I am learning Mandarin from zero. After moving to Hong Kong in 2025, I wanted one free HSK tool that did four things:
- Followed the official November 2025 HSK 3.0 list from end to end
- Had native-speaker audio on every word and every example sentence
- Ran on my phone and my laptop with synced progress
- Did not charge a subscription
Nothing out there checked all four. So I built it.
What it is
Mandarin Deck lives at mandarindeck.com. It is a web app, so there is no app store install. Sign in with Google, sync progress across devices, and install it to your home screen for offline study after first load.
Who it is for
Absolute beginners through advanced learners. HSK 3.0 has nine levels: 1 through 6 cover everyday fluency, and 7 through 9 push toward professional and near-native. Mandarin Deck follows the full arc.
It is for people who want one app that grows with them. If you already have an Anki deck you love, or you are focused only on speaking practice, this is not a replacement. It is a long-arc memory tool.
Where it fits in your toolkit
Mandarin Deck is the memory and reading spine, not the whole stack. I use it with Pleco, Speechling, HelloChinese, and comprehensible-input YouTube channels. Its lane is structured HSK 3.0 progression, spaced repetition with audio, and reading practice with tap-to-define vocabulary.
How it compares to other tools
- Anki. Powerful and flexible. You bring the deck, you vet the quality, you manage card types. Mandarin Deck ships with the official list, audio, examples, and etymology already wired up.
- Duolingo. Gamified and addictive. Its Mandarin track is shallow and does not map to HSK.
- Pleco. The best Chinese dictionary. Its flashcard add-ons are good but paid and unstructured.
- HelloChinese, SuperChinese. Structured lessons, locked behind a subscription, thinner on the long-term memory side.
- Mandarin Deck’s lane. Free. HSK 3.0 native. Spaced repetition on every word. Audio on every word and every example. Reading mode with grammar notes. Cross-device sync. Curriculum spine, not speaking replacement.
What is in the app today
- 12,281 words total: 10,902 from the official November 2025 HSK 3.0 list plus 1,379 supplementary words covering food, restaurants, Hong Kong vocabulary, transport, and everyday filler.
- 5 drill modes: Character to Pinyin, Pinyin to English, English to Pinyin, Audio to Pinyin, and Audio to English.
- A placement quiz of 8 questions per level. 7 of 8 to skip a level, calibrated so guessing your way through is roughly 0.001 percent likely.
- Spaced repetition that adjusts each word’s next review based on how well you knew it last time, with confused-pair tracking so words you mix up get queued together for extra practice.
- Reading mode with grammar annotations. HSK 1 to 3 passages live, HSK 4 to 6 in progress.
- Analytics dashboard, heatmap, and a per-word browser with full search.
- Google sign-in with Supabase cloud sync across devices.
- Installs to your phone’s home screen as a Progressive Web App (PWA) and works offline after first load. No app store needed.
Honest caveats
This is an active project. Expect rough edges. Every drill card has a “Report a Problem” button, and I read every submission.
I pay the hosting and infrastructure out of pocket. The app is free today. If usage ever grows beyond what I can personally cover, I will figure out the next step then.
Try it
mandarindeck.com. Free. Sign in with Google so progress follows you between phone and laptop. The companion blog post covers the build, migrations, and bugs.
