# DianHua Dictionary — user reviews > 153 indexed App Store user reviews of DianHua Dictionary by JSQ, LLC, rated 3.90/5 from 8 ratings. - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dianhua-dictionary/id288580473/reviews - App overview in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dianhua-dictionary/id288580473.md - Rating breakdown: 5★ 5 · 4★ 1 · 3★ 0 · 2★ 0 · 1★ 2 ## What do users think of DianHua Dictionary? Overall sentiment: positive **Pros** - 👍 Excellent dictionary app - 🚀 Fast and easy to use - 💡 Handwriting recognition feature - 🚀 Comprehensive vocabulary coverage - 👍 Helpful for learning Chinese - 👍 Great for traveling in China **Cons** - 🐛 Crashes after recent update - 🐛 Reversed labels for simplified and traditional characters - 🐛 Slow search response times - 🐛 Incomplete or outdated vocabulary - 🔒 Requires account registration **Commonly reported bugs** - Crashes on startup - Search function freezes - Incorrect character display - Inability to search large numbers **Most requested features** - Add audio pronunciations - Improve handwriting recognition accuracy - Implement bookmarking and word lists - Add stroke order animations - Optimize for iPad display ## Newest reviews (12 of 153) ### 4/5 — Writing characters *2014-07-12, version 4.0.4* I have been using Dian Hua for several years, and I find it very useful, especially during trips to China. Lately I am having difficulties in practicing writing over the characters outline. The frame slides or the stroke doesn't appear over the hanzi. Am I doing something wrong? ### 4/5 — Good dictionary with annoying pop up *2014-01-26, version 4.0.1* I use this dictionary almost as much as Pleco. I just wish that it didn't ask you to log in EVERY time you open the app and the follow up, every time, with another pop up reminding you that you are not logged in yet. You'd think after telling me this about 500 time I would remember I still wasn't logged in... ### 4/5 — Invaluable *2013-07-25, version 4.0.1* Invaluable app!!! ### 4/5 — Latest version *2013-07-22, version 4.0.0* I rely on this excellent app daily, however the latest version crashes constantly on start up, and when it does rarely run, searches hang and reveal nothing. Please fix! iPhone 4S, latest iOS. ### 2/5 — Update Crashes *2013-07-19, version 4.0.0* I've had this app for years and it worked great until I downloaded the latest update. The app crashes 2-3 times before remaining stable for a few moments and crashing again. ### 5/5 — Meh *2013-01-21, version 3.5.1* This is probably 80% accurate Pretty good for a offline translator ### 4/5 — Good app *2012-12-21, version 3.5.1* Good for revising, good for finding meanings to new words, bookmarking is great for saving for future reference. Study tab is good for an upcoming test! Features I'd like: 1. Tell you if word is noun, verb, adjective, adverb, etc. 2. Example usage of word in a sentence 3. iPhone 5 height! ### 4/5 — Great app *2012-09-29, version 3.5.1* Speed and fairly comprehensive vocab set. Could use chengyu (4word idioms) addition though. Love the character writing quiz function. Wish could quiz on pinyin as well though. Also wish that there was some way to keep track of which ones were missed for both the quiz and flashcard system. That would makethis app practically perfect. ### 4/5 — Need some design *2012-07-13, version 3.5.1* Great app but need to change the logo... Cuz the current one is a bit ugly, please change it ### 5/5 — Quality *2012-06-09, version 3.5.1* Great app, displays accurate search results and has a really useful flash card facility so you can sit on the bus and study. ### 5/5 — My most important app *2012-05-02, version 3.5.1* My work relocate me in china 3 years ago and I have been using this app since beginning. 5 stars without hesitation for the tremendous help it gave me so far. What I like with this app is : 1- You don't need a connection to search as opposed to many other translators. 2- It's free! 3- translation can go both way. Chinese-English, English-Chinese. I often let my Chinese friends use it to translate. Thumbs up to the designer of this great app. ### 5/5 — Perfect! *2012-04-07, version 3.5.1* I'm currently learning Mandarin in use university and this is the best and most used of my dictionaries. I wish you would make an iPad version. :) Keep up the good job! ## Most critical reviews (10 lowest-rated) ### 1/5 — Not updating *2020-11-30, version 4.0.6* DianHua audio doesn’t work. Please update ### 1/5 — Broken w/this update *2013-12-04, version 4.0.1* Now usable with update. Automatically switches on background syncing and then freezes. Don't download until this paralyzing bug is fixed ### 1/5 — Crashes *2013-07-23, version 4.0.0* Fix the update. It crashes the second I open the app. Plus I don't want to make an account with this app. ### 1/5 — Not Functional After Update *2013-07-23, version 4.0.0* Same as the others, the app is broken upon updating to the latest version. It looks like the dev has submitted a bug fix so wait until that is released. ### 1/5 — Crashes *2013-07-22, version 4.0.0* Ever since the update, the app has constantly been crashing on me whenever I open it. ### 1/5 — Used to be great *2013-07-22, version 4.0.0* Unfortunately, latest version crashes all the time. Completely unusable now - crashes on startup and also on word search. Shame :( ### 1/5 — Upgrade has bugs! *2013-07-20, version 4.0.0* The upgrade has issues I cannot search any words on the new system please fixed now! ### 1/5 — Not what it used to be *2013-07-19, version 4.0.0* The app hasn't worked for me since the update. I used it as a quick reference lookup tool if I needed to know a word quickly, and liked it better than Pleco for this function. However, since the update it now requires me to sign in and sync with their online site. I do not have, nor do I wish to have a registered account, but I find that I am unable to even use the dictionary function without signing up. Thanks but no thanks guys. ### 1/5 — Good *2010-01-27, version 0* Fairly good ### 1/5 — not working for me *2008-09-06, version 0* i got some page saying powered by cc-credit.. or something like that ## Most praised reviews (10 highest-rated) ### 5/5 — Never go away *2025-03-01, version 4.0.6* Been using since came out as well. Just me and you Scott. Ima wa? Is the comparable Japanese version and I’d be devastated if either went away. ### 5/5 — The best! *2021-02-12, version 4.0.6* Okay, the only. But still the one I have been using since it went online! There is nothing like it anywhere, and it's free! My only fear is that it will go away soon as there appears to be only two of us using it. ### 5/5 — Stopped working on my phone *2020-12-05, version 4.0.6* Love this app! No longer opens upon (or shortly after) installing iOS 14. Please fix! ### 5/5 — Awesome app! *2015-04-05, version 4.0.5* This app has taken my learning of Chinese to a whole new level. I have been using it in conjunction with Google Translate for a free audio workaround, but I have been so happy with the free Dian Hua app I just gladly paid for the full audio version. Thank you for making and supporting such a fantastic tool! ### 5/5 — Fast, simple, and now modern! *2014-10-12, version 4.0.5* This is my go to Chinese dictionary and has been for years. Search is always good no matter which input, and references are clear. Offline functionality is key, means it works while traveling. New update gives it iOS 7 and 8 compatibility plus support for both iPhone 5 and 6 screen sizes. Very glad to see it updated, was starting to think I'd need another app, but didn't want to switch, too used to DianHua. Thanks for the hard work! ### 5/5 — Excellent App *2014-07-06, version 4.0.1* Brilliant app that helps me learn Chinese characters, the pinyin & the correct strokes for the characters! ### 5/5 — Excellent dictionary *2014-03-31, version 4.0.4* This dictionary has been a real help to my studies. I've been using it to help my Chinese reading since I got my iPhone. With multiple look up its great for English to Chinese and Chinese to English it is very easy to use. In Beijing I used it to decipher museum signs in Chinese and even to get my husband antibiotics at the pharmacy. I can't recommend this highly enough. ### 5/5 — Great *2014-03-29, version 4.0.4* Great app! Helps me find Chinese characters. ### 5/5 — Great for study and reading *2013-10-13, version 4.0.1* I've used this app since 2009. It's great for reading and studying. ### 5/5 — iPad *2013-02-25, version 3.5.1* Optimize for iPad, please! --- *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 2026-07-03.*