You can learn Chinese entirely for free, but paid resources can sometimes make the process more efficient and enjoyable. Sometimes, investing money unlocks unique benefits that free alternatives can’t match.
In this article, I explore which resources are worth paying for as a Chinese learner.
I can’t decide what’s worthwhile for you since it depends on your budget and how you value time versus money.
However, I can help you by discussing key areas worth investing in. This is especially important at this time of year, with so many discounts and offers available!
Tune in to the Hacking Chinese Podcast to listen to the related episode (#225):
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You can learn Chinese completely for free
Before we start talking about investing money, let me reiterate what I said earlier: you can learn Chinese completely for free.
There are many excellent resources available that cover almost every aspect of the language, including:
Listening: You can find more free listening resources for Chinese learners than you’ll ever have time to use. I’ve already collected the best resources for all levels here: The 10 Best Free Chinese Listening Resources for Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced Learners.- Speaking: Find native speakers to practise with, either in person or online, using language exchange apps. You can also practise by talking to yourself. For pronunciation, I have a complete guide to tones, and there is plenty of free content by others on YouTube. I collected some of the best resources here: 24 great resources for improving your Mandarin pronunciation.
Reading: Reading resources are harder to come by compared to listening, but there are still many available for free online. I’ve gathered the best resources here: The 10 Best Free Chinese Reading Resources for Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced Learners. If you have access to a library, you might also find textbooks and graded readers.- Writing: To write well, you need to read a lot, so start there. Beyond that, writing is similar to speaking: find someone to exchange texts with and help each other improve.
Vocabulary: Several decent dictionary apps are free, such as Pleco and Hanping. While they do have premium features, the free versions are highly functional. You can also use Anki, which is free online and on most platforms, to benefit from flashcards. It’s also more customisable than most paid options!- Guidance: For free learning advice, I’ve written over 500 articles and recorded more than 200 podcast episodes on Hacking Chinese. There are also many websites with friendly communities where you can ask questions and receive help.
So, if you’re short on money or simply prefer not to spend it, you can still achieve your Chinese learning goals. You don’t need to buy anything!
Why you should still consider paying for some Chinese learning resources
Disclaimer: I sell courses for learning Chinese, and I earn a commission on some of the resources mentioned here. Thus, I have an incentive to recommend students pay for learning resources. However, as mentioned, you can learn Chinese without paying for anything. Almost all the content on Hacking Chinese is free as well. This section is for those of you who want to invest money and are interested in my recommendations. I only endorse resources I genuinely believe are valuable, regardless of whether they offer me a commission or not.
While you don’t have to spend money to learn Chinese, there are several reasons why it can be worthwhile:
- Investing money can be convenient and save you time. For example, you could generate a transcript for a podcast using a stand-alone app, but it can be tedious. If you subscribe to the podcast and get the transcripts that way, you can spend the time you saved learning more Chinese. Similarly, paying to remove ads can help keep you focused. Not spending money often means spending more time.
- Paid resources are often higher quality and more enjoyable to use. Perhaps a free app lacks the features you need or looks unappealing. Money gives you options, allowing you to choose tools that make your learning experience smoother. Naturally, there are exceptions!
- Some paid tools unlock opportunities that free alternatives can’t match. For example, having access to a good dictionary with in-depth information on Chinese characters is invaluable. Free dictionaries can be sufficient, but the best resources often require payment.
Chinese learning resources worth paying for
Here are some things that I think are worth paying for as a Chinese learner. Depending on your situation, some of these will be more important than others. Adjust according to your needs.
A good electronic dictionary with manually recorded audio: This is something you’ll use daily throughout your Chinese learning journey, so it makes sense to invest in a quality dictionary app. I recommend Plueco or Hanping, as they both offer voice packs with audio recorded by native speakers, plus additional dictionaries and other features. There are many free alternatives, but none is as reliable and convenient.
Reliable information about Chinese characters: This is one of those things you simply can’t get for free. The best place to get information about Chinese characters is Outlier Linguistics. You can find information about specific characters in their awesome character dictionary (an add-on to Pleco) and learn about the writing system as a whole in their character masterclass. While you can get some of this for free (I have a series of articles about the writing system, for example), you just can’t get the best information for free.
A good textbook (if you’re a beginner): Learning without a textbook is possible, but you’ll save yourself a lot of time by using one. A textbook helps guide you through structured learning without the need to make decisions that you’re not yet ready for. I recommend Integrated Chinese or A Course in Contemporary Chinese (links go to Amazon). If you prefer, my beginner course, Unlocking Chinese, can supplement these textbooks, covering areas that are often overlooked.
Graded readers (if you’re not yet advanced): Graded readers allow you to build reading fluency by giving you long texts that become easier as you keep reading, rather than harder as is the case in textbooks. Check out Mandarin Companion and Chinese Breeze. While short-form reading materials are often available for free, professionally edited, book-length texts typically are not.
Occasional professional tutoring and coaching: While you can largely learn on your own, occasional support from a professional can be invaluable. Whether it’s feedback on pronunciation from me or hiring a tutor to help you improve your speaking ability in general, the focused help of a teacher can make a big difference.
In-situ immersion: You won’t learn Chinese simply by living abroad, but being immersed in an environment where Chinese is spoken provides experiences that can’t easily be replicated online. If you have the chance to travel or live in a Chinese-speaking area, take it. Even a short stay can be transformative. However, be mindful of some downsides of travelling to learn Chinese! For example, it’s more expensive than all other resources mentioned so far combined.
Paid resources that make learning Chinese more convenient or enjoyable
Resources that don’t cost money often cost something else, usually time. Free resources can also be less enjoyable for several reasons. Here are some examples of what may be worth paying for to make learning more convenient or enjoyable:
- An AI chatbot: I considered putting this in the must-have category, but for now, it remains something that can be very useful, but that you don’t have to have. Generative AI tools such as ChatGPT are already good at giving you feedback on your Chinese, answering questions and creating content for you. Using it can be finicky and sometimes frustrating, but this will improve over time.
- Podcast transcripts: While you could transcribe podcasts yourself or use auto-generated transcripts on platforms like YouTube, it can be time-consuming. Subscribing to a podcast that provides transcripts makes life easier and saves time.
- Regular tutoring or coaching: Beyond occasional support, regular tutoring is even better if you have the resources for it. Professional help keeps you on track, although you should still focus most of your time on self-study between lessons.
- Niche reading and listening materials: There are numerous apps with content tailored to specific interests. If you need material for a particular topic or genre, you may need to pay for it.
- A flashcard app for handwriting: If you want to learn to write characters by hand, consider paying for Skritter. It provides feedback on the characters you write, schedules reviews, and is more engaging than non-responsive apps or pen and paper.
What is worth paying for when learning Chinese?
When reflecting on this article, it’s clear that there aren’t many resources you really should pay for, and many of those are one-off purchases that you use for years. The major expenses tend to be for services like teachers or tutors, which can be invaluable when used effectively.
While how much you invest is ultimately your choice, being open to using paid resources when they add value can make a significant difference in your learning journey. If you have further suggestions for resources worth paying for, please leave a comment!
Chinese resources you should not pay for
There are also things you shouldn’t pay for, not because they’re necessarily expensive, but because they don’t offer much value. For instance, paying for a podcast subscription just to access grammar exercises is likely not worth it. If you want to support the creator, go ahead, but don’t assume that just because it costs money, it will help you learn Chinese.
In addition, the fact that a resource costs money does not mean that it’s good. Perceived value and actual value are two different things. Still, on average, paid resources are often better than free alternatives.
I’ll save a longer discussion about things you should avoid for another time!
4 comments
I was hoping to find an ‘input Chinese text – hear Mandarin’ tool here, Olle. Is there one you know of? I want to input several sentences of text in one go, then sit back and listen.
So far, I have not found any TTS (text-to-speech) services that I would recommend for learning the language, which is why I haven’t recommended any. In this case, it should also be worth paying for, which I simply don’t think is the case. There are a few TTS services available, some even for free! You can find plenty by simply searching for TTS Chinese (or Mandarin, but probably Chinese).
For audio by far my favorite resource is Slow and Clear Chinese on youtube and their Immersive Chinese app. Popup Chinese is awesome but sometimes I’m not looking for a podcast style commentary and instead just want straightup listening comprehension practice.
Yeah, podcasts in the ChinesePod style has the problem that most of it is in English until you reach the advanced level, which takes a while!