The best way to learn Cantonese is a mix: mostly Cantonese you can understand, plus review and real conversation, with the balance set by your goal. Cantonese you can mostly understand is called comprehensible input. Below, you'll see what each way of learning builds and the mix that suits six common goals.
Which Ways of Learning Cantonese Work Best?
Reading and listening to Cantonese at your level works best, and each other method adds one skill on top of it.
| Method | What it builds | Use it for |
|---|---|---|
| Reading and listening at your level | Words, grammar and listening | Most of your time |
| A structured course | An order for the basics | Your first months |
| A tutor or conversation partner | Speaking and quick replies | Using what you know |
| Flashcards or other review | Words that stay with you | A few minutes each session |
| Films, TV and Cantopop | Natural, everyday Cantonese | Fun, once you follow most of it |
| A dictionary | The tone and meaning of a word | Words that stop you |
Input is the base of the mix: a 2016 review of 49 studies in Reading in a Foreign Language, a University of Hawaii journal, found that reading a lot of easy material improves reading in a new language.
What Is the Best Way to Learn Cantonese for Your Goal?
For every goal, the best way is the same base of reading and listening, with the rest of your time on the skill that goal needs most.
- Understand Hong Kong Films and TVPut most of your time into listening, starting with lessons about the shows and moving on to episodes with subtitles in spoken Cantonese.
- Talk With Family or FriendsRead and hear lots of everyday conversations, and spend the rest of your time talking with them or with a tutor.
- Travel to Hong KongSpend most of your time on short dialogues about ordering dim sum and riding the MTR, and say each one out loud.
- Understand CantopopRead and listen at your level most of the time, and read along with the lyrics of songs you like once everyday chats feel easy.
- Read Messages and ComicsSpend most of your time reading short chats written the way people talk, and move on to Hong Kong comics and social media once those feel easy.
- Work in Hong KongRead and hear Cantonese about your field most of the time, and add standard written Chinese later, since formal documents use it.
To see how many hours each stage takes, read how long it takes to learn Cantonese.
What Are the Best Resources for Each Part?
Each part of the mix has a good free option, such as Hambaanglaang for stories or Anki for review, and an app or service for when you want more. Bubblegum, which appears in a few rows, is a language app where Poppy, an AI tutor, writes Cantonese lessons at your level about things you like.
| Part | Free option | App or service |
|---|---|---|
| Learning Jyutping | Bubblegum's Jyutping course | CantoneseClass101, whose audio and video lessons come with Jyutping |
| Reading and listening at your level | Bubblegum's Cantonese lessons on this site, or Hambaanglaang stories | Bubblegum or Cantonese Conversations |
| Films, TV and radio | CantoCaptions for film subtitles, RTHK for radio and news | Language Player or Migaku for shows you choose |
| Review | Anki, free on computers and Android | Bubblegum's Regenerative Review™, which brings saved words back in new lessons |
| Conversation | A language exchange on HelloTalk | A tutor on italki or Preply |
| Looking up words | words.hk, a free Cantonese dictionary | Pleco, free to start, with paid add-ons like the camera reader |
What Should You Avoid?
Avoid anything that keeps you from reading real Cantonese sentences you can follow.
- Courses That Only Say ChineseMany apps that say Chinese teach Mandarin, so check that a course says Cantonese before you start.
- Lists With No SentencesSave words from lines you have read, so each one comes with its sound and an example of how it is used.
- Shows You Can't Follow YetSave TVB dramas for when you can follow an episode, and read lessons about Hong Kong TV before that.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it better to learn Cantonese with an app or a teacher?
Use an app for the hours of reading and listening, and a teacher for speaking and help with your tones. Lessons with a tutor on italki or Preply are paid, so spend that time talking, and do your reading and listening on your own.
Should I learn Cantonese grammar first?
No. Learn Jyutping first, then learn grammar from the Cantonese you read and hear, and look a pattern up when it confuses you. A rule is easier to learn once you have seen it a few times: after 我食咗 (I ate) and 我飲咗 (I drank), it is easy to spot that 咗 marks something that already happened.
Which Cantonese app should a beginner choose?
If you are serious about learning Cantonese, start with Bubblegum. Poppy writes lessons at your level about things you like. Our Cantonese app comparison covers courses, tutors and speaking apps too.
Is Bubblegum free?
Yes. The lesson library is free for everyone, because we believe everyone should be able to learn. It holds lessons that other learners asked Poppy for. A new custom lesson costs us real money to make, so your first one is free, and Bubblegum Pro gives you unlimited custom lessons.
The Jyutping course and the Cantonese lessons on this site are also free and need no account.
Sources
- Jeon and Day (2016), The effectiveness of ER on reading proficiency: A meta-analysis, Reading in a Foreign Language 28(2), University of Hawaii
- Hambaanglaang Cantonese Graded Readers (free stories in spoken Cantonese)
- Anki, official downloads (free computer version and AnkiDroid)
- HelloTalk, learn Cantonese (free language exchange)
- words.hk (free Cantonese dictionary)
