Mandarin · Recommended resources
The best books to learn Mandarin
The site is free and frequency-first, but a good book still earns its place on the desk. These are the Mandarin textbooks, grammar guides, graded readers and references we would actually recommend, grouped by what they are for so you can pick the one gap you need to fill. Every pick links to both Amazon UK and Amazon US.
Some links below are Amazon affiliate links: if you buy through them we earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. We only list books we would genuinely recommend, and the picks are never paid placements.
All-in-one courses
The Routledge Course in Modern Mandarin Chinese
Claudia Ross et al
Beginner
A rigorous university course that builds Mandarin methodically from the ground up, with unusually strong grammar explanations and plenty of practice. A serious alternative to Integrated Chinese if you want depth over pace.
Grammar
Modern Mandarin Chinese Grammar: A Practical Guide
Claudia Ross and Jing-heng Sheng Ma (Routledge)
All levels
A reference-plus-workbook that explains how Mandarin really builds sentences, particles and measure words included. The grammar book to reach for once phrasebook Chinese runs out.
Characters & writing
Vocabulary
A Frequency Dictionary of Mandarin Chinese
Richard Xiao, Paul Rayson and Tony McEnery (Routledge)
Reference
The 5,000 most frequent words ranked from a real corpus, with pinyin, parts of speech and examples. The evidence base for learning Mandarin in frequency order, which is the whole thesis of this site.
Graded readers
HSK Storybook Series (HSK 1 to HSK 6)
Top pickB. Y. Leong
All levels
A storybook for each HSK level, from HSK 1 right up to HSK 6, each one staying strictly inside that level's vocabulary with pinyin and English support. The neatest way to read something at exactly your level as you climb the exams.
Dictionaries
Book cover images via Open Library.
Prefer to start for free?
A book is a fine companion, but you do not need one to begin. Our Mandarin curriculum walks you through the most common words in frequency order, with the grammar and a graded story built in.
Start the Mandarin curriculum