Tap That App is a regular segment where we feature an app our editors think is cool.
Learning languages can be tough – for most of us, anyways. Thankfully, resources to acquire new language skills are increasingly abundant, especially in app form. HanYou is a Chinese dictionary app that aims to give learners all the right tools for studying this demanding language.
Similar to Pleco, HanYou offers features like flashcards and the ability to make your own vocabulary lists to practice. It also includes a fast and easy-to-use optical character recognition (OCR) feature. Vivien Seguy, developer and cocreator of HanYou, tells us, “We were able to build and optimize our OCR algorithms as we were studying computer vision at Kyoto University.” Seguy and his team previously had success developing a Kanji recognition app called Yomiwa, before turning their focus towards the Middle Kingdom’s official standard language.
A couple neat features that we’ve enjoyed using on HanYou are ‘Today’s Words’ and the ‘HanYou Wall.’ Today’s Words is great for keeping you up-to-date on characters seen in Chinese news articles, while HanYou Wall is a prime place to ask questions or get phrases translated from native Chinese speakers.
With an average rating of 4.4 stars on the Apple App Store, HanYou has garnered plenty of positive reviews, with one reviewer describing the app as “exceptionally handy, not only when traveling in China but also at home in Canada teaching myself from books and other resources.”
HanYou is available on iOS and Android devices. Click here to visit their site.
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[Cover image via HanYou]
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