Duolingo's course list, as it stood on October 14, 2026, calls its Mandarin course Chinese (Simplified), offered from 27 languages, English among them. Nothing on that list is a course for the Mandarin spoken in Taiwan.
Taiwan uses traditional characters, and some of its everyday words and readings differ from the mainland's. The apps below teach that version, sorted by what you might miss from Duolingo: short lessons in a set order, sentences to hear and say, and quick word review. Dictionaries, reading apps, and tutors are covered in our Taiwan Mandarin app comparison.
Custom Lessons Made for You
Bubblegum
For serious learners, Bubblegum is the best app to learn 
Taiwan Mandarin. You learn from Taiwan Mandarin you can mostly understand, which is called comprehensible input.
Poppy, your AI tutor in Bubblegum, writes Taiwan Mandarin lessons for your level about the things you pick. Ask for a lunch at a small shop in Taipei, and she writes the talk you'd have while ordering 滷肉飯, which you can read and listen to. If a line confuses you, ask her what it means.
Poppy builds a flexible journey around your interests and level, so you can focus on what's most useful to you. Bubblegum doesn't connect you with a person to talk to. If you want a teacher from Taiwan, the comparison page lists tutors.
- Lessons are written in traditional characters, with the words used in Taiwan.
- Show zhuyin or pinyin above the characters, whichever you read.
- When Taiwan says a word its own way, its reading comes first, with the mainland reading beside it.
- Your saved words return in new Taiwan Mandarin reading via Regenerative Review™.
- Clear, expressive AI voices read every lesson aloud, with a different voice for each speaker.
- There's no way to add your own books or articles.
- A new custom lesson costs us real money to make, so your first one is free, and Bubblegum Pro gives you unlimited custom lessons. The lesson library is free for everyone, because we believe everyone should be able to learn.
- Regenerative Review™
- Teaches Zhuyin
- Traditional characters
- Zhuyin
Mobile
Short Lessons in a Set Order
These two apps pick your next lesson for you, the way a Duolingo path does.
ChineseSkill
ChineseSkill teaches through short lessons that play like games. Its Taiwan course includes free zhuyin drills and tone training.
- A Mandarin-from-Taiwan course in traditional characters, next to its mainland course.
- About 300 bite-sized lessons, with handwriting practice in every unit.
- Flashcards
- Teaches Zhuyin
- Traditional characters
- Zhuyin
MobileWeb
StayTW
A person from Taiwan made StayTW for learners who want the Chinese people really speak there. It fits you if you're getting ready for the TOCFL or a move to Taiwan.
- About 10,000 words from Taiwan's official TBCL list, the basis of the TOCFL test, with quizzes and spaced repetition.
- Zhuyin lessons and easy readings about life in Taiwan.
- Flashcards
- Teaches Zhuyin
- Traditional characters
- Zhuyin
MobileWeb
Sentences You Hear and Say
Glossika
Glossika's Taiwan course runs from beginner to advanced, one sentence at a time, and each sentence is a little harder than the one before. It works with or without a connection, even while your hands are busy.
- Every sentence comes with recorded audio.
- Each sentence is shown in traditional characters.
- Traditional characters
MobileWeb
Word Review Between Lessons
TaiwanCards
TaiwanCards is a web app made in Taipei. Each word has five things to review, from knowing it on sight to writing it by hand, and only the one you've forgotten comes back.
- Every entry shows zhuyin and the reading used in Taiwan.
- Word audio comes from recordings made for the Ministry of Education's dictionary.
- Flashcards
- Teaches Zhuyin
- Traditional characters
- Zhuyin
Web
How Each App Lets You Start Free
No app on this page asks you to pay up front.
| App | How You Can Start Free |
|---|---|
| ChineseSkill | Free to download, with free zhuyin drills and tone training. |
| StayTW | Some lessons and practice are free, and the monthly plan starts with a 7-day free trial. |
| Glossika | Start a free week with no card needed. |
| TaiwanCards | Free to use, with no ads. |
Bubblegum's free plan is in the last question below.
Common Questions
Which Taiwan Mandarin app should a beginner choose?
If you are serious about learning Taiwan Mandarin, start with Bubblegum. Poppy writes lessons at your level about things you like. Or start with ChineseSkill if you want short lessons in a set order, or Glossika if you'd like to listen and speak first. Taiwan's Ministry of Education says each zhuyin symbol stands for one sound, and Taiwan's school books and children's books use zhuyin to teach reading.
Does Duolingo teach Traditional Chinese?
Not as a course. On October 14, 2026, every Mandarin course on Duolingo's list that you could take was Chinese (Simplified), offered from 27 languages. Traditional Chinese came up just once, as the base language of an English course.
Is Bubblegum free?
Yes. The lesson library is free for everyone, because we believe everyone should be able to learn. It holds lessons that other learners asked Poppy for. A new custom lesson costs us real money to make, so your first one is free, and Bubblegum Pro gives you unlimited custom lessons.
Sources
- Duolingo: course list (read October 14, 2026)
- Duolingo: Chinese (Simplified) course for English speakers
- ChineseSkill: current iPhone listing
- StayTW: current iPhone listing
- Glossika: Learn Mandarin Chinese (Taiwan)
- TaiwanCards
- Ministry of Education (Taiwan), 國語注音符號手冊
- Bubblegum
Checked on October 14, 2026 against each app's own pages.
