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Having spoken, written, and read Mandarin most of my life, I can confirm that learning to write Chinese is often the hardest part of mastering the language. Yes, even more so than pronunciation!
After all, like most other aspects of Mandarin, writing in Chinese requires pinpoint precision or whatever you are writing might turn out to be something else. Like çŽ (mu – meaning eye) turning into ćĽ (ri – day). Thankfully, there are a ton of Mandarin learning resources â specifically Chinese writing apps â online to help with that!
What to know about the Chinese writing system
One of the reasons why Chinese is hard to learn for English speakers is the writing system. Unlike the English alphabet, Hanzi (Chinese characters) is made up of multiple strokes, and each character (zi ĺ) is then paired with another to form a word (ci čŻ).
If you want to learn to write Chinese, the first thing youâll want to do is master the radicals (bu shou é¨éŚ), a set of essential strokes that appear in pretty much every Chinese character. Once youâve got that down, you can practice writing simple characters (like one to ten) before moving on to complicated ones.
When you practice writing in Chinese, donât worry about pairing characters to create words just yet, start by mastering how to properly write each character. It is essential to follow each stroke perfectly, as any mistake (ie, a missing stroke, a stroke that veers off to the wrong side, or a stroke thatâs too short) can result in a character that means something completely different.
Top picks
That is why Chinese writing apps are a good way for language learners to practice writing Chinese. All you have to do, in most cases, is to follow the lines on screen. Here are some of the ones I recommend!
- Skritter is arguably the best overall app to learn Chinese writing, as it also covers other aspects of learning
- Ling App makes learning to write Chinese a fun experience with its gamified lessons.
- Scripts by Drops provides a stunning visual experience when learning how to write Chinese
With that out of the way, letâs take a look at some of the best Chinese writing apps you can download now!
1. Skritter
Among all the Chinese writing apps currently available, Skritter is undoubtedly one of the best tools for language learners. Not only is it one of the best apps to learn how to write Chinese (Hanzi) but it doubles up as a nifty app to expand your vocabulary too.
What Skritter does extremely well is allow users to deepen their understanding of Chinese characters while they practice writing in Chinese, with easy-to-digest guides on radicals, stroke order, and more.
Not only that, users can track their progress as they learn, write, and then test themselves in a gamified experience where they race against a little timer on the app. In short, Skritter makes the long, repetitive process of learning how to write Chinese a much more fun and memorable one.
What we like about Skritter:
- Hyper-focused on teaching users how to write Chinese
- Features a large list of words including lessons from Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi (HSK)
- Doubles up as a vocabulary app you can customize
Pricing: Subscription plans start from $14.99/month but users can also opt for a $59.99 half-yearly subscription or an annual plan costing $99.99. You can try it for free too!
Devices: iOS and Android
2. Ling App
Compared to Skritter, Ling App is one of the more holistic apps to write Chinese, in the sense that apart from teaching users how to write Chinese characters, it also includes a variety of gamified lessons covering topics like vocabulary, grammar, and conversations. Â
Learning to write Chinese on Ling App is also quite a fun, relaxing experience. As you might expect, users need to use their fingers to trace each stroke on their screen. It starts off with easy characters before progressing to more complicated ones as you get better at writing Chinese.
Best of all, the app starts by showing you how each stroke should be written before you drag your finger across the trace line. After that, youâre challenged to write the character from memory without any guidance, helping you to retain the information better.
What we like about Ling App:
- Easy-to-follow writing lessons
- Comes with a wide array of lessons separated by themes and categories
- Features a chatbot with which you can practice typing in Chinese
Pricing: Limited content for free. It’s worth signing up for the Pro version to unlock all content, starting from $14.99/month. Get full access to Ling now!
Devices: iOS and Android
3. Pleco
For those who want to practice writing in Chinese, Pleco is one of those underrated Chinese writing apps I would recommend trying. In fact, some users might not even know Pleco has a writing function because the app is better known as a dictionary and flashcard app for learning Chinese vocabulary and pronunciation.
However, when using the âTestâ function, apart from practicing vocabulary using flashcards and listening to audio recordings of the words, you can also click on the little brush icon to turn on writing mode. You can then practice writing the character in the wide space on the screen.
However, since Pleco doesnât review your handwriting, I recommend using this app to learn how to write Chinese only if youâve achieved at least intermediate proficiency as the words are also more complicated than beginner lessons.
What we like about Pleco:
- Contains an extensive list of words and characters
- Doubles up as a flashcard app with pronunciation lessons
- Completely free
Pricing: The dictionary function is free to use, but youâll need to upgrade to enjoy full access. A basic subscription costs $29.99 while the Professional Bundle costs $59.99.
Devices: iOS and Android
4. Daily Mandarin
Learn Chinese on Daily Mandarin
Speaking of HSK (for those now in the know, it is the standard Chinese Proficiency Test used in China to assess non-native speakers), one particular Chinese writing app that is specially designed to help learners practice HSK characters is Daily Mandarin.
Whatâs best about Daily Mandarin is pretty much, wellâŚthat. This simple-to-use app doesnât have many other functions. Users simply open one of the size HSK vocabulary lists, select a character, and practice writing in Chinese in the correct stroke order. You can also play the short audio clip to see how the character is pronounced.
Some might feel that Daily Mandarin isnât all that helpful for language learners as there isnât much functionality apart from writing Hanzi. However, given that the app is free and allows you to practice over 5,000 characters, itâs still worth a look at, especially if youâre already moderately proficient in Mandarin.
What we like about Daily Mandarin:
- Features an extensive list of Chinese characters based on HSK levels
- Extremely easy to use
- Highly-specialized Chinese writing app
Pricing: Free
Devices: iOS only
5. Scripts by Drops
Iâm pretty sure most language learners are familiar with Drops â it is, after all, one of the best vocabulary learning apps out there. However, did you know that Drops also has a Chinese writing app of its own? Called Scripts by Drops, this handy app is designed to introduce language learners to different writing systems, Hanzi being one of them.
Like Drops, Scripts features an aesthetic interface punctuated by vivid flashcards and a fun, gamified learning experience. The basic lessons (which are offered for free) will have you learning about common radicals and stroke order before progressing to more complicated characters.
The process is similar to drops, using spaced repetition to help you memorize new words before letting you trace your fingers along each stroke to practice writing.
What we like about Scripts:
- Features a beautiful collection of flashcards
- Stroke-by-stroke writing practice
- Features audio lessons and explanations
Pricing: The app offers free lessons for five minutes per day. To extend your time, youâll have to subscribe to Drops Premium for $5/month (annual plan).
Devices: iOS and Android
6. Kangxi
The Kangxi app is one of those Chinese writing apps that suit language learners who already have a basic grasp of Mandarin. Thatâs because rather than teach new characters, Kangxi focuses solely on radicals (an important aspect of Hanzi, I give you that) and learning how to write each one.
It comes in a game format where you need to match characters with the same radical before practicing writing. You can choose from five HSK levels (which also come with audio pronunciation clips) for a quick lesson.
That said, Kangxi is best used alongside different Chinese writing apps to unlock its full potential.
What we like about Kangxi:
- Laser-focused on radicals
- No other distractions â users focus solely on one aspect
- Free to use
Pricing: Free
Devices: iOS only
7. Hanzi Study
As the name implies, Hanzi Study is a handy app that helps language learners learn to write Chinese, using the list of 2,600 characters that is most often found in the HSK system.
What Hanzi Study does better than many other HSK-based Chinese writing apps is that it provides users with a self-paced structure where vocabulary is divided into manageable lessons separated by grades 1 to 6.
Each writing lesson comes with stroke order, a writing demonstration, lessons on the radicals of the character, and example sentences. The only downside is that the app is one that you need a premium subscription for to unlock its best features.
What we like about Hanzi Study:
- Features a wide variety of characters broken down into grades
- Comprehensive lessons that cover more than just stroke order
- Premium comes with pronunciation lessons
Pricing: Free but to access the test function, you need to pay for an upgrade which costs roughly $2
Devices: Android only
8. ChineseSkill
For beginner Mandarin learners, ChineseSkill is one of the Chinese writing apps that can get you started on writing Hanzi. Not only does it cover all the bases that benefit a new learner but it has a handwriting feature that other beginner-friendly flashcard apps sometimes lack.
Whatâs great about the writing function is that it doesnât throw users into the wild immediately. Rather than have separate sessions, the writing feature is wedged in between other lessons, providing the sort of variable learning that keeps new users interested.
What we like about ChineseSkill:
- Focuses on helping new language learners get the hang of writing
- Switches up the pace of learning with different lessons
- A holistic app that also teaches other areas of Mandarin
Pricing: Basic version is free; premium subscriptions start from $14.99/month.
Devices: iOS and Android
9. ChineseWriter
You can probably guess from the name already but ChineseWriter from trainchinese is one of the more common Chinese writing apps on the market. Like Skritter and Pleco, this app teaches Hanzi using gamified lessons â users need to write a character before it falls off the screen.
ChineseWriter lessons feature guides on stroke order, showing you how to write each Hanzi that appears on the screen. It also features an expansive list of characters (if youâre willing to purchase premium access) that covers just about every topic or niche under the sun.
Like Kangxi, ChineseWriter is best paired with other resources to learn how to write Chinese.
What we like about ChineseWriter:
- Uses gamified lessons to teach Chinese writing
- Contains a large archive of different characters
- Free version alone allows access to over 500 basic characters
Pricing: The free version allows you to learn how to write 540 basic characters. Subscription plans to access other characters start from $1.99.
Devices: iOS and Android
10. Dong Chinese
Dong Chinese is arguably one of the more underrated Chinese writing apps thatâs currently available. It doesnât enjoy nearly as much exposure as Skritter or Ling App, but it certainly provides plenty of useful resources for those who want to learn how to write Chinese.
The app features flashcards, audiovisual lessons, and a dictionary with definitions and example sentences. More importantly, it offers handwriting lessons alongside interesting trivia on the origins of some of the most frequently used Chinese characters to help users learn how those words are formed.
Add to that the large dataset that the app has, and you can expect a comprehensive app that is suitable for all levels of language learners.
What we like about Dong Chinese:
- Features comprehensive lessons suitable for beginners and advanced learners
- Comes with etymology lessons for some Chinese characters
- Handwriting function is easy to use
Pricing: The app is free to use without limit for the first seven days, after which there is a cap of one lesson every 12 hours. To access the app fully, you can purchase a membership plan for $9.99/month.
Devices: Android only
Final thoughts
And there you have it: 10 of the best apps to learn how to write Chinese characters. Listen, as a native speaker, I will admit that learning to write Chinese is no easy task. After all, it has a wide array of characters to master and a single misplaced stroke can alter the meaning of the character.
But be assured that once you get the hang of it, it gets a lot easier. If nothing at all, using fun apps is certainly more enjoyable than scribbling on a piece of paper! Speaking of, if you really want to master Mandarin, pair your writing practice with these Mandarin learning apps, Mandarin books, or Mandarin podcasts for a more complete learning experience!