Compare
How it compares with other ways to learn Chinese
Updated
Very Chinese Time in My Life is a game for practising spoken Mandarin in everyday situations. It does not do everything. These pages compare it with Duolingo, HelloChinese, Pimsleur and other games for learning Chinese: what each one is, how you practise speaking, where each is the better choice, and how to use them together.
All of them in one table
What each one is, how you speak, what it does with characters, where it runs and what it is good for. The other products are described as they were at the time of writing.
| What it is | Speaking | Characters | Where it runs | Good for | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Very Chinese Time in My Life | A game: one week in a present-day Chinese city | The main activity. You say each word and sentence to someone who reacts. | Shown on every word with pinyin and English. Not taught on their own. | Windows PC | A trip coming up; learners who freeze when they have to talk |
| Duolingo | An app with short daily lessons, more than 40 languages | Speaking exercises and speaking lessons inside a wider course. | Reading and writing exercises. | Phone and web | A daily habit over months; a free start |
| HelloChinese | An app only for Chinese, with courses by HSK level | Speech recognition that corrects pronunciation. | Handwriting practice and graded stories. Simplified and traditional. | Phone | A full course with characters, grammar and HSK |
| Pimsleur | An audio course, five levels of 30 lessons | You answer out loud in every lesson. | About 100 reading exercises in the app. | Phone app, works hands-free | Learning by ear on a commute; going beyond the basics |
| Other learning games | Role-playing, exploring and memory games on Steam | Some have speech recognition, some are listening only. | Varies. Some train characters, up to HSK 6. | Mostly Windows and macOS | Vocabulary, characters, or a story you enjoy |
The comparisons
Each page lists the differences point by point, says who should pick which, and how to use both.
- Duolingo or Very Chinese Time in My Life for learning Chinese? Duolingo is a daily habit on your phone for months. The game is one week of spoken Chinese in everyday situations. What each does better, and how to use both. Read
- HelloChinese or Very Chinese Time in My Life? HelloChinese is a full Chinese course on your phone, with characters, grammar and HSK levels. The game is spoken practice for one week of everyday situations. Read
- Pimsleur Mandarin or Very Chinese Time in My Life? Both put speaking first. Pimsleur is a long audio course you can do without a screen. The game shows you the place, the person and the words. Read
- Games for learning Chinese Six games on Steam that teach Mandarin, ours included: what each one is, how you learn, whether you speak, and who it suits. Read
How these pages are written
These pages are not neutral, because we make Very Chinese Time in My Life. We have tried to make them fair:
- Every fact about another product comes from its own website, its App Store or Google Play page, or its Steam page. Each page links to them and says when we checked.
- We do not list prices, because they change often. Features are described as they were at the time of writing.
- Every page says what the other product does better and who should choose it.
Our game does one job: spoken Chinese for everyday situations, for beginners. For reading, writing, grammar, the HSK (the official Chinese language test) or a long course, the other tools on these pages do more.
For ways to learn that are not products, such as classes, tutors, textbooks and living in China, see how to learn Chinese: every way compared.
Questions
What is the best way to learn some Chinese before a trip to China?
Practise saying a small set of everyday phrases out loud. For a trip in the next few weeks, these help most: hello, thank you, how much, this one, where is, and I don’t understand. An app or an audio course helps you learn the words. A speaking game such as Very Chinese Time in My Life lets you use them in the situations a visitor meets.
Is Very Chinese Time in My Life better than Duolingo or HelloChinese?
Very Chinese Time in My Life does a narrower job than Duolingo or HelloChinese. It is spoken practice for one week of everyday situations in China. Duolingo and HelloChinese are long courses on your phone that also teach reading and writing. Which is better depends on what you need. Many people use an app and the game together.
Can I use Very Chinese Time in My Life together with a language app?
Very Chinese Time in My Life works well next to an app or a course. Use the app for vocabulary, reading and a daily habit. Use the game to say whole sentences out loud in places such as a taxi, a hotel desk or a food stall.
Are these comparisons neutral?
The comparisons on this site are not neutral. Bauta Studio, the makers of Very Chinese Time in My Life, wrote them. Facts about other products come from their official websites, app store pages and Steam pages, with links and the date we checked them. Every page says where the other product is the better choice.
Which is best for learning Chinese characters?
For characters, pick an app with reading and handwriting practice, such as HelloChinese or Duolingo. On Steam, Ragnar’s Chinese Memory Game reviews 5,000 characters. Very Chinese Time in My Life shows characters on every word, but it is about speaking.