10 Chinese Dubbed Disney Movies for Learners: Study with Evil Stepmothers, Trolls and Warriors
Here’s a fun little language learning secret.
You can actually learn Chinese by watching some of your favorite Disney movies.
Don’t think so?
By the time you’re done reading this article, you’ll know exactly how to learn Chinese with dubbed Disney movies.
Contents
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So, Why Disney Movies?
Despite all of the movies on this list being targeted towards younger viewers, they’re still family friendly, meaning that each has something to offer viewers of all ages. Disney movies are perfect for children, but adults can have fun watching these movies too. More adult humor is often slipped into these films to keep parents entertained.
And, of course, these movies are especially great for learners who have already seen them before when they were younger and want to experience some nostalgic moments.
Disney movies can be great resources for learning languages because they’re insanely popular worldwide, so many of them have dubbed versions in dozens of different languages (including Mandarin). Luckily, Chinese dubbed Disney movies are super easy to find.
Where does learning Mandarin come in?
Included in this article are tons of words that viewers will encounter throughout the films. Since each movie on this list is unique and original, you’ll learn words in Mandarin on a variety of topics ranging from animals to emotions to places around the world.
The best way to enhance your Mandarin vocabulary is to write these words down (or print this article) and keep them close so, when you watch the movies, you’ll already have a prepared vocabulary sheet to study from.
It’s also a good idea to watch the movies a few times as repetition is the key to having words stick. If you don’t want to continuously watch the movies repeatedly from start to finish, then just re-watch your favorite parts or replay some of the songs.
For other helpful tips on how to learn Chinese by watching movies, check out this link.
If you need help with pronunciation then here’s a website that can help you.
Finally, if you want to learn with Disney clips, trailers and songs (as well as many other authentic videos like music videos, news segments and inspirational talks), you can try the FluentU program.
Videos on FluentU are equipped with interactive subtitles for quick lookup of any word—in the context that you found it in, so there’s no confusion.
You can add words as flashcards from any video, browse through other videos where these words appear (with the same meaning), take personalized quizzes that adapt to your learning speed, create themed flashcard decks, read accurate transcripts… to name just a few learning features on the program.
FluentU has a browser version as well as iOS and Android versions, so you can study with Disney and beyond however is comfortable for you.
Now let’s continue on to the list shall we?
Without further ado, here are 10 popular Disney movies dubbed in Mandarin that can be enjoyed by Chinese learners of all ages. Will your Disney favorite be on this list?
Learn Chinese with 10 Dubbed Disney Movies
1. 玩具总动员 (Wán Jù Zǒng Dòng Yuán)
English Translation: Toy Mobilization
English Title: “Toy Story”
The “Toy Story” trilogy is a worldwide box office success and is one of Pixar’s best-selling movie franchises to date. There’s even talk that a fourth installment is in the works. There are Chinese dubs for all three “Toy Story” movies, but only the first film is on this list. Why? Because the first movie in a series is always the best, that’s why. Of course, if you love the learning experience you get with the first movie, keep on rolling through the next two in Chinese as well!
“Toy Story” is about a little boy, Andy, who—after finding out from his mother that they’re moving on his birthday—is having his birthday party a week earlier than planned. However, viewers will quickly find out that Andy isn’t the main focus of his story. His toys are.
See, Andy lives in a world where toys can come to life and go on adventures. Most of their escapades are led by Woody, a pull-string cowboy toy and Andy’s favorite. Life soon changes for Woody after Andy receives a new toy for his birthday: action figure space cadet Buzz Lightyear.
Buzz quickly starts to become Andy’s new favorite, leaving Woody to feel left out and jealous. In a sporadic turn of events, both Woody and Buzz Lightyear find themselves in a tough situation that forces them to get along so that they can return home to Andy in time before moving day.
Start out by watching the famously heartwarming intro song for the movie (in Mandarin Chinese): “You Got A Friend in Me”
Helpful Words to Know While You Watch
Toy — wán jù
Story — gù shì
Cowboy — niú zǎi
Birthday — shēng rì
Party — jù huì or huì
Birthday Party — shēng rì huì
Action Figure — wán’ǒu
(Outer) Space — tài kōng
Cadet — rù wǔ shēng or jiàn xí shēng
Favorite — zuì xǐ ài or xǐ ài
Friend — péng you
Room — fáng jiān or simply fáng
Pizza — bǐ sà
Planet — xīng qiú
Pizza Planet — bǐ sà xīng qiú
Moving Day — Dòng Tiān
2. 小美人鱼 (Xiǎo Měi Rén Yú)
English Title: “The Little Mermaid”
“The Little Mermaid” is based on a Danish fairy tale and is very popular among children—especially little girls. It focuses on Ariel, a sixteen-year-old mermaid princess who’s tired of life under the sea and wishes to be on land with humans despite all contact between humans and merpeople being forbidden.
After rescuing a young human named Prince Eric from drowning, Ariel falls in love with him and makes a deal with Ursula the Sea Witch to become human for three days and hopefully reunite with Eric.
Unfortunately, receiving the benefits of this “spell” also means she has to forfeit her voice to the sea witch. The only way to break the spell? Receiving true love’s first kiss before her days as a human are up.
Try watching this awesome musical number from the movie in Mandarin Chinese: “Part of Your World”
Helpful Words to Know While You Watch
Little — xiǎo
Mermaid — měi rén yú
Human; Person; People — rén
Sea — hǎi
Sea Witch — hăi wū pó
Spell — zhòu
True Love — zhēn zhèng de ài qíng
Kiss — wěn
Land — tǔ dì
World — shì jiè
Prince — wáng zǐ
Marriage/Wedding — hūn
3. 木兰 (Mùlán)
English Title: “Mulan”
Based on an ancient Chinese legend of Hua Mulan (花木兰 – huā mù lán). “Mulan” tells the story of the eponymous heroine who wants to make her father proud by secretly taking his place in a war against the Huns disguised as a man. Mulan soon finds out though that being a man is a lot harder than she thought.
“Mulan” appeals to one and all, as it’s filled with action, adventure and even a little bit of romance at the end. It’s a real crowd favorite. Oh, and there are quite a few excellent musical numbers. For starters, check out this Mandarin Chinese rendition of “I’ll Make a Man Out of You.” Then try this Bonus Live Action Video—it has Jackie Chan singing!
Helpful Words to Know While You Watch
China — Zhōng Guó
Dragon — lóng
Guardian — wèi shì
Warrior — zhàn shì
To Train — liàn
Ancestor — zǔ xiān
Honor — róng yù
Man — rén
Heart — xīn zàng or xīn
Luck — xìng yùn or yùn
Because “Mulan” focuses on Chinese people, most, if not all, of the characters’ names are in Chinese. Here are their names as well as their meanings:
Mulan — Magnolia
Mu — wood
Lan — orchid
Hua — flower
Ping — pot
Hua Ping — flower pot
Mushu — a Chinese dish of stir-fried vegetables, egg, and usually meat or fish all wrapped together in a thin pancake
Li Shang — to soar
Li — plum (surname) beautiful (first name)
Yao — high, eminent, or lofty
Ling — peace, serenity, tranquility
Chien-Po — gold, metal, wealth, treasure, respectable, honorable
Chi Fu — to bully
Xiao Di — Little Brother
4. 入迷 (Rù Mí)
English Title: “Enchanted”
Disney’s “Enchanted” both honors and parodies old Disney animated classics with clever references to its previous works. It’s a unique film that combines old school 2D animation, live-action and CGI to bring out the in kid you. It really lets you ponder the question: What if there actually were a portal between the normal world and a fairy tale world?
In a fictional world known as Andalasia, Princess Giselle is banished by an evil queen to Manhattan. Luckily, she’s taken in by a divorce lawyer named Robert who realizes that she has no clue how to survive in the real world.
After getting to know each other, Giselle and Robert start to fall in love, much to the delight of Robert’s young daughter. Conflict arises after Prince Edward from Andalasia comes to rescue her from the queen who now wants her dead.
Sample the magic of this movie by watching the “Happy Working Song” in Mandarin Chinese. It’s bound to win your heart!
Helpful Words to Know While You Watch
Enchanted — xīn zuì or rù mí
Fairy Tale — shén huà or tóng huà gù shì
Chipmunk — lì shǔ or huā lì shǔ
Princess — gōng zhǔ
Portal — mén hù or zhèng mén
New York City — Niǔ Yuē Shì
Times Square — shí dài guǎng chǎng
Henchman — jiā chén or gēn zōng zhě
Work — gōng zuò
Song — gē qǔ or gē
Fiancé — wèi hūn fū
Fiancée — wèi hūn qī
Divorce — lí hūn
Lawyer — lǜ shī
5. 美女和野兽 (Měi Nǚ hé Yě Shòu)
English Title: “Beauty and the Beast”
“Beauty and the Beast” is truly a classic film. It was the first of its kind to be nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture. It’s a charming love story between a beautiful woman named Belle and a mysterious, cold-hearted Beast.
The Beast lives alone in his castle with only his servants to keep him company. However, he wasn’t always a beast. He became one after being cursed by an enchantress who he refused to let stay in his castle one night—and, to boot, all of his servants were turned into kitchen utensils and appliances. Belle is a young woman who’s a bibliophile and proud nonconformist. She seeks adventure in her life but is shunned by all in her village except for her father, inventor Maurice.
When Maurice is held prisoner by The Beast for unknowingly trespassing in his castle, Belle goes to The Beast’s castle to rescue him and offer herself in her father’s place. The two eventually fall in love once Belle (with the encouragement of The Beast’s servants) starts to bring him out of his shell, but their love is thwarted by a cocky egotistical man named Gaston who wants to claim Belle as his bride.
Take a quick break to warm your heart by watching the Mandarin Chinese version of “Tale As Old As Time.”
Helpful Words to Know While You Watch
Beauty — měi rén or zī
Beast — yě shòu
Bibliophile — cáng shū jiā
Curse — zhòu
Castle — chéng bǎo
Servant — pú rén or pú
Candlestick — zhú tái
Clock — shí zhōng
Teapot — chá hú
Teacup — chá wǎn
Stove — lú
6. 101斑点狗 (101 Bān Diǎn Gǒu)
English Title: “101 Dalmatians”
Set in London, England, “101 Dalmatians” begins with a glimpse inside of the lives of a songwriter named Roger Ratcliffe and his Dalmatian companion, Pongo, who are both tired of being bachelors. One day, Pongo decides to play matchmaker for himself and his owner by introducing Roger to a woman named Anita and her female Dalmatian, Perdita.
Soon enough, both pairs fall in love. Roger and Anita marry while Pongo and Perdita become mates and have a litter of fifteen puppies. Life is swell for the family until Anita’s former schoolmate, famous fashion designer Cruella de Vil, decides that she wants to purchase the puppies to use their fur as material for her fur coats.
You can hear all about her wickedness in the Mandarin Chinese version of the song “Cruella De Vil.”
Helpful Words to Know While You Watch
101 — yī bǎi líng yī
London — Lún Dūn
England — Yīng Guó
Animal — dòng wù
Dog — gǒu
Mate — bàn lǚ or pèi’ǒu
Dalmatian — dá’ěr mǎ tí yà
Litter — tāi
Fifteen — shí wǔ
Puppy — xiǎo gǒu
Bark — gǒu fèi
Fur or Fur Coat — qiú
7. 白雪公主和七个小矮人 (Bái Xuě Gōng Zhǔ hé Qī Gè Xiǎo Ǎi Rén)
English Title: “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs”
“Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” was the first ever feature-length film belonging to Walt Disney Animated Classics. This film also features the first official Disney Princess: Snow White.
The movie is about an evil, unnamed queen who’s jealous of her beautiful stepdaughter, Snow White. Inspired by this jealousy, the queen schemes to secretly have Snow White murdered. Little does the wicked woman know that Snow White is still alive and well, living in a cottage with seven silly little men known as the seven dwarfs.
When the Queen discovers this, she attempts to kill her once again by poisoning Snow White with a poison apple. Instead of killing her, she puts her in comatose-like state. How will Snow White reawaken? Watch the movie and find out (and learn some Mandarin while you’re at it).
Get a taste of the enchantment with the Mandarin Chinese versions of two sweet songs: “I’m Wishing” and “One Song.”
Helpful Words to Know While You Watch
Snow — xuě
White — bái
Seven — qī
Dwarfs — ǎi rén or ǎi zǐ
Cottage — can be a variety of words: sū, ān, xiǎo wū, cūn shè or máo shè
Evil — xié è
Queen — nǚ wáng
Magic — mó shù
Mirror — jìng zi or jìng
Poison — dú
Apple — píng guǒ
Here are the names of the Seven Dwarfs. You can find their names in other languages too on this website.
Doc — Wàn Shì Tōng
Grumpy — Ài Shēng Qì
Sleepy — Kē Shuì Chóng
Bashful — Hài Xiū Guǐ
Happy — Kāi Xīn Guǒ
Sneezy — Pēn Tì Jīng
Dopey — Hú Tú Dàn
8. 海底总动员 (Hǎi Dǐ Zǒng Dòng Yuán)
![Finding Nemo (Mandarin Chinese Edition) [1 DVD]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/5189Tc5lTGL.jpg "Finding Nemo (Mandarin Chinese Edition) [1 DVD]")
English Translation: Undersea Mobilization
English Title: “Finding Nemo”
After a young clownfish named Nemo is kidnapped while on a school trip, his father, Marlin, goes on a long journey to find and rescue him.
To reach his son, he’ll have to escape from sharks and anglerfish, navigate his way through gigantic jellyfish herds, ride the ocean currents with sea turtles, explore the inside of a whale and even hitch a ride inside of a pelican’s mouth. Luckily, he bumps into a forgetful but gregarious new friend along the way who helps him through these challenges.
Meanwhile, Nemo ends up in a dentist office’s fish tank where he befriends the other fish tank inhabitants who are planning their escape to the ocean.
Take a peek at all these underwater adventures by watching this clip from the Mandarin Chinese dub.
https://youtu.be/dvfBScTKFs0
Helpful Words to Know While You Watch
Fish — yú
Sea Turtle — hăi guī
Coral Reef — shān hú jiāo
School — xué xiào
Shark — shā yú or shā
Whale — jīng yú or jīng
Jellyfish — shuǐ mǔ or zhé
Shrimp — fén or xiā
Starfish (or Sea Star) — hǎi xīng
Sydney — xīní
Australia — ào dà lì yà
Boat — chuán
Dentist — yákē yī shēng
Fish Tank — yǎng yú gāng or yú gāng
9. 狮子王 (Shī Zi Wáng)
English Title: “The Lion King”
Based on the Shakespearean classic “Hamlet,” “The Lion King” tells the tale of a lion cub named Simba who, after the death of his father, King Mufasa, is chased out of his homeland, Pride Rock, and left for dead. Fortunately, he’s saved by a meerkat named Timon and a warthog named Pumbaa, who quickly become his guardians and best friends.
Time passes and Simba, who’s now an adult, continues to enjoy his peaceful life with his pals until his old friend Nala tells him that his home is in ruins thanks to his Uncle Scar. She tells him that he needs to return because he’s the rightful king. Now it’s up to Simba to come to terms with his past, remember who he is and confront his ruthless uncle to take back the throne.
You already know it and love it, now watch the song “Hakuna Matata” in Mandarin Chinese to start learning!
Helpful Words to Know While You Watch
Lion — shī zi
King — guó wáng or wáng
Circle of Life — shēng huó quān zi
Circle — quān zi or quān
Life — shēng huó
Pride — zì háo gǎn
Rock — yán shí or shí
Lion Cub — xiǎo shī zi
Scar — bā hén
Stampede — jǐtà
Cub — yòu shòu
Meerkat — hú měng
Warthog — yóu zhū
Hyena — liè gǒu
10. 狐狸与猎狗 (Hú Lí yǔ Liè Gǒu)
English Title: “The Fox and the Hound”
When an orphaned fox named Tod is taken in by a widow, he encounters a hound named Copper and they quickly become the best of friends, despite foxes and hunting hounds being natural enemies.
Their sacred bond is tested when they both become full grown and Tod is released into the wild and is blamed for the injury of Chief, an old hunting dog and a comrade of Copper’s. A very touching story with a satisfying ending that’s relatable to children and adults alike.
To feel the friendship, watch the song “Best of Friends” in Mandarin Chinese.
Helpful Words to Know While You Watch
Fox — hú li or hú
Widow — guǎ fù
To Adopt (child or animal) — rèn yǎng
Hound — liè quǎn
Woodpecker — zhuó mù niǎo
To Play — wán
Best Friend — zuì zhēn chéng de péng you
Hunt — shòu liè
Owl — māo tóu yīng
Wild — wèi ěr dé
Forest — sēn lín
Woods — shù lín
Tree — shù
(Animal) Den — shòu xué
Gun — qiāng
Waterfall — pù bù
There you have it. The ultimate Chinese Dubbed Disney movie list, jam-packed with vocabulary words! Hopefully this article gave you the confidence and resources you need to get started.
Of course, there are plenty of other Disney movies not mentioned on this list, so if your favorite isn’t on here, be sure to check online to see if there’s a Chinese Dub for it.
Besides watching Disney movies, you can also teach yourself Mandarin in other creative ways too, like watching certain movies on Netflix.
Good luck on learning a new language!
Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)
