# trainchinese — The best way to learn Chinese

> Chinese language learning app with dictionary, flashcards, OCR, and spaced repetition. (iPhone/iPad app by trainchinese B.V..)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/trainchinese/id333830076 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [trainchinese B.V.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1443075140)
- Category: Education, Reference
- Price: Free with in-app purchases
- Rating: 4.70/5 from 2,199 App Store ratings · 196 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: 4+
- Requires: iOS 16.6 · 348 MB
- Languages: Russian, American English, Dutch, European Spanish, German (Germany)
- Released: 2009-10-12
- Data updated: 2026-08-30
- Monetization: free with in-app purchases
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/trainchinese/id333830076/reviews.md

## What is trainchinese?

Learn Chinese with an amazing dictionary (plus OCR) and flash card system.

trainchinese will teach you Chinese, with a free and complete dictionary, thousands of vocab lists, example sentences, audio recordings, measure words, character animations and Optical Character Recognition — not to mention a powerful flash card training system that even includes handwriting training!

• Our dictionary prioritises commonly-used words and phrases above the obscure and obsolete, while example sentences and measure words (classifiers) provide crucial context to help you decide which Chinese word is the most appropriate translation. Other dictionaries just leave you guessing!

• We've got Optical Character Recognition (OCR) too. Spotted some Chinese you can't read? Capture a photo of some Chinese text from a menu, book or sign, and the app identifies and translates the characters for you.  

• Search for words by part of speech

• Mistyped a word? Helpful spelling suggestions get you to the right results fast.

• Words feature both example sentences and measure words for nouns. It's time to move beyond "个"! And best of all it's all connected: tap examples and measure words to open them as full dictionary entries.

• trainchinese is great for students: it includes more than a thousand vocabulary lists covering topics from International Relations to American Football Teams and more. Feel like something's missing? Users often get in touch to ask for lists on the topics they're studying, and we're happy to oblige! You'll also find lists containing HSK-level words (both old and new standards), plus TOCFL lists for students in Taiwan!

• Highlight words with your finger for super-fast access to character animations, related searches and more!

• Whether you're studying the Simplified (mainland China and Singapore) or Traditional (Hong Kong and Taiwan) variants, we've got you covered! Easily switch between them or choose to display both in dictionary results and on flash cards. Even better, you can use the phonetics you're comfortable with - choose from Pinyin with tone marks, Pinyin with tone numbers or even Zhuyin characters (from the BoPoMoFo system used in Taiwan).

• Create flash cards with audio and animation from dictionary entries. Organise them into lists, and share them with friends (or students).

• Our Spaced Repetition system ensures you'll memorize words for good.

• Train your way: each card is available in four different modes to test different aspects of Chinese study. See Chinese, Pinyin or English and get tested on translation, and even compare your handwriting to a stroke-order animation side-by-side, synchronized! Or if you prefer, there's multiple choice training too (for a real challenge, try it in "Dictation" mode!).

• Flash cards are saved on your device and synchronized with trainchinese.com, where you can also train with them and find more great content.

• Add study notes to your flash cards - they're saved and backed up at trainchinese.com.

Don't forget to check out our other apps (tap our company name in the App Store for more info):

 - Chinese Writer
 - Chinese Audio Trainer
 - Pinyin Trainer
 - Number Trainer
 - Chinese Challenges

## Key features

- Comprehensive Chinese dictionary
- Optical Character Recognition (OCR)
- Spaced Repetition flashcard system
- Character animations and handwriting training
- Support for Simplified and Traditional Chinese
- Multiple phonetic input options (Pinyin, Zhuyin)

## Pricing and in-app purchases

Base price: Free.

**One-time purchases**

| Purchase | Price | Type |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 10 lists | $8.99 | one-time |
| 3 months | $11.99 | one-time |
| 6 months | $19.99 | one-time |
| 12 months | $34.99 | one-time |
| 3 months + 10 lists | $15.99 | one-time |
| 6 months + 10 lists | $23.99 | one-time |
| 12 months + 10 lists | $37.99 | one-time |
| 3 months + 30 lists | $25.99 | one-time |
| 12 months + 30 lists | $45.99 | one-time |
| 12 months + 60 lists | $54.99 | one-time |
| OCR Feature | $4.99 | one-time |
| 30 lists | $19.99 | one-time |
| 6 months + 30 lists | $34.99 | one-time |


## What do users think of trainchinese?

Overall sentiment: positive

**Pros**

- 🚀 Great app for learning Chinese
- 👍 Helpful for improving vocabulary, pronunciation, and writing
- 🚀 Comprehensive dictionary and flashcard features
- 👍 Customizable word lists and training modes
- 🚀 Detailed stroke order animations for characters
- 👍 Useful for both beginners and advanced learners

**Cons**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs after updates
- 💰 Subscription model is expensive for long-term use
- 🔍 Confusing and unintuitive user interface
- 🔍 Limited functionality in free version
- 🐛 Syncing and login issues

**Commonly reported bugs**

- App crashes when trying to move or add words to lists
- Audio playback not working for some words
- Writing recognition feature is unreliable
- Inconsistent behavior when switching between app and website

**Most requested features**

- Add option to learn on multiple languages (e.g. English and Russian)
- Improve organization and navigation of word lists
- Implement more engaging learning games and activities
- Allow users to easily add their own custom words and phrases

## Recent user reviews (10 of 196)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/trainchinese/id333830076/reviews.md

### 5/5 — Perfect app

*2026-05-31, version 10.6.2*

I’ve been use this app for years

### 3/5 — Tf is wrong with weekly flash cards

*2026-05-10, version 10.4.1*

Как часто обновляются weekly flash cards ? Явно не каждую неделю, уже недели две не могу добавить себе новые слова для запоминания

### 5/5 — Raphaello

*2026-04-25, version 10.4.1*

Someone did a marvellous job!

### 5/5 — Excellent app for learning Chinese

*2026-03-28, version 10.4.1*

After a few teething troubles in the update, the app is now excellent. I’ve been using it all from beginner to advanced level for over 14 years. It’s a great way and convenient of learning vocabulary. Characters are the hardest part of the language and this ideal way to learn. It fits perfectly with other learning.

### 5/5 — Excellent!

*2026-03-25, version 10.4.1*

Perfect app to learn Chinese.

### 5/5 — Great app for beginner-advanced

*2026-03-11, version 10.4.1*

To be honest, this is a really good app. I’ve had it for many years and there are certain aspects of it that are even better than the likes of Pleco, for example. This app really excels at providing examples through sentences, and also very clearly breaks down grammar points. You can also make those separate flashcards so that you can review full sentences instead of only words if desired, and you can remember how to use grammar patterns that may be tough to remember (by making a grammar point its own flashcard!). I usually learn traditional characters but also really appreciate being able to learn both character sets. The customer service team has always been really responsive and I noticed that a previous bug that was causing the badge number in the app (that reflects due cards) to be stuck, even after deleting those cards, has now resolved. Keep up the great work!

### 5/5 — The BEST way to learn Chinese

*2026-02-24, version 10.4.1*

I have tried many apps and methods to learn Chinese - a challenging task. Each has its advantages and disadvantages. One essential ingredient is a good dictionary. The standard people love is Pleco, which I was also a fan of until I tried this app. I much prefer Train Chinese. I like the colours. I like the clear maps of how characters are constructed. I like the generous and clear examples. If you turn on the suggestion facility it will throw up a new world every few hours. It’s also got a great online component. So very highly recommended

### 5/5 — Best for learning Chinese character

*2026-02-08, version 10.4.1*

I highly recommend this app for anyone serious about learning Chinese characters. They break down the character to an easy understandable components. You also have the option of adding hard to learn characters to a list where you can learn them later on.

### 2/5 — Decent app but zero customer support

*2026-01-29, version 10.3.5*

Decent app but zero customer support

### 5/5 — Helpful and easy to use

*2026-01-20, version 10.3.5*

Very helpful and easy to use  font is easy to read and is easy to use

## Frequently asked questions about trainchinese

### What does trainchinese do?

This app helps you learn Chinese through a robust dictionary that prioritizes common words, provides example sentences and measure words, and includes character animations. It also features a powerful flashcard system with spaced repetition for effective memorization and Optical Character Recognition (OCR) to translate text from images.

### What are the key features of trainchinese?

Key features include a comprehensive dictionary with contextual examples, OCR for text recognition, a customizable flashcard system with various training modes, handwriting practice, support for both Simplified and Traditional Chinese, and multiple phonetic input options like Pinyin and Zhuyin.

### How much does trainchinese cost?

The app is free to download and use, offering a complete dictionary and flashcard system. However, it does have in-app purchases, suggesting that some advanced features or content might be available for an additional cost.

### What devices is trainchinese compatible with?

The description mentions that flashcards are saved on the device and synchronized with trainchinese.com, implying it is a mobile application. While specific operating systems aren't listed, it's typical for such apps to be available on both iOS and Android platforms.

### Who is trainchinese best suited for?

This app is ideal for students of the Chinese language, whether they are preparing for standardized tests like HSK or TOCFL, or simply aiming to improve their vocabulary and reading comprehension. The inclusion of both Simplified and Traditional Chinese, along with various phonetic systems, makes it versatile for learners worldwide.

## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 10.6.5 — 2026-06-29

This update includes performance fixes for iOS 26, stops the widget from showing "ni hao" all the time, and removes some unnecessary files to free up space on your device. Thanks for learning with trainchinese!

### 10.6.2 — 2026-05-26

This update adds support for the Dutch language. Welcome to our Dutch-speaking users in the Netherlands and elsewhere!

### 10.4.1 — 2026-02-02

This update adds some great new features! The search bar now shows automatic translations into Chinese when dictionary results alone aren't enough. There's a new "Quick List" feature for creating flash cards from a topic. We've added new vocab lists, videos, and dictionary entries. Thanks for learning with trainchinese!

### 10.3.5 — 2025-11-17

This update fixes an issue where vocab lists couldn't be shared with other users. Thanks for learning with trainchinese!

### 10.3.3 — 2025-08-18

This update fixes compatibility with iPad for features like sharing word details, exporting lists, and creating character sheet PDFs. Thanks for learning with trainchinese!

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## More apps by trainchinese B.V.

- [Chinese Pinyin Trainer](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chinese-pinyin-trainer/id376797304)
- [Chinese Number Trainer](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chinese-number-trainer/id378767080)
- [Chino-Español Diccionario para estudiantes](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chino-espanol-diccionario-para-estudiantes/id385708750)
- [Chinese Writer by trainchinese](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chinese-writer-by-trainchinese/id422248993)
- [Chinese Writer for Educators](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chinese-writer-for-educators/id507028938)

All apps by trainchinese B.V.: https://appshunter.io/developer/1443075140

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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 2026-08-30.*