# Compounds! — Learn Chinese characters

> Learn Chinese characters (iPhone/iPad app by Parotid.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/compounds/id6475225821 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [Parotid](https://appshunter.io/developer/1723685802)
- Category: Education
- Price: Free with in-app purchases
- Age rating: 4+
- Requires: iOS 16.4 · 242 MB
- Languages: American English, Dutch, French (France), German (Germany), Japanese, Korean, Russian, European Spanish, Vietnamese
- Released: 2024-09-21
- Data updated: 2026-08-27
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/compounds/id6475225821/reviews.md

## What is Compounds!?

Learn to read and write Chinese characters in the order that makes the most sense.

Compounds helps you master the most common simplified Chinese characters with a focused, research-backed learning path. Instead of throwing random characters at you, the app introduces them in an order designed to improve retention and reduce frustration, combining character frequency with structural relationships so new characters build naturally on ones you already know.

Each study session is designed to help you:

Learn high-value characters first
Practice writing from memory
Reinforce pronunciation and meaning
Review at the right time so you remember more with less effort
Compounds is built for learners who want a smarter way to study Chinese characters, whether you are starting from scratch or filling in gaps in your reading and writing.

Why this order works:
Compounds is inspired by research on efficient Chinese character learning strategies, especially work showing that character frequency and structural relationships can be combined to create a more effective progression.

Optimal learning order based on:
K. Zhao, D. Zhao, J. Yang, W. Ma and B. Yu, “Efficient Learning Strategy of Chinese Characters Based on Usage Frequency and Structural Relationship,” 2019 IEEE 4th International Conference on Big Data Analytics (ICBDA), Suzhou, China, 2019, pp. 351-355, doi: 10.1109/ICBDA.2019.8713245.

Subscription

A subscription is required for full access to all features.

Terms of Service: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

## Pricing and in-app purchases

Base price: Free.

**Subscriptions**

| Subscription | Price | Period |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pro Monthly | $14.99 | per month |
| Pro Yearly | $49.99 | per year |



## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 2.5 — 2026-08-19

Bug fixes and other small improvements.

### 2.03 — 2026-04-01

Esta actualización trae correcciones de errores importantes que afectaron a ciertos usuarios.

### 2.02 — 2026-03-31

This update includes a Spanish version of the UI and character definitions.

### 2.01 — 2026-03-29

This update brings tweaks to character definitions and the user interface.

### 2.0 — 2026-03-26

Compounds has been completely reimagined to help you learn Chinese characters in as little time as possible. Stay tuned for more updates!

## Apps similar to Compounds!

| App | Rating | Price | Category |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [Pinyin - Chinese Pronunciation](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pinyin-chinese-pronunciation/id1669170459) | 5.0 (2) | $6.99 | Education |
| [Conversation IQ：Language Coach](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/conversation-iqlanguage-coach/id6746339640) | 1.0 (1) | Free | Education |
| [zzHanzi - Chinese Game](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/zzhanzi-chinese-game/id1571876869) | 4.9 (15) | Free | Education |
| [HSK Hero - Chinese Characters](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hsk-hero-chinese-characters/id1105794226) | 4.4 (168) | Free | Education |
| [HSK 1 Hero - Learn Chinese](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hsk-1-hero-learn-chinese/id1109421922) | 3.8 (57) | Free | Education |
| [Ka: Learn Chinese Tones](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ka-learn-chinese-tones/id6444140899) | 4.8 (615) | Free | Education |

## More apps by Parotid

- [AutoAgenda](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/autoagenda/id6736617183)
- [Book Preview](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/book-preview/id6744098874)
- [Pino](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pino/id6751341610)
- [Sharp](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sharp/id6752034974)
- [TimeCatcher](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/timecatcher/id6760287864)

All apps by Parotid: https://appshunter.io/developer/1723685802

## Related topics

[compounds](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/compounds)

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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 2026-08-27.*