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Podcasts to learn Chinese: by level and in English

Maca Laoshi, Mandarin Chinese teacher
Updated October 20, 2026 · 6 min read

The Temple of Heaven, with its three-tiered blue roof, in Beijing — Photo: Victor He / Unsplash

Short answer

To start, ChinesePod or Melnyks Chinese, both explained in English. Once you have the basics, Lazy Chinese, all in Chinese, slow and clear. For intermediate learners, TeaTime Chinese, Learning Chinese through Stories and Dashu Mandarin. The key is to pick one you mostly understand and listen to each episode more than once.

Our channels, in Spanish

If you also want to learn with video, Maca and Manu have two YouTube channels, both in Spanish:

Manu Shi: more than 93,000 subscribers and videos for learning Chinese in Spanish.
MacaLaoshi Chinese: Maca's channel, with original stories for learners and our songs, with English subtitles.

We put them together with other channels, organized by level, in the guide to YouTube channels to learn Chinese.

Podcasts by level

Podcast	Level	Language of explanations	What's good about it
Melnyks Chinese	Absolute beginner	English	Lessons in order from zero. The first ones are free, with no sign-up; the rest need a paid membership.
ChinesePod	Beginner to advanced	English	Dialogues with explanations; its website advertises 4,000+ lessons across six levels. There's a free plan with limited access, and Premium costs US$29 a month (October 2026).
Lazy Chinese	Several levels, marked on each episode	Chinese only, slow and clear	Comprehensible input: you can follow from context even if you don't know every word. Transcripts include characters, pinyin and an English translation.
Learning Chinese through Stories	Beginner to superior	All in Chinese	Stories by level, with transcripts and vocabulary.
TeaTime Chinese 茶歇中文	Intermediate	Simple Chinese	Relaxed conversations about Chinese society, culture and history.
Dashu Mandarin 大叔中文	Intermediate and above	Chinese, unscripted conversation	For getting used to the real pace. A new episode comes out every week.

Mandarin Corner, well known for its videos, has no public podcast: on Spotify there is only a private feed for its Patreon supporters. The easiest way to follow it is on YouTube.

Test your Chinese

Improve your Chinese with our app, Macalaoshi Flashcards: 1,300+ words and characters to practice like this.

See the app

Explained in English

If you want the explanations in English, start with ChinesePod (six levels, from beginner to advanced) or Melnyks Chinese (from absolute zero). If you'd rather have advice on how to learn than lessons, You Can Learn Chinese, hosted by Jared Turner and John Pasden of Mandarin Companion, is an active podcast with strategies and interviews with people who have learned Chinese. Whatever you listen to, the spoken language is the same Mandarin, but transcripts can come in simplified or traditional characters. If you're wondering about the difference, see traditional vs simplified Chinese.

How to listen so it actually helps

Pick something you mostly understand. Listening when you understand almost nothing is tiring and teaches you little.
Repeat the same episode two or three times over the week.
Use the transcript if the podcast has one: listen, read and listen again.
Make use of downtime, like your commute or cooking, for review; new content is better with your full attention.

TV shows and movies work the same way: we explain it in how to learn Chinese with TV shows.

Improve your Chinese with Macalaoshi Flashcards

Maca Laoshi's app for learning characters, with audio, pinyin and stroke-by-stroke writing.

1,300+words and characters
HSK 1–4by level
Freeto start

Download for free

Learn with our songs

We made them for Macalaoshi. Singing along is a fun way to practice pronunciation and review vocabulary.

The Lighthouse of My Heart 我心里灯塔

Study With You 跟你一起学

Frequently asked questions

What's the best podcast to learn Chinese from scratch?

From zero, ChinesePod (Chinese dialogues explained in English) or Melnyks Chinese, whose lessons start from scratch and whose first lessons are free. Lazy Chinese, all in Chinese, slow and clear, works best once you have the basics.

Are there Chinese podcasts explained in English?

Yes, several. ChinesePod explains its dialogues in English across six levels, and Melnyks Chinese starts from zero. If you want advice on how to learn rather than lessons, try You Can Learn Chinese, hosted by Jared Turner and John Pasden of Mandarin Companion.

Are there free Chinese podcasts?

Yes. ChinesePod has a free plan with limited access and Melnyks lets you listen to the first lessons without signing up; the rest is paid. Lazy Chinese, TeaTime Chinese and Dashu Mandarin can be found on the usual podcast apps.

How do I get the most out of a podcast in Chinese?

Choose one you mostly understand, listen to the same episode more than once and, if it has a transcript, read it afterward. Listening without understanding anything is of very little use.

Is Mandarin Corner on Spotify or Apple Podcasts?

Not as a public podcast. We found no listing on Apple Podcasts, and the only Spotify feed is a private one for its Patreon supporters. Its official website has an audio section, but the easiest way to follow it is its YouTube channel, @MandarinCorner2.

Maca Laoshi, born in Beijing, has taught Mandarin Chinese for more than 22 years and has had over 1,500 students. Together with her son Manu Shi, who has more than 93,000 subscribers on YouTube, she created Macalaoshi, an app that challenges you to push yourself one character at a time. Few Chinese teachers can show both: their own app and a channel like that.

Sources

This guide in other languages: Español · Português · Français · Deutsch · Italiano · 日本語 · 한국어