Listening to Chinese audiobooks is a great way to naturally integrate learning and make the most use of your time. And there are a ton of great audiobooks out there in Mandarin Chinese that can help you become fluent while you’re living your very busy life.
To get you started, here are nine excellent online resources for finding various Chinese audiobooks that you can listen to on the go.
You’ve probably heard of this massive online audiobook resource site from Amazon. Audible has a ton of audiobooks and a pretty sizable section of Mandarin Chinese choices.
The user interface is very simple to use, too. All you need to do is download the app, browse for a book and either buy or rent it. Your audiobook will be ready to listen to immediately.
Ximalaya is entirely in Hanzi and probably not the best audiobook resource for Mandarin newbies. For intermediate and advanced readers, you can enjoy an equally ample supply of audiobooks that are mostly free of charge.
Ximalaya also boasts streaming features for some of its audiobooks, so you don’t even have to download anything! Enjoy audiobook novels, biographies, podcasts, news and much more.
Innovative Language has a handful of free audio textbooks. If you’re looking for more of a textbook for leisurely learning rather than a novel in the Mandarin language, this resource could prove to be pretty useful.
Downloading these audiobooks is also a simple process. Simply click “More Info” for the textbook of your choice, then “Try It,” then “Buy for 0.00” to download the textbook. They have textbooks for all levels of learning as well.
Audiobook recommendations from Innovative Language:
This Chinese-language audiobook resource offers everything from free audiobooks in Mandarin to podcasts. This is another website that’s entirely in Chinese, so it would be much easier to navigate for the intermediate or advanced student.
To download a book from tingbook.com, select the title of your interest. Select 全本下载 (quán běn xià zài) — download the whole book, then select the orange 本地下载(běn dì xià zài) — local download button to download the audiobook.
Pingshu8.com is a comprehensive platform for discovering Chinese audiobooks with a user-friendly interface. Whether you’re interested in classic literature, modern novels or educational content, this website offers a wide selection of audio recordings.
To find Chinese audiobooks on Pingshu8.com, you can browse by category, author or title. The platform provides both free and premium content, giving users the flexibility to choose based on their preferences and budget.
LRTS.me is a Chinese website known as “Lazy Listen Books” according to translation tools. It has a user-friendly platform for Chinese audiobooks with both free and premium content.
There’s an extremely large library and famous narrators. There’s content in practically every genre and category, making it easy for anyone to find something they like. Choose from novels, classics, children’s books and more.
Loyal Books lets you listen to audiobooks and read ebooks completely for free.
The selection is huge, containing over 7,000 audiobooks in multiple genres. Apart from Mandarin Chinese, you can also find audiobooks in English and other languages.
You can listen to your audiobooks on the Loyal Books website or through their app—which is available for both iOS and Android. The best part about the app is that you can download your audiobooks and listen to them offline.
LibriVox is run by a global volunteer community that brings you an infinite library of audiobooks for free. LibriVox works by hosting audiobooks that have expired copyrights, putting them in the public domain.
There are over 18,000 total and they span across a multitude of genres. You can read anything from classic literature, historical novels, modern themes and beyond.
Like Loyal Books, LibriVox lets you download your audiobooks so you can listen to them offline.
得到 (Dedao) is also known as Dedao Knowledge. This Chinese learning platform brings you on-demand audiobooks with a focus on education.
Aside from audiobooks, you can also find lectures and ebooks. All of the content has been created by thought leaders, experts and public figures in the books’ fields, giving you access to a high-quality online education for free.
Tips for Learning with Chinese Audiobooks
Choose level-appropriate audiobooks. Don’t jump into complex novels if you’re a beginner. If you’re a beginner to low-intermediate learner, I highly recommend looking for audiobooks designed for learners. These usually come with slower narration and simpler vocabulary. And many also have English translations in case you get stuck. But if you’re at an upper-intermediate to advanced level, choose something more challenging.
Combine audiobooks with other learning methods. Sometimes you might only have the time or energy for passive listening. But audiobooks are most effective when you listen actively. Take notes, pause, rewind and replay when necessary. Then, use flashcards to cement new words and grammar you’ve picked up. If your audiobook has been made into a movie, consider watching it before or after you listen to it. There are many ways to incorporate audiobooks with other learning methods and resources.
Listen to audiobooks that interest you. You learn more effectively when you’re engaged and having fun, so try to choose audiobooks based on your interests.
Try to find audiobooks withtranscripts. Having a transcript with your audiobook lets you read while listening, which can dramatically help you pick up new words and grammar points. Another effective way to implement this learning method is with video subtitles. For example, after finding a word you don’t understand in your transcript, you can look it up on FluentU’s video-based dictionary to find a collection of videos that use it in context (with subtitles).
FluentU takes authentic videos—like music videos, movie trailers, news and inspiring talks—and turns them into personalized language learning lessons.
You can try FluentU for free for 2 weeks. Check out the website or download the iOS app or Android app.
Start slow and then increase the difficulty. Begin with shorter audiobooks and gradually progress to longer ones as your comprehension improves.
Shadow and record yourself. Shadowing is a learning method that involves repeating after a native speaker-recorded audio immediately after you hear the words, without pausing. It’s tricky, but gets much easier with practice. Shadowing pronunciation from the audiobook helps you mimic tones and sounds. You only need to shadow for 2-3 minutes, but try to record yourself when you do. Then compare your pronunciation with the narrators’.
Why Use Chinese Audiobooks to Learn Mandarin
Audiobooks aren’t just great for catching up on books on the go. They’re also great for improving language fluency. Here are some of the main benefits of listening to Chinese audiobooks to learn the language:
Many are free. While many cost money, you may be surprised by the availability of free Chinese audiobooks. What’s better than free stuff, especially when it comes to resources to help you learn a language?
You can fit them into your busy schedule. At the gym, in the car, while lounging about—you can enjoy the fact that you are actively improving your Chinese without doing much more than pressing “play.”
They can help you build a diverse and effective language toolkit. There are a plethora of ways you can improve your fluency, like talking to Chinese friends, watching Mandarin-language films and listening to music. Chinese audiobooks add a new type of learning resource to the mix.
There’s something for everyone. With so many options, you’re sure to find something to fit your level and interests. If you’re a beginner, look for audiobooks with English translations. If you’re intermediate or advanced, try to challenge yourself with more difficult audiobooks.
These resources will open the door to a world of audiobooks that can boost your language skills and keep you entertained.
Start browsing a resource or two, download a few options and watch your Mandarin skills grow!
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