Apps I use to study Mandarin Chinese from zero (speaking-first, no overwhelm)

A useful app stack assigns one job to each tool. It does not ask one product to teach every skill, and it does not create four competing streaks.

Choose Mandarin and a character system before stacking apps. Keep simplified and traditional characters labeled, use pinyin as temporary support, and compare tones with native recordings. Product pages and availability can change, so use the official links below to check current access before paying.

Lane 1: HelloChinese

HelloChinese is the guided Mandarin foundation in this stack. Its useful role is structured work across pronunciation, characters, grammar, listening, and speaking activities.

Limit: Some access is paid, and speech recognition is practice feedback rather than authoritative tone scoring.

This lane supplies the sequence. Keep it small enough that you still have time to listen and speak.

Lane 2: Du Chinese

Du Chinese is the graded reading and listening in this stack. Its useful role is leveled stories with native audio, lookup, translations, and grammar help.

Limit: It is reading-led rather than a complete zero-beginner syllabus.

This lane supplies repeated language in context. Reuse one line rather than collecting ten disconnected clips.

Lane 3: Pleco

Pleco is the dictionary and reference in this stack. Its useful role is dictionary search with optional handwriting, OCR, flashcards, and document tools.

Limit: It does not choose a curriculum; save words from sentences you actually met.

This lane handles a narrower gap. Use it after the gap appears, not because every learner online recommends it.

The output handoff: ChickyTutor

ChickyTutor for Mandarin Chinese has one job here: make you retrieve language already checked in the other tools. It can run a private exchange, ask an unprepared follow-up, and make you repeat one repaired answer.

Run a five-minute Mandarin ticket-counter roleplay in the character system I specify. Correct one measure-word or word-order issue, make me repeat it, then change the destination.

ChickyTutor is not the curriculum or an authority on Mandarin tones, regional pronunciation, measure words, or character choice. Compare pronunciation with native audio and take disputed or high-stakes corrections to a qualified teacher or proficient speaker.

A small weekly test

Use the first tool on four days, the second on two or three, and the third only when its specific job appears. End three sessions with the output prompt. At the end of the week, remove any tool that produced notifications but no sentence you could understand or say.

The stack is working when you can reuse a checked phrase after the situation changes. Adding another app is not progress unless it fixes a gap the current three cannot cover.