# Chinese Etymology

> Chinese character etymology and evolution database. (iPhone/iPad app by Enter. App.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chinese-etymology/id422425987 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [Enter. App](https://appshunter.io/developer/422425990)
- Category: Reference, Education
- Price: $0.99
- Rating: 4.90/5 from 19 App Store ratings · 51 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: 4+
- Requires: iOS 4.0 · 1 MB
- Languages: American English
- Released: 2011-03-03
- Data updated: 2026-07-23
- Monetization: free with in-app purchases
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chinese-etymology/id422425987/reviews.md

## What is Chinese Etymology?

** Chinese Etymology Free is now available on the appstore!  It is the complete version of this app except it is ad supported! **

This iPhone app interfaces with
http://www.chineseetymology.org.
The application provides all of the website information in an easy smartphone format.

这个机器人程序(应用程序)可与
http://www.chineseetymology.org 接口
该应用程序提供了网站的所有信息在智能手机智能手机一个简单的的形式在网站上的所有信息。

Features:
Completely analyzes the most common 6500 Chinese characters
(Simplified and Traditional)
utilizes database of 100,000 ancient Chinese glyphs
Seal characters and text from the Shuowen
Seal characters from the LST
Bronze characters
Oracle characters
Mandarin, Taiwanese, Cantonese
English meanings and computer encodings
Simplification mechanism and phonetic and signific analysis

特点:
完全分析最常用的6500汉字(简体和繁体)
利用10万个中国古代字形的据库
篆体字和说文解字的说明
六书通里的篆体字
金文
甲骨文
方言读音与语音的声音
国语,台语,粤语
英语的意义和计算机码
简化方法和文字分析

## Key features

- Analyzes 6500 common Chinese characters
- Database of 100,000 ancient glyphs
- Includes seal, bronze, and oracle scripts
- Provides meanings and computer encodings
- Offers phonetic and signific analysis
- Supports Mandarin, Taiwanese, and Cantonese pronunciations

## Recent user reviews (10 of 51)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chinese-etymology/id422425987/reviews.md

### 4/5 — 支持

*2017-03-07*

真没想到居然会有这样的产品，即使体验不佳，还是要支持！

### 1/5 — 不好用

*2016-10-28*

打开后只能输入一个字 其它根本无法使用！而且缩小了主屏 输入法无法显示 非常失望！

### 1/5 — 不能使用

*2016-01-29*

点击后没有反应，汉子叔叔你也看看，我们支持正版，但是首先要能使用吧，

### 5/5 — 太好的汉字推广

*2015-04-16*

看了新闻才知道有这样一位执着的大叔，感动于有这样精神的学者，也很敬佩，文化不应该深藏，应该让更多人能看见，稍后会捐款，以后也会不定期捐款！

### 5/5 — Must have.

*2015-04-15*

I will say it only once.

### 5/5 — Love it

*2014-04-04*

This man is doing gods work. Keep it up.

### 5/5 — A Must Have For Chinese Learners

*2013-08-15*

Simply a must have. The app is simple, and character etymologies are concise. For 99 cents? What A Steal!

### 5/5 — 太感动了！为这位＂汉字爷爷＂深深感动！加油！中国人民爱你！

*2013-07-17*

太感动了！为这位＂汉字爷爷＂深深感动！加油！中国人民爱你！

### 5/5 — If this App had inbuilt images...

*2013-04-07*

100,000 characters... If each one had a sum of 10kb in images, 10kb x 100,000 = at least 1Gb required. Well done, I hope you get enough funding to keep the website running, it is a precious work, congratulations.

### 4/5 — Great app, simple to use.

*2013-02-22, version 2*

Websites often produce apps which add little to the user experience.  Drawing characters on a touch screen really makes this app worth the download.  Coders might appreciate the inclusion of Unicode information for each character searched for.

Be aware that you need to know the char you are searching for, it is purely reference there is no guided tour of Chinese chars.  Descriptions of what the ancient symbols represented is the only omission, if this had been included (even for just 1000+ chars) I would have given 5 stars.

The app itself is very simple, but the price is very reasonable considering the amount of information contained.  If the app could be used offline I would pay 5x the price, but currently an internet connection is required.

## Frequently asked questions about Chinese Etymology

### What does the Chinese Etymology app do?

This app provides a comprehensive look into the origins and evolution of Chinese characters. It interfaces with the chineseetymology.org website, offering its extensive database in a smartphone-friendly format. You can explore the etymology of thousands of characters, including ancient scripts and their meanings.

### What are the key features of this app?

The app analyzes over 6500 common Chinese characters (Simplified and Traditional) and utilizes a database of 100,000 ancient Chinese glyphs. It includes various script types like seal, bronze, and oracle characters, along with pronunciations in Mandarin, Taiwanese, and Cantonese, English meanings, and computer encodings.

### Is this app free to use?

The description mentions 'Chinese Etymology Free is now available on the appstore! It is the complete version of this app except it is ad supported!'. This indicates a free version is available, likely supported by ads, with a potential for a paid or ad-free version.

### What kind of Chinese characters and scripts are covered?

The app covers the most common 6500 Chinese characters in both Simplified and Traditional forms. It delves into ancient scripts including seal characters (from Shuowen and LST), bronze characters (Jinwen), and oracle bone characters (Jiaguwen).

### Who would benefit from using this app?

This app is ideal for students of the Chinese language, linguists, historians, and anyone with a deep interest in the cultural and historical development of Chinese writing. It's also useful for those who want to understand the deeper meaning and structure behind Chinese characters.

## Version history (last 2 releases)

### 2 — 2011-07-21

Completely new interface, glyph displays have been streamlined to be more efficient.

### 1 — 2011-03-03

No release notes.

## More apps by Enter. App

- [Chinese Etymology Free](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chinese-etymology-free/id455815573)
- [Game Task Timer Free](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/game-task-timer-free/id665766574)

All apps by Enter. App: https://appshunter.io/developer/422425990

## Related topics

[chinese etymology](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/chinese-etymology) · [chinese etymology and origins](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/chinese-etymology-and-origins)

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*Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-07-23.*