11 Best Apps To Learn Chinese [For All Levels]

Learning Chinese can be a real challenge, especially with its unique characters and tones that are so different from other languages.

But, in my experience, diving into this language becomes a lot more manageable with the help of language learning apps. These apps are awesome because they offer a variety of lessons and exercises tailored to different skill levels and learning styles.

Whether you're a beginner just starting out or someone looking to polish your skills, there's an app out there for you. They make the journey of learning Chinese a lot more enjoyable and achievable.

Why Use Language Learning Apps?

Language learning apps come with plenty of benefits that make them an ideal choice for language learners. One of the most significant advantages is the flexibility they offer. With apps, you can learn at your own pace and on your own schedule, fitting in lessons whenever and wherever it's convenient for you.

Additionally, these apps provide an interactive learning experience, making the process engaging and enjoyable. They make learning fun with games and quizzes that keep you interested and help you remember what you've learned.

Plus, language learning apps offer personalized experiences, tailoring the content to your skill level and learning preferences. This way, you're not wasting time on stuff you already know or getting lost in stuff that's too hard.

Best Apps to Learn Chinese

Here we’ve selected the ten best apps to learn Chinese for you:

1.Lingopie

Lingopie is a language-learning app celebrated for its structured and comprehensive approach to teaching Chinese. Its standout features encompass grammar-focused lessons, diverse exercises covering all language skills, and an intuitive user interface. What distinguishes Lingopie from its counterparts is its emphasis on establishing a robust grammar foundation, crucial for Chinese proficiency. This makes it an ideal starting point for newcomers aiming to grasp the language's structure thoroughly. Lingopie offers both a free version with restricted lesson access and a premium subscription unlocking all content and features, such as offline access and progress tracking.

Key highlights

• learning through movies and series
• flashcards catering new learned vocabulary
• user-friendly interface.

2. Duolingo

Duolingo is a popular language-learning app known for its gamified approach to teaching. Its key features include bite-sized lessons, a user-friendly interface, and a focus on vocabulary and basic grammar.

What sets Duolingo apart from other apps is its use of gamification, making learning feel more like playing a game. This approach helps keep learners engaged and motivated.

While it is an excellent app for beginners looking to get a grasp on the basics of Chinese, it may not be suitable for intermediate learners seeking to deepen their understanding of the language. Its content is primarily geared towards building foundational skills, and those at an intermediate level might find it lacking in advanced vocabulary, grammar, and skills Duolingo offers a free version with ads, and a premium version called Duolingo Plus, which is ad-free and provides additional features such as offline lessons and progress tracking.

Key Features

• Bite-sized lessons and gamified learning.
• A user-friendly interface.
• Focus on vocabulary and sentence structure.

Pricing

• Duolingo offers a free version with ads.
• The premium version, Super Duolingo, costs $12.99 per month or $155.88 per year.

3. HelloChinese

HelloChinese is a comprehensive app designed specifically for learning Mandarin Chinese. Its key features include interactive lessons, speech recognition, and a focus on practical conversation skills.

‌‌What sets HelloChinese apart from other apps is its emphasis on real-world usage and its intuitive handwriting interface, which is excellent for learning Chinese characters from scratch. This feature allows learners to practice writing characters directly on their screen, aiding in memorization and understanding of stroke order.

‌While HelloChinese is fantastic for beginners and those looking to strengthen their character writing skills, it may not be as suitable for intermediate learners seeking advanced grammar and vocabulary.

‌The app offers a free version with basic content, and a premium version with additional features such as personalized learning plans and offline access.

Key Features

• Interactive lessons and speech recognition.
• Focus on daily conversational skills.
• Practicing writing Chinese characters.

4. Memrise

Memrise is a language-learning app that stands out for its use of spaced repetition and extensive vocabulary content. Its key features include a vast library of Chinese vocabulary, audio recordings of native speakers, and personalized review sessions.

‌‌What makes Memrise different from other apps is its emphasis on using real-world language and context to teach Chinese vocabulary, making it more memorable and practical. This approach, combined with its spaced repetition system, makes it a great app for both beginners and intermediate learners looking to expand their Chinese vocabulary. Memrise caters to learners at different stages, offering courses that range from basic words and phrases to more advanced vocabulary.

‌‌The app offers a free version with limited features, and a premium version called Memrise Pro, which provides access to additional content, offline learning, and advanced learning statistics.

Key Features

• Vast library of Chinese vocabulary.
• Audio recordings of native speakers.
• Personalized review sessions.

5. Skritter

Skritter is a specialized app designed for learning and practicing Chinese characters, known as Hanzi. It has features like showing you the right way to draw each stroke, teaching you the tone and pronunciation (pinyin) of each character, and using spaced repetition to help you remember what you've learned.

‌‌What sets Skritter apart from other language apps is its dedication to teaching the intricacies of writing Chinese characters, including their stroke order, tone, and pinyin. This makes it an ideal app for learners who want to improve their Chinese handwriting skills and gain a deeper understanding of Hanzi.

‌‌So if you want to work on your Chinese handwriting and really understand how to write characters correctly, this is the app for you.

‌‌The app offers a subscription-based pricing plan, which gives users access to its comprehensive character database and learning features.

Key Features

• Shows how to draw each stroke.
• Teaches tone and pinyin of each character.
• Spaced repetition system.

6. FluentU

FluentU is a language-learning app that helps you learn Chinese by watching real videos like movie clips, music videos, and news. It has interactive subtitles so you can click on words you don't know and see their meaning and pronunciation. Plus, there are quizzes and vocabulary lists to help you remember what you've learned.

‌‌What sets FluentU apart from other apps is its immersion method, which allows learners to experience the language as it's used in everyday life, helping to improve listening, reading, and speaking skills. This approach makes FluentU a great app for all Chinese learners, whether you're a beginner or more advanced, as it provides a natural way to learn and practice the language.

‌‌FluentU offers a variety of pricing plans, including a free trial and monthly or annual subscriptions, giving users access to its full library of videos and learning features.

Key Features

• Interactive subtitles.
• Uses immersion method.
• Instant translation of words by clicking.

7. Rocket Chinese

Rocket Chinese is a comprehensive language learning app that offers a well-rounded approach to mastering Chinese. Its key features include interactive audio lessons, language and culture lessons, and reinforcement activities such as quizzes and flashcards.

‌‌What makes Rocket Chinese stand out from other apps is its focus on not only teaching the language but also providing insights into Chinese culture. This holistic approach ensures that learners not only improve their language skills but also gain an understanding of the cultural context behind the words.

‌‌Rocket Chinese is suitable for learners at all levels, from beginners to advanced, and it integrates speaking, listening, reading, and writing skills within its lessons.

‌‌The app offers different pricing plans, including a one-time payment option that gives lifetime access to the course materials, making it a great investment for anyone serious about learning Chinese.

Key Features

• Interactive audio lessons.
• Language and culture lessons.
• Reinforcement activities such as quizzes.

8. Ling

Ling is a language-learning app that's designed to help beginners start learning Chinese from scratch. Its key features include interactive lessons, a user-friendly interface, and a focus on all language skills, including speaking, listening, reading, and writing.

‌‌What sets Ling apart from other apps is its comprehensive approach to teaching Chinese, making it easy for beginners to get a solid foundation in the language. The lessons are structured in a way that gradually builds up your knowledge, so you can start speaking and understanding Chinese right from the start.

‌‌Ling is a great app for anyone who's new to learning Chinese and wants a straightforward and effective way to learn.

‌‌The app offers a free version with limited access and a premium subscription that unlocks all the content and features.

Key Features

• Fun interactive lessons.
• Focus on all language skills.
• User-friendly interface.

9. LingoDeer

LingoDeer is a language-learning app that's known for its structured and comprehensive approach to teaching Chinese. Its key features include grammar-focused lessons, a variety of exercises to practice all language skills, and a user-friendly interface.

‌‌What sets LingoDeer apart from other apps is its emphasis on building a strong foundation in grammar, which is essential for mastering Chinese. This makes it an excellent choice for beginners who want to start learning the language with a solid understanding of its structure.

‌‌LingoDeer offers a free version with limited access to lessons, and a premium subscription that unlocks all content and features, including offline access and progress tracking.

Key Features

• Chinese grammar-focused lessons.
• Exercises to practice all language skills.
• User-friendly interface.

10. Italki

Italki is a language-tutoring platform that stands out for its focus on connecting learners with native speakers for one-on-one language lessons. Its key features include a wide selection of tutors, the ability to customize your learning experience, and a community for language exchange.

‌‌What makes Italki different from other apps is its emphasis on improving speaking and conversational skills through real-life interactions. This approach is particularly beneficial for intermediate and advanced learners who want to refine their fluency and understanding of the language.

‌‌Italki operates on a pay-per-lesson pricing plan, allowing learners to choose a tutor that fits their budget and schedule, making it a flexible and personalized way to learn Chinese.

Key Features

• Lessons with private tutors.
• Customized learning experience.
• Language learners community.

11. Pleco

Pleco is a must-have dictionary app for anyone learning Chinese, known for its powerful translation features. Its key features include a comprehensive dictionary with detailed entries, handwriting recognition, and audio pronunciation.

What sets Pleco apart from other apps is its focus on translation and its ability to help learners understand the meaning and context of Chinese words and phrases. Unlike traditional language learning apps, Pleco is a translation tool that learners of all levels can benefit from, whether they're just starting out or are advanced speakers.

The basic version of Pleco is free, offering essential features, while additional features such as more advanced dictionaries and optical character recognition (OCR) can be purchased separately.

Key Features

• Comprehensive dictionary.
• Handwriting recognition.
• Native audio pronunciation.

Choosing the Right App for You

Finding the right language learning app is crucial because it needs to match how you like to learn.‌‌

To pick the best app for you, think about what you want to achieve. Do you want to focus on speaking, writing, or maybe understanding Chinese culture?

Also, consider how you like to learn. Do you enjoy games and interactive lessons, or do you prefer more traditional, structured lessons?‌‌

Don't forget to think about your current level of Chinese. Some apps are better for beginners, while others are more suited for people who already know some Chinese.‌‌

By keeping your goals, preferences, and level in mind, you can find an app that'll help you learn Chinese in a way that's both effective and enjoyable for you.

Summary

To wrap things up, learning Chinese can be a lot easier with the help of language apps. Whether you're just starting out or want to get better at chatting in Chinese, there's an app that can help.

I suggest you take a look at the different apps out there and pick one that fits how you like to learn. Why not start your language learning adventure today with an app? It's a handy and effective way to learn. And if you enjoy picking up Chinese from TV shows, check out Lingopie! It's another great language-learning app that help you learn a language by watching Chinese movies and real-life content!

FAQs About Learning Chinese With Apps

1.Can I become fluent in Chinese by using apps alone?

While apps are a great tool for learning, becoming fluent in Chinese typically requires a combination of methods, including practice with native speakers, immersion experiences, and consistent study. Apps can provide a solid foundation and help you practice regularly.

2. How long does it take to learn Chinese with an app?

The time it takes to learn Chinese with an app depends on your starting level, the time you dedicate to learning, and your learning goals. Consistency is key, and regular practice over months or years can lead to significant progress.

3. Are language learning apps suitable for all ages?

Yes, most language learning apps are designed to be user-friendly and suitable for learners of all ages. Some apps may cater specifically to children or adults, so it's worth checking the app's target audience.

4. Do I need to know any Chinese before using a language learning app?

No, many language learning apps are designed for absolute beginners and will start with the basics. However, if you have some knowledge of Chinese, you can often take a placement test or skip ahead to more advanced lessons.

5. Can I learn both simplified and traditional Chinese characters with apps?

Yes, many apps offer the option to learn either simplified or traditional characters. Some apps may focus on one or the other, so it's important to choose an app that aligns with your learning goals.

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