# Liao: Speak Chinese — 3 minutes of Mandarin a day > Daily 3-minute AI-powered Mandarin speaking practice with personalized feedback. (iPhone/iPad app by XIUYANG GUO.) - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/liao-speak-chinese/id6792527705 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`) - Developer: [XIUYANG GUO](https://appshunter.io/developer/1896192201) - Category: Education - Price: Free with in-app purchases - Rating: 5.00/5 from 1 App Store ratings - Age rating: 4+ - Requires: iOS 17.0 · 6 MB - Languages: American English - Released: 2026-07-26 - Data updated: 2026-08-20 - Monetization: freemium - User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/liao-speak-chinese/id6792527705/reviews.md ## What is Liao? Most people studying Chinese can read more than they can say. Liao fixes that with the smallest possible habit: three minutes of real conversation, every day. HOW IT WORKS 1. Talk for just three minutes. Open Liao and start speaking with an AI conversation partner about your weekend, your job, what you ate — real topics, in real time. 2. See what you actually said. Liao shows you the sentence you spoke and the way a native speaker would have said it, with a short explanation of why. 3. Learn one thing well. Every conversation ends with a two-minute lesson built from your own mistakes — not a generic lesson plan. PINYIN FIRST You don't need to read characters to use Liao. Every phrase leads with pinyin, so you can start speaking on day one. Characters sit underneath as a reference for when you're ready. THREE WAYS TO SAY IT The same idea sounds different at dinner, in an interview, and in a group chat. Liao shows you all three: Natural — how people actually talk day to day Professional — for interviews, meetings, and formal settings Casual — the slang your friends use, with notes on when not to use it BUILT FOR THE HABIT • A three-minute daily goal that's short enough to actually keep • Streaks that track the days you showed up • Friends who can see you practiced today, and you can see them • Saved phrases you can revisit and review anytime • Full history of every conversation and every piece of feedback WHY THREE MINUTES Because thirty minutes is the goal you skip. Three minutes is the one you keep — and speaking a little every day beats an hour of flashcards you forget by Friday. Liao is for beginners who study Chinese but don't often speak a sentence out loud, intermediate learners stuck at "I can speak basic phrases but I want to sound more local," and heritage speakers who understand everything but hesitate to answer. A note on AI: your conversations are generated by AI and can occasionally be imperfect. Treat corrections as guidance from a patient practice partner, not a textbook. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ ## Key features - 3-minute daily speaking practice - AI conversation partner - Personalized feedback and lessons - Pinyin-first learning - Contextual phrases (natural, professional, casual) - Habit tracking and streaks ## Pricing and in-app purchases Base price: Free. **Subscriptions** | Subscription | Price | Period | | --- | --- | --- | | Liao Premium Monthly | $12.99 | per month | | Liao Premium Weekly | $3.99 | per 7 days | | Liao Premium Yearly | $89.99 | per year | ## Frequently asked questions about Liao ### How does Liao help me speak Chinese? Liao provides a 3-minute daily AI-powered conversation practice. You speak on real topics, and the app shows you what you said, how a native speaker would say it, and explains the differences. This focuses on improving your spoken fluency through consistent, short practice sessions. ### Do I need to know Chinese characters to use Liao? No, Liao is pinyin-first, meaning all phrases are presented with pinyin to help you start speaking immediately. Chinese characters are available underneath as a reference for when you are ready to learn them. ### What kind of lessons does Liao offer? Liao's lessons are unique as they are built from your actual mistakes during conversations. Instead of generic lessons, you learn one thing well based on your personal speaking errors, making the learning process highly relevant and effective. ### Can Liao teach me different ways to say things? Yes, Liao teaches you three ways to express the same idea: natural for daily conversation, professional for formal settings like interviews, and casual for informal communication with friends. This helps you adapt your language to different social contexts. ### What are the subscription options for Liao Premium? Liao offers several subscription plans: Liao Premium Weekly at $3.99/week, Liao Premium Monthly at $12.99/month, and Liao Premium Yearly at $89.99/year. These plans likely unlock additional features or content beyond the free offering. ### How often is Liao updated? The latest version of Liao is 2.5, and it was last updated on August 17, 2026. This indicates a relatively active development cycle, with updates occurring approximately every 2-3 weeks based on the release date and last updated date. ### What devices does Liao support? Liao is currently supported on iPhones. The app is designed for mobile use, allowing you to practice speaking Mandarin on the go. ### Is Liao suitable for absolute beginners? Yes, Liao is designed for beginners with its pinyin-first approach and 3-minute daily practice goal. It helps those who can read more than they can say by focusing on immediate speaking practice and building conversational confidence from day one. ## Version history (last 5 releases) ### 2.5 — 2026-08-17 Update 2.5 is finally here! Major changes like Global Leaderboard, 3 day trial journey, and improved onboarding experience. Minor fixes: quality of life changes, bug fixes. ### 2.4 — 2026-08-10 routine bug fixes ### 2.3 — 2026-08-07 Just a couple minor bug fixes. ### 2.2 — 2026-08-06 Users now get a 3-day free trial to see how valuable Liao really is! ### 2.1 — 2026-08-03 Added a point system that rates your skills out of ten, added ranks (S,A,B,C,D,E,F), a couple bug fixes. ## Related topics [mandarin practice](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/mandarin-practice) --- *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 2026-08-20.*