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How to Learn To Read Chinese Newspapers: The Ultimate Guide

Staring down a full page of Chinese can be intimidating regardless of how long you’ve studied.

Let today be the day that you conquer your fear.

Chinese newspapers are loaded with awesome information, cultural perspective and useful vocabulary. 

Do you have a thirst for knowledge?

Wishing those generic “Learn Chinese” textbooks would update themselves every now and again?

Then don’t let this opportunity pass you by!

Reading the news in Chinese is quite a different experience from reading Chinese literature, and yet it is one of the best ways to improve your Chinese comprehension skills. What makes reading the news unique is that you will encounter more straightforward (and modern) language.

Beyond this, it’s a good starting point towards the next level when you’re already familiar with the basics (pinyin, zhuyin and some basic chengyu). You’ll find that even a basic knowledge of Chinese grammar will take you a long way. Knowing key vocabulary for popular topics such as soccer, business, clothing and food – will take you even farther. Surprisingly, once you have a good idea how to approach a Chinese newspaper, it isn’t all that hard to get into!

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7 Chinese Newspapers You Should Know

Now that we have laid down all these tips for you, the next step is choosing the right paper. To guide you, we’ve listed down the more popular papers for you to choose from.

Ready?

Here are the 7 publications you should be aware of. Note that all these have English and Chinese (for those originally written in English) translations available in their websites. Go on, take your pick!

1. 中国日报告 | China Daily

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This is the most popular newspaper in China that is written in English. It’s published to serve the needs of foreigners not only for those currently staying in China but also throughout the globe—U.S., Europe, Africa and a majority of the countries in Asia.

Both Chinese and French versions are available in their website.

2. 人民日报 | People’s Daily

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If you’re interested in politics and the view of the Chinese government on its policies and national affairs then, this one’s for you. This is the official newspaper of the government.

Written in Chinese, the paper has Russian, French, English, Spanish, Korean and Japanese translations available in their web.

3. 环球时报 | Global Times

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This one’s a daily tabloid that is published by the same office as People’s Daily. There’s an English version available in their web. But unlike other papers that are mere translations of the Chinese paper, it’s different.

The English version reports on the news in China while the Chinese version reports more on international news. So if you’re reliant on the English version for the translation of the Chinese characters then, I suggest you pick some other paper.

4. 世界日报 | World Journal

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This must be the most familiar paper for most of you. It’s not a paper from China rather, it’s published in New York and is readily available to Chinese communities in the United States and Canada.

Still, it’s written in Chinese but the English version is available on their website.

5. 光明日报 | Guangming Daily

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If you’re into science, technology, culture and education then, choose this as your daily reading.

It has the best, if not the very best, articles in those fields. There’s also an English version in their web.

6. 经济观察报 | Economic Observer

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Unlike the rest of the papers listed here, this one’s a weekly paper focused on the market/business news. If your learning is geared towards this area then, pick this one.

You can compare the characters with the English translation so you can better understand the terminologies.

7. 中国青年报 | China Youth Daily

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This one has the highest readership among the Chinese youth and professionals. Their articles are focused on their interests so if you’re one of them, read this one.

After all, it takes one to know one. If they enjoyed this, so will you.

 

That wraps up the list! We’ve already provided you with the essentials to get you started in reading the Chinese newspapers.

All you need now is to remember the tips, forget your fears and read on. So, what are you waiting for?

And One More Thing...

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FluentU naturally eases you into learning Chinese language. Native Chinese content comes within reach, and you'll learn Chinese as it's spoken in real life.

FluentU has a wide range of contemporary videos—like dramas, TV shows, commercials and music videos.

FluentU brings these native Chinese videos within reach via interactive captions. You can tap on any word to instantly look it up. All words have carefully written definitions and examples that will help you understand how a word is used. Tap to add words you'd like to review to a vocab list.

FluentU's Learn Mode turns every video into a language learning lesson. You can always swipe left or right to see more examples for the word you're learning.

The best part is that FluentU always keeps track of your vocabulary. It customizes quizzes to focus on areas that need attention and reminds you when it’s time to review what you’ve learned. You have a 100% personalized experience.

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