations (still in Chinese) to get the point across. The difficulty level is not the same in all levels within the same playlist, so do check more than one video if you find the content too hard.
Suggested playlist(s): Comprehensible Chinese——Beginners初级
Suggested first video: How to Cross the River?怎么过河？ | Comprehensible Chinese for Beginners
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Chinese Mandarin Cherry
Chinese Mandarin Cherry provides various types of video content labelled as “intermediate”, although I think the difficulty level is closer to A2 in most cases. There is less support, which makes it a bit harder, but if you feel that the rest of the beginner content provided here is on the easy side, this might be a good bridge to the intermediate level below. Most of the content is entirely in Chinese. Some need to be watched, but most work in audio-only mode too.
Suggested playlist(s): Listening Practice
Suggested first video: Why You Can’t Understand Chinese Conversation, Drama and News by Listening? | 中国人聊天，电视剧，新闻为什么你都听不懂？
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The best YouTube channels in Chinese: Intermediate (B1-B2)
At an intermediate level, you are still mostly restricted to content aimed at language learners for your extensive listening, but you can also start relying more on authentic content for your intensive listening. The more advanced you get, the less you need to rely on the channels I share here, and the more you can focus on whatever native content you fancy.
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Acquire Mandarin
This channel has quality content on all levels, but it’s particularly good for beginners and lower intermediate learners. Poona is great at presenting interesting content while staying in Chinese, relying on pictures, body language and explanations (still in Chinese) to get the point across. The difficulty level is not the same in all levels within the same playlist, so do check more than one video if you find the content too hard.
Suggested playlist(s): Comprehensible Chinese——Intermediate+中高级
Suggested first video: Two Life-Changing Books | Comprehensible input | Intermediate-low
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Story learning Chinese with Annie
This YouTube channel contains lots of content mostly or entirely in Chinese, for beginner and intermediate learners. Some of the playlists are not clearly labelled, but check the recommended playlists to see what you think and then browse around for more.
Unlike many other channels, this one has videos with varying formats, including games, talking about pictures, and much more (not just vlogs or someone having a conversation).
Suggested playlist(s): Tired of grammar? Try this.
Suggested first video:10 Essential Apps for Traveling in China: Make Your Trip Easier(Comprehensible input Level B)
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大鹏说中文-Speak Chinese With Da Peng
This is a great YouTube channel and podcast for intermediate learners. The host, Da Peng, is good at speaking clearly without making it sound too exaggerated, and he puts a lot of effort into each episode. There are several different types of videos, including those featuring daily Chinese expressions, interviews with advanced learners and more spontaneous monologues. These vary in difficulty, so check a few different types before you decide if this is for you or not. The content and format also vary a lot, with short five-minute episodes about Chinese expressions being quite different from long interviews with Chinese learners and teachers.
Suggested playlist(s): ~#100 – Daily Chinese Expression Podcast | 每天说中文 (plus two more playlists in the same style), Speak Chinese with Da Peng Podcast, Chinese Talk | Let’s make an episode together
Suggested first video: 你喜欢跟风，还是喜欢做自己？ -「跟风」Daily Chinese Expression 100 大鹏说中文
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Unconventional Chinese
Most of this channel is about the Chinese language (including some tips and strategies for learners) in English, so therefore not relevant for this category. However, the intermediate playlist linked below is well-produced, entertaining and… unconventional (it’s not just a name). The videos typically focus on travelling, but there are also some interviews along with other forms of content as well.
Suggested playlist(s): Intermediate Chinese
Suggested first video: The story of diarrhea拉肚子的故事
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Mandarin Corner
This is a great channel, but you need to dig a bit to find the good stuff. Much of the lower-level content is not in Chinese and not something I recommend spending time on. There are several great playlists for intermediate students, however, so check anything labelled “intermediate”, such as the playlists included below.
Suggested playlist(s): Walk Around, In-Depth Interviews in Chinese, Talking Business | Intermediate Chinese, Stories in Slow Chinese | Chinese Conversation, Expressing Opinions in Chinese – Chinese Street Interviews, Talk on Random Topics | Lower Intermediate Chinese, Issues in Chinese Society | Intermediate Chinese,
Suggested first video: Would Chinese Date Foreigners? – Intermediate Chinese | Chinese Conversation | Street Interviews
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Will Hart 何威
Will Hart, a British medical student, has reached an advanced level of Mandarin and shares his experience, in Chinese! This lets you achieve two goals at once: improving your learning approach while enhancing your listening comprehension and vocabulary. His videos cover a range of useful topics, from pronunciation and speaking to Chinese characters and reading.
One drawback is the lack of organization. There’s no clear way to find videos that are in Chinese, and the titles don’t indicate the language. As a result, you often have to start watching to figure out which language is used.
Suggested playlist(s): Mandarin Chinese Podcast,
Suggested first video: Language Learning Made Easy: The 3-Step Blueprint You Need!
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Dashu Ma
ndarin 大叔中文
This is a great channel to listen to authentic conversations about various topics. The official description is helpful: “We’re three Chinese teachers that focus on providing authentic and valuable Chinese learning materials for the Chinese learners of intermediate level and above. In this Podcast, we will talk about all kinds of things concerning China and Chinese culture, society, etc.”
Personally, I find the diversity of people and topics on the podcast refreshing and engaging, both in the sense that there are three male teachers in the same podcast (unheard of!) and in the sense that they bring in different guests, including advanced second-language learners.
The conversations are unscripted and more chaotic than in most podcasts recommended above, and there is very little in terms of support if you fail to understand something. They often talk over each other, too, and sometimes switch topics rapidly. Thus, this can be hard to follow, but is perfect practice for real-world conversations with more than one person!
The YouTube channel has numerous playlists, but generally speaking, the difficulty is from B1 and up, depending on who’s in the video and what they’re talking about.
Suggested playlist(s): Dashu Chinese Stories 大叔说故事 (HSK 3-4), China Insights, 中华文化，Chinese Culture Discussion, Chinese Conversation, Chinese Podcast 中高级中文播客 Natural Chinese Conversation
Suggested first video: Why do the Chinese Like to Save Money? 中国人为什么那么爱存钱？Chinese Podcast 22
If you found this helpful and want more structured resources by difficulty level and topic, along with expert tips to improve your listening skills, check out my course, The Fluent Listener.
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The best YouTube channels in Chinese: Advanced (C1-C2)
If you’ve reached this advanced level of Chinese, you don’t really need my recommendations. Almost all content created for native speakers is available to you, and you only need to let your interests and curiosity guide you. Also, when you can understand Chinese spoken with a native audience in mind, you no longer need to rely on videos to learn.
Still, here are three channels that I watch regularly:
李永乐老师
李永乐老师 is a science teacher who has published many hundreds of video lessons online, for free. While the fast speech and speedy handwriting are a bit daunting at first, this is an excellent way of learning about science in Chinese. The videos are pedagogical and can be approached without a background in the specific science being discussed.
I’ve dedicated a whole article to introducing 李永乐老师’s videos, including a number of tips and tricks for how to make them approachable for students who want to be able to deal with science in Chinese.
Suggested playlist(s): Choose a topic you’re interested in
Suggested first video: 1. 外星人存在吗？人类为什么看不到外星文明？李永乐老师讲费米悖论
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TESTV
This channel published something as rare as product reviews that are both fun and informative. Naturally, if you happen to be interested in buying something they review, this is great, but the entertainment value is high enough that it doesn’t matter if you’re actually interested or not. Video clips are 10-20 minutes long.
Suggested playlist(s): Find a product you’re interested in or already own, or just watch something randomly
Suggested first video: 有它，谁还用机械键盘呐！Plum 静电容键盘【值不值得买第504期】
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圆桌派 and 锵锵三人行
These are two talk shows hosted by 竇文濤, featuring a wide range of guests and topics. 锵锵三人行 started in 1998 and has roughly 5000 episodes, but was closed down in 2017 and replaced by 圆桌派. Depending on the topic, old episodes can be as relevant as new ones, so I would like to recommend both shows. I’ve also written a separate article about 锵锵三人行.
Note that these shows don’t have official channels on YouTube, but they are easy to find by searching. If you just want to have a cursory look, check something recent that seems interesting. If you want to watch systematically, I suggest searching for playlists collecting entire seasons.
Suggested playlist(s): 圆桌派 第六季, 锵锵三人行完整版
Suggested first video: 【圆桌派 第五季】EP11 基因：一个理科生侃晕三个文科生 | 窦文涛/周轶君/马未都/许子东/尹烨,
For more general listening practice, here’s what I recommend (from The 10 best free Chinese listening resources for beginner, intermediate and advanced learners):
The 10 best free Chinese listening resources for beginner, intermediate and advanced learners
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The best YouTube channels about the Chinese language
These channels are mainly in English and cover various aspects of the Chinese language, including grammar, characters, and cultural insights. While they can be interesting and may help you pick up some words or phrases, try not to spend too much time on them. The risk is feeling like you’re learning a lot when, in reality, you may not be making significant progress. As I’ve written elsewhere, Learn Chinese implicitly through exposure with a seasoning of explicit instruction.
I haven’t listed these channels in any particular order. Some of them are also very similar to each other, and which one(s) you like is mostly down to personal preference.
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Skritter
Skritter is an app for learning vocabulary in Chinese and Japanese (see my review here), but there’s also a great YouTube channel. This is the only channel on this list where I think I’ve watched all the content. Admittedly, this is because I also work for Skritter, so the listing here is not completely unbiased. Then again, I’ve never been involved much in video creation beyond the Skritter Character Course.
Anyway, Skritter provides a wide range of videos on different topics related to language and culture. There’s plenty of Chinese in the videos, more in some than others, but there’s enough scaffolding in English for me to put the channel in this category. This also means that most videos are suitable for most learners, regardless of level.
Fun fact: I make a cameo in one video on the channel (I happened to be in Taiwan when it was recorded). Can you find it?
Suggested first video(s): The Building Blocks of Chinese Character (Chinese Radicals 101), China’s 8 Great Cuisines – Skritter Chinese, The Military Genius, Zhuge Liang – Skritter Chinese
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Grace Mandarin Chinese
Grace has one of the most popular channels on YouTube for everything related to learning Chinese. Most videos are in English, discussing various aspects of the Chinese language and culture. There is also content in Chinese, but not enough for the channel to qualify in one of the other categories. Content includes learning tips and strategies, vocabulary and phrases, grammar, analysis of pronunciation (such as Mark Zuckerberg) and much more.
Suggested first video(s): Analyzing Mark Zuckerberg’s Chinese｜Learn Chinese, 15 Chinese Phrases that Natives use ALL THE TIME, 【Chat in Chinese】5 Fun Facts About Taiwan
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ShuoshuoChinese说说中文
Shuoshuo Chinese is another very popular YouTube channel for learning Chinese. Most of the videos are in English and cover different aspects of the Chinese language and culture. Just like with Grace Mandarin Chinese, there is some content in Chinese, it is not enough to place the channel in a different category. The videos include learning tips and strategies, vocabulary and phrases, grammar explanations, pronunciation analysis (John Cena, not Mark Zuckerberg).
Suggested first video(s): 70 Must-Know Chinese Sentences: Listen Once A Day, Naturally Understand Fast Chinese, Speak Chinese Naturally: How to start, continue and end conversations- Chinese Conversation Fillers, How to choose a REAL Chinese name that sounds like a Chinese – Tips from a Chinese native speaker!
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Chinese with Mandarin HQ
Chinese with Mandarin HQ is a popular YouTube channel dedicated to Mandarin learners. The video content covers roughly the same areas as the other channels mentioned here, but I particularly like videos which use real-world Mandarin and then talk about it, such as the dialect/accent videos linked to below. If you want someone going through vocabulary in video format, Angel has you covered with many highly popular videos with HSK vocabulary.
Fun fact: I owe my current university job largely to Angel. Back in 2015, she forwarded me the job listing and asked if I might be a good fit. She was right, it was a great match then and still is today, almost ten years later! I probably wouldn’t have found out about it in time to apply without her, so thank you!
Suggested first video(s): Mandarin Chinese Accent Challenge: “North or South?” (Chinese Accents) I Learn from the streets, Mainland Mandarin vs Taiwanese Mandarin: Pronunciation Differences (words with different tones), Start a Conversation in Chinese with ANYONE! – Best Conversation Starters for Mandarin Learners
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Chinese Zero to Hero
This is probably the best channel for well-produced content that explains Chinese grammar, vocabulary, and more. Most videos are in English with Chinese examples, but some feature more Chinese content. For higher levels (starting around HSK 4), grammar videos are also in Chinese, which is great, even though if you are actually at HSK 4, you’ll struggle to understand the explanations. The videos are clearly labeled and well-organized, making this channel easier to navigate than many others on this list.
Suggested first video(s): 1.6.1 Say “know how to” with 会 | HSK 1 Beginner’s Chinese Course, Expressing “done” with “V好” – Chinese Grammar Lesson HSK 3.1.1, 另，另外，其他 (another) | HSK 4 Intermediate Chinese Course 4.3.3,
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PeggyTeachesChinese
Peggy has been creating YouTube videos focused on Chinese language and culture since 2009, making it one of the oldest, still active channels that I know of. The channel covers a wide range of topics, including traveling in Taiwan, everyday conversations and HSK preparation. With over 300 videos, there’s plenty to explore for learners at any level.
Fun fact: Peggy studied in the same master’s program for teaching Chinese as a second language at NTNU in Taipei, Taiwan, so she’s my 學妹!
Suggested first video(s): 【Street Mandarin】Learn Chinese From Street Interviews (playlist), 【MinuteMandarin】Lesson 21: The Most Important Sentence Pattern in Chinese, 【Traveling Taiwan】Learn Chinese Through Traveling【旅遊台灣 (playlist), 【MinuteMandarin】Lesson 33: 了 Le As a Change of State Marker
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Yoyo Chinese
YoyoChinese is one of the longest-running and most popular YouTube channels for Chinese learners. With nearly 500 videos covering a wide range of topics, there’s something for everyone. The channel offers traditional lessons (mostly in English), real-life conversations with native speakers, pronunciation practice, character learning, and more. My only complaint is that the content can be difficult to navigate, as there are many different playlists and individual videos aren’t always labelled clearly.
Suggested first video(s): Chinese Grammar Lesson | The Golden Rule of Chinese Word Order | Yoyo Chinese, Learn Chinese Tone Pairs: How to Practice and Master Mandarin Tones, Learn Your First Chinese Character in 5 Minutes with Yoyo Chinese (Part 1)
If you found this helpful and want more structured resources by difficulty level and topic, along with expert tips to improve your listening skills, check out my course, The Fluent Listener.
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The best YouTube channels about learning Chinese
These videos, usually in English, provide tips and strategies for learning Chinese. While these resources have the potential to improve the way you learn, and thereby lead to better results in the long run, you won’t actually learn much Chinese here.
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Hacking Chinese
Yes, I also have a YouTube Channel, so naturally, I’m going to promote my own podcast shamelessly! Just like on Hacking Chinese in general, I talk about strategies for learning Chinese, helping you find a better way of learning. The podcast is available on YouTube, and maybe shouldn’t qualify for this article since it’s mostly a podcast, but there are video episodes too!
Suggested first video(s): Ep. 162 – Improving your Chinese pronunciation by mimicking native speakers, Welcome to The Fluent Listener, a new course from Hacking Chinese! (Ep. 224), The Input Pyramid: Chinese Listening for Any Situation (Ep. 236), Welcome to the Hacking Chinese pronunciation course!
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Outlier Linguistics
Outlier Linguistics is my go-to resource for anything related to Chinese characters. I met Ash and John the first time in Taipei more than ten years ago and have followed their work since then. They’re perhaps most well-known for their excellent character dictionary, one of the few resources I recommend anyone interested in the writing system to buy, but they also have related products, such as a character course. They’ve also branched out into other areas of learning Chinese, so their YouTube channel contains everything from tips and strategies for learning Chinese characters to advice for finding the right language exchange partner.
Suggested playlist(s): All videos, but this playlist in particular: How Chinese Characters Actually Work
Suggested first video: How Chinese Characters Actually Work: The Three Attributes of Functional Components (Video #1)
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Will Hart 何威
Will Hart, a British medical student, has reached an advanced level of Mandarin and shares his experience. I’ve already recommended his channel for its Chinese content, but it’s worth recommending here for the learner tips and strategies. His videos cover a range of useful topics, from pronunciation and speaking to Chinese characters and reading.
One drawback is the lack of organization. There’s no clear way to find videos that are in Chinese, and the titles don’t indicate the language. As a result, you often have to start watching to figure out which language is used.
Suggested playlist(s): Language Learning Tips (although some of the content is in Chinese)
Suggested first video: I completed Duolingo Chinese! Did it make me FLUENT?
If you found this helpful and want more structured resources by difficulty level and topic, along with expert tips to improve your listening skills, check out my course, The Fluent Listener.
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Some final words
This article took a ludicrous amount of time to put together, but I think it’s worth it. There is an overwhelming amount of fantastic content out there for learning Chinese. The problem is that it’s hard to navigate. My goal with this list is to make that search easier for you, so you can spend less time hunting for the right resources and more time actually learning.
Of course, this list is not exhaustive. New channels appear all the time, and I rely on learners like you to help me find the best ones. If you have a favorite channel that isn’t listed here, or if you disagree with any of my picks, please share your thoughts in the comments! Most channels listed here were originally recommended to me by readers, students, and fellow learners. I am incredibly grateful for these contributions and look forward to discovering even more excellent Chinese learning content together.
As mentioned throughout this article, if you’re looking for even more recommendations, my course The Fluent Listener includes a much more comprehensive audio resource library, sorted more carefully by difficulty level, content type, topics covered, and much more. Check it out if you want to improve your listening comprehension and accelerate your learning!
6 comments
Hi Olle! Thank you for this very helpful article! I found a few new YouTube channels! I would like to contribute to the list with 每日中文课 (https://youtube.com/@danliaofreetolearnchinese)
Thank you for the recommendation! Is there any way to tell which playlists are members-only and which aren’t? I randomly clicked five and four were members-only. Scrolling through individual videos seems to indicate that only 1/4 of videos are free, which makes it hard to navigate. This might not be the fault of the creator, but when paid and free videos are mixed in playlists, everything stops when I reach a paid video and I have to actively search for content I can watch.
That being said, the available videos that I eventually found and checked were quite good. However, given that the other channels I recommend have much more content that is easier to access, I don’t think I’ll replace any of them just yet. If there’s a way to find the free content that doesn’t involve clicking individual videos, I might reconsider! I tried to search for ways around this on YouTube, but was unable to find anything.
I Xiaogua Chinese’s stories. Especially at the upper intermediate level. And a special mention to MaoMi Chinese (even though it’s a podcast, not video) as it’s great comprehensible input too.
Thank you for sharing! I’ve added Xiaogua to my list of channels to check out when I next update the article. Maomi Chinese is already listed in my article about the best podcasts. As you pointed out, it has no video, which is why I didn’t include it here.
Hi Olle, another excellent resource for intermediate learners is Chinese Podcast with Shenglan. The videos are entirely in Chinese and cover a wide range of interesting topics.
https://www.youtube.com/c/ChinesePodcastWithShenglan
Hi! I have added her channel to my list of channels to check out next time I update the article. Thank you!