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Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →John Cena learned Mandarin Chinese. In a 2016 ABC News interview, he said WWE offered its talent a free second-language program and that he signed up on the first day. A 2017 segment from the verified Tonight Show channel shows him speaking Mandarin. Neither source establishes a formal proficiency level, so the accurate claim is that he studied and speaks Mandarin, not that he has been certified at a specific level.
The language: Mandarin Chinese
Both public sources that discuss Cena’s language study point to Mandarin. The 2016 interview covers his study of Mandarin, and the 2017 Tonight Show segment shows him speaking it on air. Neither one mentions a second language, so Mandarin is the answer to the question as stated.
How the study started: a free WWE program
According to Cena’s account in the 2016 ABC News Q&A about hosting the ESPYS, WWE made a second-language program available to talent at no cost. He said he enrolled on the first day it was offered. The interview does not give the program’s name, format, length, or whether it is still offered to current roster members, so readers should treat those details as unknown rather than assume them.
Why he enrolled
Cena’s explanation is the most useful detail in the interview. He said that because he was one of the company’s top performers, he felt he should set an example. In his words:
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“I figured if it was offered to the talent for free, as one of the top performing talents I should lead by example and try to learn a language.”
This is his stated reason. The interview does not rule out other motivations, and it does not describe how much time he spent studying.
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What the video evidence shows
The 2017 Tonight Show segment is the strongest public evidence that Cena can speak Mandarin. It shows him speaking the language and discussing how much he had picked up in his spare time. That is a demonstration recorded for television. It shows that he can carry on speech on camera, but it does not measure his vocabulary, comprehension, or accuracy across contexts.
What “fluent” means here
The ABC News interviewer describes Cena as having become “fluent in Mandarin” during his time with WWE. That is the interviewer’s characterization, not a test result. Fluency has no single standard, and no proficiency exam, score, or date is cited in either source.
For accurate wording, you can say:
- Cena studied Mandarin Chinese through a WWE-offered program, according to his 2016 interview.
- He is shown speaking Mandarin in a 2017 Tonight Show segment.
- The interviewer described him as fluent; neither source confirms a formal level.
Avoid stating a specific proficiency level, a study duration, or the name of any app, teacher, or textbook. None of these appears in the available sources.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Where to check for updates
If you need a more precise answer, the most reliable starting point is the full ABC News Q&A and the Tonight Show channel segment itself, which show the context of each remark. Cena’s own later interviews may include more detail about his study, but any new claim should be checked against a dated source before you repeat it.
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