Handarin
字maji
Speak Mandarin, travel easy
Speak Mandarin with confidence from day 1
Your pocket Mandarin phrasebook: 149 real travel phrases with native audio, Simplified & Traditional characters, pinyin, HSK hanzi and a built-in yuan converter. Works 100% offline, in 14 languages.
Made by Quantum Quacks · sister app to Kotomaji
What is Handarin?
Handarin (字maji) is a Mandarin Chinese travel phrasebook and learning app developed by Quantum Quacks. It contains 149 essential travel phrases with native audio, Simplified and Traditional characters plus pinyin for every phrase, HSK hanzi with animated stroke order, 34 China-specific travel tips, and a built-in yuan (CNY) currency converter — all working 100% offline. The interface is available in 14 languages. Handarin has no ads, no account and no tracking; it is the sister app to Kotomaji (for Japan).
- Category
- Travel · Education
- Platform
- iOS 16+ / Android 8+
- Price
- Free · Pro one-time
- Developer
- Quantum Quacks
Main Features
149 Real Travel Phrases
Hand-picked phrases for the situations you'll actually face in China — greetings, restaurants, transport, hotels, shopping, emergencies and more. Not 10,000 phrases you'll never use.
Native Mandarin Audio
Hear every phrase spoken by native speakers, with male and female voices, so you learn the four tones the right way — not robotic text-to-speech.
Characters + Pinyin
Simplified and Traditional Chinese characters plus pinyin for every phrase, so you can read, point and pronounce whichever way works for you.
HSK Hanzi & Stroke Order
HSK characters with meanings and animated stroke order to start reading and writing Chinese, level by level from HSK 1 upward.
34 China Travel Tips
Practical, China-specific advice: WeChat Pay and Alipay, VPNs, DiDi, high-speed trains, tea-house scams, tipping and chopstick etiquette — in your language.
Yuan Currency Converter
Convert Chinese yuan (CNY) to your currency in real time, with an offline fallback table. One less app to install for your trip.
Phrases for Every Situation
Organized for the real moments of a trip to China
Read Chinese Your Way
Every phrase shows Simplified and Traditional characters and pinyin, so you can point at the script locals read or sound it out in Latin letters.
- ✓ Simplified characters (Mainland China)
- ✓ Traditional characters (Taiwan, Hong Kong)
- ✓ Pinyin with tone marks for pronunciation
- ✓ Measure words (量词) handled correctly
HSK Hanzi, Level by Level
Meanings and animated stroke order, from HSK 1 to HSK 6
34 China Travel Tips
The practical things guidebooks skip — in your language
Free to Start, Pro Once
No subscriptions — buy Pro once, keep it forever
Free
- ✓ A core set of essential travel phrases
- ✓ HSK 1 characters with stroke order
- ✓ Native male & female audio
- ✓ Simplified, Traditional & pinyin
- ✓ Unlimited yuan currency converter
- ✓ Favorites & instant search
- ✓ 100% offline
- ✓ No ads, no account, no tracking
Handarin Pro
- ✨ All premium travel tips (culture, connectivity, health)
- ✨ HSK 2+ characters
- ✨ All premium travel phrases
- ✨ Lifetime access — buy once
- ✨ Free updates forever
- ✨ No subscriptions or recurring charges
14 Interface Languages
Learn Mandarin from your own language
Perfect For
Why Handarin?
Built for real trips to China, not for endless study
vs Google Translate
💡 Tip: use Translate to read signs with the camera, Handarin to speak.
vs other phrasebook apps
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Handarin?
Handarin is a Mandarin Chinese travel phrasebook and learning app by Quantum Quacks. It includes 149 real travel phrases with native audio, Simplified & Traditional characters plus pinyin, HSK hanzi with animated stroke order, 34 China-specific travel tips, and a built-in yuan (CNY) currency converter. It works fully offline and its interface is available in 14 languages.
Does Handarin work offline?
Yes. Every phrase, audio recording, character and tip is stored on-device. The only feature that needs internet is fetching live exchange rates for the currency converter, and even then a bundled offline rate table is used as a fallback.
Is Handarin available on Android and iOS?
Handarin is built with Kotlin Multiplatform and is coming to both the Apple App Store (iOS 16+) and Google Play (Android 8+). It is not yet released — follow Quantum Quacks to hear when it launches.
Is Handarin free?
Handarin is free to use, with a core set of phrases, travel tips and HSK 1 characters. Handarin Pro is a single one-time purchase — no subscriptions — that unlocks all premium travel tips, HSK 2+ characters and lifetime access.
Do I need to know Chinese to use Handarin?
No. Handarin is designed for travelers and absolute beginners. Every phrase shows Simplified and Traditional characters, pinyin (Latin letters) and a translation in your language, plus native audio so you learn the tones correctly.
Who makes Handarin?
Handarin is made by Quantum Quacks, an indie studio founded by Luis Sebastian Huerta. It is the sister app to Kotomaji (for Japan), and the studio is also behind Worldmarks, Kaeru and SweepSheep.
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