{"id":181479,"date":"2019-04-01T06:38:22","date_gmt":"2019-04-01T10:38:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/learn\/chinese-movies-app\/"},"modified":"2025-01-31T07:31:25","modified_gmt":"2025-01-31T12:31:25","slug":"chinese-movies-app","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/chinese\/chinese-movies-app\/","title":{"rendered":"6 Best Chinese Movie Apps for Language Learners"},"content":{"rendered":"

There\u2019s nothing like sitting back and watching a good Chinese movie<\/a>. Not only are they incredibly fun to watch, but you can actually learn Chinese through movies<\/a> and develop real-world skills through your favorite pastime.<\/p>\n

To enjoy this indulgence regularly, you’ll need\u00a0dependable Chinese movie apps.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Check out the six apps below which have the best Chinese movie collections online (with subtitles), so you can binge-watch to your heart’s content.\u00a0<\/p>\n

[fluentu-toc skip=3]<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

1. Youku\"chinese-movies-app\"<\/a><\/h2>\n

Website<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0iOS<\/a> | Android<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Youku is a popular Chinese streaming provider that offers TV series, documentaries and, of course, movies.<\/p>\n

Some of my favorite movie options include \u5927\u7834\u9635<\/a> (“Big Break”) and \u5c01\u795e\u964d\u9b542\u6843\u5c71\u6c14\u6d77<\/a> (“Fengshen Devil 2”).<\/p>\n

While Youku has a lot to offer Chinese students, it’s best for intermediate-level learners and above because everything, including the app interface, is in Chinese.<\/p>\n

The Youku app is free to download and some movies are available for free, though subscription options are necessary to unlock more material.<\/p>\n

2. Viki\"chinese-movies-app\"<\/a><\/h2>\n

Website<\/a>\u00a0| iOS<\/a> | Android<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Viki is a popular service that gives users access to a wide range of Asian content, including TV shows and movies from China, Taiwan and other Asian countries (most notably Japan and Korea).<\/p>\n

One of Viki’s most exciting features is the subtitling options. Viki offers subtitles in over 200 languages, giving you all the subtitling options you’ve been dreaming about.<\/p>\n

And the Chinese movie options are nothing to sneeze at. Viki currently features nearly 70 Chinese films, including \u6211\u662f\u8bc1\u4eba<\/a> (“The Witness”) and \u5bab\u9501\u6c89\u9999<\/a> (“The Palace”).\u00a0<\/p>\n

Viki offers some content for free, but a premium membership can remove ads and give you access to more material.<\/p>\n

3. Netflix\"chinese-movies-app\"<\/a><\/h2>\n

Website<\/a>\u00a0| iOS<\/a> | Android<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Netflix is often seen as the be-all and end-all of streaming services for good reason: it has a lot to offer<\/a>. And with its app, you can enjoy all its Chinese movies from the convenience of your favorite devices.<\/p>\n

Some great Chinese movie options on Netflix include \u4e0d\u518d\u8b93\u4f60\u5b64\u55ae<\/a> (“A Beautiful Life”) and \u6d41\u6d6a\u5730\u7403<\/a> (“The Wandering Earth”).\u00a0<\/p>\n

All movies have English subtitles, which you can also turn off for a greater challenge. Some movies, particularly Netflix originals, even have Chinese subtitles, though most of these feature audio that isn’t originally in Chinese. Dubbing options can allow you to listen in Chinese, however, while following along with Chinese subtitles.<\/p>\n

4. iQIYI<\/h2>\n

\"iqiyi<\/p>\n

Website<\/a> | iOS<\/a> | Android<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

iQIYI is a major streaming service in China. In fact, you can think of it as China\u2019s version of Netflix, except there\u2019s a wider range of shows\u2014aside from movies and TV series, it also includes news, sports and variety shows.<\/p>\n

More than half of its massive video content consists of iQIYI originals, and there are a bunch of hit shows under its belt, like \u5ef6\u79a7\u653b\u7565<\/a> (“Story of Yanxi Palace”). It has hundreds of excellent Chinese movies with new ones added regularly. I enjoyed watching \u9673\u60c5\u4ee4\u4e4b\u751f\u9b42<\/a> (“The Living Dead”) and \u5929\u4e0b\u7121\u8cca<\/a> (“A World Without Thieves\u201d).\u00a0<\/p>\n

Subtitles are available in different languages, including Chinese, Indonesian, Thai and Vietnamese.<\/p>\n

iQIYI lets you watch some movies for free, but you\u2019ll need to subscribe to watch most of the material.<\/p>\n

5. WeTV<\/h2>\n

\"wetv<\/p>\n

Website<\/a> | iOS<\/a> | Android<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

WeTV is another popular streaming app from China. It\u2019s actually owned by Tencent, which is a top company in China that came up with nationwide apps like QQ<\/a> and WeChat<\/a>. \u00a0<\/p>\n

A lot of the shows on WeTV are lengthy drama series, like \u9648\u60c5\u4ee4<\/a> (“The Untamed\u201d). But you can also find plenty of original movies: \u65b0\u753b\u76ae<\/a> (\u201cNew Painted Skin\u201d) and \u9003\u5b66\u795e\u63a2\u00a0<\/a> (\u201cDetective Chen\u201d) are two of my recommendations on this app.<\/p>\n

WeTV has subtitles in several languages, including English, Spanish and Korean.<\/p>\n

You\u2019ll need to pay for membership to fully enjoy the app, although some movies have a free preview.<\/p>\n

6. YouTube<\/h2>\n

\"youtube<\/p>\n

Website<\/a> | iOS<\/a> | Android<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

YouTube is a pretty massive source for Chinese movies\u2014many of which already have English subtitles.<\/p>\n

Because of its movie buying and rental service, you can actually look up Chinese movie titles and find both original Chinese movies and foreign movies with Chinese subtitles. For example, YouTube offers \u9f8d\u99ac\u7cbe\u795e<\/a> (\u201cRide On\u201d) and \u81e5\u864e\u85cf\u9f8d<\/a> (\u201cCrouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon\u201d).<\/p>\n

Another method is to simply type in \u7535\u5f71 (Chinese for \u201cmovie\u201d) on the search bar. There are several playlists too for old Chinese movies that are already royalty-free, as compiled by YouTube channels like China Underground<\/a> and Modern Chinese Cultural Studies<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Getting the Most Out of Chinese Movie Apps<\/h2>\n

Try several apps to see which you like best.<\/h3>\n

There are several different apps on the market. They vary in format, price and even offerings. On some apps, you may find new Chinese movies, while other apps have classics. Trying out several apps will help you find out which option best fits your unique needs and preferences.<\/p>\n

Pay attention to subtitling options.<\/h3>\n

Different apps offer various subtitling options. However, even within an app, these options may vary, so pay careful attention.\u00a0Depending on the app and movie, you may be able to use English subtitles, Chinese subtitles or remove the subtitles altogether.<\/p>\n

For instance, Chinese movies on Netflix usually offer English subtitles with Chinese audio. However, with some of the Netflix original movies, you’ll have more options. An example is “Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon: Sword of Destiny,”<\/a>\u00a0which was originally in English but also offers Mandarin dubbing, along with subtitles in English, simplified Chinese and\/or traditional Chinese.<\/p>\n

Have a translator handy on your phone or device for quick lookups.<\/h3>\n

Inevitably, you’ll encounter some vocabulary you don’t know well as you watch your favorite movies. Even if you’re watching\u00a0Chinese movies based on novels, you might encounter some words that just weren’t in your favorite novel.<\/p>\n

Luckily, since you’ll be watching from a phone or device, you have an easy option to look up words. Simply keep a translator or dictionary handy on your phone. That way, you can look up any unfamiliar words or phrases right away.<\/p>\n

Supplement your language learning with more videos.<\/h3>\n

If you’re a movie lover, then it sounds like watching movies, TV and videos could be your ideal way to study Mandarin in general. Watching shorter videos can enhance your comprehension so full-length movies don\u2019t seem as daunting.<\/p>\n

So, be sure to find more video resources so you can keep learning long after your Chinese movie marathon is over. There are even language learning programs based on videos now, like FluentU<\/a>.

FluentU<\/strong> takes authentic videos\u2014like music videos, movie trailers, news and inspiring talks\u2014and turns them into personalized language learning lessons.<\/p>\r\n

<\/p>\r\n

You can try FluentU for free for 2 weeks. Check out the website or download the iOS app<\/a> or Android app.<\/a><\/p>\r\n

P.S. Click here to take advantage of our current sale! (Expires at the end of this month.)<\/a><\/i>\r\n<\/p>\r\n

\r\n \"FluentU\r\n

\r\n