Learning a new language is enjoyable for many people. But, if you keep it to just reading from the books, it could be dull. Why not find some effective ways to learn Chinese?
Chinese Movies on Netflix are effective ways to learn more vocabulary fast. However, if they are too difficult for you, you could also consider watching Chinese cartoons. These cartoons are mainly made for kids, making it relatively easy for beginners to learn Chinese. You can enhance your literacy skills with the basic foundations from these Chinese cartoons.
This article will share famous Chinese cartoons to improve your Mandarin skills. Let’s dive deep!
1. Big-Eared Tu Tu 大耳朵图图 (Dà ěr duǒ tú tú)
This series of 12-minute cartoons mainly targets 4-8 years old pre-schoolers. It features a young and energetic boy called Hu Tu Tu, full of ideas and curiosity. You’ll find a lot of humorous and silly scenes where his parents give him many chances to cultivate his learnings.
There are several topics related to children in this cartoon, including in school, in family, in the neighborhood, etc. It is an excellent way to learn Chinese with its simple vocabulary and wide topic coverage. You should consider spending some weekend hours on this cartoon!
2. Little Penguin Pororo 小企鹅啵乐乐 (Xiǎo qì’é bō lè lè)
Pororo is a computer-animated penguin that has always dreamed of flying. Pororo and his fellow Arctic friends face many challenges in their exciting adventures and get precious lessons in the cartoon.
It is a famous Chinese anime available on Netflix, with Chinese subtitles and audio. You’ll find a wide variety of stories about family and communities, making it a perfect cartoon for Chinese learners.
3. Pleasant Goat & Big Big Wolf 喜羊羊与灰太狼 (Xǐ yáng yáng yǔ huī tài láng)
Also called Xi Yang Yang, this Chinese animated cartoon series is among the most popular Chinese cartoons. It tells the story of a flock of goats and a silly big bad wolf that wants to eat them up, creating funny scenes for its audiences.
This cartoon targets children from 4 to 8 years old, with English and Chinese subtitles. With many repetition words in this cartoon, you can pick up new words fast and easily.
4. Big Head Son & Small Head Dad 大头儿子和小头爸爸 (Dà tóu er zi hé xiǎo tóu bà ba)
In this cartoon, there are collisions of traditional cultures and modern technologies. The big head son, his small head dad, and the boy’s mother come from Shanghai. “Bighead” represents that a person is brilliant, and the big head son learns many lessons about life and growth from his dad.
This cartoon has a lot of unique themes that create a series of exciting stories. Chinese learners can learn fast from watching them as they are intensely linked with real life. It is also an excellent cartoon for family time.
5. Lotus Lantern 宝莲灯 (bǎo lián dēng)
Lotus Lantern is a Chinese animated feature film drafted according to a well-known Han legend. It tells the story of a boy Chenxiang, a son of a mortal and a Goddess. His mother was imprisoned, and from there, he embarks on an adventurous journey to save his mother.
It was one of the most famous China films back in 1999, making a big difference to the world. You’ll find it a lighthearted and exciting film in your Chinese learning journey, which is excellent for both adults and children.
6. Octonauts 海底小纵队 (Hǎi dǐ xiǎo zòngduì)
This television series follows an underwater exploring crew teamed up by eight fearless adventurers, including a brave polar bear and a courageous kitten. They go under deep oceans to complete missions, besides protecting the sea creatures and their habitats.
If you enjoy watching adventure cartoons, you wouldn’t want to miss this cartoon. It teaches many valuable lessons like awareness of the environment, problem-solving skills, and responsibilities. You’ll indeed find a strong diversity of Chinese words and usage in this popular Chinese cartoon.
7. Baby Bus 宝宝巴士 (Bǎobǎo bā shì)
Baby Bus is a favorite Chinese kid show in China that targets China pre-schoolers. This animated series features a team of animals like bears and penguins that will teach many simply life skills. There are also a lot of fun nursery rhymes and songs you can find in this cartoon series.
The stories in Baby Bus cover a wide range of topics, like health, safety, occupations, habits, arts, and crafts. It is an excellent cartoon that suits beginners who want to learn Chinese.
8. The Adventures of Little Carp 小鲤鱼历险记 (xiǎo lǐyú lìxiǎn jì)
This cartoon is similar to Finding Nemo, which tells about an exciting adventure of a baby fish called Bubble or 泡泡(Pào pao). It is related to a Chinese folktale that teaches about resilience and positivity.
You can find many exquisite graphics of sea creatures and the ocean in this cartoon. It is undeniably a fun way to introduce Chinese culture and induce Chinese learning for new learners.
Which Chinese cartoon is your favorite？
If you are new or have already been learning Chinese for some time, you should definitively watch some cartoons as they are relaxing ways to enrich your vocabulary. Besides learning Chinese, watching Chinese cartoons with your kids could also better connect you and your family.
I hope you can find your preferred Chinese cartoons in this article. It is recommended that you watch with English subtitles. You can choose whether to use Chinese or English audio based on your Chinese level.
Want more fun ways to learn Chinese? Subscribe to Maayot for daily bite-size Chinese stories to boost your Chinese language. You can also visit the links below for some other Chinese language learning sources you might enjoy:
