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About this app
Learn to write Chinese characters, stroke by stroke. Zishu is a personal Chinese handwriting tutor that works completely offline. Draw every character stroke by stroke on screen and get instant validation against authentic stroke order data, with a brush that feels like real ink. INK BRUSH Strokes look and behave like ink: fuller when you slow down, thinner when you move fast, with a soft dry-brush edge on long, quick strokes. The original calligraphy brush, a classic line, and an invisible style are also available. STROKE DETECTION THAT UNDERSTANDS HANDWRITING Every stroke is checked as you write, including direction and every turn, so a 竖折 needs its turn. Connected strokes can be written in one motion, with three styles to grow into as you get faster: Light (a few natural joins), Everyday (了 in a single flow, 氵 and 讠 in one stroke) and Running script (looser, more cursive). Boxes like 口 can be written in one stroke however you write them: as an R, a Z or a loop. Or turn it off and write every stroke separately. TRUE HANDWRITING Prefer to write without feedback? Handwriting mode shows your own ink, and True Handwriting lets you write the whole character freely, then tap Check to see how you did. Both work in Learning, too. DAILY REVIEW WITH SPACED REPETITION Every character you practice is scheduled on expanding intervals (1, 3, 7, 14, 30, 60 days). Miss one and it comes back sooner. A Daily Review card shows exactly what is due today, and practice automatically features the characters you struggle with. MEANING RECALL Optionally hide meanings during review: see only the pinyin, write the character, then check whether you remembered what it means. Meanings you forget come back sooner, on their own schedule. AUTOMATIC GRADING Each character is graded from your strokes. Confirm or override with a tap, or turn on auto-advance and just keep writing. EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO STUDY - HSK 1 to 6, radicals, and frequency sets - Custom sets from any text, organized in folders, plus review sets built from your mistakes - Radical meanings shown when you complete a character - Built-in dictionary with pinyin and definitions, and your own notes - Native Mandarin pronunciation - Streaks, goals with a daily pace, and detailed progress SIMPLIFIED OR TRADITIONAL Pick the characters you're learning when you first open the app, and switch anytime in Settings. Every set converts, and your progress is kept. MADE FOR IPHONE AND IPAD A comfortable, adjustable writing area on iPad. Interface in English, Simplified Chinese and Traditional Chinese. 100% OFFLINE AND PRIVATE No account, no ads, no tracking. All your data stays on your device, with built-in backup export and import. Zishu is free and made by one student developer. If it helps you, there is a tip jar in the menu. Nothing is locked behind it.
What's new
Version 1.3.1 · Nov 3, 2026
This update fixes a few problems from 1.3.0, mainly with connected strokes, which didn't work as well as they should have. My bad for letting something not fully complete slip out. • Connected strokes rebuilt: boxes like 口 can now be written in one stroke however you write them, as an R, a Z or a loop, big or small, neat or fast. • Three connected-stroke styles to grow into as you speed up: Light, Everyday and Running script. • Stroke checking fixed: strokes with turns, like 竖折 and 横折, now need every turn drawn, instead of accepting a straight line. • New Ink brush, now the default: solid ink that fills out when you slow down and thins when you go fast. The original brush is still in Settings → Stroke type. • True Handwriting: write the whole character freely, then tap Check to see how you did. • Handwriting and True Handwriting now work in Learning too. • Refreshed Light and Dark themes, and many smaller fixes.
In-app purchases
The most popular purchases on the App Store.
- Buy Me XiaolongbaoConsumable$99.00
- Zishu ShifuConsumable$199.00
- Buy Me a TeaConsumable$39.00
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