Learn Mandarin with confidence
Learn Chinese without the burnout.
Grow your vocabulary quickly and retain it effortlessly over time in as little as 10 minutes a day.
Custom SRS queue
Reviews land right before you forget, so progress compounds.
HSK-aligned lessons
Clear lesson paths with vocab, sentences, and native audio.
Built for busy days
Simple goals, quick sessions, and momentum you can keep.
Method
How Mando teaches
Two complementary tracks: first you build a strong vocabulary foundation with spaced repetition, then you grow fluency with stories designed for comprehensible input.
Build your core vocabulary
Mando uses a custom spaced repetition algorithm that times reviews to the edge of forgetting. You retain information over time and expand your vocabulary quickly and effortlessly with sessions that fit real life.
Learn the right set
Lessons introduce vocabulary in context, with audio and examples so you build meaning, not memorization.
Review at the perfect moment
Your queue adapts based on accuracy and speed to schedule the next repetition before decay kicks in.
Lock it in over time
Each successful review stretches the interval, so what you know stays known while you keep adding new words.
Incorporate comprehensible input
Coming February 23, 2026After you have a base vocabulary, you need lots of meaning-first exposure. Mando stories (launching February 23, 2026) will work like graded readers: you read simple texts where most words are familiar, and you infer new vocabulary from context, without grinding endless lists.
What you’ll be able to do
- Read a short story matched to your level
- Tap a word to reveal a hint (pinyin + meaning)
- Save new words into your SRS queue for later review
Comprehensible input stories (coming soon)
今天我去。
我看见一只，它很。
我给它，它摇摇尾巴。
回家后，我读一个小，把这些词记住。
Word hint
公园
gōngyuán · park
In the app, this panel can expand into examples, audio, and quick review.
Coming soon
- Adjustable story difficulty (graded reader levels)
- Auto-highlighting words from your deck
- Tap-to-save new words into your SRS queue
Shadowing
Coming April 15, 2026Shadowing is the bridge between “I understand it” and “I can actually say it.” You listen to native speech and repeat immediately, matching rhythm, tones, and flow, so your mouth learns what your brain already knows. It builds comfort producing sounds without hesitation, anxiety, or freezing up.
How we recommend doing it
Option 1: long-form shadowing (daily life)
Listen to long-form audio of realistic Chinese conversations and shadow along while you go about your day. Walk in the park, clean the house, commute, or cook, and keep repeating the same episodes until they feel natural. This builds listening and, more importantly, speaking skill quickly.
Option 2: short-clip shadowing (precision)
- Pick a short, natural clip (5–20 seconds)
- Listen once for meaning, then shadow in real-time
- Loop the same line until it feels effortless
- Keep it low-stakes: speed first, perfection later
Shadowing demo
Coming April 15, 2026
Mini dialog
你最近怎么样？
Nǐ zuìjìn zěnmeyàng?
How have you been lately?
还不错，就是有点忙。
Hái búcuò, jiùshì yǒudiǎn máng.
Not bad, just a bit busy.
周末一起喝咖啡吧。
Zhōumò yìqǐ hē kāfēi ba.
Let’s get coffee this weekend.
In-app this will become: tap-to-loop, adjustable speed, and optional recording to compare your shadow to the native audio.
Branching out
Once you have vocabulary, comprehensible input, and shadowing practice, you’re ready to move from “understanding and speaking in private” to engaging with native content and real people. This is where Mandarin becomes part of your daily life.
Ideas to branch out
- Watch dramas or YouTube with subtitles you can tolerate
- Follow Chinese creators and read short posts/comments
- Join a language exchange and keep conversations simple
- Use Mandarin in low-stakes moments with friends or coworkers
Native video
Short clips you can rewatch and shadow.
Daily reading
Posts, captions, and comments you can parse.
Real conversation
Small talk that grows into real connection.
Practical wins
Ordering food, travel, and everyday moments.
What makes Mando unique
An all-in-one path from comprehension to speaking.
Most apps stop at flashcards. Mando connects the full loop: retain vocabulary with SRS, grow understanding through stories, unlock fluent output with shadowing, and then push you into real native content and conversations.
One cohesive system
One loop that builds fluency: lessons → reviews → stories → speaking.
Designed for momentum
Short sessions, clear next steps, and progress that compounds daily.
Beyond comprehension
You don’t just recognize words. You get comfortable producing them out loud.
Pricing
Pick a plan that fits your routine.
All plans include the full app: lessons, audio, and spaced-repetition reviews. The only difference is how often you pay.
Monthly
$12/month
Billed monthly
- Full access
- Great for trying it out
- Cancel anytime
Free trial included. Cancel anytime.
6 months
$64/6 months
Save ~11% vs monthly
- $10.67/mo equivalent
- Full access
- Best for steady progress
Free trial included. Cancel anytime.
Yearly
$100/year
Save ~31% vs monthly
- $8.33/mo equivalent
- Full access
- Best value
Free trial included. Cancel anytime.
FAQ
Your questions about Mando
Is Mando good for total beginners?
Yes. Start by building core vocabulary and basic sentence patterns, then move into stories when you’re ready. The goal is steady progress without overwhelm.
How much should I study each day?
Aim for 10–20 minutes a day. Consistency beats long sessions. SRS works best when you show up regularly.
How is this different from Anki?
Anki is powerful, but it’s DIY. Mando gives you a guided path (lessons, stories, shadowing), plus a queue tuned for Mandarin learning so you spend less time configuring and more time learning. Instead of spending time creating every card manually, reviewing multiple versions of the same card across different decks, and piecing together a messy DIY setup, you can stay confident and save time with Mando. All cards sync across decks, so if you learn 这个 or 妈妈 in one deck, you progress that word in every deck instead of getting multiple identical cards to review.
Do stories replace flashcards?
They complement them. SRS helps you retain words; stories help you understand and recognize those words in context, which is how reading and listening become natural.
What exactly is shadowing?
You listen to a native clip and repeat in real-time, matching rhythm and tones. It trains fast recall and reduces the “blanking out” feeling when you try to speak.
When should I start branching out into native content?
Once you can follow simple stories and shadow short clips without panic, you’re ready. Start with short, repeatable content and gradually increase difficulty.
Can I learn tones with this approach?
Yes. Shadowing and audio-first practice are designed to build tone comfort. You’ll also see tones repeated in context across stories and reviews.
Can I cancel if it’s not for me?
Yes. Start with the free trial. If you are not fully convinced Mando is the best way to learn Chinese, or you are not ready to commit yet, you can cancel anytime from the Billing section of your profile.