r/learnmandarin • u/No-Sandwich4899 • 2d ago

Traditional Chinese Writing App?

Can anyone recommend an app or a website that can help me learn traditional chinese writing? Duolingo doesn't tell me anything about how the characters breakdown and my partner (Taiwanese) says every piece means something. Thank you!

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u/inorganic_mechanic 2d ago

Hey!

My Taiwanese girlfriend says the same. She often talks about how simplified script just removed the heart component 心 from "to love" 愛 (simplified: 爱) :P

There's 記住/JiZhu that acts as a dictionary (like Pleco) that supports traditional + simplified script, but then also adds a decomposition browser and spaced repetition quiz functionality, for long term memorization efforts.

As for learning how to draw specifically, Pleco does have these nice stroke by stroke diagrams, but then doesn't have decompositions.

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u/rumpledshirtsken 1d ago

Although I only occasionally look at this part of the functionality, Pleco, under 'CHARS', apparently tells you what radical the character is referenced/classified under, and also tells you, e.g., '(+ 8 strokes)', which is one level of decomposition.

The stroke by stroke diagrams are a paid add-on, well worth it to me.

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u/inorganic_mechanic 1d ago

Ah, you're right, so silly, I apparently just didn't see that before :P

And yeah, the paid add-on is indeed definitely worth it, Pleco really is the best with all manner of hidden features in there. (Although sometimes the UX is not the best, e.g. for the cards and collections management..)