Best Free Starting Point
Pleco
The community's undisputed #1 tool for learning Chinese — a powerful dictionary, flashcard system, and OCR reader all in one. Real learners treat it as the backbone of their entire study routine.
The community's undisputed #1 tool for learning Chinese — a powerful dictionary, flashcard system, and OCR reader all in one. Real learners treat it as the backbone of their entire study routine.
The gold standard for memorizing Chinese vocabulary and characters through spaced repetition. Serious learners across the community consistently pair it with every other resource they use.
The community's top recommendation for real conversation practice with native Chinese speakers. Flexible scheduling and a huge pool of tutors make it the go-to platform when apps stop being enough.
The most accessible free entry point for Chinese — gamified lessons keep you consistent, and it covers both Mandarin characters and pinyin. Best used as a daily habit alongside deeper tools.
The community's secret weapon for actually understanding spoken Mandarin — watching CI content daily builds listening comprehension faster than any app. Channels like Lazy Chinese and Mandarin Corner are free and endlessly scalable.