Best YouTube channels for learning Mandarin Chinese
YouTube is an amazing place for Mandarin learners, because it’s full of free videos explaining vocabulary or the grammar of Chinese language. If you add the HSK level (E.g. “HSK3 vocabulary“) you’re sure to find a video with a list of Mandarin words you need to rehearse. And you can also search for a specific grammar point you didn’t full grasp from class, for instance “或者 vs 还是“. Then there are also Mandarin YouTube channels that are just fun to watch, or make you proud that you understand the level of Mandarin.
Anyway, here are our top recommendations.
GoEast Mandarin’s Beyond Class
On our own YouTube channel you’ll find beginner Chinese videos, learning Mandarin from video games, Chinese listening practice stories, recap from events such as our Chinese Hanzi workshop. But most famous is our Beyond Class series, teaching you Chinese words you wouldn’t normally in school. Think about ‘counterstrike’, ‘roasting others’, ‘cheesy’, and ‘eat soil’.
You can find the whole playlist here, or see video about “Out of your mind” here:
Chinese Zero to Hero
Kenny and Jon from Chinese Zero to Hero has spent so much time creating videos explaining topics all kinds of topics relating to Chinese, from sentences to cultural context to vocabulary. A big recommendation is how they explain grammar points. You can search the ones you find difficult while learning Chinese online, and learn these supplementary to your live classes. Plus they also have self-learning courses on Teachable.
YoYo Chinese
Our partner company YoYo Chinese is one of the most cheerful places on YouTube. Make sure you don’t just check out their latest videos, but also their playlist, for instance how to learn Pinyin and Mandarin characters. YoYo Chinese also has loads of videos on grammar points, such as this one:
Fragrant Mandarin
This duo of Scott and Ella have a great approach in letting you learn Mandarin, immersing you as close as you can get to Chinese language immersion without living in China. As they write, they show you real reading, writing, listening and speaking from the streets of Yangshuo, China. Their videos are unique because they also provide a downloadable vocabulary list and flashcards on Quizlet. See videos on Chinese culture, idioms, and self-study tips.
Let’s explore a Chinese wet market with them:
Everyday Chinese
You can see the rigor put into this YouTube channel teaching you Chinese (for free!). We love Everyday Chinese: their channel is full of Mandarin vocabulary summaries and grammar explanations, and Chinese conversations. They have playlists on specific levels too: HSK1, HSK2, HSK3, HSK4.
Kevin in Shanghai
Ok, last something casual. This YouTube channel makes funny sketches on Chinese and foreign cultures, such as ‘Chinese boyfriends vs. Western boyfriends‘, ‘Raising kids in China vs the West‘, and ‘ABCs in China vs Laowai in China‘. Not only will the content be relatable to many foreigners living in China, it’s also full of Mandarin language and Chinese Hanzi characters.
