Available now on iOS & Android

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.

Download on App Store Get it on Google Play See features

Made by Quantum Quacks · sister app to Kotomaji and Dalmaji

100% offline, in 14 languages

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, 59 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 collects no personal data; it is the sister app to Kotomaji (for Japan) and Dalmaji (for Korea). Released in July 2026, it is available on the App Store for iPhone (iOS 16+) and on Google Play for Android (8.0+) — free to download with an optional one-time Pro purchase.

Category: Travel · Education
Platform: iOS 16+ / Android 8+
Price: Free · Pro one-time
Developer: Quantum Quacks

149Travel phrases

HSK 1–3Hanzi levels

59Travel tips

14Languages

100%Offline

One App, Both Stores

Handarin is live on the App Store and on Google Play. Both versions are built from the same Kotlin Multiplatform core, so iPhone and Android get the same 149 phrases, the same native audio and the same offline data — no "lite" version, no waiting for parity.

iPhone: iOS 16.0 or later
Android: Android 8.0 or later

App Store Google Play

Free to download on both stores · version 1.0.0 · no ads, no account, no personal data

Handarin: Chinese for Travel — phrases, native audio, pinyin and HSK

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 1–3 characters with meanings and animated stroke order to start reading and writing Chinese, level by level from HSK 1 upward.

59 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

Greetings & etiquette

Restaurants & ordering

Tea houses

Transport & trains

Hotels & check-in

Shopping & bargaining

Directions

Emergencies & health

Numbers, prices & money

Useful everyday words

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

你好

nǐ hǎo

Hello

简体繁體 pīnyīn

HSK Hanzi, Level by Level

Meanings and animated stroke order, from HSK 1 to HSK 3

HSK 1BeginnerFREE

HSK 2Elementary

HSK 3Intermediate

59 China Travel Tips

The practical things guidebooks skip — in your language

WeChat Pay & AlipayVPNs & connectivityDiDi ridesHigh-speed trainsTea-house scamsTipping etiquetteChopstick mannersHealth & pharmacies

Free to Start, Pro Once

No subscriptions — buy Pro once, keep it forever

Free

Forever

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 personal data

Download on App Store Get it on Google Play

ONE-TIME

Handarin Pro

One-time

No subscription

All premium travel tips (culture, connectivity, health)
HSK 2 & 3 characters
All premium travel phrases
Lifetime access — buy once
Free updates forever
No subscriptions or recurring charges

Get Pro on iPhone Get Pro on Android

Pro is an in-app purchase — install Handarin free first, then unlock it from the app.

14 Interface Languages

Learn Mandarin from your own language

🇺🇸 English🇪🇸 Español🇩🇪 Deutsch🇫🇷 Français🇮🇹 Italiano🇧🇷 Português (BR)🇵🇹 Português (PT)🇷🇺 Русский🇯🇵 日本語🇰🇷 한국어🇹🇭 ไทย🇻🇳 Tiếng Việt🇮🇩 Bahasa Indonesia🇮🇳 हिन्दी

Perfect For

🧳 First-time travelers to China📚 Mandarin language students💼 Business travelers🥢 Food & culture explorers🎓 HSK exam beginners

Why Handarin?

Built for real trips to China, not for endless study

vs Google Translate

~~Robotic text-to-speech~~→Native audio with correct tones
~~Literal, sometimes wrong translations~~→Curated natural travel phrases
~~Needs a connection (and a VPN in China)~~→Works 100% offline

💡 Tip: use Translate to read signs with the camera, Handarin to speak.

vs other phrasebook apps

~~1,000+ phrases you'll never use~~→149 phrases for real moments
~~Monthly subscription~~→One-time Pro, no subscription
~~Pinyin only, no characters~~→Simplified, Traditional + HSK hanzi
~~English-only interface~~→14 interface languages

Screenshots

Handarin app: Mandarin travel phrases home screen with categories

Handarin app: greetings phrases with hanzi, pinyin and native audio

Handarin app: HSK hanzi learning screen with animated stroke order

Handarin app: verified China travel tips (payments, trains, etiquette)

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, 59 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?

Yes, on both. Handarin is available now on the Apple App Store for iPhone (iOS 16+) and on Google Play for Android (Android 8.0+). Both versions are built from the same Kotlin Multiplatform core, so they ship the same 149 phrases, native audio, HSK hanzi, travel tips and yuan converter.

Where can I download Handarin?

On iOS, download Handarin from the Apple App Store: https://apps.apple.com/app/id6787658119. On Android, get it on Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=es.quantumquacks.handarin. It is free to download on both stores, with an optional one-time Handarin Pro purchase.

If I buy Handarin Pro, does it work on both platforms?

Handarin Pro is a one-time purchase handled by each store, so it unlocks Pro on the platform you bought it on: an App Store purchase is tied to your Apple Account and a Google Play purchase to your Google account. On either platform you can reinstall or switch to a new phone and restore Pro at no extra cost.

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 phrases, the HSK 2 and 3 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 Dalmaji (for Korea), and the studio is also behind Worldmarks, Kaeru and SweepSheep.