Top Tools to Learn Reading Chinese In 2021

Learn to read Chinese can be a challenging task. Fortunately, many appropriate tools are available that are both effective and fun ways to learn to read Chinese. 

While learning Chinese characters, you probably experienced difficulty in memorizing characters. It needs constant struggle to put Chinese characters into memory and only a few minutes to forget them. 

Without regular and constant practice and review, the characters you learn will eventually remove from your memory. Regular reading practice often helps you to memorize the characters to put into your long-term memory. 

How can I practice Reading Chinese?

When you learn Chinese, you can use the ‘graded readers’ tools, which are the best resource for practicing reading Chinese. The ‘graded readers’ tools enable you to review and memorize the characters suitable to your level. 

Recommended Chinese Graded Readers

A variety of ‘graded readers’ tools is available on the internet. My favorite one is the Mandarin Companion series, which has stories with great illustrations and valuable vocabulary. 

I recommend you to try electronic mobile resources like the Du Chinese and Chairman’s Bao. If you are willing to invest 30 minutes a day practicing reading Chinese through these tools, you likely notice an obvious improvement in your Chinese. 

What is the Chairman’s Bao?

It is a Chinese news-based graded reader which can be used on tablets, smartphones, and online. New lessons are published on daily basis and written by native Chinese speakers following the HSK word listings.  

This app is incredibly convenient for learners. It allows the users to select a context suitable for their level. Each lesson is based on the HSK level, so it is great for learners preparing to take the HSK exam. 

Its live dictionary feature allows users to select a character and review its explanation and pinyin. It also helps you learn keyword vocabulary and definitions for each lesson. You can improve your listening skill by listening to the native speaker’s audio provided in each lesson. Even it lets you save the vocabulary words in lists for further study. 

What is Du Chinese?

Du Chinese is a mobile app that can be used on tablets and smartphones. It is suitable for all levels of learners. It has many appropriate features like an option to display pinyin above all characters in the lesson. It is very helpful in improving your pronunciation. 

It provides English translations for each sentence. It also has a live dictionary, native-speaker audio lesson, and feature to add characters to reading lists. 

Final thoughts 

There are many amazing tools available for learning to read Chinese such as Chairman’s Bao or Du Chinese. For beginner learners, I recommend using Du Chinese app, because it has many articles that are appropriate for beginners. 

Amazingly, Chinese learners have excellent tools which not only help them to learn a language but also provide a fun way of learning.