8 BEGINNER-FRIENDLY YouTube Channels for Cantonese learners
One challenge in learning Cantonese is that learning material is few and far between compared to other languages. There are loads of Cantonese movies, YT channels, dramas and more that intermediate-level learners can enjoy. But what about all the overseas learners whose Cantonese is just maa4 maa2 dei2? Or people like my husband Jared with no background in Cantonese?
Luckily for us, the pandemic has directed many peoples’ energy to teaching Cantonese on English platforms. I enlisted help from Jared (himself a beginner) to find and present 8 great YouTube channels for beginning Cantonese learners.
If you’re reading this, you most likely already know about my own channel Cantonese with Brittany. What you may not know is that when I started the channel, I made a series of 20+ beginner videos (all with Jyutping subtitles!). Here’s a sample of my immersion-style videos:
I’ve added all my beginner videos to this beginner playlist. My husband and I tried to structure the series so that each video builds on the previous ones. And once you work your way through those, I have an intermediate playlist with another 20+ videos! And if that still isn’t enough content, I have even more beginner and intermediate content on my Patreon ;)
Alright, let’s start!
*Channels presented in no particular order
1. Cantonese Corner
The host Sue Marguerite is an American expat who’s been working and living in Hong Kong since 1988. I was really surprised when I heard her speak Cantonese for the first time because her accent is THAT good (basically, she has no accent)! I had never heard a Westerner speak such good Cantonese before!
Sue has loads of videos on vocab, grammar and even a beginner series which teaches the basics of mahjong!
For her subtitles, she uses Yale romanization. Don’t worry if you only know how to read Jyutping because the two romanization systems are actually pretty similar. In any case, it’s not a bad idea to learn to read both since you’ll definitely come across great resources in both systems!
2. Twinklebots Cantonese
This kid-friendly channel is great for Cantonese parents who want to expose their children to Cantonese in a fun, playful way. The creator behind it is a mom who practices Cantonese vocabulary with her kids. The videos are always very cute, and many come with Jyutping! Adults at a beginner level can also watch them to learn everyday vocabulary.
3. MtzCherry (Wholesome Records)
The host is a Hongkong girl who makes videos about daily life in Hong Kong and the city’s culture. She’s been making videos for a few years now so she has a deep catalog of content like vlogs and tutorials. She also makes cute illustrations and even self-published a book.
4. Dope Chinese with Gloria
Gloria is an Chinese teacher from Guangdong, China, who teaches both Mandarin and Cantonese on her channel and on italki. A lot of her videos focus on everyday vocab and expressions and are great for beginners! I know a lot of Cantonese learners are also interested in learning Mandarin, and her channel has resources for both!
5. Speaking Cantonese with Miss Winnie
Winnie is another Cantonese teacher from Hong Kong who also gives private lessons online. Her channel has LOADS of short videos on vocab, expressions and grammar. Her videos are typically very short, but she posts VERY frequently so they’re perfect for a daily bite-sized (should I say dim sum sized lol) learning session!
6. Inspirlang
Of course I can’t make a resource post without mentioning my friend Jade, founder of Inspirlang Chinese school in New York where she teaches three Chinese dialects: Cantonese, Taishanese and Mandarin.
She also makes learning material (YouTube videos, books and podcasts) for all three dialects! If you’re at a similar level to Jared, you’ll find her podcasts super useful. Each episode covers a few phrases on a specific topic and has a transcript with characters, Jyutping and English.
We actually did a collab video comparing Cantonese and Taishanse earlier this year. For those of you with Taishanese roots, make sure to also check out her second YouTube channel Taishanese Stories with Jade.
7. 5 Minute Cantonese
Amanda is a polyglot from Hong Kong who makes 5 minute grammar and vocab lessons (hence the name!). She just started her channel back in August, but has already put out quite a few lessons covering lots of must-know topics for beginners. She even has a series of videos in Italian teaching Cantonese which is super cool! Molto bene!
8. 冚唪唥粵文讀本 Hambaanglaang Cantonese Graded Readers
This family-friendly channel makes short animated stories for kids. Even though it’s made for “siu2 pang4 jau5”, adults will be able to pick up lots of useful vocab as well. And for those of you who just can’t seem to wrap your head around the 6 tones in Cantonese, this channel uses an innovative writing system to help you visualize them.
That’s it for my picks. Did I forget your favorite channel? Let me know in the comments below!
Bonus channel
