We all have a friend who has lived in China for years but whose Chinese level maxes out at ‘bu yao.’ They sign up for lessons, but then back out due to a heavy workload. Or receive tutoring from a native speaker, but then start a relationship with said tutor and then things don’t pan out – learning nothing but a new curse word or two as they walk out the door.
The language-learning struggle is real, but it doesn’t have to be. While there’s an abundance of apps for learning Chinese, Memrise is a particularly fun learning tool. The app helps build your Chinese vocabulary with user-generated flash cards that include short and clear video pronunciation from native speakers.
But instead of speeding through flash cards and taking on massive chunks of this very complex language, the app takes a methodical approach, with built-in review sets after you’ve just taken in a sizeable dose of putonghua. Memrise also has a grammar feature – still in beta – to help tie together all the new words and phrases that users are learning.
While Memrise is a freemium app (meaning some features require a subscription), users have a lot to gain without spending a dime. Set up a profile and get your friends involved for some healthy language-learning competition. The app also offers courses in more than 15 other languages, in case you need to xiuxi from Mandarin.
Memrise is available on iOS and Android devices. Visit memrise.com to learn more.
[Cover image via Memrise]
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