Resources for Advanced Chinese Learners (HSK6+) [Curated List]

[Weyland]

This is an Unfinished List (will update later as per contributions)

This list of resources is meant for anyone that aims to improve their Chinese proficiency past the HSK benchmark. While the obvious course would be to consume whatever Chinese media you can get your hands on, I still believe that having a few resources on hand to kick-start the process can't hurt. Heck, it might even provide some well-needed structure. 


 

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>Dictionaries & Flashcards

? Pleco ? (Apple / Google / APK) [forums] ↓*↓
• Most comprehensive database of Chinese dictionaries.
• Flashcard system optimized with dictionary entries.
• OCR (Optical Character Recognition).
• Native pronunciation to a range of words.
...
? 有道语文达人 ?（Xiaomi）
• Lightweight Chinese to Chinese dictionary.
• Shows synonyms and antonyms.
...
 

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>Reading (News Excluded)

? 微信读书 ??（Apple / Google / Xiaomi）
• Most popular reading app in China.
• Contents far-ranging. 
...
? 天天作文精选?（Xiaomi）
• Reading materials sorted by Chinese school grade all the way to 高考.
• Short stories from 200 characters to 2000 characters.
...
? 观止 ?（Apple / Xiaomi）
• Don’t like the abundance of choice? Here is one short-story per day.
• Short stories by critically acclaimed writers (cross-strait)
• Want to read more? Randomly receive any of the previously posted stories.
...
 

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>News & Periodicals (Politics beware! Duhhh...)

??人民日标 ? （Apple / Xiaomi）[Website Version]
• “The Party’s Daily”
...
??纽约时报（Apple / Google）[Website Version]
• NYTimes – Chinese Edition
...
 

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>Listening

? 喜马拉雅FM ?（Apple / Xiaomi / APK）↓*↓
• Large collection of podcasts, comedy, eBooks, history and more.
• Largest broadcasting “network” on the web.
...

? 每天读点故事 ⚡? （Apple / Xiaomi / APK)
• Stories by (I assume) amateur writers.
• Spoken in by storytellers with the original text available
• Non-Audio stories also available.
...
? 得到 ⚡?? （Apple / Xiaomi / APK）
• Collection of University level “classes” or rather thought provoking discussions.
• Listen to books.
...
 

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>Pronunciation

? 普通话学习 ?⚡（Apple / Xiaomi）
• 15k+ words, tongue twisters, and more with standard pronunciation.
• Ability to test your own pronunciation, graded by PC.
• Personal tutors available.
• [More information in another thread + translated word sheets]
...
? 普通话学习网 ? [website address]
• Similar and sometimes overlapping content with above, but free.
• Audio fragments downloadable
• Want to learn 儿化音? Here is all the 儿化!
...
 

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>Writing

? 范文等等 [Many Links > Here is one (Just Google 范文大全 or similar)
• These are model essays, speeches, letters, and above all CONTRACTS.
• Want to avoid getting scammed in a contract? Why not read some examples beforehand?
• Need some flowery language for a love-letter? Here are 1000 examples.
• Do you want to join the Communist Party? ... Probably not, but reading other model essays won’t hurt!
...
? 草书字体转换器 [Placeholder Website]
• Website that allows you to type in text and get it in cursive.
• Though only a placeholder, I wish I could find a teaching resource for 草书
...
 

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>Miscellaneous

?? ? "国考" China's Civil Service Exam Study Materials [LINK TO THREAD]
• A myriad of topis/questions that test whether the examinee's reading comprehension is up to standard.
• Tests whether the examinee's language logic and if they can make direct connections between words and definitions.
• Dubbed "HSK's Reading Exam on STEROIDS"
... I really can't recommend it often enough.

[... I will keep updating this post in the foreseeable future. Please share anything you have. ..]

 

 

 

 

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Comments on Above Mentioned Content

→ Pleco: By now you should have gotten used to using CN-CN dictionaries. Pleco offers both “Xiandai Hanyu Dacidian” ($50) and “Xiandai Hanyu Guifan Cidian” ($20). Also, as a bonus, there is the “Duogongneng Chengyu Cidian” ($20) which offers a wealth of knowledge on Chinese idioms.
→ 喜马拉雅 FM: “Free” is only true for parts of certain broadcasts. While you don’t need to register, you will still need a Chinese phone number to buy courses and even link your WeChat to the app.

 

【Meaning behind the emoticons】
↓*↓ Check bottom of post for extra comments. 
? App on phone.
? Physical book.
? Television series.
? Website address.
? Registering requires Chinese phone number.
? Registering requires WeChat authentication
? Registering is possible with just an e-mail.
❔ [IF BLANK] Then just downloading is enough.
? Region-Locked to China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macao.
? Even if you wanted to pay they wouldn’t let you.
? Standard (functional) version is free. Buying more content is optional.
⚡ Some free. You can slowly unlock content through use, but prohibitive.
? Requires an up-front purchase or monthly fee. Sometimes a demo is available.
? Traditional Characters only AKA Taiwan or Hong Kong based.

 

[Weyland]

Recommended Content within Above-mentioned sources

喜马拉雅 FM Podcasts / Stories 
• 故事FM (XMLY / External Website)
→ Is basically like a Mandarin version of the NPR podcast "This American Life". 

Other Podcasts
?? 科技岛读（External Website)
• Podcast about tech from Taiwan
• Has sources and content to read featured prominently within each episode

[Weyland]

Wikipedia / 百度百科 Articles

（维基）Chinese Honorifics【英文】
（维基）Transcription into Chinese Characters【英文】
（维基）List of Common Chinese Surnames【英文】
（维基）Homophonic puns in Mandarin Chinese【英文】
（维基）Mandarin Chinese Profanity【英文】
（维基）Chinese Internet Slang【英文】
 

 

Advanced Word Lists

• The "Lost" HSK Vocab (pre-2010) 【PLECO - 4150】

[imron]

I'd also add 喜马拉雅 and 故事FM for listening.

 

For Pleco, I think it's worth explicitly mentioning some of the dictionaries.  In particular the Guifan C-C dictionary is invaluable, and once you're at HSK6 and beyond you should be using a C-C dictionary as your main dictionary.

[imron]

1 hour ago, Weyland said:

I wish I could find a teaching resource for 草书

Do you mean 草书 for calligraphy, or just wanting to be able to read handwriting?

[Tomsima]

I just remembered you asked about this a few weeks ago and I never got round to writing a reply. As imron says, 草书 calligraphy and 潦草 handwriting are two different kettles of fish:

 

Calligraphy: Work from copybooks that ideally predate calligraphers from around the Ming dynasty (just a rule of thumb to get a good classical grounding) . The best copybooks to use for laying a foundation are 書譜 by 孫過庭 and 小草千字文 by 懷素. The method I use is simply rote learning, copying out characters and picking up the shortcuts for common components. I do have a self made anki deck of 2000 characters for learning 草书, but it's still a work in progress, and not as effective as rote repetition to be honest. Any 'textbooks' that purport to teach you 'how to 草书' are all complete trash. If anyone can prove me wrong please feel free to share. There are many on the market, but don't be fooled: 草书美学 demands variety in appearance, so be prepared for many alternative ways of writing almost all common characters. If you want to learn how to write 1000 characters in 草书, be prepared to learn at least an additional 1000 in variant forms.

 

Handwriting: Learning to read and write natural, scrawled handwriting, the best resource by far is 'Chinese Cursive Script' by Fred Fangyu Wang, which also has a follow up 'reader' style book which you can find floating around the internet somewhere. Other than that it's back to native materials: I borrowed revision notes from a student to practice reading. 

 

Do Fred Fangyu Wangs book first, then just pick up a pen and start copying out everything you see written. It's like learning to listen and speak - when you don't understand something, go and find someone who does, write it down, learn it. I once wondered why there isn't just a simple dictionary for cursive, until I realised that writing in cursive is as nuanced in expression as the meaning of the characters themselves. A dictionary entry for a single character can go on for pages, and so too could different ways to write said character.

 

Hope this helps a little

[abcdefg]

2 hours ago, Weyland said:

天天作文精选

 

Thanks for that! I have a Xiaomi phone and was not aware of this App. Just now downloaded it and will give it a try. One of the things I've found in years past was that elementary material which targets young learners in China is often too advanced for me. If I could read as well as a Chinese middle school student, that would be great. 

[imron]

10 minutes ago, Tomsima said:

the best resource by far is 'Chinese Cursive Script' by Fred Fangyu Wang

If you can read Chinese (and at HSK6 you should be able to), a better resource is 席殊3SFM实用硬笔字60小时训练.  It's much more comprehensive than 'Chinese Cursive Script'.

 

I agree that Chinese Cursive Script is an excellent English introduction to reading Chinese handwriting.

[Tomsima]

That's a great tip, as the scope of Chinese Cursive Script is indeed remarkably small in scope. Another  observation worth noting is the fact that quite a lot of the cursive forms in the book have fallen out of use among younger generations, who now write in a modern simplified style not based on classical calligraphy forms. Some characters were described by a few Chinese friends as well-written, but illegible. 

[pon00050]

Nice!

Thank you for compiling this list!

 

I am looking for a particular type of resource.

I am subscribed to Morning Brew.

It hits my email inbox everyday.

It gives me a brief overview of what's going on in the world.

Is there anything like that for something in Chinese language?

Since I understand how Wechat is prevalent in the Chinese speaking world, receiving the news via Wechat is also fine.

 

I don't want to get on Weibo. I want somewhat high quality of news that has been already curated.

 

[Weyland]

14 hours ago, imron said:

I'd also add 喜马拉雅 and 故事FM for listening.

Added 喜马拉雅FM. 故事FM seems to have been abandoned. The last website update was in 2017 and I can't find it on the Xiaomi appstore. Are we talking about the same service? I never used Ximalaya that much, as the first time I stumbled upon it my Chinese wasn't good enough. Do you have any (free) podcasts you can recommend? 

 

 

14 hours ago, imron said:

For Pleco, I think it's worth explicitly mentioning some of the dictionaries.

Added both 现代汉语大词典 and 现代汉语规范词典. Also added the idioms one, which I personally often use.
 

14 hours ago, imron said:

Do you mean 草书 for calligraphy, or just wanting to be able to read handwriting?

Both. I would really like to be able to read the big signs in front of buildings. And maybe also be able to mesh up my handwriting without people suddenly not being able to make heads or tails of it.

 

13 hours ago, Tomsima said:

Any 'textbooks' that purport to teach you 'how to 草书' are all complete trash.

Ha! I'm aware. I have two of them here at home.

 

13 hours ago, Tomsima said:

the best resource by far is 'Chinese Cursive Script' by Fred Fangyu Wang

Do you mean  "Chinese Cursive Script : An Introduction to Handwriting in Chinese" by the late Fred Fangyu Wang? You wouldn't perhaps have a digital copy of this book lying around somewhere?

 

13 hours ago, imron said:

If you can read Chinese (and at HSK6 you should be able to), a better resource is 席殊3SFM实用硬笔字60小时训练.

I do, but I'd like to confess that I still frighten at the sight of unfamiliar texts. So when I see a large paragraph on the internet I tend to just copy it and parse it into Pleco only to find out that there wasn't really any need (though I often try and check whether my guess at intonation is valid). 

Is there an eBook version? There is only one book available on Amazon and it would take more than a month to ship to my destination. 
 

[Tomsima]

There is a pdf on the Internet, although I believe its against forum rules to share links to downloading copyrighted material. Google is pretty good though. I would still recommend you buy a physical copy though, I picked a second hand one off amazon for £4 and it was so much nicer working from paper rather than screen when practicing writing. 

 

Its seems you would probably benefit from looking at 行书 resources, as shop signs and the fonts on the website you shared above are almost all in 行楷 or 行草 rather than true 草书. Take a look at some of the calligraphy of 趙孟頫, he has largely influenced the trends in writing in this style, as well as 王羲之 of course, although his style is less rule bound and so not so good for beginner learning. Search 趙孟頫高清行書千字文 or 趙孟頫高清赤壁賦 and have a read through 

[Weyland]

23 minutes ago, Tomsima said:

There is a pdf on the Internet, although I believe its against forum rules to share links to downloading copyrighted material.

Did a quick search on Google for a PDF before I asked, but I'll give it another time. I have it bookmarked so I'll get around to it.  Is it against the rules? I wanted to add a grammar book (Chinese - A Comprehensive Grammar by Routledge publishers) to the list, as I had a PDF-link. 
 

28 minutes ago, Tomsima said:

Its seems you would probably benefit from looking at 行书 resources

As long as I don't have to pick up a brush... which after having done a quick search is almost inevitable.

[Tomsima]

43 minutes ago, Weyland said:

As long as I don't have to pick up a brush

 

Haha yeah understandable I guess, not the most practical things anymore. I do a lot of my practice with a fountain pen, but if you're really interested in learning cursive, there's nothing quite like learning to use a brush with the instruction of a good calligraphy teacher (again, there are so so many sham ones, so if you do manage to find a good one then get as much knowledge as you can from them!) 

[imron]

8 hours ago, Weyland said:

The last website update was in 2017

When I visit that link, the most recent story is 十月 23, 2019, and the one before that is 十月 21, 2019 and the one before that is 十月 18, 2019 so it's all pretty recent stuff.

 

They update mondays, wednesdays and fridays.

 

I guess 2017 was when they created the site, and no-one has bothered to go and update the copyright notice in the footer template.

[Weyland]

17 minutes ago, imron said:

I guess 2017 was when they created the site, and no-one has bothered to go and update the copyright notice in the footer template.

Yeah, that and when I scrolled down the "Related Episodes" were from 2017. Didn't notice the dates on the the front-page.

I'll add it to the list, if you could give me a quick introduction to the app. Like what does it do differently from 喜马拉雅FM? How does it stand out (all free?). Does it have a text version (something I'm partial to, but couldn't find) Is it even an app or is it merely a website?  Wouldn't you be able to find all episodes under Ximalaya FM? Or what would be the best way to listen to these stories apart from going to the website?

[dtcamero]

故事FM is basically like a mandarin version of the NPR podcast This American Life. The stories vary from whimsical to scary to documentary style. I listened to an interesting one today about the impact of Shanghai's new recycling/composting program (垃圾分类) and how it's affecting people's lives. It's my favorite mandarin podcast, highly recommended!

[imron]

5 hours ago, Weyland said:

Like what does it do differently from 喜马拉雅FM?

喜马拉雅 is an aggregator of many different podcasts/sources of audio.  故事FM is a specific podcast that exposes various aspects of life in China. They don't have transcripts, but do have a brief description of each episode in Chinese.

 

5 hours ago, Weyland said:

Is it even an app or is it merely a website? 

Don't know if they have an app, I've only ever listened on their website.

 

5 hours ago, Weyland said:

Wouldn't you be able to find all episodes under Ximalaya FM?

Yes.  The point of listing it separately from Ximalaya is because there's a lot of content on Ximalaya and sometimes you can be overwhelmed by choice.  故事FM is a recommendation for one specific podcast.  原来是这样 is another one.

[Weyland]

11 hours ago, imron said:

The point of listing it separately from Ximalaya is because there's a lot of content on Ximalaya

That's why I claimed multiple replies within a post. I'll use the listing below to give special attention to 故事FM and other content.

[Weyland]

Does anyone have a list of words that weren't included in the HSK once it went from the 11-tier system to the now 6-tier system? 

Most of the links I find are either from this forum of samples of (vocab) books that are no longer for sale.