Hello Chinese Review: Better than Duolingo? Pros & Cons!

[@blushforbreakfast]

I like both apps, duolingo immerses you until you’re very familiar with the characters and the construction of the phrase/sentence. It helped me memorize the characters and it allows me to practice typing them myself or speaking thru voice command. Hello Chinese is generous with explanation which I didn’t find in Duolingo. I also love the natural way of speaking the language with its recorded native speakers. I can’t do with just one of them, both are very helpful. 😊

[@themultilingualmind7296]

Love the comment about the native speaker recordings! I thought this was so helpful and fun to see in an app! I would have killed for something like this in French when I was learning it....

[@Kuna9613]

This was really helpful. I will definitely check out Hello Chinese once I’m near the end of the Duolingo course (and when they have their next sale!). Would love to see more content like this :) inspired by your work ethic 🤣 Sometimes I lose motivation but so far I’ve always managed to return to Duolingo thanks to its annoying notifications haha

[@themultilingualmind7296]

Thanks for the nice comment! I’m glad the video was helpful : ) lol those notifications will get you! Haha

[@barrieskotaya-ostojic8837]

Hello Chinese doesn’t make you compete for XPs against people who are studying an easy language like Spanish. Just picture yourself starting a marathon race with a 100 pound gear wearing military boots going up a steep mountain trail vs being on a 10 speed with a cyclist who is riding on a flat paved road. The cyclist complained how it rained part way through the race or how there should have been more refreshment stops along the way. With hello Chinese everyone is climbing the mountain with 100 pounds of military gear. You aren’t going to get kicked out of the Diamond League because some Spanish learner on an easy Category I language got more XPs taking the easy street.

[@magvs_mæstro216]

I noticed that too. Day 751 on Duolingo and day 19 on HelloChinese..... didn't even notice this until you said it

[@japannaplo2281]

I learned moslty with it, and it is very easy to use, the explanations are super easy to understand, the amount for practice is just perfect - not too much, not too few, it has very creative tasks, and very well built up lessons. However, I wanted to take HSK exam, and it promises that it brings you up to HSK 4 which is not true, I think. The app teaches you 1019 words and 321 characters in total, that barely even covers HSK 3 (necessary words: 2245, necessary characters: 1050 together with levels 1 and 2). I had to use other materials as well to prepare for HSK 3, because the app itself wouldn't have been enough, even if it says so.

[@anayacerinaryu7690]

I tried out Hello Chinese's free portion, and while I really liked it, I really don't like the price. There is actually a 30% sale right now, but it's still a lot of money; especially considering how many free Chinese language learning resources there are. If it was like, half the price or less, then yes, I very well might buy it. But actually, for the price they demand, I can pay for a literal Chinese course at a nearby language school, with a real life physical teacher and everything 😅 So considering that, Hello Chinese is really not tempting

[@violetelena601]

first! Can’t wait to watch. I use this app everyday!

[@themultilingualmind7296]

Hope you like it!

[@Comrade_Broski]

The story about annoying your dog was HILARIOUS! I literally LoL'd 🤣

[@myriampro4973]

If you are a speaker of any language other than English, you are doing the old course. Still in the middle of it, just changed the language of the app, and the option of new and old appeared. The same lessons I completed in Spanish appeared as such in the old path in English.

[@mrandredparis]

I really love this review, thank you!

[@themultilingualmind7296]

You're so welcome! Thanks for the nice comment : )

[@squigglove]

Im using both. For now, I can't choose o e overthe other. Also really loving Busuu.

[@gsedan]

Have you purchased the HellohChinese Perimum version? It gives you access to hundered of podcasts with new vocabulary in each lesson. I think you will find it much more useful and challenging than Duolingo. I have finished Duolingo course about half a year ago. I feel that although it was a nice way to start, it is not that good once you get over the basic stuff.

[@themultilingualmind7296]

I haven’t yet, though am tempted since I love their format so much! I’m paying for Skritter right now which I find to be totally worth it for the convenience, though that is obviously only writing practice.

[@Clear_Prodigy]

For anyone who has finished the app, After which lesson are the HSK checkpoints? Like after the taste lesson it says you have achieved hsk 1, where does it say hsk 2 and hsk 3 etc

[@Comrade_Broski]

On the "review with native speaker" section, you can write Pinyin with English keyboard followed by the tone# such as "Mao1" to say "cat" 👍

[@kkc3786]

西瓜🍉很好吃😘

[@schniependonk]

Hello Chinese is really good. The free part is useful for beginners. The intermediate courses are quite expensive. 150 bugs. But what in my opinion is a no go, that is the abo trap. Its in my opinion a half criminal behavior and i by default dont make contracts with companies that obviously try to cheat people. Duolingo doesnt has such abo trap.

[@barrieskotaya-ostojic8837]

Yeah now that I think of it getting distracted needing to mine XPs when you are learning the toughest language being pitted against some Spanish learner on the “gentlemen’s course” when you’re going through Hell Week in Chinese learning Hanzi is just outright wrong. Duolinguo needs to make their race against everyone else learning Chinese together with no cross over on XPs. Have the Spanish learners compete only with other Spanish learners. The playing field needs to be leveled.

[@garrygadsby5061]

Thanks Erin, Great review and have started using it after also trying Duolingo and can feel benefits from both. I am slowly progressing through the first few lessons ( have just finished dates).I am a slow learner and therefore need to build strong foundations in the beginning to support memory function. May I ask if you know of a reader for a beginner such as myself that might run parallel to either of these two apps, so that I can practice my reading skills outside of the apps? Thank you kindly 😃.

[@themultilingualmind7296]

For sure! Check out my video on the mandarin companion books. They’re great! They run decently parallel to Duolingo and Hello Chinese but if you add in the integrated Chinese textbook, that was also a huge help for me.

[@garrygadsby5061]

@@themultilingualmind7296 Thanks Erin, will do🙂.

[@garrygadsby5061]

@@themultilingualmind7296 Hey Erin, Went to Kinokuniya bookstore in Sydney for the breakthrough book and they were out of stock. I had a look at a sample on your link to it and I think for now it might be a bit advanced for me. I will build my foundation on both apps first and see how that goes 👍.

[@barrieskotaya-ostojic8837]

如果你要学习手写汉字、你好中文是好了。但Duolinguo是好，如果你需要很多repetitions練習使用中文.

[@motomono]

What is the app to learn Chinese writing? I was looking for something similar to screeder or scripter(American pronunciation… 😂) but couldn’t find anything.

[@themultilingualmind7296]

No problem! It’s called Skritter

[@motomono]

@@themultilingualmind7296 Thank you! 😘

[@blmaa319]

I liked your accent and i wonder if you have time to see how i speak

[@manuelheld5522]

Nice channel and vids :)

[@themultilingualmind7296]

Thanks so much! : )

[@barrieskotaya-ostojic8837]

For the keyboard choose handwriting then you’ll be really practicing Chinese.

[@urbanstrolls]

Do you learn to speak chinese using this app?

[@themultilingualmind7296]

I mainly use Duolingo, but I do love Hello Chinese as well : )

[@teasemate360]

She is beautiful! I'll learn from her any day! Hello gorgeous ?