Only if you are advanced. Keep Running, China's version of Running Man, is fun and packed with spoken Mandarin, but its fast, overlapping banter leaves most learners behind. Treat it as a reward for strong listening, not as study material.
- Level
- Advanced
- Format
- Show
- Year
- 2014
- Episodes
- 137
- Length
- about 99 min each
- From
- Zhejiang TV
Why it works for learners
Teams of celebrities race through games and missions, so you hear rules being explained, instructions shouted, and teasing between people who clearly know each other. That is casual, spontaneous Chinese, quite unlike scripted drama. The games also help: what happens on screen often tells you what was said, and the on-screen action repeats within each round. At around 99 minutes an episode, there is plenty of listening time, and you can dip into single games.
What makes it hard
Several people talk at once, often yelling, and jokes depend on celebrity personalities and pop culture you may not know. Speakers do not slow down for clarity. Some of the fun is physical, so you can enjoy a game while understanding far less than you think.
How to use it
Do not sit through full episodes at first. Pick a single game segment, watch it with Chinese subtitles if you have them, and note how the rules are explained. Replay the rules section until you can follow it, then watch the game itself.
More for Chinese learners: our Chinese guides.
Keep it where you'll see it
Save Keep Running and log every episode or chapter toward your Chinese hours. Free for one language.
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