Zishu

Name: Zishu
Rating: 4.7 (10 reviews)
Author: Ben Morrison

Learn to write Chinese

Free · In‑App Purchases · Designed for iPad. Not verified for macOS.

10 Ratings
Age Rating

4+
Years
Category

Education
Developer

Ben Morrison
Language

EN
English
Size

72.1
MB

New in 1.2: a calligraphy ink brush, spaced repetition Daily Review, automatic grading, and connected-stroke writing like 了 in one motion. Free, offline, no ads. Learn to write Chinese characters, stroke by stroke. Zishu is a personal Chinese handwriting tutor that works completely offline. Draw every character stroke by stroke on screen and get instant validation against authentic stroke order data, with a brush that feels like real ink. CALLIGRAPHY INK BRUSH A simulated brush whose width and angle follow the speed and direction of your hand, with a tapered entry and a pressed finish. Classic and invisible stroke styles are also available. STROKE DETECTION THAT UNDERSTANDS HANDWRITING Automatically detects whether each stroke is right as you write. Connected strokes can be written in one motion, like 了 in a single flow or the cover of 学. If you prefer, you can turn off automatic grading and judge your own writing for a true handwriting experience. DAILY REVIEW WITH SPACED REPETITION Every character you practice is scheduled on expanding intervals (1, 3, 7, 14, 30, 60 days). Miss one and it comes back sooner. A Daily Review card shows exactly what is due today, and practice automatically features the characters you struggle with. AUTOMATIC GRADING Each character is graded from your strokes. Confirm or override with a tap, or turn on auto-advance and just keep writing. EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO STUDY - HSK 1 to 6, radicals, and frequency sets - Custom sets from any text, organized in folders, plus review sets built from your mistakes - Radical meanings shown when you complete a character - Built-in dictionary with pinyin and definitions, and your own notes - Native Mandarin pronunciation - Streaks, goals with a daily pace, and detailed progress SIMPLIFIED OR TRADITIONAL Pick the characters you're learning when you first open the app, and switch anytime in Settings. Every set converts, and your progress is kept. MADE FOR IPHONE AND IPAD A comfortable, adjustable writing area on iPad. Interface in English and Chinese. 100% OFFLINE AND PRIVATE No account, no ads, no tracking. All your data stays on your device, with built-in backup export and import. Zishu is free and made by one student developer. If it helps you, there is a tip jar in the menu. Nothing is locked behind it.

Ratings & Reviews

4.7

out of 5

10 Ratings

Best App for learning Chinese on foenem grave…
08/05/2025
Reedisrandom
Masterful. Utterly masterful.Using this app alone, I was able to learn and write over 100 Mandarin characters in only a few weeks.The way it is designed also makes it fun and engaging to learn as well. Truly the best in the market and is free too! Such a generous developer. I bet he's a 6'2, fine white curly haired entrepreneur.
Best App for learning Chinese on foenem grave…
08/05/2025
Reedisrandom

Masterful. Utterly masterful.Using this app alone, I was able to learn and write over 100 Mandarin characters in only a few weeks.The way it is designed also makes it fun and engaging to learn as well. Truly the best in the market and is free too! Such a generous developer. I bet he's a 6'2, fine white curly haired entrepreneur.
Very Good App
Aug 21
Ctaco13
The app is very good. I like how it includes the vocabulary for each HSK level. One thing I would like to see changed is in the endless practice of you have been introduced to a character in another word, the singular character will be automatically put into the endless card deck. This is bothersome to me because I prefer to practice the context of word I have already learned. One thing I would like to be added is a system where the app tracks which words you are having trouble writing and will feature these words when practicing. Another thing I want to see added is the ability to create an account to back up data.
Very Good App
Aug 21
Ctaco13

The app is very good. I like how it includes the vocabulary for each HSK level. One thing I would like to see changed is in the endless practice of you have been introduced to a character in another word, the singular character will be automatically put into the endless card deck. This is bothersome to me because I prefer to practice the context of word I have already learned. One thing I would like to be added is a system where the app tracks which words you are having trouble writing and will feature these words when practicing. Another thing I want to see added is the ability to create an account to back up data.
Excellent app for practice
Mar 27
meshatech
Quite nifty, clean, and you can add your own characters, truly a gentlemen’s app
Excellent app for practice
Mar 27
meshatech

Quite nifty, clean, and you can add your own characters, truly a gentlemen’s app
Big help
Feb 2
Why thischannel
I learned ~25 characters in a week.
Big help
Feb 2
Why thischannel

I learned ~25 characters in a week.

Hey, this is Archer, the creator of Zishu. This is a big one: • Fixed custom sets disappearing, and sets you lost before should come back • Daily Review: spaced repetition brings characters back right before you'd forget them • Practice now features the characters you struggle with • New calligraphy ink brush, now the default stroke style • Rebuilt stroke detection: fairer on position and size, strict on direction and hooks • Traditional characters: choose Simplified or Traditional, switch anytime, every set converts • Write connected strokes in one motion, like 了 in a single flow • Automatic grading with Correct/Incorrect as an override, plus an optional auto-advance • Radical meanings shown when you complete any character • Goals now track a steady daily pace from the day you set them • New duotone themes: Vermillion orange and Rice Paper • iPad: comfortable, adjustable writing area • Clearer Chinese pronunciation • A tip jar, if you'd like to support development. Nothing is locked behind it. Zishu stays free. Questions, bugs, or ideas: archer@cre8d.com. Follow @zishu.app on Instagram.

Version 1.2.0 Aug 27

Data Not Collected

The developer does not collect any data from this app.

Privacy practices may vary, for example, based on the features you use or your age. Learn More

Accessibility

Information

Seller: Ben Morrison
Size: 72.1 MB
Category: Education
Compatibility: Requires iOS 15.0 or later.

iPhone
Requires iOS 15.0 or later.

iPad
Requires iPadOS 15.0 or later.

iPod touch
Requires iOS 15.0 or later.

Mac
Requires macOS 12.0 or later and a Mac with Apple M1 chip or later.

Apple Vision
Requires visionOS 1.0 or later.
Languages: English
Age Rating: 4+

4+

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In-App Purchases: Yes

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