Actually speak
Mandarin.
In real life.
Live 1-to-1 Mandarin lessons built around real conversation, not drills. Speak from your first lesson and build the confidence to use Mandarin for real.
See real availability first · 30 minutes · No payment · No commitment
Watch what a real lesson feels like ↓
Co-hosts · Mandarin Monkey Podcast
30-min free lesson
No commitment · Real teacher
加油
Jiā yóu · Keep going
坚持
Jiān chí · Persist
Since 2018
Mandarin Monkey community
1.6M+
Podcast downloads
150+
Students learning with us
“Tried apps, found MM, good fortune that I did”
Martin · Chicago, IL
Sound familiar?
You did the apps. You kept the streak.
Then someone actually spoke Mandarin to you.
And you froze.
Studying Mandarin and using Mandarin are different skills. Mandarin Monkey closes that gap through real human interaction.
In the Classroom
See what a real Mandarin lesson feels like
Watch a real 1-to-1 conversation-led lesson and see how our teachers help you start speaking instead of waiting until you feel ready.
See available times first · 30 minutes · No payment
How it works
Simple from
day one.
Choose a free lesson time
See real availability first. No payment, no prep, no commitment.
Learn through real conversation
1-to-1 with a Taiwanese teacher. Your level, your goals, your pace.
Keep going with community + dashboard
Hangouts, weekly challenges, progress feedback. Everything in one place.
See available times first · 30 minutes · No payment · No commitment
Student stories
Real students.
Real Mandarin progress.
“Tried apps, found MM, good fortune that I did”
I played with apps like Duolingo for a while until realising I actually had to speak to someone. I accidentally found Mandarin Monkey on sptofy while looking for podcasts and heard they did lessons. Haven't looked back. Teacher Cynthia is very cool, actually, I have spoken to a few and they are all great so far.
Martin
You can have all the podcasts, apps and YouTube channels you want but at some point you need a real person. My experience with Mandarin Monkey makes me believe it's the most complete and best learning resource there is. Brilliantly enthusiastic teachers, podcast, courses, hangouts. I finish every lesson feeling happier about my progress. Recommended.
Stephen
“It's the first time I've stuck with learning a language this long. The community is warm and the teachers are patient.”
I've been learning with Mandarin Monkey for over a year now. The teachers are patient, the community is warm, and the dashboard helps me see how far I've come. It's the first time I've stuck with learning a language this long.
Hannah
Not ready for a live lesson yet?
Get the Mandarin Monkey
Speaking Starter.
A short, practical guide to help you stop waiting until your Mandarin feels “ready” and start producing useful sentences now.
✓ Five reusable sentence frames
✓ A five-minute speaking drill you can do today
✓ Practical Mandarin tips from Tom & Ula
Your Teachers
Real people.
Real conversations.
Hand-picked native speakers, trained in the Mandarin Monkey way — patient, warm, and genuinely fun to talk to.
Beny
Conversation-first · Beginner friendly
Beny makes your first Mandarin words feel natural. Patient, warm, and focused on getting you talking from minute one — no memorisation drills, just real dialogue.
YaTing
Structured progress · HSK & beyond
YaTing brings clarity to the grammar and tones that trip learners up. Her lessons build steadily — so you always know what you have learned and what comes next.
Start here
Try a real lesson.
Then decide.
Start free
- 30-minute lesson
- Real Taiwanese teacher
- No payment or commitment
- See available times first
After your lesson
Plans start from $55/month. Credits roll over. Cancel anytime.
Not sure if you're ready?
That's normal.
"I know literally no Mandarin."
You don't need to. Your teacher starts wherever you are.
"Speaking to a teacher sounds terrifying."
That's what the free lesson is for. No test. No performance. Just a real person helping you start talking.
"I haven't got time for this."
Lessons fit around your schedule, and the community and tools let you keep Mandarin alive between them.
We didn't start
as a platform.
We started as
a conversation.
Mandarin Monkey began with Tom and Ula talking through real Mandarin, real life, and all the messy bits in between — tones, grammar, culture, embarrassing mistakes.
Years later, that conversation has grown into teachers, Hangouts, lessons, homework, flashcards, progress tracking, and a proper place to keep going. Small enough to feel human. Built properly enough to scale with you.
"The podcast started the conversation. The platform helps you keep going."
Ula
Co-host · Native Mandarin speaker
2018
Podcast launched
Tom & Ula start talking Mandarin
50K
First milestone
The community finds its footing
1.6M+
Downloads today
30k+ followers worldwide
Now
Full platform
150+ students, growing fast
Your first real Mandarin
conversation is 30 minutes away.
See available times first · 30 minutes · No payment · No commitment · Real Taiwanese teachers