10 songs that get me into learning Chinese
If you’re into learning Chinese but don’t know where to start, songs are your best friend.
Music is a great way to increase your exposure to your target language and facilitate you in the process of acquiring this language. Even if you have not started learning the language yet, listening to music increases your interest and helps you get used to how the language sounds like (which is of great help when it comes to pronunciation!).
If you have learned a little Chinese, try listening attentively to the song lyrics: read the translations, follow the Pinyin, or even better, follow the Hanzi, and you will surprise yourself how easy it is to understand the song once you pay attention.
Here are my personal song recommendations for you to start out:
1. 成都 / chéng dū / Cheng Du — Zhao Lei
Now, the thing I like about this song is the beautiful guitar melody, the story-telling, poetic lyrics of the song and the impact it leaves me even after the song ends. It is amazing how a song can help you travel hundred thousand kilometers and lead you directly to each small corner of Chengdu City, and as I listen, I feel like I were really living there, stepping on the Chengdu streets. Some fun facts: Chengdu is the capital city of Sichuan Province, and my Sichuan friends once told me that there are two things Chengdu people enjoy most: eating hotpot and playing má jiàng.
2. 我是一只鱼/wǒ shì yī zhǐ yú/ I’m A Fish — Richie Jen
This song got recommended to me from my Chinese friends as we were spending some time chilling on Discord. The chorus got sung to me twice by a friend (she has always the singer of our group) and I picked it up right after that. The song is also perfect to start a new day to, when it’s cloudy and raining outside. This is a rather old song, published in 1998, so I’m pretty sure if you mention this song in a conversation with a Chinese colleague, he or she will be very impressed.
3. 慢慢喜欢你 /màn man xǐ huān nǐ/ Growing Fond Of You — Karen Mok
I came across this piece of art while watching a Chinese music show called Super Vocal. During the time when this music show was broadcasted, this song has attracted huge amount of attention. I used to type down the lyrics and try to catch every word as the singer sang them, and being able to catch all the words afterwards is an extraordinary rewarding feeling. The slow tempo of the song allows you to study each word carefully and, after 10 tries, probably even some sing-along.
4. 平凡之路 /píng fán zhī lù/ Ordinary Road — Pu Shu
This song received warm support from the Chinese audience when it came out because of the meaningful lyrics. It stressed the problem that many Chinese young people face: the struggle in everyday life, the rat race that everyone has to join without even wanting to, the realization of simple happiness. “I’ve crossed mountains and seas and I’ve seen thousands of people… Until all vanished in the wind and I lost all directions, I find the answer in the ordinary road.” The song has been covered by famous artists like 毛不易 (Mao Buyi) and 华晨宇 (Hua Chenyu), which brought even greater popularity to the song itself.
5. 南方 /nán fang/ The South — 达达乐队
Have I mentioned that this list is very personal? Because this one definitely has a personal touch in it. The name of the song is a homophone of my Chinese name “南芳“, so everytime the singer sings 南方 I feel like someone is calling out my name, which is a very strange, but sweet feeling. I came across this song when I was wandering through some Chinese voice chat social network — yes, those are great places for you to practice speaking Chinese or find language exchange partners. I heard the host of a virtual room performed this song with his guitar, and immediately asked for the name of it. After becoming friends with him, I would still ask him occasionally to sing this song again for me. Having learned my name, he also recommended me the song ”南方姑娘“, which is also a great treat to the ears.
6. 你笑起来真好看 /nǐ xiào qǐ lái zhēn hǎo kàn/ You Look So Beautiful When You Smile — Li Xinrong, Fan Tongzhou, Li Kaichou
This is more like a family song that kids learn in kindergarten or primary schools. Now the reason why I included this song here is because this is the first song that I learned to sing in Chinese when I just started learning the language for less than one month. I came across a video that chopped down each sentence and explained slowly the meaning and correct pronunciation of each phrases, else I would not be able to follow the lyrics with my poor Chinese back then. I still remember how excited I was when I finally got a grasp of the song and even though I still struggled to remember the last sentence (which has more words in it), I could still finish the song by myself and enjoyed a little bit of self-satisfaction.
7. 生日祝福哥/shēng rì zhù fú gē/ Happy Birthday Song — 格格
This is considered the new Happy Birthday Song of China. You will hear this song in any birthday occasion: when your boss has birthday and the office celebrates, when the Haidilao staff organizes you a surprise birthday party, or even at a club when the audience sing for the DJ who has birthday that night. This song is fun and has an energetic chorus, it is memorable and unites people, so everybody enjoys singing along. “Say bye-bye to all the troubles, say hi-hi to all the happiness.” Who wouldn’t love it? So next time if you’re invited to a Chinese birthday party, make sure to check out this soon-to-be classic to wish your friend all the bests.
8. 发如雪 /fā rú xuě/ Hair Like Snow — Jay Chou
If you’re into Chinese traditional music style — 古风 — I recommend you check out Jay Chou’s 发如雪. Jay is an idol of many 90s-borned Chinese, both in Taiwan, his hometown and Mainland China. His music style varies and he doesn’t stick to only traditional music style, but /fā rú xuě/ is one of his most iconic songs. I’ve replayed this song numerous times, mostly on my commute way and it just let my mind wander in some wonderful Chinese old movie scenes.
9. 稻香 /dào xiāng/ Rice Fragrance — Jay Chou
That’s it, I’m such a huge fan of Jay that I will include 2 songs of his in this 10-song list. If possible, I would like to recommend you a dozen more. The beautiful and easy-to-remember melody as well as meaningful lyrics have brought huge success to 稻香. “If the outside world is too much for you to handle, just come home”, this message of the song has comforted many of its listeners and especially touched those who live far away from home. Don’t worry if you cannot follow the lyrics of Jay, even young Chinese people have difficulty following it. More than once have I seen my Chinese friends struggle to sing along to the lyrics (while I laughed, of course).
10. 月亮代表我的心 /yuè liàng dài biǎo wǒ de xīn/ The Moon Represents My Heart — Teresa Teng
Ah, how can I miss this classic. This is a must-have in every song recommendation list, and everybody loves it. Be it women, be it men, children, elderly… Everybody loves 邓丽君, she is such an icon, both for her look and her honey-like voice. The song has low tempo and the lyrics repeats itself, so you’ll have no difficulty remembering this 8-sentence masterpiece and perform it in a Chinese friend’s wedding or sing it to your significant other.
So there you have it, my top 10 list, what about yours? Share your favorite Chinese songs to me in the comment section, I would appreciate any new song recommendations!
