เกี่ยวกับ HanziSkills

HanziSkills is a free Chinese character dictionary built around a simple question: what does a learner need in order to use one character well? The answer is more than a definition. It is the pronunciation, the tone, the stroke order, the structure, the words that use it — and a way to practise.

The dictionary currently holds 9,565 character records and 20,266 published words. Of these, 4,809 characters and 7,537 words are listed in the browse index; the remaining records stay reachable by direct link and are kept for coverage. Character pages include animated stroke order, pinyin, English definitions, radicals, components, etymology hints, common words and related characters. The interface is available in fourteen languages; dictionary definitions are in English for now.

A dictionary shaped around the learner

We started with the study session, not the data model. A learner meets a character, hears it, writes it, takes it apart, uses it in a word, and comes back to it later. Every page follows that sequence.

That is why a character page opens with the character itself and its stroke animation, keeps the reading and tone beside it, and places common words and a practice-sheet link within reach. The HSK lists follow the same idea: words are arranged by level, and every entry leads back to a full character or word page instead of ending in a table.

Edited for consistency

Every entry follows the same editorial standard: one clear primary reading, a short definition that gets to the point, simplified and traditional forms shown together, and common words ordered by everyday usefulness. When a character has more than one reading, we lead with the one a learner meets first and keep the others visible rather than hiding them.

The dictionary is reviewed and corrected over time. We tighten definitions, fix readings and add words as the language and the exams change. If something looks wrong, tell us — learner feedback is part of the editing process.

Privacy and accounts

The dictionary is usable without an account. An optional account stores an email address, a scrypt password hash and your saved characters. Audio is generated by a self-hosted text-to-speech service and cached on the server; the text you play is a character or word from the dictionary, not personal content. Read the full privacy policy.

Corrections and contact

No dictionary is perfect. If a definition, reading or stroke animation looks wrong, send the character and the correction to [email protected]. The same address is used for licensing questions and account deletion requests.

Licensing information for third-party data is kept in our Terms and third-party notices.