Best songs for learning Chinese

[js6426]

I have heard many people talk about using songs to help in the learning process, whether it be Chinese or a different language.  I think it is particularly helpful with many Asian languages because of the karaoke subtitles.  I picked up a huge amount of vocabulary this way when I learned to speak Khmer, and I'd like to use this method while learning Chinese too.  One of the problems is knowing which songs to listen to, as there is such a vast amount available, and obviously a great range of difficulties.  For those who are further along the line with Chinese - if you used music to help you learn, what songs did you find most helpful?  For those at the beginner stage, are there any songs that you are currently listening to?  I'd love to see as many people reply as possible - perhaps this thread could even be helpful for others looking for 'learner-friendly songs'! 

 

I will start with what I am currently listening to.  It seems to be fairly simple, and I just heard it being sung last week.  It's one of those annoying, catchy type songs, which means it sticks in my head even when I don't want it there, and forces that vocabulary into my brain!  It's Joyce Chu - 好想你。

 

Thanks in advance!

[Shelley]

I have never thought Chinese songs would be useful considering the tones are usually sacrificed for the tune.  IMHO it might be okay for vocab but not much else.

[ZhangKaiRong]

Most of the Mandarin popsongs have a quite limited vocab, we used to have a joke that with 300 characters expressing different kind of emotions you can understand those typical Chinese songs quite well.

And as Shelley mentioned, tones are ignored for the sake of tunes.

 

If you're on a beginner level, you can use it as a supplementary, fun learning source, but I don't recommend to rely on it too much.

[Tomsima]

If you're genuinely interested, download 网易云音乐 and search 'ktv', go to the bar labelled 「歌單」and there are lists of all your most commonly heard 'ktv' songs that run into the hundreds (thousands perhaps). But be warned, the vocab really is very very limited, and you will only learn how to talk about true love, bros for life, little apples and the like.

 

I like getting into a new culture through the music as well, but because of the way ktv works (ie. Have a drink and belt out the same old songs you all know the words to), you're not really learning much in the end. Throw in the tones problem and you'll find using songs as a study aid is not really that viable. That being said, music can definitely supplement your studies. When I'm reading boring newspapers I'll stick on some 宋冬野 (recommended if you like quiet folk/alternative, maybe bon iver, that kind of thing) or 蛋堡 (chill jazz sampling hip hop) and it helps put me in a good mood without breaking the language atmosphere.

 

Have fun exploring, just remember to learn your tones and practice some other greetings aside from 好想你

[js6426]

Great points guys, thank you!  I didn't think about the tones to be honest.  My idea was mainly for vocab, even if it's somewhat limited, and certainly not as a main/serious method of studying.  I just figure if I'm listening to music, it might as well be helping me learn.  Same thing for movies, if I am going to watch something, although I'd rather watch something I will understand, watching something in Mandarin that I might pull a few new words from and will help my listening a little bit is definitely going to be beneficial.  I'm thinking of the bus for example - I have my bag in one hand and the bar in the other, I can't even use Anki, but I can listen to music.  It'd be nice to have a Chinese playlist, then when the songs get stuck in my head I can use the characters to scoop up new vocab. 

 

Thanks again guys!

[Shelley]

As a background its not a bad plan, especially the movies, it helps you "tune your ear" to the rhythms, tones and sounds of Chinese.

[lips]

Use Glossika (or other listening materials) as background.

 

BTW if you're learning Cantonese, you may be able to learn Cantonese tones from a song with properly written Cantonese lyrics.

[Publius]

汗，那種口水歌就不必了吧

If you want something to stick in your head, get something good, like this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iknGg9l4a7s

[lips]

Great song.  From a learning perspective, some of the tones of the Cantonese are off when sung to the music.  Here's one with much more accurate tones :

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=11LPfW0cgjg

[js6426]

Perhaps I should have just titled the thread 'Your favourite Chinese songs' to get a big selection of what people like!  Thanks Publius, that song is epic!  Lips, thank you for the suggestion, but I am looking for music to listen to in the background, not dialogues or specific listening material.  The song you shared is great!  But I'll have to save it for when I learn Cantonese hah!

[Publius]

Glad you like it.

You may also like this song by the same musician, from the same time period, the golden age of HK movies: 葉倩文《焚心以火》粵語版 (the Mandarin version is also good).

You see, I'm pretty old, no longer actively seek out songs to listen to. The ones I do remember are at least 10 years old. Here's a off-the-top-of-my-head list, most of the songs at least WERE popular in karaoke:

李麗芬《愛江山更愛美人》 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9oJoVtKoCzA It was used as theme music in a Taiwan Wuxia TV drama The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber.

陳淑樺《滾滾紅塵》 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qVm3GdOd2P8 Also from Taiwan. The movie told the story of Zhang Ailing, written by San Mao, starring Lin Qingxia, Zhang Manyu, Qin Han, and was banned shortly after its screening on mainland. The song was written by Luo Dayou, which brings us to

羅大佑《戀曲1990》 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qkCQxD-oe9s He's a prolific song writer/singer, one of my favorites. So I'll include another song written by him

鳳飛飛《追夢人》 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dZqUFh96_JQ It's believed the lyrics were rewritten in memory of San Mao.

And the beautifully sad songs great to loop over and over when you're heartbroken:

莫文蔚《愛》 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LbM6Q9HZgDE True love and the usual stuff.

水木年華《輕舞飛揚》 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=deh1Jk4RFoI Their best-known song is 《一生有你》, but it's not sad enough to warrant inclusion on this list!

范瑋琪《那些花兒》 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8qIEmtq4K2k The original is by 朴樹, but I like Fan's voice better.

五月天《突然好想你》 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GtDRcXtDg-4

Something more upbeat:

許巍《藍蓮花》 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yvfLQotTNmY

黃羣、黃衆《江湖行》 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CgJbhkuBAC0

馮曦妤《我在那一角落患過傷風》 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LvjVL-oBibE A song without lyrics. Sorry for your vocabulary.

 

 

[RjMaan]

That's a great concept of learning Chinese language by using songs. I think this process is applicable to all languages. but the problem arise here is that listener much have a basic idea about the Chinese or any other language.