Top 10 Chinese songs for Mandarin beginners

Here’s a top 10 of Chinese songs that are suitable for beginners. When I say beginners, I don’t mean absolute beginners, but learners with at least a few months of learning experience. Enjoy!

Nr. 1. Teresa Teng – 月亮代表我的心

For those who do not know her yet: Teresa Teng (邓丽君 (dèng lì jūn), 29 January 1953 – 8 May 1995) was an extremely popular singer from Taiwan. Her fame spread all over Southeast-Asia in the 70’s and 80’s, although her romantic songs were officially banned from mainland China for being to “bourgeois”. Her records could still be bought on the black market though and were played all over China, even in government circles and night clubs. Her fans from mainland China nicknamed her “Little Deng” as she shares her family name (邓) with the communist leader Deng Xiaoping. The saying went that “Deng the leader ruled by day, but Deng the singer ruled by night”.

By the way, she not only recorded songs in Mandarin but also in Taiwanese, Cantonese, Japanese, Indonesian and English. She even spoke French fluently.

你问我爱你有多深
Nǐ wèn wǒ ài nǐ yǒu duō shēn
You ask me how deep my love for you is

我爱你有几分
Wǒ ài nǐ yǒu jǐ fēn
How much do I really love you?

我的情也真
Wǒ de qíng yě zhēn
My feelings are true

我的爱也真
Wǒ de ài yě zhēn
And so is my love

月亮代表我的心
Yuèliàng dàibiǎo wǒ de xīn
The moon represents my heart

你问我爱你有多深
Nǐ wèn wǒ ài nǐ yǒu duō shēn
You ask me how deep my love for you is

我爱你有几分
Wǒ ài nǐ yǒu jǐ fēn
How much do I really love you?

我的情不移
Wǒ de qíng bù yí
My love will never change

我的爱不变
Wǒ de ài bù biàn
My love remains the same

月亮代表我的心
Yuèliàng dàibiǎo wǒ de xīn
The moon represents my heart

Nr. 2. Teresa Teng – 甜蜜蜜

Some people may know the song from the Hongkong movie “Tian mi mi” which was released in 1996. Teresa’s music is featured prominently throughout the whole film; in fact, the cinema classic is considered a “love poem” to the Taiwanese singer. The song is about love at first sight.

甜蜜蜜
Tián mì mì
So sweet

你笑得甜蜜蜜
Nǐ xiào de tián mì mì
You smile so sweetly

好像花儿开在春风里
Hǎo xiàng huār kāi zài chūn fēng lǐ
Like flowers blooming in the spring breeze

开在春风里
Kāi zài chūn fēng lǐ
Blooming in the spring breeze

在哪里在哪里见过你
Zài nǎlǐ zài nǎlǐ jiàn guò nǐ
Where, oh where have I seen you before?

你的笑容这样熟悉
Nǐ de xiàoróng zhè yàng shúxī
Your smile feels so familiar

我一时想不起
Wǒ yī shí xiǎng bù qǐ
I just can’t recall at the moment

Teresas Teng – 甜蜜蜜

Nr. 3. Teresa Teng – 你怎么说

The reason Teresa’s songs are so excellent for learning Chinese is they are mostly slow love ballads sung with her sweet and clear voice. The lyrics are simple and pure. From a learning perspective you only need basic grammar to be able to follow. Repetition is key here. Soon you are singing along and can impress your Chinese friends in a karaoke bar of your choice.

你说过两天来看我
Nǐ shuō guò liǎng tiān lái kàn wǒ
You said you’d come see me in a couple of days

一等就是一年多
Yī děng jiù shì yì nián duō
But I waited for over a year

三百六十五个日子不好过
Sān bǎi liù shí wǔ gè rìzi bù hǎo guò
All 365 days were hard to get through

你心里根本没有我
Nǐ xīn lǐ gēnběn méiyǒu wǒ
You never had me in your heart at all

把我的爱情还给我
Bǎ wǒ de àiqíng huán gěi wǒ
Give me back my love

Teresas Teng – 你怎么说

Nr. 4. Teresa Teng – 美酒加咖啡

The idea of mixing wine and coffee or drinking both simultaneously didn’t occur to me till I heard this Chinese drinking ballad. In this song, a heartbroken Teresa assures her listeners time and time again that she is not yet drunk but just brokenhearted and looking for equally grief-stricken company to empty another cup.

美酒 加 咖啡 我只要喝一杯
Měijiǔ jiā kāfēi, wǒ zhǐyào hè yī bēi
Wine with coffee — I just want to drink one cup

想起了过去 又喝了第二杯
Xiǎngqǐlai guòqù, yòu hēle dì èr bēi
But thinking of the past, I drank a second cup

明知道爱情像流水 管他去爱谁
Míng zhīdào àiqíng xiàng liúshuǐ, guǎn tā qù ài shéi
I clearly know love is like flowing water — who cares who loves whom

我要美酒 加 咖啡 一杯再一杯
Wǒ yào měijiǔ jiā kāfēi, yī bēi zài yī bēi
I want wine with coffee — one cup after another

Teresas Teng – 美酒加咖啡

Nr. 5. 李娜 – 女人是老虎

“Women are tigers”. This may be common knowledge to some, but for the poor monk in the song it serves as a warning not to mingle or even come close to the opposite sex as they will swallow him alive. Listen to Li Na to find out what became of him.

小和尚下山去化斋
Xiǎo héshang xià shān qù huà zhāi
The young monk goes down the mountain to beg for food

老和尚有交待
Lǎo héshang yǒu jiāodài
The old monk gives him a warning

山下的女人是老虎
Shān xià de nǚrén shì lǎohǔ
The women down the mountain are like tigers

遇见了千万要躲开
Yùjiàn le qiānwàn yào duǒ kāi
If you meet them, you must be sure to stay away

走过了一村又一寨
Zǒu guò le yī cūn yòu yī zhài
He passed through one village after another

小和尚暗思揣
Xiǎo héshang àn sī chuǎi
The young monk secretly pondered

为什么老虎不吃人
Wèishénme lǎohǔ bù chī rén
Why don’t the tigers eat people?

模样还挺可爱
Múyàng hái tǐng kě’ài
They even look pretty cute!

Nr. 6. 于文华、尹相杰 – 纤夫的爱

The original name of this unbelievably catchy love song seems to be “纤夫的爱” or “boat tracker’s love” and is another gem from yesteryear. I love the epic video clip of the heroic bloke with the glasses pulling the boat with his “younger sister” behind him. ”The virtues of Chinese rural life”, someone commented. The “dangling rope” between them becomes a metaphor for their unfolding love. He pulls her, he sweats for her: This is old-school Chinese chivalry (with “traditional” gender roles), no matter if the male singer (Yǐn Xiāngjié) was arrested for possessing drugs or not.

妹妹你坐船头
Mèimei nǐ zuò chuán tóu
Little sister, you sit at the front of the boat

哥哥在岸上走
Gēge zài àn shàng zǒu
Big brother walks along the shore

恩恩爱爱纤绳荡悠悠
Ēn ēn ài ài qiàn shéng dàng yōu yōu
Full of love, the towing rope swings gently

妹妹你坐船头
Mèimei nǐ zuò chuán tóu
Little sister, you sit at the front of the boat

哥哥在岸上走
Gēge zài àn shàng zǒu
Big brother walks along the shore

恩恩爱爱纤绳荡悠悠
Ēn ēn ài ài qiàn shéng dàng yōu yōu
Full of love, the towing rope swings gently

于文华、尹相杰 – 纤夫的爱

Nr. 7. 南泥湾 Nanniwan

This song, 《南泥湾》(Nanniwan), is a well-known revolutionary folk song from China, celebrating the transformation of the once-barren Nanniwan area into a productive land during the 1940s. Like one YouTube commenter noted: “Maoist China was truly a golden age for music and culture.”^^

花篮的花儿香
Huā lán de huār xiāng
The flowers in the basket are fragrant

听我们唱一唱
Tīng wǒmen chàng yī chàng
Listen to us sing a song

唱一呀唱
Chàng yī ya chàng
Sing, oh sing

来到了南泥湾
Lái dào le Nánníwān
We’ve arrived at Nanniwan

南泥湾好地方
Nánníwān hǎo dìfāng
Nanniwan is a wonderful place

好地呀方
Hǎo dì ya fāng
Oh, what a great place

好地方来好风光
Hǎo dìfāng lái hǎo fēngguāng
Such a good place with beautiful scenery

好地方来好风光
Hǎo dìfāng lái hǎo fēngguāng
Such a good place with beautiful scenery

到处是庄稼 遍地是牛羊
Dàochù shì zhuāngjia, biàndì shì niú yáng
Crops are everywhere, and cattle and sheep cover the land

到处是庄稼 遍地是牛羊
Dàochù shì zhuāngjia, biàndì shì niú yáng
Crops are everywhere, and cattle and sheep cover the land

Nr. 8. Joyce Chu -【好想你 I MiSS U】

Joyce Chu is a young singer from Malaysia. She changes her outfit and whereabouts just about every second in this clip just to underline how she misses you. It’s the kind of song that gets stuck in your head pretty quick.

好想你 好想你 好想你 好想你
Hǎo xiǎng nǐ, hǎo xiǎng nǐ, hǎo xiǎng nǐ, hǎo xiǎng nǐ
Miss you so much, miss you so much, miss you so much, miss you so much

是真的真的好想你
Shì zhēn de zhēn de hǎo xiǎng nǐ
I really, really miss you

不是假的假的好想你
Bù shì jiǎ de jiǎ de hǎo xiǎng nǐ
It’s not fake, fake — I truly miss you

好想你 好想你 好想你 好想你
Hǎo xiǎng nǐ, hǎo xiǎng nǐ, hǎo xiǎng nǐ, hǎo xiǎng nǐ
Miss you so much, miss you so much, miss you so much, miss you so much

是够力够力好想你
Shì gòu lì gòu lì hǎo xiǎng nǐ
(I) miss you like crazy, miss you so intensely (“够力” is slang from Malaysia/Singapore meaning “intense” or “extreme”)

真的西北西北好想你
Zhēn de xīběi xīběi hǎo xiǎng nǐ
I really really miss you like mad (“西北” is local slang meaning “super” or “extremely”)

好想你
Hǎo xiǎng nǐ
Miss you so much

Nr. 8. Wanting 曲婉婷 – 我的歌声里 (You Exist In My Song)

Do you hear an English accent? I wonder if Wanting Qu does it on purpose, because she was born in Harbin, China and already 16 years of age when she moved to Canada. Wanting earned a degree in international business and relocated to Vancouver where she began her musical career. “You exist in my song” is about lost love that still lives on in heart and dreams.

你存在 我深深的脑海里
Nǐ cúnzài wǒ shēn shēn de nǎohǎi lǐ
You exist deep in my mind

我的梦里 我的心里 我的歌声里
Wǒ de mèng lǐ, wǒ de xīn lǐ, wǒ de gēshēng lǐ
In my dreams, in my heart, and in my songs

你存在 我深深的脑海里
Nǐ cúnzài wǒ shēn shēn de nǎohǎi lǐ
You exist deep in my mind

我的梦里 我的心里 我的歌声里
Wǒ de mèng lǐ, wǒ de xīn lǐ, wǒ de gēshēng lǐ
In my dreams, in my heart, and in my songs

曲婉婷 – 我的歌声里

Nr. 9. 慕容晓晓 – 爱情买卖

Murong Xiaoxiao became famous with this poppy R&B song from Chinese street life that even involves some rap elements (I guess that was something new back then). It could be heard on every Chinese street corner in 2009 (and afterwards). 买卖 or 做买卖 literally means buying and selling (doing business) and is often used to refer to small businesses and street vendors. In this case, it’s Xiaoxiao’s love that’s been bought and sold and she obviously feels wronged by her lover who thinks love is something that can be purchased and thrown away anytime.

出卖我的爱 逼着我离开
Chūmài wǒ de ài, bī zhe wǒ líkāi
You betrayed my love and forced me to leave.

最后知道真相的我眼泪掉下来
Zuìhòu zhīdao zhēnxiàng de wǒ, yǎnlèi diào xiàlái
In the end, when I learned the truth, tears fell from my eyes.

出卖我的爱 你背了良心债
Chūmài wǒ de ài, nǐ bēi le liángxīn zhài
You betrayed my love and now carry the debt of a guilty conscience.

就算付出再多感情也再买不回来
Jiùsuàn fùchū zài duō gǎnqíng, yě zài mǎi bù huílái
No matter how much more love is given, it can never be bought back.

---

当初是你要分开 分开就分开
Dāngchū shì nǐ yào fēnkāi, fēnkāi jiù fēnkāi
You were the one who wanted to break up, so we broke up.

现在又要用真爱 把我哄回来
Xiànzài yòu yào yòng zhēn’ài, bǎ wǒ hǒng huílái
Now you want to use “true love” to coax me back.

爱情不是你想卖 想买就能卖
Àiqíng bù shì nǐ xiǎng mài, xiǎng mǎi jiù néng mài
Love isn’t something you can sell or buy whenever you want.

让我挣开让我明白放手你的爱
Ràng wǒ zhèngkāi, ràng wǒ míngbai, fàngshǒu nǐ de ài
Let me break free, let me understand, and let go of your love.

慕容晓晓 – 爱情买卖

Nr. 10. 筷子兄弟 – 小苹果

This extremely popular song by the Chopstick Brothers “traumatized” me on my first trip to China. Imagine getting caught in a massive swarm of elderly women (阿姨) dancing in formation to the beat of “xiao pingguo” and being forced to join their revolutionary movement as happens to numerous innocent tourists every year. Most of them don’t make it back. The upside is though, that the lyrics are plain and simple. Listen to it once or twice and the song will stick with you for days!

你是我的小呀小苹果儿
Nǐ shì wǒ de xiǎo ya xiǎo píngguǒr
You are my little, little apple

怎么爱你都不嫌多
Zěnme ài nǐ dōu bù xián duō
No matter how much I love you, it’s never too much

红红的小脸儿温暖我的心窝
Hóng hóng de xiǎo liǎnr wēnnuǎn wǒ de xīnwō
Your rosy little face warms my heart

点亮我生命的火火火火火火
Diǎn liàng wǒ shēngmìng de huǒ huǒ huǒ huǒ huǒ huǒ
You light up the fire, fire, fire of my life

筷子兄弟-小蘋果

Do you have any favorite Chinese songs? Please write them in the comments below.