Listen as you learn: TongTong Podcasts are here
TongTong now has Mandarin podcasts pitched to your level — natural, single-narrator episodes with synced transcripts, per-episode vocabulary, and tap-to-look-up. Here's how to use them.
TongTong now has podcasts — short Mandarin episodes pitched to your level, with synced transcripts and tap-to-look-up. Listening is the fastest way to turn vocabulary you recognise into vocabulary you understand, and now you can do it without leaving the app.
Comprehensible input, at the right level
The hardest part of Chinese listening practice is finding audio that's neither baby-talk nor a firehose. TongTong Podcasts are written and graded so most words are ones you already know, with just enough new ones to stretch you — the "i+1" sweet spot that makes listening stick.
Every episode has a single, natural-sounding narrator (no chaotic multi-speaker dialogue), so you can focus on the language.
What you get
- Synced transcripts. The Chinese text highlights as it's spoken — read along, or look away and just listen.
- Per-episode vocabulary. The key words for each episode are listed up front with pinyin and English.
- Tap to look up. Tap any word in the transcript to open its full dictionary entry — definition, audio, examples, and stroke order.
- Simplified or Traditional. Read transcripts in whichever script you study.
- Picks up where you left off. Your position and progress are saved per episode.
Why listening matters
Reading and SRS reviews build a store of words you recognise on the page. Listening forces you to retrieve them at speed, in connected speech, with tones and liaisons intact. Doing both — review plus level-matched listening — is what moves a word from "I've seen that" to "I just understood that."
How to start
Open TongTong, go to Podcasts, and pick an episode near your level. Listen with the transcript on the first pass, then try it audio-only. New episodes are added over time.
FAQ
Are the podcasts free? Yes, like the rest of TongTong.
What level are they for? Episodes are graded by HSK band, and the list shows each episode's level. Start one band below where you read comfortably.
Can I see the transcript? Yes — every episode has a full, synced transcript you can read in Simplified or Traditional, with tap-to-look-up on any word.
Do I need headphones or a download? No — episodes stream in the app on web and iOS.