Cantonese (sometimes called standard Cantonese) has its origins in the area of Guangzhou (once called Canton) in the south of China. Many consider Cantonese the prestige dialect of Yue. Cantonese is spoken in mainland China as a lingua franca in areas in and around the Guangdong Province . The language is used in everyday life in both Hong Kong and Macau.

If you're a beginner, learning Cantonese can feel overwhelming.

But when you start breaking down the language learning process, piece by piece, things begin to look a lot easier.

At first, Cantonese speakers sound incomprehensible, and the written text is confusing. However with a little direction, dedication, and a bit of patience you can speak and even read proficiently in Cantonese.

Just imagine leisurely talking to your Chinese friends on the streets of Macau or Hong Kong. Imagine watching Cantonese movies and media, and being able to understand and enjoy it. Think of what it would be like to connect with the local culture of a Chinese immigrant community, or reconnect with your heritage.

All this is possible and more. In this article, we cover everything you need to know about learning the Cantonese language. You'll find everything you need to get started, from the best courses or audio programs, to best free places to learn the language. No matter what your learning goals are, there's something for you here.

What is the best way to learn Cantonese?

When it comes to learning resources, there aren't as many options for Cantonese as there are for more popular foreign languages (especially if you're not living in Hong Kong). However, there still are some great options available if you want to learn Cantonese.

Cantoneseclass101

Cantoneseclass101 is the most complete and comprehensive Cantonese course we've come across. The class is setup as a Cantonese podcast. Each episode is essentially a Cantonese audio lesson. Each lesson teaches a Cantonese conversation between two native speakers. Two podcast hosts work as your personal Cantonese teachers, and explain the conversation. They teach you the grammar and vocabulary behind the dialogue. They often even share cultural tips and insights about Hong Kong and other Cantonese speaking regions of China.

The audio lessons are split across 5 levels from absolute beginner to advanced. There are literally hundreds of lessons on Cantoneseclass101. On just the first level there are 289 lessons!

In addition to the podcast lessons, Cantoneseclass101 also offers a bunch of bonus resources for learning Cantonese. There are essential word lists (with audio), a Cantonese dictionary, resources on how to read and write traditional Chinese characters, pronunciation and alphabet guides, and a grammar bank (a reference tool for Cantonese grammar rules). There's also a flashcard system on the site, that allows you to ad words and phrases directly from your lessons into your own personal flashcard deck. This makes for an effective and convenient learning experience.

Cantoneseclass101 is a powerful Cantonese learning resource, and it's sure to give you a leg up on your journey to fluency. While you do need a premium membership to access all of the podcast lessons (which starts at $4 per month), Cantoneseclass101 also offers a free lifetime account that gives you access to their bonus resources, as well as some of the podcast lessons too.

Pimsleur Cantonese

Pimsleur is an audio course designed to teach you conversational Cantonese. Pimsleur is able to do this through it's question and response technique. The course is made up of individual lessons which are each 30 minutes long.

In each lesson you learn important words and phrases by repeating after the audio recording you hear. After this you will be required to ask and answer questions in Cantonese using the phrases you've learned. You have a limited amount of time before the course reveals the right response. This process simulates what it's like when you speak Cantonese with a real person.

Being an audio course, Pimsleur doesn't offer much if you're looking to learn how to read and write Cantonese. The other downside of Pimsleur is that there is only one level available for their Cantonese course (most languages have 3 or even 5 levels). So you're not likely to reach an intermediate level of fluency which such a limited course.

Pimsleur does offer an effective way to learn the basics of how to speak Cantonese. It's a good foundation for your listening and speaking skills.

Italki

Italki is a an app and website where language learners can search language teachers from around the world for paid private Cantonese lessons through video chat. Teachers provide everything learners need for their classes, including textbooks (usually shared via download files), videos, pdfs, and other learning materials.

There are XX Cantonese teachers from around the world (many are from Hong Kong or Macau). Every teacher has his or her own methodology for their Cantonese lessons, so it's best to try lessons with a few different teachers before making a decision on which one you'll pick. Luckily many teachers offer trial lessons, which are short 30 minute introductory lessons that are considerably less expensive than normal lessons. No matter what your goals are for learning Cantonese, you are likely to find a teacher who will help you achieve them.

Italki has more than just paid lessons. There are a lot of useful free resources as well. Users can search through the profiles of other Italki users to find a language partner. This is an excellent way to connect with Cantonese speakers who are learning English, and work with them as a language exchange partner. Italki also has a language learning blog, where teachers publish articles on different languages. There is also a public forum for users can ask each other for tips and translation in their target languages. Users also have a public notebook where they write in their target language and have their entries corrected by native speakers.

*With purchase of $20 or more. After you complete your first lesson 10 free Italki credits will be added to your account.

Is Cantonese Difficult to learn?

The bad news

I'm going to be frank with you, Cantonese is not the easiest language to learn for native English speakers. There's a few reasons for that...

Cantonese and English don't have much in common

If you are a native English speaker who has never learned a foreign language, then Cantonese will be more difficult than some other languages. This is because Cantonese, linguistically speaking, is far removed from English. Languages like French, Spanish, and even German are more closely related to English in their grammar, vocabulary, and alphabet. So compared to Cantonese those languages would be easier.

Cantonese doesn't have an alphabet

Cantonese also poses another challenge for native English speakers: it has no alphabet. Instead of an alphabet, Cantonese uses characters to represent words. You have to essentially memorize each character to understand which word it represents, and there are over 50,000 of them. Granted you don't need to learn anywhere near 50,000 characters to read Cantonese proficiently. In fact to be literate in Cantonese you only need to learn three to four thousand (which is less than 50,000 but still feels like a lot).

Cantonese is a tonal language

Like other Chinese languages, Cantonese is a tonal language. In English we typically change the tone or pitch to put emphasis on a word. In Cantonese changing the tone changes the meaning of a word completely. There are a total of 6 tones in Cantonese (one more than in Mandarin). You'll have to learn them all if you want to be able to speak and understand Cantonese.

Lack of resources

If you're learning Cantonese you will quickly notice a lack of learning materials. If you're studying Mandarin Chinese, you have your pick of textbooks, teachers, apps, podcasts, and pretty another other learning tool you can think of. But when it comes to Cantonese, good resources are rare and hard to find (which is one reason we wrote this article).

The good news

Okay, now for the good news. There are a lot of difficult aspects when it comes to Cantonese, but there are other features of the language that are easy.

Cantonese grammar isn't so bad

In Cantonese, nouns don't have a grammatical gender, unlike most European languages. Also there's no verb conjugations to worry about (this means verbs don't change forms for I/he/she/we/they/etc). Tenses are also straight forward. You simply add a word to a verb to signify the tense. The words that signify tenses are the same for every verb, which makes things easy.

People often over estimate the difficult of Cantonese

People often exaggerate on how hard it is to learn Cantonese. Sure, the language isn't a walk in the park. However there is no challenge in Cantonese you can't overcome with practice and a little patience. Once you've studied the language for awhile, it seems less and less intimidating.

How long does it take to learn Cantonese?

According to the Foreign Service Institute of the United States, it's takes approximately 88 weeks and 2200 hours of class time to become fluent in Cantonese. This estimate of 2200 hours class time doesn't factor in the hours of homework time required outside of traditional Cantonese lessons. The total required about of time both in and outside of class will be higher than 2200.

Note that while it may take that long to become fluent, it's possible to become conversationally proficient in a shorter amount of time. Either way, if you want to learn Cantonese to fluency be prepared to stick it out for the long haul. Learning a language is a marathon, not a sprint.

The first channel is the Cantoneseclass101 channel. In addition to creating the most comprehensive course for learning Cantonese, the folks at Cantoneseclass101 have also put out a large collection of Cantonese learning videos on their Youtube channel. You'll find videos on topics as diverse as vocabulary lessons, listening practice, and learning tips.

Cantonese Corner

Cantonese Corner is a channel made by Sue Marguerite, a native English speaker who has lived in Hong Kong since 1988. She is a professional translator and has made a large collection of videos on learning Cantonese. She covers everything from teaching the Cantonese tones, grammar, to discussing cultural topics.

Dope Chinese

Dope Chinese is a Chinese learning channel for both Mandarin and Cantonese. The videos are made by Gloria, a Chinese teacher and native speaker. On this channel you'll find tons of lessons on Cantonese vocabulary, including some very interesting lessons on Cantonese slang.

Free websites to learn Cantonese

There aren't a ton of sites for someone learning Cantonese, but here are two notable options:

Cantonese.ca

Cantoense.ca is a Cantonese learning site where you'll find Cantonese words and phrases sorted by topics. Each phrase has it's English translation, traditional Chinese characters, and native audio.

Cantoneseclass101

Okay, so we already mentioned that Cantoneseclass101 is one of the best ways to learn Cantonese. And while most of the podcast lessons are only available through a paid account, there are ton of resources available for a free account. We won't list the free resources again here. We just couldn't mention free Cantonese learning sites, and not mention Cantoneseclass101 again.

Free apps to learn Cantonese

Simply Learn Cantonese

Simply Learn Cantonese is essentially an audio and text based phrasebook. Here you'll find a useful collection of vocabulary you can use to get around Hong Kong, Macau, or any other Cantonese speaking place. The app also features flashcards and quizzes to help you review what you learn. This is an easy way to start speaking right away, even if you're only using basic words and phrases.

Free Cantonese by Nemo

Nemo is similar to Simply Learn Cantonese, in that it's also a collection of Cantonese words and phrases. Nemo features lessons which sort vocabulary into groups of the most important or most commonly used phrases. It's a great resource for anyone traveling to Hong Kong or Macau and wants to start conversations.

Final thoughts

The Cantonese language holds a wonderful world of history and culture for anyone who decides to learn it. Though the road to fluency may be long, and at times bumpy, it's well worth the effort. So whether you're planning a trip to Hong Kong, or plan on having Cantonese conversations at home, use the tips and tools mentioned in this article to give you a boost with vocabulary and grammar so you can start speaking today. Good luck! 

Updated December 15th, 2023

Rosetta Stone is a household name when it comes to language learning.

Unfortunately there is no Rosetta Stone Cantonese course.

Why is there no Rosetta Stone Cantonese course?

There are over 70 million Cantonese speakers, so it’s hard to call Cantonese a minority language. Still, Cantonese is often overshadowed by Mandarin Chinese, which is the most widely spoken language on the planet. Mandarin is also the official language of China, so most language learning companies pick Mandarin as their Chinese course, and don’t make much of an effort to teach Cantonese. 

Rosetta Stone is no different. The company has been around since 1992, and not once have they announced any plans of releasing a Rosetta Stone Cantonese course. 

If you’re waiting for Rosetta Stone to teach you Cantonese I wouldn’t get your hopes up. Your best bet to learn the language is using different courses. Here are some of the best options for learning Cantonese. 

Best alternatives to Rosetta Stone Cantonese

If you’re learning Cantonese, your options for courses are a lot more limited than for other more popular languages. Rosetta Stone isn’t the only company to skip Cantonese. Duolingo also has no intention of creating a course for the language. 

However, there are still some helpful options out there. Here’s a few of the best ways you can learn Cantonese.  

Cantoneseclass101

Cantoneseclass101 is the most comprehensive Cantonese course on this list. It’s essentially a Cantonese course packaged as a podcast. Each episode (lesson) features a conversation between two native Cantonese speakers. The podcast hosts act as your personal language teachers and breakdown any important grammar, vocabulary, and cultural insights from the dialogue. 

Cantoneseclass101’s podcast lessons are an excellent way to develop your Cantonese listening and pronunciation skills. They’re also very effective at teaching grammar and vocabulary. Cantoneseclass101 also has a lot of free resources such as a Cantonese to English dictionary, writing lessons and pdfs, pronunciation training guides, lists of important phrases, flashcards, and more. 

Cantoneseclass101 is a great resource for anyone learning Cantonese. Most podcast lessons are only available through a paid monthly membership (which starts at $4 per month). However, Cantoneseclass101 also provides a free lifetime account, which gives you access to a limited selection of Cantonese lessons, and all of the site's free resources. There’s even a free monthly prize pack which includes a selection of free downloads and learning materials. 

Pimsleur Cantonese

Pimsleur is the only audio course that teaches you how to speak Cantonese conversationally. Pimsleur uses a unique question-recall-response method to train you how to speak and think in Chinese Cantonese. In each 30 minute lesson you are taught how to say a collection of Cantonese phrases word by word, and syllable by syllable. Then you are prompted to answer and ask questions using those phrases (without using any English). 

Pimsleur is a powerful way to start speaking Cantonese. The main drawback of the course is that it’s an audio course and doesn’t teach you how to read or write Cantonese (though Rosetta Stone courses don’t always teach that either). There’s also only one level of Pimsleur Cantonese, while most other languages have up to five Pimsleur levels. 

If you’re learning to speak Cantonese conversationally then Pimsleur is certainly worth checking out. You can get your first lesson for free, so I recommend trying the course out and making sure it’s right for you. 

Italki

Italki is a language learning site that allows you to browse the profile of language teachers from around the world, and book paid one on one lessons with them via video chat. There are over one hundred Cantonese teachers on Italki. You can book lessons for 30 minutes, 1 hour, or 1 ½ hours. Teachers provide learning materials and share texts, videos, and pictures in real time during their lessons. 

Speaking Cantonese with a real person, is one of the most effective ways to learn the language. Even if there was a Rosetta Stone Cantonese course, it wouldn’t give you the opportunity that Italki does. 

Italki also provides free resources you can use without booking any lessons. There’s a language learning forum where you can ask for corrections and tips from native Cantonese speakers. There’s a blog maintained by the sites’ teachers. There’s also a public notebook where you can practice writing with Chinese characters. 

*After a purchase of $20 or more. After you complete your first lesson 10 free Italki credits will be added to your account.

Ling App

Ling offers a fun and motivating method to learn Cantonese. The Ling app comes from a Thailand-based company called Simya Solutions, dedicated to offering language-learning resources for the “less popular” (in other words, non-European) languages out there. 

The app really lives up to this goal, as it offers language courses in over 60 languages, including Cantonese! A complete Ling course offers content ranging from beginner to expert level, with a total of 200 lessons if you pay for the premium subscription. Each lesson features a variety of fun, game-like activities as well as test and review elements.

Like Pimsleur, Ling features lots of audio recordings presented by native Cantonese speakers. This is so important when learning a tonal language! Plus, you can practice speaking using the voice recognition software in the app, or try out vocabulary in a “conversation” with the in-app chatbot feature.

If there is a downside here, it is that you may find many of the recorded conversations a bit on the formal side. If you want more informal, daily-life-style conversation, you may want to try using a global conversation tool like Hello Talk.

One great thing about Ling’s Cantonese course is that it includes lessons and activities to help you learn reading and writing in Cantonese. Many apps shy away from non-English alphabets, but Ling will give you at least an introduction to Chinese characters!

Probably the best thing about Ling is that it uses so many different types of activities in the lessons, you will not quickly get bored and feel like you have to repeat the same boring activities again and again, as you might in Rosetta Stone. You also get lots of motivation by earning points and tracking your progress, like you would in a gamified program like Duolingo.

Drops (Cantonese)

Drops is another fun app you can use to boost your Cantonese vocabulary through short daily activities. Drops comes from the same company that created Kahoot, and it has a beautiful and engaging interface. The app claims to teach you Cantonese in five minutes a day.

If you are serious about learning Cantonese, this probably sounds too good to be true--and it is! You should not plan to use Drops as a stand-alone method for studying the language. However, it can serve as a wonderful supplement to your core learning program because it makes learning Cantonese vocabulary fun.

One of the great things about this vocabulary tool is that you can choose to work on a particular theme, like workplace vocabulary vs shopping, or travel vs food. Alternatively, you can start with what Drops calls “foundation words,” which is a good idea if you are a Cantonese beginner.

Most of the activities you use to learn the words feature swiping-style challenges and games, like word searches or matching. All of them use image association as a mnemonic device to help you mentally associate a new word with a particular image or animation. You can also access word lists and review activities to see your progress.

On top of this, Drops offers a really cool Chinese character feature where you can learn how to put characters together and begin to understand the basics of literacy for Cantonese.

You can sign in to Drops for five minutes a day for free, but if you want to truly explore all the app has to offer, you will have to commit to a monthly subscription fee.

Conclusion

Don’t let the fact that Rosetta Stone doesn’t offer a course for learning Cantonese, keep you from learning the language. Even though Cantonese isn’t the most popular foreign language around, there are still some great courses out there to help you learn it. Try out these choices and find out which is right for you. You can start learning today even without Rosetta Stone Cantonese.

Cantonese is a traditional Chinese language spoken by 75 million speakers. Cantonese is a linguistic neighbor to Mandarin Chinese. You’d think with so many Cantonese speakers there would be more apps and resources available for people who want to learn Cantonese, but unfortunately that’s not the case.

There are plenty of apps and courses that teach Mandarin Chinese, and very few that teach Cantonese Chinese. Even though there are less options for learning Cantonese, there are still some great apps available. 

In this post we’ll look at the best apps for learning Cantonese. 

Cantoneseclass101

Cantoneseclass101 is an app that teaches Cantonese with lessons in the form of a podcast. Every lesson is built around an actual conversation between two Cantonese speakers. These conversations occur in daily situations, and teach practical phrases you can use in real life. Each podcast episode also explains the grammar behind each conversation, so you can understand what you’re saying. 

Cantoneseclass101 also has lessons on how to read and write traditional Chinese characters. You’ll learn the correct order and number of strokes for each character. There’s also a dictionary, phrases lists, and listening exercise on the app as well. 

Cantoneseclass101 is a great way to learn Cantonese and improve your speaking, listening, and writing skills. You can download Cantoneseclass101 for Android or in the Apple App Store. 

Pimsleur Cantonese 

Pimsleur Cantonese is an audio course with one goal: to get you thinking and speaking in Canonese. The course is made up of 30 minute lessons. In each lesson you are taught Cantonese phrases word by word and syllable by syllable. Then you are required to answer and ask questions spontaneously, much like you would in a real conversation. 

There’s no other audio course I know of that teaches you to speak Cantonese as effectively as Pimsleur. Being an audio course you won’t learn how to read or write Cantonese. There’s also only one course level available for Pimsleur Cantonese, so if your level in the language is higher than a beginner, then you might not get as much out of the app. 

If you want to try out the Pimsleur method and see it’s the right Cantonese app for you. You can get your first Pimsleur lesson for free, by clicking the link below.  

Italki

Italki is the go to app for one on one language lessons with a real teacher or tutor. There are more than 100 Cantonese teachers on the site. Each teacher supplies their own learning materials for their students and offers lessons for 30 minutes, 1 hour, or for 1 ½ hours. The lessons with teachers are paid (the teachers set their own rates so prices vary). There are also some awesome free features on the app as well. 

You can publish to a public journal to practice your written Cantonese, and have your text corrected by native speakers. You can also search for a language partner and find a Cantonese speaker who is looking to practice their English. There’s even a blog where teachers publish articles on the languages they teach. 

With a purchase of $20 or more. After you complete your first lesson 10 free Italki credits will be added to you account.*

Drops Cantonese

Drops Cantonese uses visual learning and a gamified approach to teach Cantonese. The idea behind the app is that for five minutes a day, you can learn important words and phrases by playing mini games. The app is designed to be a fun and even addictive way to learn a foreign language. The app focuses on vocabulary so you won’t find any grammar here. 

Drop Cantonese tends to teach individual words more than it does phrases. You might not be conversational using Drops, but you will learn essential Cantonese words. Drops is available for both Android and iOS. 

Simply Learn Cantonese 

Simply Learn Cantonese is a free ad-driven app that teaches you how to speak Cantonese. The app is essentially a Cantonese audio phrasebook recorded by native speakers in Hong Kong. You can use flashcards, quizzes, and tests to practice what you learn. The audio is high quality and the flashcards use spaced repetition to help you review as efficiently as possible.

So you’ve decided to learn the historically and culturally rich language that is Cantonese. Maybe you’ve booked a trip to Hong Kong, Macau, or maybe Guangzhou. Perhaps you’re learning the language to reconnect with your heritage, or the heritage of a friend or loved one. Whatever your reason is for learning Cantonese, you’re excited. You can’t wait to start. 

You’ve heard of Babbel languages, and you figure you’ll begin by using the Babbel Cantonese course. There just one problem:

There is no Babbel Cantonese course. 

Why is there no Babbel Cantonese course?

Babbel doesn’t offer most Asian languages

Cantonese isn’t the only language that fails to appear on Babbel. Mandarin Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Thai also don’t have a Babbel course. Though I can’t say for sure, I suspect that this is because these languages are more difficult to teach native English speakers, because they use a completely different writing system.   

Cantonese uses traditional Chinese characters, instead of an alphabet for its writing system. If there were a Cantonese Babbel course, it would have to help users learn characters. I don’t think Babbel is willing to invest the time in resources it would take to adapt their method to teaching Cantonese. 

Cantonese isn’t as popular as other foreign languages

There are well over 70 million Cantonese speakers. Still, ask someone who’s learning Chinese which chinese language they’re learning, and they’re likely to answer Chinese Mandarin. Even though Cantonese is a traditional chinese language, it’s more often than not overlooked by language learners. This is probably another reason why Babbel hasn’t developed a Cantonese course. They simply don’t think there will be enough interest in it. 

Alternatives to Babbel Cantonese 

Cantoneseclass101

Cantoneseclass101 is an excellent way to learn how to read, pronounce, and understand Cantonese. The course is set up like a podcast. Each lesson is an episode. Episodes are sorted into seasons, which are sorted by difficulty level. 

Each episode of Cantoneseclass101 is built around a recorded conversation between two Cantonese speakers. Two podcast hosts explain the grammar and vocabulary used in the conversation. They even highlight interesting cultural insights as well. 

Cantoneseclass101 also has a bunch of free learning resources to help you learn Cantonese. There’s a English-Cantonese dictionary, also phrase lists, writing lessons which teach you how to write Chinese characters, pronunciation trainers, and a lot more. 

Pimsleur Cantonese

Pimsleur is a Cantonese audio course that teaches you conversational Cantonese through its unique question-recall-response technique. In each Pimsleur lesson you are taught a series of Cantonese phrases. Then you are asked to speak and ask your own questions in Cantonese. You have a limited time to reply before you hear the correct answer. 

These audio lessons are intense, but they're also super effective at teaching you to speak and even think in Cantonese. Pimsleur also places a huge emphasis on pronunciation, and breaks down longer Cantonese phrases into individual words and syllables. 

Because it’s chiefly an audio course, Pimsleur Cantonese doesn’t offer much in the way of reading or writing. There’s also currently only one level of Cantonese available (most Pimsleur courses have five levels). 

Italki

Italki connects you the language learner, with language teachers from across the globe. On Italki you can book one on one Canontese lessons with a certified Canontese teacher or tutor (there are currently over 100 Cantonese teachers on the site). The lessons take place over video chat, and can last anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour and a half (depending on which lesson type you choose). 

Italki allows you to learn Cantonese with a real native speaker, which is something Babbel Cantonese could never do (even if it existed). In addition to lessons with teachers, Italki also provides some great free resources like a public Cantonese journal, where you can write and have your text corrected by native speakers.

There’s also a forum where you can ask native speakers specific questions. You can search Italki users for Cantonese speakers who are learning English and set up a language exchange. 

After you a make purchase of $20 or more and complete your first lesson, $10 in Italki credits will be added into your account*

Final thoughts

Don’t let the absence of a Babbel Cantonese course, keep you from learning the language. Use the resources in post to jump start your language journey and start learning Cantonese today!

Duolingo is a good language course. It’s an effective way to learn a language, and it’s more comprehensive than some other popular apps. Duolingo also uses a freemium model which makes it an ideal app to get your feet wet in a foreign language. 

Unfortunately there is no Duolingo course for learning Cantonese.

Since 2012 people have been petitioning the company for a Cantonese course, but Duolingo has yet to announce any plan or intention to create one. 

Of course Cantonese isn’t as popular as it’s geographic and linguistic neighbor Mandarin, but with over 70 million worldwide Cantonese speakers, you’d think a course would at least make the list of languages for the Duolingo incubator (the place where Duolingo volunteers create their language courses). There are courses for many less popular foreign languages such as Welsh and Irish on the app. There’s even a course for Klingon and High Valyrian.  Somehow though, Cantonese just didn’t make the cut. 

While Duolingo might have a course for the Cantonese language, there are some good alternatives 

Alternatives for Duolingo Cantonese

CantoneseClass101

CantoneseClass101 is a language learning app and site that teaches Cantonese with audio lessons in the style of podcasts. Unlike Duolingo, CantoneseClass101 uses real conversations between native speakers. Each lesson covers a single conversation, and breaks down new vocabulary and grammar in a way that’s memorable and engaging. This is a great way to improve your listening, pronunciation, and vocabulary skills in Cantonese. 

Cantoneseclass101 also features a ton of useful resources you won’t find in a Duolingo course, such as lessons on writing in Cantonese, a Cantonese-English dictionary, pronunciation training, essential phrase lists and more. 

Pimsleur Cantonese

Duolingo specializes in teaching reading and writing in a foreign language. Pimsleur is for those who want to practice speaking it. 

Pimsleur Cantonese uses a trademark listen-recall-response method, that trains your brain to think and speak in Cantonese. The course is entirely audio based. Each lesson is 30 minutes long, and teaches you a series of phrases and questions. During each lesson you are asked questions in Cantonese and are required to answer in a limited amount of time, before the course provides you with an answer. This simulates real life conversation and is a great way to learn the basics of conversational Cantonese. 

Italki 

Italki is an online portal where you can find language teachers from around the world. Italki teachers offer individual lessons through video chat (using Skype, or Italki’s video platform). Each teacher has his or her own way of teaching and will supply you with learning materials such as course book pdfs, videos, documents, and more. Currently there are over 100 Cantonese teachers offering lessons on Italki. Honestly, practicing with a native Cantonese speaker is one of the best ways to learn Cantonese. If you’re serious about learning the language, I recommend trying out Italki. 

Similar to Duolingo, Italki also has a free forum where users can ask each other questions and give language learning advice. There’s also a blog written by the teachers, and a notebook where you can publish entries in Cantonese and have them corrected by native speakers. 

With purchase of $20 or more. After your first lesson Italki will give you 10 Free Italki credits*

Final thoughts

Just because there’s no Duolingo Cantonese course, doesn’t mean you can’t start learning the language today. There are some great alternatives available. These alternatives look a lot different then your typical Duolingo course, but that doesn’t mean they are just as effective if not more. 

Try out a Cantonese course today, and see which one is right for you! 

eChineseLearning is a site that provides 1-on-1 lessons with professional Chinese teachers via online video chat through Skype.

The site functions as an online boutique language school. Courses and lessons are specifically catered to the individual's needs. eChineseLearning doesn't follow the one size fits all approach. Upon signing up for classes teachers evaluate the student's level of proficiency, as well as talk with the student about his or her learning goals. 

The result is a unique and heavily personalized Chinese learning program. 

eChineseLearning's online classes are similar to a one on one class you might have with a teacher in a physical classroom. Teachers teach with a blackboard behind them, allowing them to easily write Chinese characters, pinyin, or whatever else the lesson may require. 

I've had online lessons with other teachers where Google docs was used instead of a blackboard. I have to say that for me, the blackboard approach better because it's easier to watch the teacher and read what they've written (it's a bit harder to do when using Google docs with Skype). 

eChineseLearning teachers use a blackboard in real time

eChineseLearning teachers will also provide a PDF handout of what will be covered in a class. This saves you from having to take notes during the lesson, which can often be distracting in a foreign language class. Though you are free to take notes if you want.

When learning to write Chinese characters students will use a free third party site called Twiddla. Twiddla allows the student and teacher to share a virtual blackboard in real time.

The chief benefit is that the teacher can see the brushstrokes of the student to ensure that they are writing the character correctly. 

As mentioned before, each lesson and program is uniquely tailored to a student's needs. That being said there are some common things you  expect in lesson with eChineseLearning.

The overall vibe of the lessons is relaxed and very friendly. The teachers introduce new information, and stretch the limits of your ability, but they do so in a way that takes the pressure off. It's almost as if you're being taught by a friend. 

A lesson from eChineseLearning's Youtube channel with their teacher Becky

Perhaps you have nightmares from your highs school language teacher or college professor.

Not to worry, there is nothing strict or severe about eChineseLearning's teachers. They are engaging, encouraging, and patient. They understand how hard learning Chinese can be for foreigners. 

eChineseLearning's teachers have a thorough knowledge of the English language. This means they not only speak it very well, but they are also able to point out any similarities between English and their native Chinese.

This could be pointing out an aspect of Chinese grammar that is similar or easier than English, or perhaps it could be highlighting the English pronunciation of a certain word to help a student understand the sound of a Chinese word. 

This ability to weave through the student's target language and native language is a huge asset when learning a foreign language. It's also what sets apart the great Chinese teachers from the good ones. 

The prices range from $9 to $25 per lessons, depending on how many lessons a student takes. Generally, the more and longer the lessons you book, the cheaper the price per lesson.

These prices are comparable (and in some cases better), with other sites offering online classes such as Verbling or Italki. However, neither of these sites has the focused approach that eChineseLearning has. 

In preparation for this review I took a free trial lesson with one of eChineseLearning's teachers. I scheduled the lesson through an administrator and was paired with an available teacher named Julie. 

A glimpse into a Chinese Lesson with Julie

Because I had next to no experience in Mandarin, we started with the absolute basics: covering the four tones, some simple phrases, and the basics of Chinese characters. 

Even though I've learned several foreign languages before, it can be unnerving starting a new language from scratch. It can also be unsettling if you're taking a class with a new teacher for the first time (especially if you've never taken an online class before). 

Julie did an amazing job. She was upbeat, friendly, and very patient. I never felt rushed or pressured. She helped me feel at ease during the lesson. 

Julie did an excellent job of breaking down any concepts I had difficulty with. When I had trouble pronouncing a particular Chinese word she gave me an English word with a similar sound. 

When I had trouble with the rising and falling tone, she shared a mental visualization with me that made it more memorable. She was always able and ready to explain things in a way I could better understand. 

Also her use of the English language was excellent. She spoke with near native fluency and had only a slight accent. I have taken classes with other language teachers who knew little to no English, so I really appreciated this. 

A teacher with a high level of English will be better able to explain difficult grammar or pronunciation to a native English speaker than a teacher who's English level is lower. 

One thing I really like about eChineseLearning is that they are able to provide a structured yet flexible approach based on your individual needs. 

There is no one size fits all method of teaching. Once your goals and desires are established, your teacher will guide you step by organized step toward your success. 

Their teachers

The teachers are what really make eChineseLearning such a great option for learning Mandarin. Their passion, knowledge, and talent for teaching are all evident and make for a great learning experience. 

eChineseLearning offers a free trial lesson. This is the ideal way to see if their courses and teachers are right for you. It's also a great way to get introduced to the online learning experience, if you've never taken an online class before. 

Customer support

eChineseLearning makes every effort to make your online learning experience as simple and enjoyable as possible.

Upon signing up for a free trial lesson, someone from the school will contact you to set up a lesson time and discuss your language level and learning goals. 

Before your first lesson, they will also do a test call with you on Skype to ensure that everything works properly so that you can hear and see your teacher and vice versa. 

Also, the school is always open and welcoming to any questions or feedback their students might have. 

When it comes to online courses eChineseLearning is truly a step above the rest. They offer effective courses, taught by excellent teachers, with great customer service, all at an affordable price. 

What's not to love? 

A user's review of Du Chinese

Du Chinese is an app that allows you to study Chinese via written text and dialogues. 

Each lesson is a written Chinese text. Du Chinese gives you the option of clicking on a word or phrase to see it's English translation, and also provides accompanying audio so that you can hear how everything is pronounced. 

The app provides pinyin, and gives you the option of switching between traditional and simplified characters.   

The lessons are sorted by six different difficulty levels, which include: newbie, elementary, intermediate, upper intermediate, advanced, and master. 

A closer look at how Du Chinese works

Du Chinese also features a test feature. Anytime while you're reading a text you can click on a word to save it to your word list. Later on you can go to the "words" section of the app and take a test of the words from your list. 

This test feature functions as a digital flashcard system. You are shown a character and required to remember it's meaning. There's audio so that you can hear the actual Chinese word. You also have the option of seeing the word used in a sentence.

There's also a spaced repetition element to the test, in that words you forgot will automatically show up more often. 

While there's a decent amount of free content available on the app, to get the most out of Du Chinese you'll want to consider a premium subscription.

Month subscriptions are available in 3 different options. 

There aren't really any bells and whistles, when it comes to Du Chinese...and I love it. 

It's so refreshing to experience a language learning app that simply lets you engage with the language.

There's no superfluous design elements, no unnecessary mini games or tedious tasks, and none of the unhelpful bonus features found on so many other apps.

Where other apps try to dazzle users with smoke and mirrors, Du Chinese cuts to the chase and gives you what you need to improve your Chinese...no more and no less.

It's sparse and straightforward design allow Du Chinese to be an extremely practical way to improve your proficiency in Mandarin.

Working with Chinese words in the context of longer sentences and texts, helps you retain and understand new vocabulary. One of the main reasons Du Chinese is a powerful tool is because it exposes you to a large collection of dialogues centered around different topics. 

At the lower levels these topics are usually situational, which is great for new learners as it helps them leave practical phrases they can use in similar real life situations. 

At the higher levels, the content on Du Chinese takes you well past predictable day to day interactions. As an advanced student you engage with a large collection of historical, cultural, and reflective topics that will stretch your skills of expression.

Another huge strength of the app is that it helps you internalize Chinese sentence structure. With consistent practice you will be able to understand and use more complex sentence structures. 

This is an all important skill when learning Chinese and is vital to fluency.

We've already mentioned it before, but Du Chinese also has a large breadth of content spread across all levels, ranging from complete newbie up to the highest levels of Chinese proficiency.

This is a rarity among language learning apps and courses, as most simply cater to the larger beginner's market and neglect students who already have a foundational knowledge in a foreign language. 

Not so with Du Chinese. This app has a wealth of useful content for the beginner and advanced student alike. 

More often than not Chinese learning resources are offered only in simplified characters. It can be hard to find an app or course that lets you practice with traditional characters, let alone one which gives you the option to switch between the two. 

Du Chinese gives you that option, and it's awesome!

We're not the only ones who love the simplicity and effectives of Du Chinese. Check out what others have to say about the app:

If you're looking for a Chinese learning app that will help increase  your vocabulary, master sentence structures, and improve your grammar, then you need not look further than Du Chinese. 

There's plenty of free content on the app. If you're unsure about whether it's right for you, I recommend downloading the app and working with some of the free content. 

Best of luck on your Chinese learning journey! 

Game-like apps are nothing new to the language learning world. Just hop onto the Google Play store or Iphone app store and you're likely to find a slew of Chinese learning apps.  

With such a large number of options for learning a foreign language, it can be hard to wade through the lackluster options and find the apps that are effective and fun to use.

In today's review we hope to spare you some of that trouble. In this post we review Ninchanese, an app that distinguishes itself from the pack through it's effective lessons, creative design, and all around great user experience. 

Let's dive in!

Ninchanese is an app that helps you learn Chinese Mandarin through a game-like format. 

Ninchanese is setup into several distinct "worlds" (think of them as course levels). Each world is built around a story with a small array of especially adorable characters (most of which resemble cats). 

At the heart of the game is an unfolding story

Each level is broken into miniature episodes, which are essentially lessons. Before each lesson you are shown a short animated video which propels the story for the level, and sets the backdrop for the lesson.

The story adds another level of fun to the app. In the very first lesson of the beginner level, a character (a cat named Nincha) discovers a mysterious egg which then hatches into a cute baby dragon. The baby dragon doesn't know how to speak and Nincha begins by teaching him how to say "hello" and "My name is.." in Chinese. 

Ninchanese teaches Chinese in the context of a story based game

Thus the first lesson is made up of these words. In a future lesson Nincha takes the dragon to his village and introduces him to a new friend (a girl cat). In that lesson you end up practicing listening and speaking (as if the dragon were talking with the new character). 

These are just a couple examples of how the element of story is woven throughout the app. 

Each lesson also functions as a bonafide game. Throughout the lesson you are required to write, read, listen, or speak Chinese. Each time you answer correctly you receive points.

A streak of right answers unlocks certain bonuses you can use later (like being able to see a word in a sentence before you answer a question). 

Fans of Duolingo will see some similarities here. Though Duolingo feels a bit more straight forward and lacks the abundance of cuteness and extra features that Ninchanese has.

Ninchanese lets you practice your Chinese through challenges with other people. These challenges are essentially mini games that pit your Chinese skills against a fellow student. It's a fun and competitive way to practice the language. 

Games, stories, and kittens are all well and good, but does Ninchanese actually help you learn Chinese? I would argue yes. 

One of my favorite aspects of this app is that it requires you to recognize Chinese characters (which are one of the most foreboding aspects of learning Mandarin). You are repeatedly asked to write the pinyin or English translation of a given word or sentence. 

At first I was a little thrown off by this, as it felt a bit like rote memorization. That is, until I realized it started working. Chinese characters aren't exactly my specialty, but by the end of a lesson I was able to correctly recognize 3 or 4 new characters without any help. 

As you work through each lesson you will repeatedly learn and work with Chinese vocabulary, sentence construction, reading skills, listening comprehension, and a bit of speaking practice too. 

Ninchanese helps you practice speaking, writing, listening, and reading

The lessons follow a predictable pattern of introducing new words, helping you build sentences with those words, and then using those words via listening comprehension and speaking practice. 

One particular way Ninchanese helps you develop your listening skills is through voice recognition. The app is able to pick up on whether or not your tones are correct.

Anyone familiar with Chinese knows how vital the tonal aspect of the language is. Correct tonal pronunciation literally means the difference been being understood or misunderstood when speaking Mandarin.   

Ninchanese strategically sprinkles Chinese grammar lessons throughout the app. Users will never see a grammar lesson at the beginning of a new level, and there's a good reason for that. 

The app does a good job of keeping the train in front of the caboose, by introducing new grammatical concept only after a student has had a chance to interact with that concept on their own. 

This way learners get the chance to intuitively feel out Chinese grammar rather than simply getting slammed with a rule book. If desired a user can look at a grammar lesson prior to progressing to a new level on the app. 

Ninchanese is the most visually striking language learning app I've ever come across. The design and animations really help give you the impression that you are on a curious Chinese learning adventure, albeit a cute one. 

Because the app is so visually appealing, I simply want to use it more. You can tell a lot of thought and care went into the design of Ninchanese. 

Sometimes there's a bit of tension when it comes to language learning apps. The fun ones tend to not teach you much, and ones that claim to teach you well often feel as dry as a desert. 

This app strikes a golden balance. There are enough game-like themes and features to keep things engaging, but not at the expense of helping you learn the Chinese language. 

Ninchanese is an effective way to develop your Chinese skills

Here at Live Fluent we're huge fans of learning Chinese in a way that incorporates reading, speaking, writing, and listening. We believe one aspect of the language serves to reinforce the others. You simply learn more quickly when you have to read, write, speak, and listen to a new word, versus simply just reading it or repeated it. 

Ninchanese teaches all four aspects of the language (short of hand-written Chinese of course). If you use this app you will engage with just about all aspects of Mandarin, which is something we can't say about other learning apps. 

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No app or course is perfect. They all have their own strengths and weaknesses. Here are few of the limitations we found with Ninchanese

Ninchanese is a great learning tool that will help you learn new vocabulary, sentence structures, and practice using the Chinese language. However it's important to remember that it's not a standalone course. 

It doesn't quite have the comprehensiveness and depth that you're likely to find in beefier text books, or large courses. Students who enjoy thorough examinations of grammar (yes there are such people), may find the app lacking. 

In the end though, this isn't a problem. The app doesn't pretend to be something it's not. It works great a supplemental tool or addition to your learning, which is exactly what it was designed to be. 

Ninchanese does have a decent voice recognition component, and it will help you nail down the Chinese tones. However the app is still hard press to help you develop a fully natural accent. 

While the app does supply with tons of Chinese audio, the voice and pronunciation is artificial and not spoken by a real person.

A good accent is crucial to helping you understand and be understood. The best way to accomplish this it to listen to native speakers, and imitate their pronunciation (recording yourself for comparison also helps too). You simply won't get this much needed practice in Ninchanese. 

You can download it on the Android App store or through their online platform. Unfortunately though, Ninchanese isn't not available in the Apple app store.

At the end of the day Ninchanese is an excellent learning resources and can be a powerful tool in your Chinese learning arsenal. 

The app isn't the end all be all of Chinese learning resources, nor does it pretend to be. But it is an effective and fun way to increase your vocabulary and language skills. 

You'll need to pay for premium features in order to get the full Ninchanese experience. However the app is free to download and has a lot of free features. 

I recommend downloading the app and trying it out for yourself, to see if it's right for you!