Chinese Courses & Learning Programs
Find structured Chinese courses and learning programs for different goals, budgets and levels. Options range from comprehensive programs designed for ongoing study to shorter, focused courses that teach a specific area of Mandarin or provide a lighter introduction to the language.
Looking mainly for practical everyday phrases and themed vocabulary? See our Chinsese Phrasesbooks page.
Free Short & Focused Courses
★ A practical three-level audio course for building Mandarin listening, speaking, vocabulary and grammar skills on the go. Learn in Your Car: Mandarin Chinese by Henry N. Raymond is a three-level audio course that progresses from basic phrases and everyday vocabulary to more advanced sentence patterns, grammar and conversational practice. Level 1 covers Lessons 1–28 and introduces essentials such as greetings, transportation, money, directions, numbers, measure words, restaurants and shopping. Level 2 continues with Lessons 29–50, adding questions, useful conversational phrases, verbs and grammar such as 在 (zài) and 了 (le). Level 3 covers Lessons 51–66 and builds on past-tense expressions, 是...的 (shì...de), additional verb constructions and more advanced conversation. All three levels are available in a single playlist on Spotify.
Free Audio CourseFree Full Courses
Please Note: Free options may include ad-supported access or free access through participating libraries and institutions.
★ Extensive Audio-Based Chinese Lesson Library. ChinesePod offers more than 4,000 Mandarin audio and video lessons covering beginner through advanced levels, with natural dialogues, vocabulary, transcripts, grammar notes and practice activities. Lessons are largely self-contained, making ChinesePod especially useful for listening practice and choosing topics that match your level and interests, although learners looking for a strictly sequential course may find the large library less structured. A free plan provides access to all lessons with ads and limited access to supporting lesson materials. Available on the web, Android and iOS. Free lessons are also available on the ChinesePod YouTube channel.
Free Tier With Ads / Paid
★ Free Comprehensive Government-Developed Course. FSI Standard Chinese: A Modular Approach is a free, comprehensive Mandarin course originally developed for U.S. government language training. It includes more than 100 hours of audio alongside extensive textbooks and workbooks, with a strong focus on pronunciation, listening comprehension, speaking, repetition and structured drills. The materials are dated in presentation and some vocabulary, but learners who do not mind an old-school approach will find substantial, rigorous practice.
Free
★ Structured Conversation-Based Chinese Course. Mango Languages teaches Mandarin through practical conversations, gradually breaking down phrases so you learn vocabulary, grammar, pronunciation, and cultural context together. Lessons feature native-speaker audio, pronunciation comparison, listening and reading activities, and personalized review to reinforce what you learn. Mango requires a subscription for full access, but many public libraries and schools offer it free with a library card or institutional account. Available on Android and iOS.
Free Via Many Public Libraries / Paid
★ Free MIT Chinese Courses & Learning Materials. MIT OpenCourseWare provides free Mandarin courses and materials from MIT, including a four-course Chinese sequence covering beginning through intermediate levels as well as Learning Chinese: A Foundation Course in Mandarin (汉语基础教材), a comprehensive online textbook with accompanying audio. Depending on the course, learners can find syllabi, lesson schedules, assignments, pronunciation and Pinyin practice, character study, reading, writing, conversation practice and cultural instruction. The materials are self-paced and freely accessible, although some individual courses may reference textbooks or other materials that are not included. Available on the web.
Free★ Visual Immersion For Beginners. Rosetta Stone teaches through images, native-speaker audio, repetition and speech-recognition exercises, with relatively little English explanation. A subscription is required for full access, but many public libraries offer it free with a library card. Available on the web, Android and iOS.
Free Via Many Public Libraries / PaidPaid Full Courses
★ Structured Chinese Course with Community Feedback. Busuu offers a step-by-step Mandarin course with short, interactive lessons covering vocabulary, grammar, reading, listening, writing, and speaking. Lessons focus on practical, everyday Chinese and include native-speaker videos, vocabulary review, progress tracking, and opportunities to submit speaking or writing exercises for feedback from other Busuu users. The Chinese course includes material from beginner through upper-intermediate levels, and Busuu can be used for free, with a Premium subscription unlocking additional features and full access. Available on the web, Android and iOS.
Free / Paid
★ Extensive Audio and Video Based Chinese Courses. ChineseClass101 offers self-paced learning pathways from absolute beginner through advanced, built around short audio and video lessons with dialogues, vocabulary, grammar explanations, lesson notes and study tools. A free account includes selected lessons and resources, while full lesson access and additional learning tools require a paid plan. Available on the web, Android and iOS. Free lessons are also available on the ChineseClass101 YouTube channel.
Limited Free / Paid
★ Structured Mandarin Instruction With Strong Pronunciation, Grammar and Character Teaching. ChineseFor.Us offers a step-by-step curriculum taught by Chinese linguistics expert and certified HSK examiner Lili Hao. Expect detailed video lessons, audio, quizzes, speaking and writing practice, vocabulary, Pinyin, tones and character instruction. Some lessons are available free, but full access requires a subscription. As of September 2026, the main limitation is that the complete course currently covers beginner through lower-intermediate Chinese, roughly through HSK 3. Higher HSK levels are planned but are not yet available as complete courses, so advanced learners will need additional resources. Available on the web. Free lessons are also available on the ChineseFor.Us YouTube channel.
Limited Free / Paid
★ Structured HSK-Based Mandarin Courses from Beginner to Advanced. Chinese Zero to Hero offers self-paced video courses with clear explanations of vocabulary, grammar, pronunciation, reading and other skills, primarily built around the HSK Standard Course textbook series. Learners can start with a free Pre-HSK 1 introductory course, then continue through paid HSK 1–6 courses, HSK 7–9 grammar, and additional courses such as Path to Fluency. As of September 2026, the HSK 1–6 courses still follow the older HSK 2.0 curriculum and corresponding HSK Standard Course textbooks, while the HSK 7–9 grammar course follows the new HSK 3.0 framework. Required textbooks and workbooks for the HSK 1–6 courses are purchased separately. Chinese Zero to Hero also integrates its Language Player for learning through authentic video, interactive subtitles, vocabulary lookup and review. Available on the web, with the companion Language Player available on Android and iOS. Free lessons are also available on the Chinese Zero to Hero YouTube channel.
Limited Free / Paid
★ Structured Mandarin Courses with Live Teachers. GoEast Mandarin is a Chinese language school offering online private and small-group classes from beginner through advanced levels, including HSK, spoken Chinese, business Chinese and exam preparation. Courses combine live instruction with self-study materials such as conversation and grammar videos, flashcards and exercises, so learners should expect a structured, teacher-led program rather than a free learning app. A free trial and some free learning resources are available. Available on the web. Free lessons are also available on the GoEast Mandarin YouTube channel.
Limited Free / Paid
★ Structured Mandarin Course with a Strong Character Focus. Mandarin Blueprint teaches pronunciation, Chinese characters, vocabulary, reading and listening through a highly structured curriculum that uses memory techniques, including its Hanzi Movie Method. A limited free starter version is available, while access to the complete curriculum and additional features requires payment. The program is especially well suited to learners who want a systematic approach to character recognition and long-term literacy. Available on the web. Free lessons are also available on the Mandarin Blueprint YouTube channel.
Limited Free / Paid
★ Audio-First Mandarin Course Focused on Speaking. Pimsleur teaches Mandarin through structured 30-minute audio lessons that have you listen, respond and repeat aloud, with a strong focus on pronunciation, listening comprehension and practical conversation. The Mandarin course progresses through five levels and also includes reading exercises, vocabulary review and other practice tools in the app. Pimsleur is a paid program, but a free trial is available. Available on the web, Android and iOS.
Free Trial / Paid
★ Structured Video-Based Chinese Courses. Yoyo Chinese offers a guided Mandarin curriculum taught primarily by Yoyo Chinese founder Yangyang Cheng, with short video lessons covering pronunciation, tones, pinyin, conversation, vocabulary, grammar and Chinese characters. Learners can expect structured courses that build progressively, along with dialogues, flashcards, listening and speaking practice, quizzes, lesson notes and audio review exercises. The first lessons of each course can be tried for free, while full access requires a paid plan. Available on the web, Android and iOS. Free lessons are also available on the Yoyo Chinese YouTube channel.
Limited Free / PaidCourse Platforms
★ Free Chinese Courses from Beginner Lessons to HSK Study. Alison offers a collection of self-paced Mandarin courses covering beginner conversation, greetings and self-introductions, numbers and dates, pronunciation and tones, Pinyin, and more comprehensive HSK-focused study. Courses are free to study and complete, while printed or digital certificates are optional paid extras. This is a useful option for learners who prefer structured, course-style study and want to choose individual topics or work through longer programs. Available on the web, Android and iOS.
Free / Paid Optional Certificates
★ University-Level Chinese Courses. Coursera offers Mandarin Chinese courses from universities such as Peking University, Shanghai Jiao Tong University and National Taiwan University, covering beginner Chinese, HSK preparation, vocabulary, grammar, listening and conversation. Most courses are paid, although many allow you to preview the first module for free, and some may offer financial aid or a Full Course, No Certificate option. Coursera also offers free trials, but these should not be confused with permanently free course access. Available on the web.
Free Trial / Paid
★ Free Audit Access to Chinese Language and China-Related Courses. edX offers university-style online courses from institutions and providers such as Harvard, MIT, Tsinghua University and MandarinX. Chinese learners can find Mandarin instruction as well as courses covering Chinese history, culture, philosophy and related subjects. Most open courses can be audited for free with access to videos, readings, discussions and ungraded practice, while certificates, graded assignments and some programs require payment. Available on the web, Android and iOS.
Audit Classes Free / Paid Options
★ University-Led Chinese Courses and ExpertTracks. FutureLearn offers Chinese courses from universities and educational institutions covering pronunciation and tones, conversation, grammar, vocabulary, characters, calligraphy and Chinese culture, with options ranging from beginner through more advanced study. Many short courses can be joined with free limited access, but this usually excludes tests, certificates and long-term access; some programs and ExpertTracks require a subscription or paid upgrade, so check the individual course before enrolling. Available on the web.
Free Limited Access to Short Courses / Paid
★ Free Beginner Chinese Courses. OpenLearn offers a small collection of completely free, self-paced Mandarin courses covering pronunciation, basic vocabulary, reading, writing, speaking and listening, along with an introductory course on Chinese business culture. Learners can start with a 4-hour taster course and continue through the three-part Getting Started with Chinese series, with each course designed at an introductory level. Creating a free OpenLearn account allows you to track your progress and earn a Statement of Participation upon completion. Available on the web.
Free
★ Free and Paid Chinese Courses from Independent Instructors. Udemy is a large online course platform with Chinese courses covering beginner Mandarin, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, characters, HSK preparation and more. Course length, teaching style, quality and pricing vary by instructor, so learners should check the course description, ratings and curriculum before enrolling. Free Chinese courses are available, although many of the more comprehensive courses are paid and the free selection can change over time. Available on the web, Android and iOS.
Free / Paid
★ University Courses from Leading Chinese Institutions. XuetangX is an international Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) platform founded by Tsinghua University that offers thousands of online courses from universities in China and abroad. Chinese learners can find courses covering areas such as beginner and intermediate Mandarin, grammar, business Chinese and Chinese language teaching, with some courses available to study for free. Expect a more academic, university-style experience than a typical language-learning app, with course formats and availability varying by offering. Note: XuetangX is very Chinese-first, so parts of the website, navigation and course content may be difficult for beginners or learners who cannot yet read much Chinese. Some courses are offered in English or include English instruction, but this varies by course. Available on the web and iOS. Andriod users can scan the QR code at the bottom of the XueTangX website to download the official app. Google Play has imposter apps at time of this post.
