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Screen time doesn’t have to be a guilty pleasure—it can be a powerful tool for learning, especially when acquiring a second language like Chinese. Watching shows in another language, particularly when re-watching familiar episodes, allows kids to connect new vocabulary and phrases with their native language understanding. This natural immersion makes learning fun and effective.
Below are some great shows that offer audio and subtitles in Mandarin or Cantonese, turning screen time into an educational experience your kids will love!
Variations in Chinese Audio and Subtitles
Audio may be in one of four options:
- Mandarin Guoyu
- Guoyu, meaning "national language," is the standard form of Mandarin used in Taiwan.
- It shares many similarities with Putonghua but differs in pronunciation, vocabulary, and some grammar.
- Traditional Chinese characters are used in writing, reflecting Taiwan’s cultural and linguistic heritage.
- Mandarin Putonghua
- Putonghua, meaning "common speech," is the standard form of Mandarin Chinese used in mainland China.
- It is based on the Beijing dialect and serves as the official language of China.
- Widely taught in schools, it’s used in government, media, and education, making it the most commonly spoken form of Chinese worldwide.
- Mandarin
- When generally referred to as Mandarin (compared to calling out the above Mandarin Guoyu or Mandarin Putonghua), it is likely Netflix is indicating that it is Mandarin Putonghua or mainland Mandarin.
- Cantonese
- Cantonese is primarily spoken in Guangdong Province, Hong Kong, and Macau.
- It has a rich history and is known for its distinct tones (six to nine, depending on the classification).
- Unlike Mandarin, Cantonese retains more classical Chinese pronunciations and vocabulary, making it unique and integral to Cantonese-speaking communities.
Subtitles are offered in two options:
- Chinese Simplified (简体字)*
- Simplified Chinese was introduced in mainland China in the 1950s-60s to increase literacy by simplifying the number of strokes in characters.
- Used in mainland China, Singapore, and Malaysia.
- Simplified forms require fewer strokes per character and often replace more intricate traditional components. For example, the word for "love" is written as 爱 (simplified) compared to 愛 (traditional). Another example could include the word "dragon," which is written as 龍 (traditional) compared to 龙 (simplified).
- Chinese Traditional (繁體字)*
- Traditional Chinese has been used for thousands of years and preserves the original, more complex forms of characters.
- It is used in Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macau.
- Traditional characters have more strokes and are visually intricate. They retain the historical and cultural elements of the written language.
*Netflix distinguishes between Chinese characters; most locales don’t categorize them so strictly.
Netflix Options
1. Peppa Pig
Follow Peppa and her friends on everyday adventures that explore family, friendship, and fun. Perfect for younger kids learning conversational Chinese.
Audio: Mandarin (Guoyu, Putonghua) and Cantonese
Subtitles: Chinese Simplified (简体字) and Chinese Traditional (繁體字)
2. The Magic School Bus
Join Ms. Frizzle and her class as they jump on their magic school bus to explore all the scientific adventures.
Audio: Mandarin
Subtitles: Not available in Chinese languages
3. Izzy’s Koala World
In this Australian show, Izzy and her family rescue and rehabilitate koalas from their home clinic.
Audio: Mandarin
Subtitles: Chinese Simplified (简体字) and Chinese Traditional (繁體字)
4. The Creatures Cases
Sam and Casey, two agents employed by the Covert League of Animal Detective Experts (or C.L.A.D.E. for short), travel around the world solving mysteries together!
Audio: Mandarin (Guoyu)
Subtitles: Chinese Simplified (简体字) and Chinese Traditional (繁體字)
5. Word Party
Follow these five young animals as they sing and dance while exploring new vocabulary words, making it perfect for language development in English and Chinese.
Audio: Mandarin
Subtitles: Chinese Simplified (简体字) and Chinese Traditional (繁體字)
6. Puffin Rock
Puffling brother and sister discover their environment in Ireland with their friends and family, learning valuable lessons along the way.
Audio: Mandarin
Subtitles: Not available in Chinese languages
7. Ask the StoryBots
Beep, Bing, Bang, Boop, and Bo, the StoryBots, go on adventures to the human world to help answer kids' biggest questions! Good for extra curious learners.
Audio: Mandarin
Subtitles: Chinese Simplified (简体字) and Chinese Traditional (繁體字)
8. Trash Truck
Hank and his best friend, Trash Truck, tackle their everyday problems together.
Audio: Mandarin
Subtitles: Chinese Simplified (简体字) and Chinese Traditional (繁體字)
9. Octonauts
Follow an underwater exploring crew that lives in an undersea base, the Octopod, and discover new animals and habitats.
Audio: Mandarin
Subtitles: Not available in Chinese languages
10. Ada Twist, Scientist
Ada Twist and her two best friends use scientific methods to get to know people better.
Audio: Mandarin
Subtitles: Chinese Simplified (简体字) and Chinese Traditional (繁體字)
11. The Magic School Bus Rides Again
Nostalgic for parents and children alike, Ms. Frizzle and her class are back for their classic hijinks on the school bus as they learn more about the world around them.
Audio: Mandarin
Subtitles: Chinese Simplified (简体字) and Chinese Traditional (繁體字)
12. Go! Go! Cory Carson
Cory the Car explores the trials and tribulations of being a young gent navigating the world with his friends.
Audio: Mandarin
Subtitles: Chinese Simplified (简体字) and Chinese Traditional (繁體字)
13. StoryBots Answer Time
In this spin-off of Ask the StoryBots, kids can spend more time exploring the world with Beep, Bing, Bang, Boop, and Bo.
Audio: Mandarin (Putonghua)
Subtitles: Chinese Simplified (简体字) and Chinese Traditional (繁體字)
14. Octonauts & the Great Barrier Reef
To keep the spin-off theme going, fans of Octonauts can enjoy this big adventure where the Octonauts save a friend’s reef home.
Audio: Mandarin
Subtitles: Chinese Simplified (简体字) and Chinese Traditional (繁體字)
15. Octonauts & the Ring of Fire
This time, the Octonauts must save their ocean friends from volcanic eruptions in the Pacific Ring of Fire!
Audio: Mandarin
Subtitles: Chinese Simplified (简体字) and Chinese Traditional (繁體字)
16. Octonauts & the Caves of Sac Actun
In this movie, the Octonauts help an octopus friend get home to the Caribbean.
Audio: Mandarin
Subtitles: Chinese Simplified (简体字) and Chinese Traditional (繁體字)
17. My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
Twilight Sparkle and her pony pals discover the power of friendship and valuable life lessons.
Audio: Mandarin
Subtitles: Not available in Chinese languages
18. Sonic Prime
Sonic the Hedgehog accidentally opens up new multiverses full of Sonic’s friends.
Audio: Mandarin (Gouyu)
Subtitles: Chinese Simplified (简体字) and Chinese Traditional (繁體字)
19. Gabby’s Dollhouse
Gabby and her kitty-cat friends go on adventures in the dollhouse that inhabits her bedroom.
Audio: Mandarin (Gouyu)
Subtitles: Chinese Simplified (简体字) and Chinese Traditional (繁體字)
20. Charlie’s Colorforms City
Charlie teaches kids about color, shape, and size through his colorform city! Great for little learners.
Audio: Mandarin
Subtitles: Chinese Simplified (简体字) and Chinese Traditional (繁體字)
21. Trolls: The Beat Goes On!
For fans of Poppy and Branch (let’s be honest, who isn’t?), see what happened between this series' first and second films.
Audio: Mandarin (Gouyu)
Subtitles: Chinese Simplified (简体字) and Chinese Traditional (繁體字)
22. Ridley Jones
Ridley Jones and his family protect a museum with exhibits that come to life at night.
Audio: Mandarin (Putonghua)
Subtitles: Chinese Simplified (简体字) and Chinese Traditional (繁體字)
23. Chico Bon Bon: Monkey with a Tool Belt
Chico and friends solve problems through a math and science lens!
Audio: Mandarin
Subtitles: Chinese Simplified (简体字) and Chinese Traditional (繁體字)
24. LEGO Friends: Girls on a Mission
Andrea, Mia, Emma, Olivia, and Stephanie keep their town, Heartlake City, safe from anyone threatening it!
Audio: Mandarin
Subtitles: Chinese Simplified (简体字) and Chinese Traditional (繁體字)
25. LEGO City Adventures
You can tag along with LEGO City workers, such as police, firefighters, and sanitation as they keep the city running smoothly.
Audio: Mandarin
Subtitles: Chinese Simplified (简体字) and Chinese Traditional (繁體字)
26. Robocar Poli
In this South Korean series, a town's rescue team saves its residents from accidents. A fantastic option if learning multiple languages.
Audio: Mandarin
Subtitles: Chinese Simplified (简体字) and Chinese Traditional (繁體字)
27. Action Pack
Four superheroes bring out the goodness in everyone!
Audio: Mandarin
Subtitles: Chinese Simplified (简体字) and Chinese Traditional (繁體字)
28. LEGO Friends: The Next Chapter
If you couldn’t get enough of LEGO Friends: Girls on a Mission, keep the ball rolling with this series, which is very similar in content but different in visual style to spice up the learning.
Audio: Mandarin
Subtitles: Chinese Simplified (简体字) and Chinese Traditional (繁體字)
29. Super Monsters
Follow the kids of world-famous monsters like Frankenstein and Dracula as they learn to master their powers.
Audio: Mandarin
Subtitles: Chinese Simplified (简体字) and Chinese Traditional (繁體字)
30. Barbie Dreamhouse Adventures: Go Team Roberts
If you’re feeling tropical, join the Roberts as they explore Costa Rica and the mermaid legend.
Audio: Mandarin
Subtitles: Chinese Simplified (简体字) and Chinese Traditional (繁體字)
31. Hello Ninja
Wesley’s grandmother teaches him and his friend life lessons that ninjas need to know!
Audio: Mandarin
Subtitles: Chinese Simplified (简体字) and Chinese Traditional (繁體字)
32. Spirit Rangers
Three siblings can enter the spirit dimension via their national park, connecting them with nature and purpose.
Audio: Mandarin (Gouyu)
Subtitles: Chinese Simplified (简体字) and Chinese Traditional (繁體字)
33. Jurassic World: Chaos Theory
For fans of Jurassic Park and the series Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous, follow these characters as they try to navigate through the world with the release of dinosaurs and other chaos resulting from science experiments gone wrong.
Audio: Mandarin (Gouyu)
Subtitles: Chinese Simplified (简体字) and Chinese Traditional (繁體字)
34. She-Ra and the Princesses of Power
Join these orphan siblings, who have been turned into highly trained soldiers, in a rebellion to fight back against the evil Horde army.
Audio: Mandarin (Gouyu)
Subtitles: Chinese Simplified (简体字) and Chinese Traditional (繁體字)
35. Kung Fu Panda: The Dragon Knight
Embark with Po on a quest across China to find four elemental weapons that broke up the world in distant history.
Audio: Mandarin (Gouyu)
Subtitles: Chinese Simplified (简体字) and Chinese Traditional (繁體字)
36. YooHoo to the Rescue
Five animal friends explore new destinations to help other animals and learn about their environments.
Audio: Mandarin
Subtitles: Chinese Simplified (简体字) and Chinese Traditional (繁體字)
37. Dogs in Space
Genetically enhanced dogs explore the universe in search of a safe space for humans to colonize next.
Audio: Mandarin
Subtitles: Chinese Simplified (简体字) and Chinese Traditional (繁體字)
38. Octonauts Above & Beyond
For Octonauts superfans, this series explores animals above the ocean that the nauts usually don’t get to encounter!
Audio: Mandarin
Subtitles: Chinese Simplified (简体字) and Chinese Traditional (繁體字)
39. The InBESTigators
Follow these four Australian friends as they solve crimes together.
Audio: Mandarin
Subtitles: Chinese Simplified (简体字) and Chinese Traditional (繁體字)
40. Emily’s Wonder Lab
For science lovers, join Emily for cool experiments you can try at home!
Audio: Mandarin
Subtitles: Chinese Simplified (简体字) and Chinese Traditional (繁體字)
41. Brainchild
Similar to the above suggestion, catch this show if you enjoy science experiments and want to expand your language skills.
Audio: Mandarin
Subtitles: Chinese Simplified (简体字) and Chinese Traditional (繁體字)
42. Richie Rich
In this classic 90’s film, Macaulay Culkin plays the wealthiest kid in the world whose parents disappear, leaving their fortune to a villain.
Audio: Mandarin
Subtitles: Chinese Simplified (简体字) and Chinese Traditional (繁體字)
43. The Babysitter’s Club
Follow these ingenious gals who run their own babysitting business.
Audio: Mandarin
Subtitles: Chinese Simplified (简体字) and Chinese Traditional (繁體字)
44. Sea of Love
This animated show by Thai creators follows ocean creatures who are all very different but prove that bonds of friendship can overcome all. Another great choice for kids learning multiple languages.
Audio: Mandarin (Gouyu)
Subtitles: Chinese Simplified (简体字) and Chinese Traditional (繁體字)
45. Wonderoos
Animal friends in Roo City sing and learn together!
Audio: Not available in Chinese languages
Subtitles: Chinese Simplified (简体字) and Chinese Traditional (繁體字)
46. Chip and Potato
Chip, a pug, navigates a world of new experiences with the support of Potato, her mouse friend.
Audio: Mandarin
Subtitles: Chinese Simplified (简体字) and Chinese Traditional (繁體字)
47. Nailed It!
For food show lovers, follow these amateur chefs as they try to recreate their favorite professional chef foods!
Audio: Not available in Chinese languages
Subtitles: Chinese Simplified (简体字) and Chinese Traditional (繁體字)
48. The Floor is Lava
In this game show, contestants jump and swing from furniture to complete the obstacle course and avoid the “lava” floor.
Audio: Not available in Chinese languages
Subtitles: Chinese Simplified (简体字) and Chinese Traditional (繁體字)
49. Snack vs Chef
Chef contestants try to successfully recreate favorite snack foods, such as Oreos or Gushers.
Audio: Not available in Chinese languages
Subtitles: Chinese Simplified (简体字) and Chinese Traditional (繁體字)
50. The Dragon Prince: Mystery of Aaravos
Light and dark magic war in this series, will the Dragon Prince come out victorious?
Audio: Mandarin
Subtitles: Chinese Simplified (简体字) and Chinese Traditional (繁體字)
51. Kipo And the Age of the Wonderbeats
Mutes, or mutant animals, have taken over the world, forcing humans to hide and scavenge, including Kipo Oak, a 13-year-old, and her father.
Audio: Mandarin (Gouyu)
Subtitles: Chinese Simplified (简体字) and Chinese Traditional (繁體字)
52. Carmen Sandiego
An orphaned girl trains at a school of thieves and spies, only to realize she’s fighting on the wrong side when she vows to do good in the world and stop her old organization.
Audio: Mandarin
Subtitles: Chinese Simplified (简体字) and Chinese Traditional (繁體字)
53. He-Man and the Masters of the Universe
Prince Adam, with the ability to turn into He-Man, works to keep his planet safe from evil forces.
Audio: Mandarin
Subtitles: Chinese Simplified (简体字) and Chinese Traditional (繁體字)
54. The Hollow
After waking up in another reality, teenagers must figure out how to get home.
Audio: Mandarin
Subtitles: Chinese Simplified (简体字) and Chinese Traditional (繁體字)
55. Mech Cadets
In a futuristic world after Earth has been attacked by aliens, robo mechs service the robots that have come to defend humans from enemies.
Audio: Mandarin (Gouyu)
Subtitles: Chinese Simplified (简体字) and Chinese Traditional (繁體字)
Benefits of Subtitles
Turning on subtitles during screen time can significantly improve reading skills. Subtitles help kids match spoken words with their written forms, boosting word recognition, vocabulary, and reading fluency. For second-language learners, subtitles in their target language reinforce comprehension and pronunciation. Rewatching favorite shows with subtitles can make learning feel effortless and fun, combining entertainment with literacy development.
Conclusion
Using subtitles and audio in Chinese is a simple and effective way to help young kids learn a new language without extra effort. Watching a favorite cartoon with Chinese subtitles, listening to songs during playtime, or turning on Chinese audio for a bedtime story are small changes that fit easily into everyday routines. Kids naturally absorb language through repeated exposure, and pairing sound with text helps reinforce what they hear and see. This effortless approach makes language learning fun and accessible, helping children build skills over time without feeling like a lesson.
Interested in More Language Resources?
Visit YaYa Language Immersion Preschool's content to see how their programming can help enrich your child's education, if living in the New York area.
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