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Inkstone: Learn Chinese

Inkstone: Learn Chinese

Read classic Chinese stories.

14 ratings
6 reviews
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Details

Released
September 1, 2026
Updated
November 2, 2026

Features

Developer

Conder Shou
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About

Learn Chinese through classic stories and poems. Offers detailed explanations, translations, and audio pronunciations for every word and sentence. Supports offline reading and vocabulary saving.

✓Classic Chinese stories and poems
✓Modern Chinese retellings
✓Audio narration with pinyin
✓Tap-to-translate words
✓Sentence-by-sentence translation
✓Offline reading support
✓Vocabulary saving
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What's New in Inkstone

1.4.1

November 2, 2026

• 50 new stories built on classic Chinese idioms • Turn on Word by word to see each word's meaning in Chinese order • Choose how fast single words are spoken • A smoother start for first-time readers • Lots of small fixes & polish

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Subscriptions & In-App Purchases

Inkstone Annual

Read & learn timeless Chinese stories, hear every word.

$49.991 Year
7 Days trial
How to cancel Inkstone subscription ⁉️

User reviews

Most RecentHighest RatedLowest Rated

Misleading (I’ll admit kind of on me though for assuming it would be free)

It seems like the app would be a great tool; however, it falls into the same disappointing category of all these other new apps created with AI. It makes you go all the way through the login/setup process before promoting you with a paywall just to get into the app.

The app seems interesting but it hides the fact that it requires a monthly payment all the way at the bottom of the app info
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OBOG Johnny Hot Body

Response from developer

Hey Johnny, thanks for the review. All content within the app, from its stories, translations, practice questions, commentary, all come from real primary sources that are not generated by AI. I've poured my own savings and countless sleepless months into building this in the hopes that it can help people, so I do my best to allow people to try the app out first with a free trial without committing to a monthly payment. Thanks again for checking out Inkstone :) Sincerely, Conder

Ink stone rating!

5 stars because it’s awesome! And I like the music lol. The only thing I think it is lacking is a space to draw characters and/ or take notes. And well… we do have pencil and paper. 🤷‍♀️
CCarlie-Arlie-Arlie

Response from developer

Thank you so much for the review, Carlie!! I definitely want to ship something soon to help you learn how to write these characters as well as to train your pronunciation. A lot of really exciting updates are already incoming this week, I'll get right on these features afterwards :) Please reach out anytime you have more questions or feedback / feature requests! Sincerely, Conder

Learning in an ancient library

Condor has put idioms into a clean context making the educational journey an aesthetic experience
OObigenkenobi

Response from developer

Thank you so much for the feedback! I'm really glad you enjoy the experience. Will continue doing my best to make this as fun and as helpful as possible :) Please reach out anytime if you have more feedback or feature requests! Sincerely, Conder

I l💖ve this app!

I have been studying Chinese for 2 years and this app is exactly what I needed to move from learning vocabulary to actually reading and understanding Mandarin contextually. I think it is very elegantly designed, and aesthetically beautiful. The stories are really great at offering a deeper dive if you want to unpack some of the concepts, and understand the culture better. I think this is my favorite app for learning Mandarin, and I have tried A LOT of apps that don’t offer what this one does. It’s truly something special and unique.
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RRuXi8

Response from developer

Thank you so much for such a detailed, kind review!! I cannot be more overjoyed. It makes my day to hear how much you've enjoyed the experience. I'm still shipping more improvements as we speak, so hopefully this will only become more helpful :) Please reach out anytime if you have other feedback or feature requests! Sincerely, Conder

Not user friendly

If you’re looking for an app to start learning Chinese, this may not be the one. The experience is nice, but once the help tips disappear, it’s not easy to understand where things are, or what they’re for. It’s too much clicking for me to focus on learning. Also, the 1x reading speed is too fast. I’ve studied Chinese for three semesters and a half in school, and that speed is almost too fast for me. A beginner could never keep up.
And where is the vocab list? Overall, I find the interaction confusing and hard to gauge my progress. And I can only practice with the incense once? Why!
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LLightedmatch

Response from developer

Hey, thanks a lot for the feedback! I've actually just shipped an incoming update that will allow you to practice the incense any time for as many times as you want :) It'll be landing early next week. You should also be able to toggle the speed of the narration as you like with the controls! The 1x reading speed is set at the pace that native speakers would read the text at, so I can imagine why it would feel fast. I'll make sure the option you selected is remembered across sessions. The vocab list is also a great idea to add on. Currently the goal is for you to create your own list out of words you dont know in the stories you read. I can see why a set list per story made could be helpful though! Either way, thank you for trying out the app. Please feel free to reach out if you give this another try and have other feedback to provide! Sincerely, Conder

FAQ

What kind of content does Inkstone offer?

Inkstone features timeless Chinese wisdom, including fables, idioms, Tang poems, and prose from classical philosophers and historical tales. The content is retold in clear modern Chinese at a readable level, with original poems preserved.

How does Inkstone help with learning Chinese?

Inkstone guides learners with pinyin above characters, audio pronunciations for every word and sentence, tap-to-define functionality, and sentence-level English translations. It also provides story analysis for deeper understanding.

Can I use Inkstone offline?

Yes, Inkstone works offline, allowing you to access the entire library of texts without an internet connection. This makes it convenient for learning anytime, anywhere.

Does Inkstone have ads?

No, Inkstone does not contain advertisements. The app is designed to provide an uninterrupted learning experience.

What devices does Inkstone support?

Inkstone is currently supported on iPhones. Future updates may expand compatibility to other devices.

How often is new content added to Inkstone?

Inkstone adds over 50 handpicked stories on the 1st of every month, ensuring a continuous stream of new material for users to explore.

What is the age rating for Inkstone?

Inkstone has an age rating of 12+, making it suitable for teenagers and adults learning Chinese.

How does Inkstone track my progress?

Inkstone allows you to save words you've learned, which are then revisited before you forget them. This feature aids in vocabulary retention and progress tracking.