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Chinese characters
that finally stay.

Tongda is a Chinese learning app for simplified characters and vocabulary. Turn each character into a scene you can picture, then keep it with spaced repetition.

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Learn the Chinese character 明 with a personal mnemonic scene
Tongda home screen with today’s Chinese character reviews, new words, and learning progress
Recall the meaning of 明 before revealing the answer in Tongda
See how a scene is made
How it works

A character is easier to remember
when it means something to you.

Tongda connects sound, tone, shape, and meaning in one vivid scene, built from people, places, and things you already know.

From the start sound

A person

The start sound calls up someone vivid, from a close friend to a face from film, music, or memory.

From the end sound & tone

A place

The end sound sets a familiar place, and the tone puts the scene in a specific room.

From the character components

A few things

A component is a part of a character. Each component becomes a thing you can picture, like a blazing sun, a moon, or a beating heart.

Build characters from familiar components

You already know
more than you think.

Learn a character. Recognize its components.
Each one helps you learn the next.

Chinese vocabulary for everyday life

A path into everyday Chinese.

Learn 2,000+ simplified Chinese characters and 4,000+ words. Start with the ones you'll use most, then build on what you know.

  1. 01

    Most useful first

    Ordered by real-world frequency and informed by HSK 3.0, with nearly every HSK 1 to 6 character included.

  2. 02

    Each one builds on the last

    Components arrive before the characters they build, and characters before the words, so every new item reuses something you know.

  3. 03

    Starts where you are

    A quick check at the start finds your level and skips the characters you already have down.

Inside Tongda

Learn. Recall. Repeat.

From your first character to a daily habit.

Tongda home screen with 20 reviews due, a 14-day streak, and a new word and character to learn
A habit you keep

A little Chinese. Every day.

Open Tongda and see what is due, what is next, and how far you have come. Learn and review offline, with separate tracks for characters and words.

Audio is included for every character and word. Your progress syncs when you reconnect. Creating a new scene needs an internet connection.

  • Daily reviews
  • Character & word tracks
  • Offline study
Choose a familiar person for a Chinese character’s mnemonic scene in Tongda
Make the memory your own

Your world. Your way to remember.

Choose from suggested people and things, or add your own. Set the scene in a place you know. Now the character has somewhere to live in your memory.

Your choices carry over to characters that share the same sounds and components. One scene connects sound, tone, shape, and meaning.

  • Familiar people
  • Your places
  • Vivid things
Tongda asks you to recall the meaning of 明 before tapping Reveal
Recall first. A reminder when you need it.

Remember more. Review a little.

Spaced repetition brings each item back when it is due. Try to recall the meaning and pinyin, then reveal the answer. Need a reminder? Your scene is one tap away.

Grade each answer with one tap. Tongda uses FSRS to schedule your next review based on what you remember.

  • Meaning
  • Pronunciation
  • Listening
  • Writing

Frequently asked questions

What can I learn with Tongda?
Tongda teaches simplified Chinese characters and Mandarin vocabulary. Learn 2,000+ Chinese characters and 4,000+ words, with audio and reviews for meaning, pronunciation, listening, and writing. Mnemonic scenes help you learn each character. Spaced repetition helps you remember it over time.
Do I need to know any Chinese already?
None at all. A quick level check finds your starting point, whether you are learning your first Chinese character or building on what you already know. You can skip the characters you have down.
Does Tongda teach simplified or traditional Chinese?
Tongda teaches simplified Chinese characters with Mandarin pronunciation and pinyin. Traditional Chinese and Cantonese are not supported.
What is a mnemonic?
A mnemonic is a memory aid, such as a picture or story that helps you remember something new. In Tongda, it is a scene that connects a Chinese character's sound, tone, shape, and meaning with familiar people, places, and things.
Do I have to come up with my own mnemonics?
No. Tongda suggests a person and a few things, you choose a familiar place, and the app creates the scene. Together, they connect the character's sound, tone, shape, and meaning. Prefer your own person or thing? You can add one anytime.
What's the science behind it?
Tongda draws on research into memory palaces and spaced repetition. Linking information to images in familiar places can help you remember it. Spacing out recall practice helps you keep what you learn. Tongda puts these ideas into practice with a scene for each Chinese character and FSRS, a spaced repetition algorithm that schedules reviews based on your answers.
Does Tongda teach grammar or speaking?
Not yet. Tongda focuses on characters and vocabulary, with practice in reading, writing, pronunciation, and listening. Writing reviews ask you to recall the character from its meaning, then show its stroke order. Use it alongside a tutor for grammar and conversation practice for now.
Is Tongda based on HSK? Which levels does it cover?
Tongda includes nearly every HSK 1 to 6 character. The curriculum combines HSK 3.0 with how often characters appear in everyday Chinese. You learn common characters early, with components introduced before the characters and words that use them. It does not follow exam-level order or cover every HSK word, so it is not a complete HSK exam course.
How is Tongda different from Duolingo, HelloChinese, or Anki?
Tongda focuses on building your memory for Chinese characters and vocabulary. It brings together an ordered curriculum, generated mnemonic scenes, audio, and spaced repetition. You do not need to find a flashcard deck or build one yourself. For grammar and conversation practice, use Tongda alongside a tutor.
Is Tongda available on iPhone and Android?
Yes. Get Tongda for iOS on the App Store or for Android on Google Play. Both versions include the same curriculum, mnemonic scenes, and spaced repetition reviews.
Does it work offline?
Yes, learn and review without a signal. Your progress syncs when you're back online. Creating a new scene needs an internet connection.

Start remembering characters
instead of forgetting them.

Download Tongda for iOS or Android. Find your starting point with a quick level check, then learn your first characters.

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