Taiwan writes Chinese in traditional characters, and its schools teach pronunciation with zhuyin, a set of 37 symbols. Some everyday words and readings are different from the mainland, so you take the 捷運 to work and throw away 垃圾, read lèsè. Many Chinese apps teach mainland Mandarin unless you change a setting. These apps teach the Mandarin people speak in Taiwan, or let you read it in traditional characters.
For Chinese in general, see our Chinese comprehensible input app comparison.
Custom Lessons Made for You
Bubblegum
Taiwan Mandarin is its own course in Bubblegum. Tell Poppy, your AI tutor, your level and what you like, and she writes lessons for you about night markets, bubble tea, work, or anything else. News comes from Taiwan, and stories fit your level too. If a sentence is hard to follow, ask her to explain it.
- Read Taiwan Mandarin lessons for free.
- Lessons use traditional characters and the words people use in Taiwan.
- Read with zhuyin or pinyin over the characters.
- When Taiwan reads a word differently, you see the Taiwan reading first and the mainland one beside it.
- Regenerative Review™ brings saved words back in new lessons, so you review them by reading instead of using flashcards.
- You cannot bring in your own books, web novels, or articles.
- AI voices read each lesson, not recorded speakers.
- The free plan gives you one new custom lesson each day.
- Regenerative Review™
- Traditional characters
- Zhuyin
Mobile
Made for Taiwan Mandarin
These two apps teach only Taiwan Mandarin, so you never need to change a setting.
TaiwanCards
TaiwanCards is a free web app made in Taipei, with no ads. Each word has flashcards for five skills, and there are trainers for handwriting, zhuyin typing, and the TOCFL test. It suits learners who like to review words on their own schedule.
- Traditional characters, zhuyin, and Taiwan readings throughout.
- Word audio was recorded for Taiwan's Ministry of Education dictionary.
- Paste an article and read it with the dictionary open.
- Flashcards
- Traditional characters
- Zhuyin
Web
StayTW
StayTW teaches the Mandarin used in Taiwan through vocabulary, zhuyin lessons, and short readings about Taiwanese society. It suits learners who are preparing for the TOCFL test or for life in Taiwan.
- Traditional characters and Taiwan readings, not simplified.
- Over 1,600 TOCFL-aligned words with quizzes and spaced repetition.
- Easy readings about life and culture in Taiwan.
- Flashcards
- Traditional characters
- Zhuyin
MobileWeb
Follow a Taiwan Mandarin Course
ChineseSkill
ChineseSkill offers a Taiwan course beside its mainland one. It suits learners who want lessons in order, from zhuyin and first words to short stories.
- A separate course for Mandarin from Taiwan, in traditional characters and zhuyin.
- About 300 short lessons.
- Free zhuyin drills.
- Flashcards
- Traditional characters
- Zhuyin
MobileWeb
Look Up Words With Taiwan Readings
Pleco
Pleco is the dictionary many Chinese learners keep on their phone. Add the Cross-Straits dictionary, and Pleco shows how a word is said in Taiwan before the mainland reading.
- The free Cross-Straits dictionary gives Taiwan pronunciations first.
- Show zhuyin or pinyin over each word.
- A paid Taiwan Mandarin voice can read words aloud.
- Flashcards
- Traditional characters
- Zhuyin
Mobile
Read Chinese in Traditional Characters
These apps teach mainland Mandarin but let you read in traditional characters. Check their audio and word choices if you want Taiwan Mandarin specifically.
Du Chinese
Du Chinese has graded stories with audio, translations, and grammar notes. You can switch the whole app to traditional characters and zhuyin. Du Chinese is one of the apps that inspired Bubblegum.
- Read every story in traditional characters.
- Show zhuyin over the characters.
- Over 3,000 readings across six levels.
- Flashcards
- Traditional characters
- Zhuyin
MobileWeb
LingQ
LingQ lets you read and listen to traditional Chinese from its library or from content you bring in. Some lessons that learners made are about Taiwan.
- A library of lessons in traditional characters.
- Bring in your own articles and videos.
- Flashcards
- Traditional characters
- No: Zhuyin
MobileWeb
Migaku
Migaku helps you learn from shows, web pages, and books you choose. Turn a word into a card with the sentence, sound, and a picture.
- Show zhuyin over words on web pages and shows.
- Choose a Taiwan Mandarin voice for read-along.
- Flashcards
- Traditional characters
- Zhuyin
MobileBrowser extension
Compare Taiwan Mandarin Support
| App | Traditional | Zhuyin | Taiwan Words | Taiwan Audio | Taiwan Course |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bubblegum | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| TaiwanCards | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| StayTW | Yes | Yes | Yes | Partly | Yes |
| ChineseSkill | Yes | Yes | Yes | Not confirmed | Yes |
| Pleco | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Du Chinese | Yes | Yes | Not confirmed | No | No |
| LingQ | Yes | No | Partly | Not confirmed | No |
| Migaku | Yes | Yes | Not confirmed | Partly | No |
Learn Taiwan Mandarin in Your Language
These counts cover menu-language choices, including script variants. Other apps’ counts and full lists come from their iPhone listings, except TaiwanCards (its website). Word meanings, lesson explanations, and other platforms may differ.
| App | Supported Display Languages | Full List |
|---|---|---|
| Bubblegum | 74 | Full list
|
| TaiwanCards | 2 | Full list |
| StayTW | 7 | Full list |
| ChineseSkill | 17 | Full list |
| Pleco | 1 | Full list |
| Du Chinese | 1 | Full list |
| LingQ | 17 | Full list |
| Migaku | 4 | Full list |
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I learn zhuyin or pinyin?
Learn zhuyin if you want to read what Taiwan's schools and children's books use, and pinyin if you also study with mainland materials. Zhuyin has 37 symbols, and Bubblegum's free Zhuyin course teaches them in your browser with Taiwan audio.
Is Taiwan Mandarin the same as Taiwanese?
No. Taiwanese, also called Taiwanese Hokkien, is a separate language. The apps on this page teach Mandarin, the language taught in Taiwan's schools.
Can I understand mainland Mandarin if I learn Taiwan Mandarin?
Yes. The grammar is nearly the same, so you can follow people from both places. You will meet different words for some everyday things, like 計程車 for a taxi in Taiwan and 出租车 on the mainland.
Is Bubblegum free?
Yes. You can read the free lesson library and ask Poppy for one new custom lesson each day on iPhone and Android. Become a Bubblegum Pro for unlimited custom lessons and to support our team. The Zhuyin course and the Taiwan Mandarin guides on this site are also free and need no account.
Sources
- Ministry of Education (Taiwan), 國語注音符號手冊
- TaiwanCards
- StayTW on the App Store
- Pleco forums, Taiwan pronunciations in the Cross-Straits dictionary
- Bubblegum
- TaiwanCards
- StayTW
- ChineseSkill
- Pleco
- Du Chinese
- LingQ
- Migaku
Checked on September 29, 2026 against each app's own pages.
