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The Best Chinese Learning Courses

Updated May 2026·Experts: PCMag, CNET · Community: ChineseLanguage user, ChineseLanguage user (dumpling98), ChineseLanguage user (RefrigeratorSmall364)

Best Free Starting PointPleco

Pleco

If you only download one app for learning Chinese, make it Pleco. The community consensus is overwhelming, it's the tool that serious learners keep using for years, not just weeks.

What holds up

  • Best-in-class Chinese dictionary with audio pronunciation and stroke order
  • Built-in flashcard system with spaced repetition (Anki-style)
  • OCR camera feature lets you look up characters instantly from real-world text
  • Free core app is extremely powerful; paid add-ons are optional

What to know

  • Interface feels dated and less beginner-friendly than gamified apps
  • Best features require paid add-ons (flashcard system, readers)
  • Not a structured course, you need to pair it with other resources
From the community
pleco should occupy at least 50% alone lol
r/ChineseLanguage userView source
From the community
Me and my trusty pleco against the world. Teehee
r/ChineseLanguage user (dumpling98)View source
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Best for Vocabulary & Spaced RepetitionAnki

Anki

Anki isn't glamorous, but it's the engine behind most successful Chinese learners. The community recommends it constantly, it's the one tool that scales with you from beginner to advanced.

What holds up

  • Spaced repetition algorithm ensures you review words at optimal intervals
  • Massive library of pre-made Chinese decks (HSK lists, sentence mining)
  • Highly customizable card formats, add audio, pinyin, characters, and images
  • Free on desktop; one-time purchase on iOS

What to know

  • Steep learning curve to set up cards and add-ons properly
  • iOS app costs $24.99 (though Android is free)
  • Requires self-discipline, no gamification or streaks to keep you going
From the community
Use Anki to learn individual words, and full sentences. Setup your cards so you have English text, pinyin and Chinese Audio fields (just use one of the TTS addons to get Audio).
r/ChineseLanguage user (ankdain)View source
From the community
anki, downloaded a corpus of Chinese sentences presented naturally from digital sources, performed analytical statistics on the data and formulated anki cards based on the frequency of characters and phrasings.
r/ChineseLanguage user (Diligent-Stretch-769)View source
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Best for Live TutoringiTalki

iTalki

When you hit the wall with apps and need actual speaking practice, iTalki is where the community sends you. It's the fastest path to real conversational ability in Mandarin.

What holds up

  • Massive selection of native Mandarin-speaking tutors at all price points
  • Try multiple tutors with single trial lessons before committing
  • Flexible scheduling, book lessons around your own calendar
  • Community recommends pairing with 1 male and 1 female tutor for accent variety

What to know

  • Quality varies widely between tutors, requires trial-and-error to find the right fit
  • Costs add up quickly if doing multiple sessions per week
  • No structured curriculum, you must direct your own learning goals
From the community
Go to iTalki and try out a range of tutors (at least 10), doing a single lesson with each. Then pick 1 man and 1 women from your candidates and do 1 lesson with each of them each week (so 2 lessons a week).
r/ChineseLanguage user (ankdain)View source
From the community
Focus almost exclusively on pronunciation in your lessons. You can memorise words in your own time, but mastering producing the tones is going to be your main hurdle at the start.
r/ChineseLanguage user (ankdain)View source
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Best Structured App for BeginnersDuolingo

Duolingo

Duolingo won't make you fluent in Chinese, but it's the best free tool for building a daily habit and getting your first 500 words. Use it as your warm-up, not your whole workout.

What holds up

  • Completely free with 37 languages including Mandarin Chinese
  • Highly motivating streak system and gamified design keeps you consistent
  • Covers listening, reading, and speaking exercises
  • Can test out of beginner lessons if you have prior knowledge

What to know

  • Chinese course is shallower than other languages on the platform
  • Won't get you to conversational fluency on its own
  • Grammar explanations are minimal, not ideal for understanding Chinese sentence structure
Expert verdict
Thanks to its clear structure, engaging exercises, and unique features, Duolingo is simply the best free app for learning a new language or sharpening your skills.
PCMagView source
Expert verdict
As a regular Duolingo user, I enjoy the app's colorful interface and short, game-like exercises. The app doesn't restrict how many languages you can try to learn at the same time.
CNETView source
From the community
I started with The Owl, Too. But after a couple months I realized it wasn't going to get me fluent or literate. I wanted more guidance, more help with tones, not the usual 'What time does the train leave from Platform 2' type of stuff.
r/ChineseLanguage user (LizzieLandTX)View source
From the community
comparing this to Duolingo is honestly a world's difference, while duolingo is repetitive and gets you nowhere, hello chinese keeps teaching you new content while reminding you of what you previously studied
r/ChineseLanguage user (Miwiy06)View source
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Best for Immersive Listening PracticeComprehensible Input (YouTube Channels)

Comprehensible Input (YouTube Channels)

No app teaches you to understand real spoken Chinese like CI videos do. The community is unanimous: daily listening to content you can mostly understand is what separates people who plateau from people who break through.

What holds up

  • Completely free, dozens of dedicated Mandarin CI channels on YouTube
  • Scales from absolute beginner to advanced with different channels
  • Builds real listening comprehension that apps can't replicate
  • Channels like Lazy Chinese, Mandarin Corner, and A Cup of Chinese are specifically designed for learners

What to know

  • Requires self-direction, no structured curriculum or progress tracking
  • Can feel overwhelming to choose the right difficulty level at first
  • Passive listening alone isn't enough, must be paired with active study tools
From the community
Whenever your not talking to your tutor or doing Anki cards, 100% of the rest of your time should be spent watching Mandarin CI (comprehensible input) videos on youtube. With CI, the point is you need to comprehend it or it's not CI.
r/ChineseLanguage user (ankdain)View source
From the community
At the start of listening to CI it'll melt your brain after 10 minutes and you'll remember nothing, but it's one of those 'total average hours matter' situations. Do 1h a day for a month and then go back and watch some videos you started with and you'll be amazed.
r/ChineseLanguage user (ankdain)View source
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