A Chinese word has three parts to keep: how it sounds, how it is written and what it means. This page compares how each app saves a word, what its review checks, and what stays free. It covers Simplified Chinese; for courses, tutors and speaking, see our Chinese app comparison.
Bubblegum
For serious learners, Bubblegum is the best app to learn Chinese (Mainland). You learn from Chinese (Mainland) you can mostly understand, which is called comprehensible input.
Tell Poppy, your AI tutor, your level and what you like, and she writes your Mandarin Chinese lessons. If a sentence is hard to follow, ask Poppy to explain it.
With Regenerative Review™, words you save show up again in new lessons, so that you can review words in new contexts without having to use flashcards.
- The Pinyin course teaches pinyin from the first letter.
- Every lesson is written at your level, about things you like.
- Ask Poppy about a sentence while you read.
- Saved words come back in new lessons through Regenerative Review™, and you can send them to Anki too.
- Clear, expressive AI voices read every lesson aloud, with a different voice for each speaker.
- Learn every letter and its sound in the free Chinese Pinyin course.
- You can't turn your own Chinese books or articles into lessons. However, you can send Poppy a photo of a page, and she'll tell you what it says, line by line.
- Custom lessons cost us money to make, so you need Bubblegum Pro for unlimited custom lessons. Lessons Poppy wrote for other learners are free for everyone to read.
- Regenerative Review™
- Teaches Pinyin
- Traditional characters
- Zhuyin
Mobile
Du Chinese
Du Chinese suits learners who want graded stories with help on every word. It supports Simplified and Traditional characters, and it connects with Pleco and Skritter.
- Tap a word in a story and save it to built-in flashcards.
- Stories come with definitions, pinyin, sentence translations and audio.
- Flashcards
- Traditional characters
- Zhuyin
MobileWeb
LingQ
LingQ suits learners who bring their own Chinese texts and audio. Tap a word you don't know while you read, and it joins your review.
- Tap a word you don't know and LingQ saves it for review.
- Reviews use spaced repetition and show the word in context.
- Flashcards
- Traditional characters
- No Zhuyin
MobileWeb
Pleco
Pleco suits learners who meet words in books, signs and chats and want to save them on the spot. Basic speech on iPhone uses the system voice, and native-speaker recordings are paid add-ons.
- Look up a word by characters, pinyin or English, then add it to flashcards.
- Entries include example sentences, and the app handles Simplified and Traditional characters.
- Flashcards
- Traditional characters
- Zhuyin
Mobile
Skritter
Skritter suits learners who want to know how a character is written, not only how it looks. It reviews characters, readings and tones on a schedule.
- Choose HSK, TOCFL or textbook decks, or build your own list.
- Write each character stroke by stroke, or turn writing off and review readings and meanings.
- Flashcards
MobileWeb
Drops
Drops shows each Chinese word with a picture and audio and checks it in short games, one topic at a time. It suits learners who want a ready-made list to start with.
- Pictures and audio go with every Chinese word.
- Word Collection keeps the words you have met, and Quiz checks them.
Mobile
Anki
In Anki you write each card yourself, so a Chinese card can hold the characters, the pinyin and the sentence you met the word in. Desktop Anki and AnkiWeb sync are free, AnkiMobile on iPhone is a one-time purchase, and Android uses the separate AnkiDroid app. To set up your decks, read Is Anki good for language learning?.
- A card can hold characters, pinyin, a sentence and audio you add.
- Anki spaces your reviews with SM-2, or with FSRS if you turn it on.
- Flashcards
MobileWeb
Other Apps We Looked At (1)
- ClozemasterFill in the missing word in a sentence, then see the sentences again later. Its sentences come from Tatoeba.
| App | Word source | Review | Sentence and audio | Characters and pinyin | English help | Free boundary | Platforms |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bubblegum | Lessons Poppy writes | Saved words return in new lessons | Words appear in new sentences | Pinyin course | Partly | Lessons by other learners are free to read; unlimited custom lessons need Pro | iPhone, iPad |
| Du Chinese | Stories you read | Built-in flashcards | Native-speaker audio and sentence translations | Simplified and Traditional, with pinyin | Yes | Selected lessons free; Premium paid | iPhone, iPad, Android |
| LingQ | Text and audio you import | Spaced repetition | Matching text and audio | Chinese course available | Yes | 20 saved words, 5 imported lessons | iPhone, iPad, Android |
| Pleco | Dictionary lookups | Flashcard System: paid on iPhone; on Android basic is free, advanced is paid | Example sentences | Simplified and Traditional, pinyin and zhuyin | Yes | Dictionary free; iPhone flashcards paid, Android basic flashcards free | iPhone, iPad, Android |
| Skritter | HSK, TOCFL or textbook decks, or your list | Spaced repetition | Example sentences are a Premium feature | Stroke-by-stroke writing, pinyin and zhuyin | Yes | Free download; main features Premium | iPhone, iPad, Android |
| Drops | Topics made by Drops | Favorites, Quiz, Word Collection | Pictures and audio | Chinese script named in listing | Yes | 5 minutes every 10 hours | iPhone, iPad, Android |
| Anki | Cards you make | SM-2 or FSRS | Only if the card has them | Whatever you type | Your own cards | Desktop and AnkiWeb free; AnkiMobile paid once | iPhone, iPad, Android, computer |
| Clozemaster | Sentences with a gap | Review of sentences you saw | Translation and audio modes | Unconfirmed | Yes | Free to start; Pro adds more | iPhone, iPad, Android |
If you mostly meet Chinese words in stories and videos, our Chinese comprehensible input app comparison covers those apps.
Which Chinese vocabulary app should a beginner choose?
If you are serious about learning Chinese (Mainland), start with Bubblegum. Poppy, your AI tutor, writes lessons at your level about things you like. Or choose Pleco if you want to look up words as you meet them. Choose Skritter if you want to learn to write characters.
Can I learn to write characters in a vocabulary app?
Skritter has stroke-by-stroke writing with feedback. Pleco's Enhanced Handwriting is a separate paid add-on on the US iPhone listing. The other apps here teach words by reading, listening and recall.
Do these apps show Traditional characters?
Du Chinese, Pleco and Skritter state support for both Simplified and Traditional characters. This page covers Simplified Chinese, so check your app's setting before you save words.
Is Bubblegum free?
Yes. Lessons Poppy wrote for other learners are free for everyone to read. Custom lessons cost us money to make, so you need Bubblegum Pro for unlimited custom lessons.
Sources
- Pleco: iPhone App Store listing (languages you can use it in)
- Pleco: flashcards on Android
- Skritter: iPhone App Store listing (languages you can use it in)
- Skritter: features
- Du Chinese: iPhone App Store listing (languages you can use it in)
- Du Chinese: pricing
- LingQ: iPhone App Store listing (languages you can use it in)
- LingQ: what's free
- Drops: iPhone App Store listing (languages you can use it in)
- Drops: what's free
- AnkiMobile: iPhone App Store listing (languages you can use it in)
- Anki manual: scheduling and cards
- Clozemaster: iPhone App Store listing (languages you can use it in)
- Clozemaster: FAQ
- Bubblegum
- Du Chinese
- LingQ
- Pleco
- Skritter
- Drops
- Anki
