10 Best Books to Learn Chinese UK 2023

Best of all, this book includes information about Chinese etiquette, covering topics like how to address people and table manners. When you visit China to test out your skills, you'll be able to talk and behave just like a local!

We just love the content and the colourful design of this book, especially since it's so affordable! Besides having beautiful pictures, it includes practical vocabulary that you can use in real-life conversations. It also has basic information and tips on how to write simple hanzi, which is usually only found in textbooks that are dedicated to character writing! 

With this all-in-one book, you'll be able to introduce yourself, order food, and hold a conversation in Chinese in no time. Budget-friendly, accessible, and fun to read - this is a real bargain if you ask us!

This hanzi exercise book stands out from the other products on our list as it has some really useful, logical learning features. In addition to the stroke-by-stroke guides, each chapter starts with the introduction of radicals accompanied by illustrations, which make it easier to remember them.

Each word also has its own "story" in English, which will help you to effectively retain information in the long term. With this book, we believe that you'll find motivation and enjoy learning how to write hanzi!

Advanced beginners will likely want materials to boost their confidence before they proceed to intermediate level reading. This book features 11 engaging and entertaining stories in pinyin and English translation, which will encourage you to learn new but not too complex vocabulary.

The comprehension exercises included in this book progressively get more challenging, so they'll prompt you to use more complex grammar structures in order to answer the questions. Learning new vocabulary within the context of a story also makes it easier to remember words!

This brilliant bilingual book of poetry features verses by famous poets such as Li Bai, Du Fu, and Meng Haoran which many Chinese people learn as children. Through their words, you can picture life in the Tang dynasty and understand why these poems are still considered central to Chinese culture even after 1300 years. 

While you don't necessarily have to understand every word on the page, thanks to the English translations, this book is perfect for practising reading hanzi. Plus, you'll feel a greater connection with Chinese culture through reading each beautiful verse.

This book has all the essentials to help you master the art of Chinese conversation, including a variety of simple grammar concepts. The best part is the colloquial vocabulary it contains, which will make it easy for you to chat to locals without sounding too formal!

Audio materials are unfortunately not included with this book, which is a real shame as we find that you can never quite get the pronunciation right without hearing an example. Still, this is a handy little book to have if you're on holiday in Beijing!

Want to learn how to write traditional characters from scratch? This is the book you've been waiting for! With stroke-by-stroke guidance, it teaches you the correct order for writing hanzi and also features radicals to help you learn the meanings more quickly.

Traditional characters naturally take time and effort to learn, plus they can be really frustrating sometimes - so this book isn't recommended for casual learners. If you're dedicated though, it's a fantastic buy!

Don't feel guilty if you want to learn Chinese without dedicating time to memorising hanzi! This book focuses on teaching Mandarin through pinyin and English translations, so you can enjoy learning without too much of a headache. It also includes comics for an entertaining yet educational experience. 

The only downside is that some of the grammar in each chapter has limited explanations and examples, which might be overwhelming for solo learners. Having a Chinese-speaking friend clarify these concepts might help you to understand better if you get stuck!

You'll find chatting to locals easy with this book, as it covers all the essential conversations you might encounter on a day-to-day basis in China. From small talk and ordering food to popping to the dry cleaners, the topics covered are simple yet very practical. 

However, this book consists of dialogue only - no vocabulary lists or exercises - which will be rather challenging for those who are new to the language. Hence, you might want to try learning some hanzi first before picking up this book.

If you have a solid knowledge of simplified characters and want to challenge yourself, why not use this book to help you? It teaches you how to write traditional Chinese by combining words and radicals that you'll already know in the simplified version, plus it has English explanations. 

Sadly, pinyin isn't provided in this book, meaning you'll need to have a strong fundamental understanding of Mandarin and a good memory! There's also no space provided for you to practise writing out the characters, which is a shame.