Reading is where most Chinese learners stall. Apps teach you words, but a menu, a message or a book is a different skill. The apps below are built for reading, sorted by what they’re best at, so you can pick one for your level instead of downloading five.
Quick picks
| App | Best for | Levels |
|---|---|---|
| maayot | A daily habit: one short story a day at your level | HSK 1 to 6+ |
| Du Chinese | A big library of graded stories and articles | Beginner to advanced |
| The Chairman’s Bao | News-style graded articles | HSK 1 to 6+ |
| Mandarin Companion | Graded novels (classic stories retold in simple Chinese) | Beginner to intermediate |
| Chinese Breeze | Graded reader books, originally for classrooms | Beginner to intermediate |
| Pleco | Dictionary + reader for any text you find | All levels |
| HelloChinese | Getting to the point where you can start reading | Complete beginner |
1. maayot: best for a daily reading habit
maayot gives you one new story every day, written for your level: Beginner (HSK 1–3), Intermediate (HSK 4–5) or Advanced (HSK 6+). Each story has a professional native recording, a quiz, new characters and a writing prompt. Tap any word for its pinyin, meaning, how it’s used and native audio. On the Pro plan, a certified teacher corrects your writing and speaking every day.
Good for: building a habit, beginners through advanced. Less good for: choosing your own topics from a large library.
Free to start · Only 5 minutes a day
Try the daily story habit: 5 minutes, at your level
Each story is written for your level, so you understand it from day one. Stuck on a word? Tap it for pinyin, meaning, examples and native audio. No textbooks, no flashcards.
2. Du Chinese: best library of graded readings
Hundreds of stories and articles sorted by level, with pinyin you can turn on and off, English translation and synced audio. Great if you like to choose what you read.
3. The Chairman’s Bao: best for news
Real news rewritten at HSK 1–6+ levels, with audio and word lists. Ideal if you want reading practice that also teaches you vocabulary about current events.
4. Mandarin Companion: best graded novels
Classic stories (like Great Expectations) retold in simple Chinese with a limited set of characters. Good for learners ready to read something longer than a page.
5. Chinese Breeze: best graded books
A long-running series of graded readers, originally for classrooms. More traditional, but well pitched for each level.
6. Pleco: best for reading anything
Pleco is the essential Chinese dictionary. Its reader and camera lookup let you tackle any text, from a web page to a street sign. Pair it with any app above.
7. HelloChinese: best before you start reading
If you can’t read yet, start with a structured beginner course like HelloChinese, then move to graded reading at around HSK 2.
How to choose
- Complete beginner: HelloChinese first, then maayot or Du Chinese from HSK 1–2.
- Beginner to intermediate (HSK 2–4): maayot for a daily habit, Du Chinese or Mandarin Companion for extra reading.
- Intermediate and up (HSK 4+): maayot for native pronunciation, teacher corrections, The Chairman’s Bao for news, Pleco for real-world texts.
Why reading apps work
Reading at the right level (where you know almost every word) is how you pick up new characters in context, which is faster than flashcards alone. Short daily sessions beat long weekly ones.
Read real Chinese in 5 minutes a day
Tell us your level (or take a quick test) and get a short story written for it every day. Native audio, tap-to-translate and a 1-minute quiz, so you can see it’s sticking.
FAQ
What is the best app to learn Mandarin Chinese?
It depends on your goal. For speaking basics, a structured course like HelloChinese. For reading, a graded reader app like maayot or Du Chinese. Most learners use two: a course and a reader.
Is there a free app to learn to read Chinese?
Yes. maayot’s free plan gives you a new story every Sunday, and its paid plans start with a 5-day free trial. Du Chinese and HelloChinese also let you start for free.
When should I start reading in Chinese?
Around HSK 1–2, once you know about 150–300 characters. Graded readers are written for exactly this stage.
Related: Duolingo Chinese review · Chinese graded readers · Pinyin guide
