Chinese / Mandarin tutors · Los Angeles · Since 2006
Chinese / Mandarin Tutors & Classes in Los Angeles. Ni hao.
Private lessons with native-speaking instructors. Matched to your goals, your schedule, and your life. Start any time.
Your instructors
Chinese / Mandarin class instructors
Daisy L
★★★★★
UCLA Mandarin teacher from Taiwan with 25-year experiences plus professional skills in Animation, Film & TV
- Los Angeles •
- Online
Specialties: Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese Character, Chinese Dialect coach
Hi! I am a trained and certified Mandarin teacher from World Chinese Language Association, Taiwan. I have been teaching Mandarin to private clients since 2001 as well as in group classes at the Department of Asian Languages & Cultures (ALC) while...
As low as $45.00/hr Online
Offers In-Person
Daisy L.
UCLA Mandarin teacher from Taiwan with 25-year experiences plus professional skills in Animation, Film & TVHi! I am a trained and certified Mandarin teacher from World Chinese Language Association, Taiwan. I have been teaching Mandarin to private clients since 2001...
Simone S
★★★★★
Looking forward to sharing Chinese language and culture with you.
- Los Angeles •
- In-Person, Online
Specialties: Chinese for Kids, Chinese for Beginners, Conversational Chinese, HSK, Business Chinese, Chinese Literature, Intensive Chinese, TOCFL, Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese, Chinese Calligraphy, Chinese for Travel
My passion is helping students discover the beauty of Mandarin through personalized, interactive lessons. I specialize in conversational practice, business Chinese, and HSK exam preparation. Having taught learners from diverse backgrounds, I...
Offers 30 min free-trial
As low as $60.00/hr Online
Offers In-Person
Simone S. Offers free-trial
Looking forward to sharing Chinese language and culture with you.My passion is helping students discover the beauty of Mandarin through personalized, interactive lessons. I specialize in conversational practice, business...
Bi yin Cathy X
★★★★★
Practical & Interactive Chinese Classes From an Experienced Trainer
- Shanghai ，China •
- Online
Specialties: Chinese for Beginners, Conversational Chinese, HSK, Business Chinese, Chinese Literature, Intensive Chinese, TOCFL, Chinese for Travel, Chinese Grammar
Hello 你好 Ni hao 😊 Welcome to my online classes!（Tutor Testimonial/ Student Review can be found “See all options” at Strommeninc As a certified and experienced trainer, I specialize in Mandarin training for adults and corporate...
Offers 30 min free-trial
As low as $41.00/hr Online
Bi yin Cathy X. Offers free-trial
Practical & Interactive Chinese Classes From an Experienced TrainerHello 你好 Ni hao 😊 Welcome to my online classes!（Tutor Testimonial/ Student Review can be found “See all options” at Strommeninc As a certified...
Linna P
★★★★★
Expert University Teaching with a Friendly Touch: Professional, Engaging, Effective . #1 Mandarin Tutor at Strommen working with Corporate Clients, Kids + Individuals.
- Boulder •
- In-Person, Online
Specialties: Chinese for Kids, Chinese for Beginners, Conversational Chinese, HSK, Business Chinese, Chinese Literature, Intensive Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese, Chinese Calligraphy, TOCFL, Traditional Chinese Character, Taiwanese Dialect Hokkien, Chinese for Travel, Chinese Grammar
Hi! I'm Linna. I am a native Chinese and hold a Master's degree in Chinese language and literature with extensive university teaching experience. My passion is creating a friendly and relaxed learning atmosphere where students feel comfortable and...
Offers 30 min free-trial
As low as $45.00/hr Online
Linna P. Offers free-trial
Expert University Teaching with a Friendly Touch: Professional, Engaging, Effective . #1 Mandarin Tutor at Strommen working with Corporate Clients, Kids + Individuals.Hi! I'm Linna. I am a native Chinese and hold a Master's degree in Chinese language and literature with extensive university teaching experience. My passion is...
Bill F
★★★★★
Learn the language, live the culture
- Shanghai •
- Online
Specialties: Business English, Neutral American English, English for Kids, Chinese for Beginners, Conversational Chinese, HSK, Business Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Traditional Chinese Character, Study Skills Coaching, Test Preparation, Executive Function Coaching, Chinese for Travel, Chinese Grammar, English for Beginners, English for Travel, English Grammar
Hello, I am Bill, a Chinese Canadian professional fluent in English and Mandarin. I focus on clear, effective business communication and results. My background spans corporate environments, international settings, and cross-cultural collaboration. I...
Bill F.
Learn the language, live the cultureHello, I am Bill, a Chinese Canadian professional fluent in English and Mandarin. I focus on clear, effective business communication and results. My background...
Damon K
★★★★★
Damon, the ESL teacher
- Bangkok •
- Online
Specialties: Conversational English, IELTS test, Business English, English for Kids, Conversational Russian, Russian for Beginners, Russian for Kids, Intensive Russian, Russian Grammar, Chinese for Travel, Chinese Grammar, Russian for Travel, Russian for Business, English for Beginners, English for Travel, Intensive English, English Grammar
Damon K.
Damon, the ESL teacherHey, my name is Damon, I'm an English teacher with 8 years of experience, I teach groups and one-on-one classes that include all possible subjects starting...
Xue C
★★★★★
Chinese Teacher with 17 Years Experience and Attention to Detail.
- Mountain View •
- Online
Specialties: Business Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Chinese Calligraphy, Traditional Chinese Character, Chinese for Travel
My name is Xue, and I am a Chinese and ESL teacher based in San Francisco. My strengths are language teaching and short story writing. I have taught a foreign language for 17 years. I have been teaching Chinese to foreign students since 2003....
Xue C.
Chinese Teacher with 17 Years Experience and Attention to Detail.My name is Xue, and I am a Chinese and ESL teacher based in San Francisco. My strengths are language teaching and short story writing. I have taught a...
Ying S
★★★★★
Master Chinese with a Former Senior Diplomatic Mission Manager: 25 Years of High-Level Strategic Communication
- Guangzhou •
- Online
Specialties: Conversational Cantonese, Cantonese for Kids, Chinese for Travel
Offers 30 min free-trial
As low as $40.00/hr Online
Ying S. Offers free-trial
Master Chinese with a Former Senior Diplomatic Mission Manager: 25 Years of High-Level Strategic CommunicationHi there! I'm Jessica (Ying). Beyond being a native speaker, I bring 25 years of experience as a Senior Manager at the Australian Consulate-General to our...
Sanghoon B
★★★★★
Multilingualism, Specialized Education, Extensive Experience, Target Audience, Practical Skills
- Hangzhou •
- Online
Specialties: Conversational English, Business English, Business Korean, Korean for Travel, Conversational Korean, Korean Grammar, Advanced Korean, Chinese for Travel, Chinese Grammar, Korean for Beginners, Korean for Kids, English for Beginners, English for Travel, English Grammar
Hello! My name is Sanghoon Bhang, and I am a dedicated and experienced language educator specializing in the Korean language. I am excited to help Korean language learners master the Korean language. I hold a bachelor's degree in Teaching Korean...
Sanghoon B.
Multilingualism, Specialized Education, Extensive Experience, Target Audience, Practical SkillsHello! My name is Sanghoon Bhang, and I am a dedicated and experienced language educator specializing in the Korean language. I am excited to help Korean...
Wenlong C
★★★★★
Making Chinese learning fun and easy.
- No. 126
Specialties: Chinese for Kids, Chinese for Beginners, Conversational Chinese, HSK, Business Chinese, Chinese Literature, Traditional Chinese, Traditional Chinese Character, Chinese for Travel, Chinese Grammar
Offers 30 min free-trial
As low as $39.00/hr Online
Wenlong C. Offers free-trial
Making Chinese learning fun and easy.Hello! My name is Wenlong, and I am from China. I currently live in Kunming. I earned my bachelor’s degree in Shenyang in 2010 and worked as an engineer...
Why Chinese / Mandarin?
Four reasons to take Chinese / Mandarin classes
Access the World's Second-Largest Economy
China's GDP is $18 trillion and climbing. Mandarin fluency opens careers in trade, finance, tech, and manufacturing that English alone cannot reach.
Read 3,000 Years of Unbroken Literature
Chinese characters have been in continuous use longer than any other writing system on earth. From Confucius to contemporary fiction, the literary tradition is staggering.
Live the SGV Like a Local
Monterey Park, Alhambra, and San Gabriel form one of the most vibrant Chinese communities outside Asia. Speaking Mandarin here is not a novelty — it is daily life.
Train Your Brain in a Completely Different System
Mandarin uses tone, characters, and classifiers that English does not have. Learning it rewires your perception of how language can work.
Since 2006
Chinese / Mandarin in Los Angeles
Mandarin Chinese is the most spoken language on Earth. Over 1.1 billion people use it, including virtually everyone in mainland China, Taiwan, and Singapore, plus diaspora communities worldwide. Mandarin is a tonal language with four tones (the pitch pattern of a syllable determines its meaning), and a fifth neutral tone. The same syllable “ma” can mean mother, hemp, horse, or scold depending on tone. Mandarin uses Chinese characters, which represent meaning rather than sound: roughly 3,000-4,000 are needed for functional literacy. Mainland China uses simplified characters; Taiwan and Hong Kong use traditional. The grammar, by contrast, is simpler than English in important ways. There are no verb conjugations, no plurals, no gender, no articles. The challenge is the writing system, the tones, and the cultural register, not the grammar.
The Chinese community in LA is one of the largest outside Asia. The San Gabriel Valley is the heart of it, with Mandarin and Cantonese both widely spoken across Monterey Park, Alhambra, San Marino, Arcadia, Rowland Heights, and Hacienda Heights. Mandarin specifically is the language of the post-1990s wave of Mainland and Taiwanese immigration. The 626 area code has become shorthand for Asian-American culture itself, and Mandarin is everywhere in business, food, real estate, and family life across the SGV. Many of our Mandarin students are heritage speakers, kids who grew up hearing the language but never learned to read characters, second- and third-generation Chinese-Americans reclaiming a connection their parents drifted from. Others are professionals working with Mainland or Taiwanese partners, parents preparing kids for Mandarin immersion school, or learners drawn to Mandarin through martial arts, traditional Chinese medicine, or business ambition.
Strommen has been matching students with private Mandarin tutors in Los Angeles since 2014. Our tutors are native speakers from Beijing, Taipei, Shanghai, and other regions who can teach simplified or traditional characters, work on tones from day one, or focus on conversation if reading is not the priority. Lessons are one on one, online or in person, and your tutor builds every session around your goals.
No public Chinese / Mandarin group classes right now — but we can set up a semi-private class for your family, friends, or company with as few as two people. Get in touch.
Chinese / Mandarin class FAQ
What is the best way to learn Chinese?
Regular one-on-one lessons with a native Mandarin speaker, with heavy emphasis on tone practice from day one. Tones are not optional polish — they are foundational. If you learn vocabulary with wrong tones, you will be misunderstood constantly and have to unlearn bad habits later. A tutor can hear your tone errors and correct them in real time, which apps and textbooks cannot do. For characters, spaced repetition tools like Anki help, but a tutor gives structure to what you study. Between lessons, Chinese TV dramas and podcasts build listening comprehension fast.
How long does it take to learn Chinese?
The State Department rates Mandarin as Category IV — the hardest tier — estimating 2,200 class hours for professional proficiency. For conversational Mandarin, most dedicated students can handle everyday interactions within 12 to 18 months of regular study. The spoken language is actually quite logical: no verb conjugations, no gender, no plurals, simple syntax. The time investment goes into tones, listening comprehension, and characters. Heritage speakers who already understand spoken Mandarin typically make fast progress on reading and writing within a few months.
Is Chinese hard for English speakers?
The tonal system and the writing system are the two genuine obstacles. English speakers are not trained to hear tonal distinctions, and it takes practice to produce them consistently. The character system requires sustained memorization — there are no shortcuts. But Mandarin grammar is actually simpler than English in many ways: no conjugation, no declension, no articles, no gender. Sentence structure follows a subject-verb-object pattern similar to English. The difficulty is front-loaded. Once your tones are solid and you have a few hundred characters under your belt, the language opens up.
Can I take Chinese classes online?
Yes. All of our Mandarin lessons are available online via video call. Screen sharing is particularly useful for character practice — your tutor can write characters in real time, demonstrate stroke order, and review your writing. Online sessions also allow flexibility for busy professionals and students who may not live near the San Gabriel Valley. You get the same native-speaking tutor each week, with lessons built around your level and objectives.
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Since 2006 · Los Angeles
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