Mandarin resources (free) Beginner.
Index for the post:
- HSK word list -
Apps
Book recs
Dictionaries
Extensions (Chrome-Firefox)
Flashcards
Grammar
Input (Reading/Videos/TV shows and Films)
Phonetics
Pinyin
Sentences
Tones
Web courses
Youtube channels (Teaching / other)
- Other -
Last edited / updated: 12 / Feb / 2025 = (edit 19)
* is for fav resources
- HSK word list -
HSK 1 list in Hsk.Academy: Simplified and traditional + pinyin + exercises + sentences examples. (in spanish)
HSK 2-6 list
1500 Most Common Chinese Characters (edit 17): pinyin + audio + definition + direct link to search in a dictionary.
* Dong-chinese (edit 19) HSK 1-9 + HSK 7-9: word list + dictionary + sentence examples + media examples
Apps (edit 18)
Du Chinese: reading // Android / IOS
HelloChinese: course // Android / IOS
Chinesimple HSK1: games, phrases, reading, flashcards, course // Android / IOS
Line Dict: dictionary // Android / IOS
Ling: course // Android / IOS
LingoDeer : course // Android / IOS
*M Mandarin: reading // Android / IOS
* Maayot : reading // Android / IOS (1 free story every week)
* Pleco: dictionary // Android / IOS
* The Chairman’s Bao (TBC): reading // Android / IOS (1 free story every week)
* TOFU learn: flashcards and stroke order (it’s gonne TT__TT it was my fav, message me if you know any app simmilar to this one so i can add it here)
Book recs (edit 4) (Not free, sadly)
Course books I would recomend
HSK 1 Standard Course
Encounters
Discover China 1
Dictionaries (edit 6)
Character dictionaries:
Papago
Line dict = Pinyin, with audio, english definition, sample sentences and animated stroke order. Also a daily “Today’s expresion/quote” addittion which is cool.
Chinesepod = simplified and traditional, english translation, sample sentences
Dictionary of examples:
Chinese dictionary of examples: A dictionary of examples in Chinese and English to understand the use of words in a context sentence. (edit 17)
Measure Words / Clasificadores
Chinese Measure Word dictionary: Online tool to find a measure word for a chinese word. (edit 17)
Lista de clasificadores chinos
Sentence dictionaries:
Chinese yabla = breaks the sentence into words, each one with pinyin and english translation.
Extensions (Chrome-Firefox)
*Language reactor, Chrome extension. Allows 2 sets of subtitles (example: vid of Idol Producer) (edit 9)
*Zhongwen: Chinese-English Dictionary by: Christian Schiller. Allows you to hoover over the hanzi and shows the pinyin and meaning. Chrome extension, Firefox extension (edit 4)
Flashcards
Anki, HSK 1 vocab
Anki, HSK 1 grammar
Chinese flashcards (edit 17) you can choose between all the HSK 1-6. Character in one side and the other side with traditional, stroke order, radical, pinyin and meaning.
MandarinMania
Grammar
Chinese Grammar Wiki (edit 18)
A1 grammar points
A2 grammar points
HSK academy basic grammar (edit 18)
Input
Reading
Mandarinbean: Characters with pinyin and audio. Traditional and simplified option. If you click on a word the meaning of it pops up, but not the whole sentence
HabloChino: Dialogues with characters, pinyin, translations (in Spanish) and audio
AprendeChinoMandarin Spanish web with different topics and sentences. it has games to practice too (edit 4)
Chinese books read aloud on Youtube. Some examples: Link1 Link2 (edit 2) [If you cant find any audiobooks with text, there’s probably someone reading a book of it on youtube]
Du Chinese (App) Link
Beelingua (App)
HskReading (web) (edit 15)
Chinese little fox: You might think oh this is a web for kids but listen there are tons of stories, with little cartoon videos easy to follow, and with extra resources to review the vocab and listening, give it a go. (edit 13)
*Little Chinese Readers: also directed at kids BUT, it has lessons AND stories, but hold on, havent told you the best thing about it: you have a story mode that allows you to select between all of this features: zhuyin, pinyin, traditional or simplified characters and english. All of it you can switch them off or just select the ones you want. Also you can select Read to me/I want to read mode. (edit 14)
ChineseReadingWorld (Beginner-Intermediate-Advanced) Take a vocabulary pre-test, read an article, do reading comprehension questions, and take a vocabulary post -test. (edit 16)
Videos
Media input (Videos and Audios with transcriptions and timestamps you can get back to. First click on the character shows pinyin, second click shows meaning.) (edit 9)
ComprehensibleInputWiki.org (edit 19)
KonglongMandarin (edit 19) Peppa Pig based
Notion List of resources from Refold (edit 19): Donghuas, movies, books, podcast, vlogs
Language player from ChineseZeroToHero (edit 20) // Also an app on IOS
Podcasts-Audio
Learning Chinese through Stories Stories in mandarin, more on the intermediate/advanced side BUT hear me out, it’s good for immersion and get used to the inflexions and flow of the language. So good for listening while doing chores or easy stuff. (edit 15)
2minutesChinese (mandarin)
Breadtoast chinese
Chillchat
Chinese colloquialised
Chinese Da Peng
Chinese short stories
ChinesePod Beginner
ChineseTalk
Chitchat to learn mandarin
Daily mandarin Inspire mandarin
Dashu mandarin podcast
Fun learning chinese
Hacking chinese podcast
Learn mandarin daily
Learn mandarin in mandarin with HUimin
maayot
Madnarin pod
MaoMi Chinese
Mini mandarin
One chinese word
SBS mandarin
Slow chinese podcast
Takeaway chinese
MandarinMania (edit 19) List of apps w audiobooks
TVs and Films
iQiyi (edit 15)
WatchAsian (edit 15)
Viki (edit 15)
Phonetics
How to pronounce Chinese (edit 18)
Pinyin
Pinyin spelling
Sentences
Chengyu list (edit 8)
125 lessons with different sentences. It has characters, audio, pinying and different exercises to test them in each lesson. Link
Diferent dialogues (directions, weather, introductions, shopping) with audio characters, pinyin and english Link (edit 1)
* Podcast: 2/3 sentences, broken down by topic and by words Link (edit 2) [I use this one when im walking and i repeat what they say trying to memorise it]
Survival kit: Politeness, Food and drink, Orientation and Travel sentences + audio (edit 18)
Tones
Digmandarin *Tone explanation (but with words with more than 1 syllable, which is great because the hard part is when a word has 2 o more syllables)
Sinosplice More tones! (pair drills)
*Youtube vids explaining tones and exceptions (like tone modification and the half 3 and 4 tones) (edit 1)
Mandarin Pinyin Tone Pairs Practice
Guide of Mandarin Pinyin Tones: introduction
** Chinese tone pairs (edit 10) youtube vid by Yoyo Chinese (Individual tones 0:00-8:30 // Tone pairs 8:30-27)
Tone pairs chart + Exercises from said chart (edit 9)
Tone pairs practice (edit 11) + audio for all the tone combinations
*Exercises: (edit 7)
which tones do you hear (tone pairs)
another which tones do you hear (single syllable or tone pairs)
match pinyin + tone to the sound
match the sound to the pinyin + tone
differenciate between tones
tone speaking practice (listen and repeat recording yourself)
Web courses (edit 5)
*ChineseZeroToHero: big fav tbh. They also have some free courses, check them out!: (edit 20)
Phonetics with Chinese Characteristics (really good for pinyin beginners)
Learn Chinese with Poems
Learn Chinese with Songs
Topics in Chinese Linguistics
Slow Chinese: Topics in Chinese Culture and Society
From ”ChineseClass101″. Those have characters with the option simplified/traditional, pinyin and english translation. It also comes sometimes with a brief cultural insight and grammar lesson, all with audio and class trasncription. Really useful because besides the audio class, you have a vocab list with the audio option played 0.5x slower
Getting Started
Absolute Beginner Season 1
Level 1 Chinese
Youtube channels (edit 18)
a) Teaching channels
Chinese Zero to Hero
ChineseFor.Us - Learn Mandarin Chinese Online
ChinesePod
Clases de Chino Mandarín
Daily Zhongwen
Dimelo en Chino
Espresso Chinese - John Wang
HSK Test Preparation and Practice
Learn Chinese
Learn Chinese with Litao
*Manu Shi
Maca Laoshi Chinese
Olechinese
Useful Chinese with Chris
Yoyo Chinese
每日中文课Free To Learn Chinese
b) Other youtube channels
Annabelle Han
Learn Chinese with Movies : tv shows, series and animation
Mandarin Lab
- OTHER - (random interesting stuff that I don’t know where to put)
Basic introduction to the chinese language (edit 18)
Learn Chinese with Poems, free course (edit 9)
Learn Chinese with Songs, free course (edit 9)
**Frecuency list --> Most common characters and words in: books, movies, components and by HSK. Simplified and traditional options. (Sound, definition, animated stroke order, sentence examples w audio, and writting practice. Very interesting and complete.) (edit 9)
Chinese Characters Practice Sheet generator (edit 17)
Hacking chinese (edit 18)
Cómo desear Feliz Año Nuevo en Chino
Insultos en chino
Do you have more useful resources? Please tell me so i can add them here.
[This post looks better on the original post/blog since the linked webs are highlighted. And also more up to date]
I sometimes get back to this post and update it with more links so please visit that one! (Each time i edit this post i add a little “edit 1 / 2 / 3...”).
Last edited/updated:
20 / July / 2025 = (edit 20)
















