25 Best Apps to Learn Chinese

Chinese has so many unique concepts like 幸福 Xìngfú - a state of prolonged sense of happiness -, 鸡同鸭讲 (jī tóng yā jiǎng) - two people having a conversation but failing to communicate effectively because they’re on different wavelengths -, or 杠精 - a type of annoying commenter/person responding in conversation -.

You can learn Chinese online on Brainscape, Rocket Languages, Udemy, Mosalingua, Toucan, Language Reactor, Ling, Coursera, LuvLingua, or LingQ.

Learn Chinese on Pimsleur

Pimsleur is a language-learning app that uses a podcast-like learning method. Don't have time to learn a new language? Well, Pimsleur is perfect for you! Its convenient 30 minute lessons can be heard while on a commute, a trip, or a walk. You'll be able to pick up a new language in no time at all. Plus, they have an easy-to-use app, so you'll never miss a beat.
Pros:
  • Great for listening skills
  • Great for speaking
  • The most languages
    • Cons:
  • Not much
    • Price: $15/month
    Devices: Android, iPad, iPhone, and Web
    Learning methods: Flashcards, Games, and Online Courses
    Total languages offered: 45
    Other languages: Albanian, Arabic, Armenian, Cantonese, Creole, Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hebrew, Hindi, Hungarian, Icelandic, Indonesian, Irish, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Lithuanian, Mandarin, Norwegian, Ojibwe, Pashto, Persian, Polish, Portuguese, Punjabi, Romanian, Russian, Spanish, Swahili, Swedish, Tagalog, Thai, Turkish, Twi, Ukrainian, Urdu, or Vietnamese

    Learn Chinese on Preply

    Preply is the best way to learn a new language using experienced tutors. They carefully vet and check their tutors to make sure they're world class. Whether you're looking to improve your fluency for work or travel, or just want to be able to converse with friends and family from other countries, Preply can help. They offer lessons in dozens of languages, so you can find the perfect tutor for your needs and goals. Their world-class tutors are knowledgeable and patient, and they'll work with you at your own pace to make sure you achieve your language learning goals.
    Pros:
  • Easy-to-use
  • Good for beginners and advanced learners
  • Native-speaking teachers
    • Cons:
  • You have to pay for lessons upfront
    • Price: depends
    Devices: Android, iPad, iPhone, and Web
    Learning methods: Tutors
    Total languages offered: 24
    Other languages: Arabic, Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, French, German, Greek, Hebrew, Hindi, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Serbian, Spanish, Swedish, Turkish, Ukranian, or Urdu

    Learn Chinese on Mondly

    Mondly is a fun way to learn a new language. The colorful app has over 90 million users and offers 33 languages to choose from. You can learn on your own with Mondly’s award-winning app, or team up with one of the millions of people who have learned a new language using Mondly.
    Pros:
  • Good for beginners and advanced learners
    • Cons:
  • Repetitive lessons
    • Price: Free
    Devices: Android, iPad, iPhone, and Web
    Learning methods: Games, and Online Courses
    Total languages offered: 40
    Other languages: Afrikaans, Arabic, Bengali, Bulgarian, Catalan, Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hebrew, Hindi, Hungarian, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Latin, Latvian, Lithuanian, Norwegian, Persian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Slovak, Spanish, Swedish, Tagalog, Thai, Turkish, Ukrainian, Urdu, or Vietnamese

    Learn Chinese on Duolingo

    Duolingo is one of the best ways to learn a new language. With Duolingo, you can learn Spanish, French, German, Portuguese, Italian, and English with the basic subscription for free. You'll get practice speaking and writing in your new language with activities that are fun and interactive. Duolingo has a premium plan which allows you to not see any ads and to not be locked out of the app when you make mistakes.
    Pros:
  • Easy-to-use
  • Fun
  • Good for beginners
  • Good Free Tier
  • Interactive
  • Popular
    • Cons:
  • Lack of structure
  • Little speaking practice
  • Not comprehensive
    • Price: Free
    Devices: Android, iPad, iPhone, and Web
    Learning methods: Games
    Total languages offered: 27
    Other languages: Arabic, Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Esperanto, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hawaiian, Hebrew, High Valyrian, Hindi, Hungarian, Indonesian, Irish, Italian, Japanese, Klingon, Korean, Latin, Navajo, Norwegian, Polish, or Portuguese

    Learn Chinese on Memrise

    With Memrise, you can learn new languages in a fun and engaging way. The app uses scientifically-proven memory techniques to help you master vocabulary and grammar. It uses spaced repetition of flashcards to help you make the most out of your time learning a new language. This makes Memrise is perfect for all levels of learners, from beginner to advanced. There is a free plan and a paid one that costs $8.49/month.
    Pros:
  • Good for beginners
  • Social features
    • Cons:
  • Expensive
    • Price: Free
    Devices: Android, iPad, iPhone, and Web
    Learning methods: Games, and Online Courses
    Total languages offered: 19
    Other languages: Danish, Dutch, French, German, Icelandic, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Mongolian, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Slovenian, Spanish, Swedish, Turkish, or Yoruba

    Learn Chinese on Toucan

    Toucan is like the popular Chrome extension Grammarly, except for language learning. While you go about your day browsing the web, it will highlight idioms and words in the language of your choosing. This way you don't have to do anything to learn a language, you just pick it up while doing everything else.
    Pros:
  • Easy-to-use
  • Innovative
    • Cons:
  • Not comprehensive
    • Price: Free
    Devices: Web
    Learning methods: Unique
    Total languages offered: 11
    Other languages: Arabic, French, German, Hebrew, Hindi, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Mandarin, or Portuguese

    Learn Chinese on Rocket Languages

    Rocket Languages is a language learning app that has been gaining in popularity in recent years. It offers lessons in many different languages, including English, Spanish, French, Italian, German, and Portuguese. The app is available for both Android and iOS devices, and it can be downloaded for free.
    Pros:
  • Well-organized
    • Cons:
  • Audio quality sometimes lacking
  • Expensive
    • Price: depends
    Devices: Web
    Learning methods:
    Total languages offered: 14
    Other languages: Arabic, ASL, English, French, German, Hindi, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Mandarin, Portuguese, Russian, or Spanish

    Learn Chinese on Busuu

    Busuu is a language-learning app that asks for 10 minutes of your time each day. Say goodbye to expensive language courses or textbooks. Busuu provides a fun and easy way to learn a new language Just 10 minutes of your time each day is all it takes to achieve fluency. Plus, their app is packed with features like voice recognition and grammar tutorials to make sure you progress quickly. Downloading the app is free, the premium subscription costs $6/month and a "Premium Plus" version costs $7/month.
    Pros:
  • Great for writing
    • Cons:
  • Not the best customer support
    • Price: Free
    Devices: Android, iPad, and iPhone
    Learning methods: Online Courses
    Total languages offered: 11
    Other languages: Arabic, Dutch, English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Russian, Spanish, or Turkish

    Learn Chinese on Lingodeer

    With Lingodeer, you can learn your chosen language faster and better than with manny other apps. 10 million people have already seen the success of their approach: fun and engaging exercises that will keep you coming back for more, with an adaptive learning system ensures that you're always getting the most out of your studies. They offer flashcards, audio lessons from native speakers, and stories that allow you to practice speaking.
    Pros:
  • Great for grammar
    • Cons:
  • Little speaking practice
  • Not comprehensive
    • Price: $14.99/month
    Devices: Android, iPad, iPhone, and Web
    Learning methods: Flashcards, and Online Courses
    Total languages offered: 10
    Other languages: English, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, or Vietnamese

    Learn Chinese on Drops

    Drops is a language-learning app that takes a different approach to learning. It's designed for visual learners, so it uses pictures and videos to help you learn new words and phrases. But is it really worth your time? Let's take a closer look. First of all, the app is free to download, which is always a bonus. And there are plenty of languages to choose from, including French, Spanish, and German. But the real kicker is that Drops includes pronunciation guides and native speakers to help you improve your accent. So if you're looking for an easy way to learn a new language, Drops is definitely worth checking out.
    Pros:
  • The most languages
    • Cons:
  • Not comprehensive
    • Price: Free
    Devices: Android, iPad, and iPhone
    Learning methods: Flashcards
    Total languages offered: 43
    Other languages: Ainu, Arabic, Bosnian, Cantonese, Croatian, Danish, Dutch, English, Esperanto, Estonian, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hawaiian, Hebrew, Hindi, Hungarian, Icelandic, Igbo, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Mandarin, Maori, Norwegian, Persian, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Samoan, Sanskrit, Serbian, Spanish, Swahili, Swedish, Tagalog, Thai, Turkish, Vietnamese, or Yoruba
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