Learning a foreign language is a good activity for the mind, a great way to expand your social circle and learn more about the culture of other peoples. There are many great applications for learning different languages, but when it comes to Mandarin Chinese, the choice is not so great..
It is considered to be one of the most difficult languages. Largely due to the fact that it uses complex written signs (hieroglyphs), and the pronunciation sounds very unusual for a foreigner. Fortunately, there are some good specialized applications to help you with this.
Duolingo
If you are interested in learning languages, then you have probably already used the Duolingo platform. This is one of the best learning apps with courses for learning 30 languages including Chinese..
Moving from level to level, you will go from easy to difficult, from the first words to sentences and dialogues. As you learn, you will earn points and compete with other users for the best results.
The big disadvantage of Duolingo is that it uses almost the same program to learn different languages. For other applications from our rating, it is easier to learn grammar and hieroglyphs, since the software was developed specifically for teaching the Chinese language..
Available for Android and iPhone .
HelloChinese
HelloChinese is arguably the best app for beginners looking to learn Chinese. As in many other programs from this rating, in this application you consistently pass level by level, gradually accumulating knowledge, improving understanding.
HelloChinese lessons begin by explaining how to read pinyin, a written form of Mandarin that uses Latin instead of characters. In a playful way, the vocabulary is replenished, the rules of grammar and the construction of sentences are studied. If you successfully complete all levels, you will be able to communicate in Mandarin.
Available for Android and iPhone .
LingoDeer
LingoDeer is a great option if you want to learn how to speak, read, and write. The beautifully structured app uses a minimum of English to help you learn to think in Chinese faster. Practical lessons on writing kanji will also enrich your vocabulary, and by the end of the course you will become fluent in Mandarin and listen to native speakers (if they do not speak very quickly).
Listening will not only improve your foreign language comprehension skills, but also help you improve your pronunciation. After each lesson, the assimilation of the material is checked, which allows you to see progress in the learning process and understand what weaknesses need to be tightened.
Available for Android and iPhone .
Memrise
Memrise used to be about learning new words through flashcards, but today the app can be used as a learning system in which material is presented more comprehensively and in an easy-to-learn playful way. One of the main advantages is the periodic repetition of the material covered, which allows you to move words from short-term memory to long-term memory and makes them easier to memorize.
Memrise comes with native speakers to improve listening and pronunciation skills. Another interesting feature is the ability to use the camera. The app suggests Chinese words for objects visible in the viewfinder.
Available for Android and iPhone .
Skritter Chinese
Learning to read and write is a very important part of learning a foreign language. First, many characters are used not only in Mandarin but also in Cantonese. The more you know the hieroglyphs, the more people you will be able to communicate with. Secondly, reading and writing are very important when meeting speakers of regional dialects. These dialects can be so far removed from Mandarin that you simply cannot understand their speakers.
Skritter is the best app for learning Chinese written signs. With it, you can learn more than 10,000 hieroglyphs, which is over 400,000 words. If you don't want to pay, keep in mind that the shareware version is free to use for only seven days. But this time is quite enough to learn the most common hieroglyphs.
Available for Android and iPhone .
Anki Flashcards
AnkiMobile and AnkiDroid are mobile analogues of the Anki desktop application, which is considered one of the best programs that work with Leitner training cards. With these mobile apps, you can add decks of cards with Chinese words and expand your vocabulary.
Flashcards can contain not only captions, but also audio and images to help you memorize new words better. There is a function of synchronizing decks through the "cloud" when working with the application from different devices.
AnkiDroid is free, just like the open source desktop version, but it only works on Android. If you have an iPhone, you will need to download the paid version of AnkiMobile .
HSK Online
Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi (HSK) is a standardized test used to assess the level of knowledge of the Chinese language. It consists of several levels, arranged in ascending order of difficulty, including a large number of popular words and phrases. Starting at HSK level 1, from the beginning to HSK level 6, fluency in Mandarin.
Some of the other apps in our ranking are compatible with HSK dictionaries, so you can choose what you want to learn. So why not get information from the source itself and not from third-party applications?
To get started with the application, the user should already have some minimal knowledge. The app offers specially designed lessons to help you dramatically improve your listening, reading and writing skills in Chinese. Start your HSK lessons from the beginning or test yourself to find out which level you should start at.
Available for Android and iPhone .
Pleco Chinese Dictionary
No matter how much time you spend learning Mandarin, there will always be hieroglyphs that you don't know yet. For filling gaps in language proficiency, there is nothing better than Pleco Chinese Dictionary.
Pleco not only gives you definitions and pronunciation of words you don't know, but also shows you examples of how those words are used in a sentence. Words can be broken down to determine the root or other components of which they are made.
Find what you are looking for by typing words in pinyin characters, hieroglyphs, or use the English search. You can even use your smartphone's camera to capture Chinese written characters on labels and signage, but to enable this option you have to pay for an in-app upgrade.
Available for Android and iPhone .
We continue to learn the language without a phone
One of the best ways to reinforce your learning outcomes is to fully immerse yourself in a new language. Unfortunately, your smartphone will not help you in this matter. Even the best apps won't do anything once you put your phone aside.
Fortunately, there are other innovative ways to learn Mandarin Chinese as well. Why not try subtitling a language while watching Netflix? This way you can improve your Chinese skills while watching your favorite TV series .