Compare
Duolingo or Very Chinese Time in My Life for learning Chinese?
Updated
Duolingo is for a daily habit over months. Very Chinese Time in My Life is for speaking in everyday situations. Duolingo is a free app with short lessons, on your phone or the web. Very Chinese Time in My Life is a game for Windows PC: you spend one week in a present-day Chinese city and say the Chinese out loud to the people you meet. Both start from zero.
The short answer
Pick Duolingo if you want to study a little every day for months, and learn to read as well as speak. It is free to start, it runs on your phone, and it is built around a daily habit.
Pick Very Chinese Time in My Life if you are going to China soon and want to practise saying everyday things out loud. It covers one week of situations that visitors meet: a driver who asks where you are from, a breakfast stall with no English menu, a pharmacy when you feel unwell.
Many people get the most from using both. The app keeps you in touch with the language every day. The game is where you say it to someone who is waiting for your answer.
Side by side
What each one offers, point by point. The Duolingo column describes it at the time of writing.
| Duolingo | Very Chinese Time in My Life | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A language app with short lessons. Chinese is one of more than 40 courses. | A first-person game on PC. You spend one in-game week in a present-day Chinese city. |
| What you practise | Speaking, reading, listening and writing, in short exercises. In 2025 the Chinese course was rebuilt around CEFR levels (the European scale of language levels, from A1 up). | Spoken Chinese for everyday situations: getting from the airport to a hotel, ordering food, paying by phone, asking the way, buying medicine, having dinner with a family. |
| How speaking works | Some exercises ask you to say a sentence. Some lessons focus on speaking and listening. The paid Max plan adds Video Call, a conversation with an AI character, in the courses that offer it. | Speaking is the main activity. You say each word, then the whole sentence, and the person in front of you reacts. You can click your answer instead. |
| Characters | Reading and writing are part of the course. | Every word is shown in characters, with pinyin above and English below. The game does not teach reading or handwriting. |
| What keeps you going | Streaks, leaderboards and rewards for practising every day. | A story that moves on day by day. Speaking Chinese earns points, which you spend on clothes for your character. |
| Where it runs | iPhone, Android and the web. | Windows PC, on Steam. |
| Cost | Free to use, with ads. Paid plans (Super, Max) remove ads and add features. This was the case at the time of writing. | Not announced yet. The game is coming to Steam. |
Where is Duolingo the better choice?
Long-term study
Duolingo’s Chinese course lasts months and is organised by level. The game covers one week of everyday situations. If you want to keep studying for a year, the app has much more for you.
Learning on your phone
A Duolingo lesson takes a few minutes on a phone. You can do one on a bus or in a queue. The game needs a Windows PC.
Reading and writing
Duolingo has reading and writing exercises. The game shows characters on every word, but it does not teach you to read them on your own or to write them.
Free to start
You can download Duolingo and start today for free. The game is not out yet, and its price is not announced.
Other languages
Duolingo teaches more than 40 languages. The game teaches only Mandarin Chinese.
What the game does differently
You say each phrase where you need it
At the airport you say 不用了，谢谢 (no need, thanks) to drivers who offer you a ride. At a breakfast stall you point and say 这个 (this one). Each phrase goes with a place and a person, so it is easier to remember on a real trip.
People react to what you say
There is no red X for a wrong answer. A different answer leads to a different result. If you order a coffee in a noodle shop, the owner goes out and buys you one.
Pinyin shows how words sound
The game writes pinyin the way people say it, not the way a dictionary lists each character. So 你好 (hello) is written ní hǎo, not nǐ hǎo. If you read the pinyin aloud, you say it right.
The things a visitor deals with in the first week
Saying no to drivers who offer rides, checking in with a passport, paying by scanning a QR code, asking a stranger the way to the metro, telling a pharmacist what is wrong.
Who should pick which
Duolingo suits you if
- You want to study Chinese for months or years.
- You want to learn to read characters.
- You want something free to start with, on your phone.
- A daily streak keeps you going.
The game suits you if
- You are going to China soon and want to speak in everyday situations.
- You have used an app, but you freeze when you have to talk.
- You prefer playing through scenes to doing exercises.
- You want pinyin that shows how words are said.
Using both
Use Duolingo for a few minutes on your phone most days. Use the game when you have half an hour at your computer, to say things out loud in a situation.
Words from the app come back in the game when you need them. A stall owner asks how many buns you want. A driver asks where you are from. If you can answer them without help, you have really learned those words.
The facts about Duolingo come from its official pages, listed under Sources at the end. We checked them on 5 November 2026. Apps change often, so check those pages for current features and prices. We, Bauta Studio, make Very Chinese Time in My Life.
Questions
Is Duolingo good for learning Chinese?
Duolingo is good for building a daily habit with Chinese. Over months you learn vocabulary, reading and listening. It is free to start and runs on a phone. To practise speaking in real situations before a trip, add a speaking tool such as Very Chinese Time in My Life.
Is Very Chinese Time in My Life a replacement for Duolingo?
Very Chinese Time in My Life does not replace Duolingo. The game covers one week of everyday situations and is about speaking. Duolingo is a long course that also teaches reading and writing. They do different jobs and work well together.
Which is better for speaking Chinese, Duolingo or Very Chinese Time in My Life?
Very Chinese Time in My Life has more speaking. In every scene you say the words and the sentence out loud, and the people in the game react. Duolingo has speaking exercises and speaking lessons as one part of a wider course.
Can I use Very Chinese Time in My Life on my phone like Duolingo?
Very Chinese Time in My Life does not run on a phone. It is a game for Windows PC, on Steam. If your computer has no microphone, you can use a phone as the microphone.
Does Very Chinese Time in My Life teach Chinese characters?
Very Chinese Time in My Life shows every word in characters, with pinyin and English. It does not teach handwriting or test your reading. For reading and writing, an app such as Duolingo or HelloChinese is the better tool.
How much does Duolingo cost?
Duolingo is free to use with ads, at the time of writing. Paid plans called Super and Max remove the ads and add features. Prices change and differ by country, so check the App Store, Google Play or Duolingo’s website.
Sources
Where the facts about Duolingo on this page come from: its own pages, checked on 5 November 2026.