Daily Chinese: Grow Vocabulary

I’ve been using this app for half a year to re-learn mandarin, and up until the recent update I have loved it, it has been perfect. Simple, easy to use, and most importantly, it didn’t cost money to open all reviews at once. I was very excited when I got the email about the update that included new HSK as I would be able to continue learning. In the email itself it never mentioned that one of the best features of this app, the ability to open as many reviews as there are packs, which has been free, is now something I will have to pay for if I wish to add any new vocabulary packs, or I will have to forfeit all of my progress so far. If you wished to do a subscription service, you should have added a new feature (such as the ability to combine all review words into one review), instead of locking a feature that had formerly been free behind a paywall. Because of this, I will no longer be able to use your app the way I have been, which is incredibly unfortunate for me. Even if, perhaps, new vocabulary packs cost a small, one time fee, that would be better than this, and I would have paid for those. These changes are a bit too much, especially when the email did not make clear that this “new feature” would be paid. I give two stars because I have gotten such great use of this app in the past, but the most important part of this app, for me, is no longer available, so I cannot rate higher. Please reconsider this. Thank you.

I never write reviews, but I had to because this app is pretty much exactly what I’ve been looking for. It has such a beautifully minimal interface, and I love the word packs in here—they have HSK vocab, internet slang (I have been trying to find a way to learn Chinese slang for FOREVER and this app is perfect), even idioms (which I haven’t really seen in any other apps even though it’s such an important part of Chinese). It’s also super friendly for all levels, not just beginners, which is amazing to achieve for a language learning app. However, I do have a very small suggestion: I think it’d be nice if there was an option for the flash cards to show the pinyin/English side first. (Maybe this is an option and I just couldn’t find it in settings?) I prefer it this way because I like to look at the pinyin first and try to write the Chinese characters in my head before I check with the character side of the flash cards. Other than that minor issue, I am just so glad I found this app. It’s PERFECT for studying Chinese, so thank you to the developers!!

I would say this app is really useful! I have been already to see improvements in my Mandarin in just 3 weeks. I would say that having separate quizzes/tests to be able to acquire the vocabulary words from passive to active memory would be a plus. Additionally, I believe that with the essential/advanced grammar cards there should be a chinese example sentence to really grasp the meaning of the grammar particle/word because an English explanation ,to me, cannot truly grasp how Chinese syntax works. But other than that, I love the design of the app; it makes me like to learn rather than the other apps with mediocre at best designs. Additionally, I like the idea to keep track with the words/characters/idioms that one knows because it gives me a rough estimate of my vocabulary goals. One major plus to this app is that it suits all levels of learners rather than just the beginner learners. A learner of any level is able to improve their vocabulary and is not stuck in this “beginner hole” that other apps do to people. Overall, this app is a breath of fresh air and would recommend any other learner to use it!