Mandarin Chinese
(simplified Chinese: 官话; traditional Chinese: 官話; pinyin: Guānhuà; lit. ‘officials’ speech’) is—as Standard Chinese, a modern standard form of Mandarin—the official language of mainland China and a major language in the United Nations, Singapore, and Taiwan. It is largely based on the Beijing dialect. Standard Chinese is a pluricentric language with local standards in mainland China, Taiwan and Singapore that mainly differ in their lexicon.
Below is a list of resources for learning Mandarin Chinese, tailored to include both beginner and intermediate-level materials, with a balance across language skills.
Textbooks & Grammar Guides
- Master Mandarin (on how to learn Mandarin by immersion anywhere)
- Berlitz Basic Mandarin Chinese
- Integrated Chinese 1 Textbook: Simplified Characters
- Remembering Simplified Hanzi: Book 1 (also available for traditional characters)
- Remembering Simplified Hanzi: Book 2 (also available for traditional characters)
- Learning Mandarin Chinese Characters Volume 1
- Learning Mandarin Chinese Characters Volume 2
- A Practical Chinese Grammar
- New Practical Chinese Reader
Apps
- Pleco (the best dictionary website & app)
- LingoDeer (great app for beginners)
- HelloChinese (great app for beginners)
- Skritter (great for character memorization and stroke order)
- Clozemaster (learn language in context)
- Pimsleur – iPhone | Android
YouTube Channels
- YoyoChinese (China)
- Grace Mandarin Chinese (Taiwan)
- ShuoshuoChinese (China)
- GoEast Mandarin (China)
- Chinese Zero to Hero (China)
- Mandarin Corner (China)
- Easy Mandarin (Taiwan / China)
Websites
- Rocket Chinese
- Pimsleur Chinese (cheaper through the app!)
- ChinesePod
- Mandarin Blueprint
- ChineseClass101
- Memrise – Chinese
- HSK Online (HSK test preparation)
- Pinyin Practice
Podcasts
- Coffee Break Chinese (audio lessons)
- You Can Learn Chinese – Apple Podcasts | Spotify