# Ginkgo: Learn Chinese Mandarin — Learn Chinese Characters & HSK

> Interactive Mandarin Chinese character and vocabulary learning app with video lessons and flashcards. (iPhone/iPad app by Ginkgo Academy.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ginkgo-learn-chinese-mandarin/id1506925763 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [Ginkgo Academy](https://appshunter.io/developer/1455760860)
- Category: Education, Travel
- Price: Free with in-app purchases
- Rating: 4.80/5 from 155 App Store ratings · 129 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: 4+
- Requires: iOS 15.1 · 26 MB
- Languages: American English
- Released: 2020-04-21
- Data updated: 2026-08-23
- Monetization: free with in-app purchases
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ginkgo-learn-chinese-mandarin/id1506925763/reviews.md

## What is Ginkgo?

Are you ready to conquer Chinese characters and accelerate your Mandarin language learning journey? Look no further, Ginkgo Chinese is the ultimate app for mastering Chinese characters with ease!

Our app offers an extensive library of 300 immersive video classes that bring the story behind each character to life, providing you with valuable insights, examples, and mnemonic tips. Dive deep into the etymology, history, and cultural significance of each character, enhancing your understanding and facilitating your memorization of Chinese characters!

Say goodbye to monotony and hello to an interactive learning experience! Our unique teaching methodology intelligently alternates between captivating video lessons and dynamic flashcards, ensuring an optimal balance to keep you engaged and motivated while effortlessly memorizing how to write, speak and read Chinese characters. This dynamic combination keeps your interest piqued and enhances your Mandarin Chinese character retention like never before.

Immerse yourself in the beauty of Mandarin Chinese characters. Each Flashcards is illustrated by a meaningful picture, and each tone has its own color to reinforce your learning through visual cue and repetition. Our 1500 carefully designed flashcards will help you to gradually memorize all the Mandarin vocabulary words from HSK 1 to HSK 4. After a few swipes, you will already start to grow your vocabulary up and improve your Mandarin Chinese skills.

Ginkgo Chinese leverages the power of technology and the latest advances in neuroscience. Our app optimizes the pacing of video lessons and flashcards to match your learning style and preferences. Whether you prefer a faster pace or require more time for reflection, our intelligent learning algorithm adapts to your unique needs, providing a personalized and enjoyable learning experience. You learn Chinese at your own pace and see real progress over time.

In our quest to provide you with the most authentic language learning experience, each flashcard in our app is accompanied by native recordings. You'll hear the precise pronunciation of each Chinese character, ensuring that you develop accurate speaking skills and a natural accent. With every touch of a flashcard, you'll be immersed in the sounds of Mandarin language as if you were conversing with a native speaker.

Embarking on your Mandarin journey might seem daunting, especially when it comes to conquering Chinese characters. However, the truth is far from the perceived complexity if you use the right tools. With just 30 minutes of dedicated learning per day, you'll be amazed at how swiftly you can master your first 150 characters and reach the level HSK 1 in a mere two weeks. See how easy it is to learn Chinese Mandarin with our app!

Ginkgo Chinese is here to accompany you every step of the way through HSK 1, HSK 2, HSK 3, and HSK 4 levels, unlocking new depths of language proficiency. You’ll also delve into invaluable topics like Chinese radicals, Mandarin classifiers, or the Pinyin alphabet, expanding your linguistic horizons. No matter where you are on your Mandarin language journey, our app is your ideal companion. Beginners can build a solid foundation, while advanced learners can fine-tune their Chinese skills and re-discover Chinese hanzi in a new and exciting way.

Navigating through our app is as effortless as saying hello. With a simple swipe to the right if you recall a character or to the left if you need a refresher, you seamlessly engage with our flashcards. The app's intelligent algorithm works its magic, automatically introducing new Chinese characters when you're ready and scheduling reviews to reinforce your learning. Before you know it, your vocabulary expands, and your Chinese skills flourish.

Embark on a fascinating journey to unlock the secrets of Chinese Characters. Download Ginkgo Chinese now and learn Chinese characters faster than ever!

## Key features

- Immersive video classes explaining character stories
- Interactive flashcards with visual cues and color-coded tones
- HSK vocabulary memorization (HSK 1-4)
- Personalized learning algorithm adapting to pace
- Native speaker audio for pronunciation
- Focus on etymology, history, and cultural significance

## Pricing and in-app purchases

Base price: Free.

**Subscriptions**

| Subscription | Price | Period |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Unlimited Swipes | $8.29 | per month |
| Unlimited Swipes (1 year) | $69.99 | per year |
| Unlimited swipes - 1 year | $69.99 | per year |
| Unlimited swipes - 1 month | $8.29 | per month |
| Unlimited swipes - 1year | $59.99 | per year |
| Unlimited swipes - 1 month | $6.99 | per month |

**One-time purchases**

| Purchase | Price | Type |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Lifetime - Unlimited swipes | $119.99 | one-time |
| Lifetime - Unlimited swipes | $99.99 | one-time |


## What do users think of Ginkgo?

Overall sentiment: positive

**Pros**

- 👍 Intuitive and easy-to-use interface
- 🎓 Effective spaced repetition system (SRS)
- 🎥 High-quality explanatory videos
- 🧠 Etymology and character origin explanations
- 📚 Comprehensive HSK 1-4 vocabulary coverage
- 🎨 Visual learning with mnemonic devices
- 💰 Reasonable pricing and fair value
- 🎯 Separate drilling of meanings and sounds
- 🌟 Engaging and fun learning experience
- ⭐ Well-designed for beginners
- 🔄 Effective spaced repetition algorithm
- 📱 Smooth and efficient performance
- 🎬 Integrated YouTube video links
- 🎓 Non-intrusive, easily skippable lessons

**Cons**

- 🔐 Account login issues with lifetime purchases
- 📖 No option to disable pinyin display
- 🎥 Some videos fail to load
- 💳 Paywall limits free content access
- 📚 Limited explanations for traditional characters
- ⏸️ Unable to pause/rewind videos
- 💸 High lifetime subscription cost ($119.99)

**Commonly reported bugs**

- Login fails for lifetime account holders on new devices
- Video loading failures
- Account access issues despite using same Apple ID

**Most requested features**

- Toggle option to hide pinyin for advanced learners
- Video playback controls (pause, rewind, replay)
- Better support for traditional character learning
- Handwriting recognition and grading feature
- Improved account synchronization across devices
- More free content or extended trial period

## Recent user reviews (10 of 129)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ginkgo-learn-chinese-mandarin/id1506925763/reviews.md

### 5/5 — BETTER THAN DUOLINGOOO

*2026-06-08, version 5.7.2*

Just wowwww

### 4/5 — Great App

*2025-11-13, version 5.7.2*

It's easy to use

### 1/5 — Can log into my lifetime account

*2025-11-06, version 5.7.2*

really love the app, but can’t find a way to log into my account on my new phone despite using the same apple account. I paid for lifetime access and can’t use it

### 5/5 — Excellente appli !!

*2025-10-02, version 5.7.2*

Appli française super intuitive et avec une approche douce et efficace au mandarin. Très bon travail du développeur. Je recommande !

### 5/5 — I recommend 100%

*2025-05-27, version 5.5.17*

This app is a helpful friendly beginner for those who want to start with good basics, I’m around HSK1-2 and this app is a game changer. ✌🏽

### 5/5 — Fantastic App For Learning Hanzi

*2025-04-25*

This is a wonderful app for learning Chinese characters. There are detailed video explanations and mnemonic devices. I’m thoroughly enjoying this app, and it comes at a very reasonable price point.

### 5/5 — Good job

*2025-04-22, version 5.5.17*

Very nice apk

### 5/5 — ❤️

*2025-03-23, version 5.5.17*

❤️

### 5/5 — Me está sirviendo.

*2025-03-05, version 5.5.17*

La verdad para la versión gratis está súper! Los videos entre lecciones realmente complementan el estudio. Por el momento un 10 de 10 en su estilo

### 5/5 — Merci !

*2025-01-20*

Cette application est vraiment bien conçue, elle facilite grandement mon apprentissage. Elle permet de faire des associations entre le sens des caractères, leur étymologie, des exemples d’utilisation, la prononciation, etc. C’est un réel plaisir  de l’utiliser et une aide inestimable pour progresser. Bravo aux concepteurs !

**Developer response:** C'est un réel plaisir de lire votre commentaire ! Ravi que l'application puisse vous accompagner dans votre apprentissage du chinois, 加油！

## Frequently asked questions about Ginkgo

### What does Ginkgo: Learn Chinese Mandarin do?

This app helps users master Chinese characters and accelerate their Mandarin language learning. It offers immersive video classes that explain the stories behind characters, along with interactive flashcards for memorization. The app also focuses on vocabulary acquisition for HSK levels 1 through 4 and provides native speaker audio for pronunciation practice.

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

Key features include 300 immersive video classes detailing character etymology and history, 1500 illustrated flashcards for vocabulary memorization, a personalized learning algorithm that adapts to the user's pace, and native recordings for accurate pronunciation. It also covers HSK levels 1-4 and Chinese radicals.

### How much does Ginkgo: Learn Chinese Mandarin cost?

The app is free to download and use, but it offers in-app purchases. This means that while the core functionality is available for free, users may have the option to buy additional content or features.

### What HSK levels does the app cover?

The app is designed to help users progress through HSK levels 1, 2, 3, and 4. It includes carefully designed flashcards to help memorize vocabulary words from HSK 1 to HSK 4, enabling users to gradually grow their vocabulary and improve their Mandarin Chinese skills.

### How can this app help me learn Chinese characters effectively?

The app employs a unique teaching methodology that combines captivating video lessons with dynamic flashcards. Videos provide insights into character etymology and mnemonics, while flashcards use illustrations and color-coded tones for visual reinforcement. This interactive approach aims to enhance retention and make learning characters engaging.

## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 5.7.2 — 2025-06-01

- General package update

### 5.5.17 — 2023-08-16

- New Icon

### 5.5.13 — 2023-08-08

- New onboarding process
- Fixed tone color picker

### 5.5.5 — 2023-05-31

- Small bug correction

### 5.5.3 — 2023-05-14

- Small bug correction

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## More apps by Ginkgo Academy

- [Ginkgo Memory & Brain Training](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ginkgo-memory-and-brain-training/id1455760861)
- [Ginkgo Geography & World Flags](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ginkgo-geography-and-world-flags/id1609858393)
- [Ginkgo: History of the World](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ginkgo-history-of-the-world/id1620134819)
- [Ginkgo Art History & Paintings](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ginkgo-art-history-and-paintings/id1634356901)
- [Ginkgo: Learn French Language](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ginkgo-learn-french-language/id6447195135)

All apps by Ginkgo Academy: https://appshunter.io/developer/1455760860

## Related topics

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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 2026-08-23.*