5 Dramas for Chinese Learners

Have you ever complained about your Chinese learning materials? They might be dull and dry. And on some days, all you want to do is skip your training and watch some dramas on Netflix instead.

We have handpicked 5 Taiwanese dramas for all you Chinese learners. Not only can you learn Chinese by watching them, but you can also learn about the historical events and culture of Taiwan.

Next time when you get bored with your daily training, sit down, log into your Netflix account, and start binge-watching these TV series. There, I said it.

1. 一把青 (A Touch of Green)

One sentence to sum it up: In that era, women's war started when the men's were over.

The story focuses on the lives of three women, from their younger days to their marriages to Republic of China Air Force pilots. They followed their husbands from Nanking to Taiwan in 1949, stayed at Military dependents' village, and faces the pain of being away from their homes, friends, and families. The shared experience brought the families together to support each other. The drama tells the stories of the love and bonds three women share to go through hardships.

2. 麻醉風暴 1&2 (Wake Up)

One sentence to sum it up: The most important thing after anesthesia is to wake up; after waking up, you need to face changes.

When a patient passed away from a rare anesthesia complication, Dr. Xiao was pressured to take the blame and suspended from duty. The insurance agent who is in charge of the death claim discovered that it wasn't the first time the hospital had their employees taken the falls. The anesthesiologist and the insurance agent teamed up to investigate the hospital insiders. Just when the truth was about to be revealed, troubles begin to befall on the people related to the incident. Would Dr. Xiao fight for his conscience or would he give up and compromise on the corrupted hospital system?

As Dr. Xiao and his fellow teammates continue to save lives, the hospital uses the trauma team led by Dr. Xiao as an opportunity to boost their rating during the annual Medicare assessment. When the medical staff finds out about the people who are at the higher level are manipulated the healthcare system, they realize they need to stop and change the corrupted system.

3. 花甲男孩轉大人 (A Boy Named Flora A)

One sentence to sum it up: Sometimes we are forced to grow up because of many real-life situations.

His grandmother is dying. Now, everyone has returned to the ancestral home in the countryside to say their farewells to her. Logically speaking, everyone should be sad and depressed, but his dad and uncles are acting ridiculous and couldn't care less about the grandmother's condition. As the oldest grandchild of the Cheng family, he has to grow up and take over the responsibilities. Throughout the drama, you will see the 4 life challenges Hua-Chia and his family go through and learn from. They learn how to appreciate one another. They learn how to express their loves towards each other. They also learn how to let go of their feelings, apologize, and forgive. Last but not least, they need to learn how to say goodbyes as well.

4. 荼糜 (Life Plan A and B)

One sentence to sum it up: What would you choose - love or career?

They have a simple relationship. But in every relationship, there are many difficulties. Money is one of them. Now she arrives at a crossroad where she must choose between working overseas to reach the next level in her career or stay behind for her beloved boyfriend. Everyone deals with the typical "what if" situation in life, but Life Plan A and B takes it to a whole another level, it follows both life choices and shows the audience the effects and consequences of both.

5. 我可能不會愛你 (In Time With You)

One sentence to sum it up: Happiness is often around us, but we always overlook it.

They were once childhood rivals but became good friends later on. He promises to never fall in love with her. She accepts his friendship, and they become inseparable. Over the years, they grow very close as friends and share everything with each other. On her 30th birthday, he sends her an e-mail explaining “the symptoms of premature aging,” and she frets over the possibility of never finding a good guy for herself. She starts trying her luck in love by looking for a potential husband utterly unaware of how much he cares and loves her and wishes to marry her.

More Chinese Learning Resources

There are many ways of learning a foreign language. You learn things most effectively when you are having fun, and when you are learning it naturally. Learn Chinese and immerse yourself in the language by watching TV series, and train your speaking and listening in the most natural way with Glossika. Our spaced repetition training build up your understanding of the grammar by familiarizing you little by little with various sentence structures and patterns.