Best Chinese Dictionary Apps for Traditional Chinese Learners
Topic In Chinese: 繁體中文字典 App（Fántǐ Zhōngwén Zìdiǎn App）＋注音（zhùyīn）友善
Updated: February 2026
If you’re learning Traditional Chinese, the “best” dictionary app is the one that makes you look things up immediately—without rage-quitting, without switching keyboards, and without needing Wi-Fi at the exact moment you’re stuck.
Below are the top dictionary apps that play nicely with Traditional characters, Taiwan usage, Zhuyin, offline mode, and real-life example sentences—plus a big vocabulary section so you can talk about dictionaries in Chinese like a functional adult.
Yak Snark Box: If your “dictionary” can’t do handwriting input, it’s basically telling you: “Congrats on not knowing the pronunciation. Good luck.”
Quick Picks
- Best All-Around (Learners): Pleco
- Best Taiwan-Official Definitions (Monolingual): MOE dictionaries (教育部) + MOE-based apps
- Best Taiwan Flavor + Extra Languages: Moedict（萌典）
- Best Android-Friendly Alternative (Zhuyin + Offline): Hanping Chinese Dictionary
- Best Bonus Tool (Browser/Desktop): MDBG (online + reader tools)
How to Choose a Dictionary App (Without Overthinking It)
If You’re Learning to Read
- Traditional characters (繁體字 / 正體字)
- Handwriting lookup (手寫輸入)
- Example sentences (例句)
- Offline mode (離線)
If You’re Learning to Speak
- Audio pronunciation (發音 / 真人發音)
- Zhuyin support (注音) if you’re Taiwan-focused
- Tone display (聲調)
- Usage notes (用法 / 口語 vs 書面語)
Dictionary Feature Vocabulary Cards
字典（zìdiǎn）
dictionary
例句：我用字典查這個字。
Wǒ yòng zìdiǎn chá zhè ge zì.
I use a dictionary to look up this character.
手寫輸入（shǒuxiě shūrù）
handwriting input
例句：我不知道怎麼念，就用手寫輸入。
Wǒ bù zhīdào zěnme niàn, jiù yòng shǒuxiě shūrù.
I don’t know how to pronounce it, so I use handwriting input.
注音（zhùyīn）
Zhuyin / Bopomofo
例句：我用注音查「覺得」。
Wǒ yòng zhùyīn chá “juéde”.
I use Zhuyin to look up “覺得”.
例句（lìjù）
example sentence
例句：這個字典有很多例句。
Zhè ge zìdiǎn yǒu hěn duō lìjù.
This dictionary has lots of example sentences.
離線（líxiàn）
offline
例句：我在捷運上離線查字。
Wǒ zài jiéyùn shàng líxiàn chá zì.
I look up characters offline on the MRT.
繁體字（fántǐzì）
Traditional characters
例句：我學的是繁體字。
Wǒ xué de shì fántǐzì.
I’m learning Traditional characters.
部首（bùshǒu）
radical
例句：我用部首查「樹」。
Wǒ yòng bùshǒu chá “shù”.
I use radicals to look up “樹”.
釋義（shìyì）
definition / explanation
例句：這個詞的釋義很清楚。
Zhè ge cí de shìyì hěn qīngchǔ.
The definition of this word is very clear.
Best Dictionary Apps for Traditional Chinese Learners
Pleco (iOS / Android) — Best All-Around Learner Dictionary
Why it’s great: Pleco is famous for powerful lookups like handwriting and live OCR (camera text lookup), plus tons of dictionary add-ons and study tools.
- Best for: learners who want one app for dictionary + reading + studying
- Look for: handwriting (手寫輸入), OCR (光學字元辨識), example sentences (例句), audio (發音)
- Reality check: some features and dictionaries are paid add-ons (付費加購)
MOE Dictionaries (教育部) — Best Taiwan-Official Definitions
Why it’s great: Taiwan’s Ministry of Education (教育部) publishes multiple authoritative electronic dictionaries (國語辭典簡編本、重編國語辭典修訂本、成語典、異體字字典、臺語/客語辭典等). MOE-based apps are excellent when you want “official” wording and Taiwan-standard readings.
Suggested pick: Me國語新辭典（iOS） is an MOE-based offline dictionary with features like fuzzy search (模糊搜尋) and chain lookup (連環查).
- Best for: Taiwan usage (臺灣用法), formal definitions (釋義), and lots of entries (詞條)
- Heads-up: MOE-style dictionaries are often monolingual (mostly Chinese explanations)
Moedict (萌典) — Best Taiwan Flavor + Extra Languages
Why it’s great: Moedict is an MOE-powered “folk edition” that bundles Mandarin with Taiwan Minnan (臺灣台語) and Hakka (臺灣客語), works offline for browsing, and can play human recordings online for many entries. Great when you want Taiwan context beyond “standard textbook Mandarin.”
- Best for: Taiwan-language curiosity + cross-strait terms (兩岸詞典 content)
- Look for: clickable definitions (連環查 vibe), stroke-order animations (筆順動畫)
Hanping Chinese Dictionary — Best Android-Friendly Alternative (Zhuyin + Offline)
Why it’s great: Hanping supports Pinyin and Zhuyin, Traditional and Simplified, and is designed to work offline. It’s a solid “daily driver” dictionary app—especially if you’re on Android and want Zhuyin support.
- Best for: Android learners who want quick lookup + Zhuyin (注音)
- Nice extras: vertical Zhuyin (直排注音) and add-on tools like camera OCR in the Hanping ecosystem
教育百科 — Best “One App, Many MOE Resources” Bundle
Why it’s great: 教育百科 pulls together multiple MOE dictionary sources (like 國語小字典、國語辭典簡編本、重編國語辭典修訂本、成語典) and adds broader educational entries, with features like voice search and “image recognition” style lookup.
- Best for: learners who want MOE + encyclopedia vibes in one place
- Look for: audio (發音) and multi-source coverage (很方便，但也很容易掉進去一直查)
MDBG (Web + Tools) — Best Bonus for Quick Online Lookups
Why it’s great: MDBG is a free online Chinese dictionary that supports Traditional/Simplified views and includes handwriting recognition and extra study tools. It’s not “an app” in the App Store sense for most people—but it’s an excellent backup when you’re on a laptop.
- Best for: fast lookups on desktop, sharing links with classmates, quick checks
- Pair it with: an offline app (離線) for commuting and travel
Comparison Table (Fast Scan)
| App / Tool | Best For | Traditional | Zhuyin | Offline | Standout Feature |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pleco | All-in-one learner setup | Yes | Often via settings/add-ons | Yes (core) | Handwriting + OCR |
| MOE / MOE-based apps | Official Taiwan definitions | Yes | Yes (common) | Depends on app | Authoritative entries |
| Moedict（萌典） | Taiwan + 台語/客語 | Yes | Yes (common) | Yes (browsing) | Multi-language Taiwan focus |
| Hanping | Android + Zhuyin | Yes | Yes | Yes | Offline + vertical Zhuyin |
| 教育百科 | Many MOE resources | Yes | Often | Depends | MOE bundle + voice/image lookup |
| MDBG | Desktop quick lookups | Yes | No (mainly pinyin) | No (web) | Handwriting + tools |
Useful Phrases for Using Dictionary Apps (Real Life)
- 這個字怎麼念？
Zhè ge zì zěnme niàn?
How do you pronounce this character?
例句：這個字怎麼念？我查不到。
Zhè ge zì zěnme niàn? Wǒ chá bù dào.
How do you pronounce this character? I can’t find it. - 這個詞是什麼意思？
Zhè ge cí shì shénme yìsi?
What does this word mean?
例句：這個詞是什麼意思？可以解釋一下嗎？
Zhè ge cí shì shénme yìsi? Kěyǐ jiěshì yíxià ma?
What does it mean? Can you explain? - 你可以幫我查一下嗎？
Nǐ kěyǐ bāng wǒ chá yíxià ma?
Can you help me look it up?
例句：你可以幫我查一下「鑰匙」嗎？
Nǐ kěyǐ bāng wǒ chá yíxià “yàoshi” ma?
Can you help me look up “鑰匙”? - 可以給我一個例句嗎？
Kěyǐ gěi wǒ yí ge lìjù ma?
Can you give me an example sentence?
例句：可以給我一個例句嗎？我想知道怎麼用。
Kěyǐ gěi wǒ yí ge lìjù ma? Wǒ xiǎng zhīdào zěnme yòng.
Can you give me an example? I want to know how to use it. - 這個比較口語還是書面語？
Zhè ge bǐjiào kǒuyǔ háishì shūmiànyǔ?
Is this more spoken or written/formal?
例句：這個比較口語還是書面語？我怕用錯。
Zhè ge bǐjiào kǒuyǔ háishì shūmiànyǔ? Wǒ pà yòng cuò.
Is it spoken or formal? I’m afraid I’ll use it wrong. - 我只看得懂繁體字。
Wǒ zhǐ kàn de dǒng fántǐzì.
I can only read Traditional characters.
例句：我只看得懂繁體字，可以切換嗎？
Wǒ zhǐ kàn de dǒng fántǐzì, kěyǐ qiēhuàn ma?
I can only read Traditional—can we switch? - 這個字的部首是什麼？
Zhè ge zì de bùshǒu shì shénme?
What’s the radical of this character?
例句：這個字的部首是什麼？我想用部首查。
Zhè ge zì de bùshǒu shì shénme? Wǒ xiǎng yòng bùshǒu chá.
What’s the radical? I want to search by radical. - 你可以用注音寫嗎？
Nǐ kěyǐ yòng zhùyīn xiě ma?
Can you write it in Zhuyin?
例句：你可以用注音寫嗎？我比較習慣。
Nǐ kěyǐ yòng zhùyīn xiě ma? Wǒ bǐjiào xíguàn.
Can you write it in Zhuyin? I’m more used to it. - 我想查同義詞。
Wǒ xiǎng chá tóngyìcí.
I want to look up synonyms.
例句：我想查同義詞，看看哪個比較自然。
Wǒ xiǎng chá tóngyìcí, kànkan nǎ ge bǐjiào zìrán.
I want synonyms to see what sounds more natural. - 這個量詞怎麼用？
Zhè ge liàngcí zěnme yòng?
How do you use this measure word?
例句：這個量詞怎麼用？是一個還是一位？
Zhè ge liàngcí zěnme yòng? Shì yí ge háishì yí wèi?
How do I use this measure word—個 or 位?
Tables of Dictionary Vocabulary (50+ Essentials)
Every entry below includes Traditional characters, pinyin (tone marks), meaning, and an example sentence you can steal immediately.
Search and Input
| Hanzi | Pinyin | Meaning | Example (ZH) | Example (Pinyin) | Translation (EN) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 查 | chá | to look up | 我去查一下。 | Wǒ qù chá yíxià. | I’ll go look it up. |
| 查字 | chá zì | look up a character | 我用手機查字。 | Wǒ yòng shǒujī chá zì. | I use my phone to look up characters. |
| 查詞 | chá cí | look up a word/phrase | 看到新詞就查詞。 | Kàndào xīn cí jiù chá cí. | When I see a new word, I look it up. |
| 查詢 | cháxún | query/search (formal) | 請用關鍵字查詢。 | Qǐng yòng guānjiànzì cháxún. | Please search using keywords. |
| 搜尋 | sōuxún | search | 我在字典裡搜尋這個詞。 | Wǒ zài zìdiǎn lǐ sōuxún zhè ge cí. | I search this word in the dictionary. |
| 模糊搜尋 | móhú sōuxún | fuzzy search | 我拼錯也能模糊搜尋。 | Wǒ pīn cuò yě néng móhú sōuxún. | Even if I misspell it, I can fuzzy-search. |
| 連環查 | liánhuán chá | chain look-up | 我用連環查一直點下去。 | Wǒ yòng liánhuán chá yìzhí diǎn xiàqù. | I keep tapping through with chain lookup. |
| 手寫輸入 | shǒuxiě shūrù | handwriting input | 不會念就用手寫輸入。 | Bú huì niàn jiù yòng shǒuxiě shūrù. | If I can’t pronounce it, I use handwriting input. |
| 語音輸入 | yǔyīn shūrù | voice input | 我用語音輸入查「餐廳」。 | Wǒ yòng yǔyīn shūrù chá “cāntīng”. | I use voice input to look up “restaurant”. |
| 部首查詢 | bùshǒu cháxún | radical search | 我用部首查詢「鏡」。 | Wǒ yòng bùshǒu cháxún “jìng”. | I use radical search for “鏡”. |
| 筆畫查詢 | bǐhuà cháxún | stroke-count search | 我用筆畫查詢找到了。 | Wǒ yòng bǐhuà cháxún zhǎodào le. | I found it using stroke-count search. |
| 拍照查字 | pāizhào chá zì | photo look-up | 我用拍照查字看菜單。 | Wǒ yòng pāizhào chá zì kàn càidān. | I use photo lookup to read the menu. |
| 光學字元辨識 | guāngxué zìyuán biànshí | OCR | 光學字元辨識很快。 | Guāngxué zìyuán biànshí hěn kuài. | OCR is fast. |
Pronunciation and Writing
| Hanzi | Pinyin | Meaning | Example (ZH) | Example (Pinyin) | Translation (EN) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 注音 | zhùyīn | Zhuyin/Bopomofo | 我用注音練發音。 | Wǒ yòng zhùyīn liàn fāyīn. | I use Zhuyin to practice pronunciation. |
| 漢語拼音 | Hànyǔ Pīnyīn | Hanyu Pinyin | 我用漢語拼音查詞。 | Wǒ yòng Hànyǔ Pīnyīn chá cí. | I use Pinyin to look up words. |
| 聲調 | shēngdiào | tones | 這個字的聲調是四聲。 | Zhè ge zì de shēngdiào shì sìshēng. | This character’s tone is fourth tone. |
| 發音 | fāyīn | pronunciation | 我想聽正確的發音。 | Wǒ xiǎng tīng zhèngquè de fāyīn. | I want to hear the correct pronunciation. |
| 真人發音 | zhēnrén fāyīn | human-recorded audio | 真人發音比較自然。 | Zhēnrén fāyīn bǐjiào zìrán. | Human audio sounds more natural. |
| 朗讀 | lǎngdú | read aloud | 請幫我朗讀這句話。 | Qǐng bāng wǒ lǎngdú zhè jù huà. | Please read this sentence aloud for me. |
| 多音字 | duōyīn zì | polyphonic character | 「行」是常見的多音字。 | “Xíng / háng” shì chángjiàn de duōyīn zì. | “行” is a common polyphonic character. |
| 筆順 | bǐshùn | stroke order | 我想學正確的筆順。 | Wǒ xiǎng xué zhèngquè de bǐshùn. | I want to learn the correct stroke order. |
| 筆順動畫 | bǐshùn dònghuà | stroke-order animation | 筆順動畫很清楚。 | Bǐshùn dònghuà hěn qīngchǔ. | The stroke-order animation is clear. |
| 筆畫 | bǐhuà | strokes | 這個字有幾筆畫？ | Zhè ge zì yǒu jǐ bǐhuà? | How many strokes does this character have? |
| 正體字 | zhèngtǐzì | Traditional (Taiwan term) | 臺灣常用「正體字」這個說法。 | Táiwān cháng yòng “zhèngtǐzì” zhè ge shuōfǎ. | In Taiwan, “zhèngtǐzì” is commonly used. |
| 繁體字 | fántǐzì | Traditional characters | 我在學繁體字。 | Wǒ zài xué fántǐzì. | I’m learning Traditional characters. |
| 簡體字 | jiǎntǐzì | Simplified characters | 這個網站只有簡體字。 | Zhè ge wǎngzhàn zhǐ yǒu jiǎntǐzì. | This website only has Simplified characters. |
Meaning and Usage
| Hanzi | Pinyin | Meaning | Example (ZH) | Example (Pinyin) | Translation (EN) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 釋義 | shìyì | definition | 我看釋義還是不懂。 | Wǒ kàn shìyì háishi bù dǒng. | I still don’t understand after reading the definition. |
| 例句 | lìjù | example sentence | 看例句最快懂。 | Kàn lìjù zuì kuài dǒng. | Examples make it fastest to understand. |
| 用法 | yòngfǎ | usage | 這個詞的用法很特別。 | Zhè ge cí de yòngfǎ hěn tèbié. | This word’s usage is special. |
| 詞性 | cíxìng | part of speech | 它的詞性是動詞。 | Tā de cíxìng shì dòngcí. | Its part of speech is a verb. |
| 量詞 | liàngcí | measure word | 「一杯咖啡」的量詞是「杯」。 | “Yì bēi kāfēi” de liàngcí shì “bēi”. | In “a cup of coffee,” the measure word is “杯.” |
| 同義詞 | tóngyìcí | synonym | 我想找同義詞換一下。 | Wǒ xiǎng zhǎo tóngyìcí huàn yíxià. | I want a synonym to swap in. |
| 反義詞 | fǎnyìcí | antonym | 它的反義詞是什麼？ | Tā de fǎnyìcí shì shénme? | What’s its antonym? |
| 成語 | chéngyǔ | idiom | 這個成語很常用。 | Zhè ge chéngyǔ hěn chángyòng. | This idiom is commonly used. |
| 慣用語 | guànyòngyǔ | set phrase | 這是臺灣的慣用語。 | Zhè shì Táiwān de guànyòngyǔ. | This is a Taiwan set phrase. |
| 口語 | kǒuyǔ | spoken/casual | 這個說法比較口語。 | Zhè ge shuōfǎ bǐjiào kǒuyǔ. | This expression is more casual/spoken. |
| 書面語 | shūmiànyǔ | written/formal | 報告要用書面語。 | Bàogào yào yòng shūmiànyǔ. | Reports should use formal written language. |
| 詞條 | cítiáo | dictionary entry | 這個詞條寫得很完整。 | Zhè ge cítiáo xiě de hěn wánzhěng. | This entry is very complete. |
| 臺灣用法 | Táiwān yòngfǎ | Taiwan usage | 我想看臺灣用法。 | Wǒ xiǎng kàn Táiwān yòngfǎ. | I want to see Taiwan usage. |
Study and Workflow
| Hanzi | Pinyin | Meaning | Example (ZH) | Example (Pinyin) | Translation (EN) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 離線 | líxiàn | offline | 離線也能查。 | Líxiàn yě néng chá. | You can look it up offline too. |
| 線上 | xiànshàng | online | 我線上查比較快。 | Wǒ xiànshàng chá bǐjiào kuài. | Online search is faster for me. |
| 書籤 | shūqiān | bookmark | 我把這個詞加到書籤。 | Wǒ bǎ zhè ge cí jiā dào shūqiān. | I bookmarked this word. |
| 收藏 | shōucáng | favorite/save | 先收藏，晚點複習。 | Xiān shōucáng, wǎndiǎn fùxí. | Save it first; review later. |
| 生字 | shēngzì | new word/character | 今天的生字好多。 | Jīntiān de shēngzì hǎo duō. | So many new words today. |
| 生字簿 | shēngzì bù | vocab notebook | 我用生字簿記單字。 | Wǒ yòng shēngzì bù jì dānzì. | I use a vocab notebook to record words. |
| 查詢紀錄 | cháxún jìlù | search history | 我看查詢紀錄再複習。 | Wǒ kàn cháxún jìlù zài fùxí. | I review using my search history. |
| 複習 | fùxí | review | 我每天複習十分鐘。 | Wǒ měitiān fùxí shí fēnzhōng. | I review for 10 minutes daily. |
| 抽認卡 | chōurènkǎ | flashcards | 我用抽認卡背單字。 | Wǒ yòng chōurènkǎ bèi dānzì. | I use flashcards to memorize words. |
| 標籤 | biāoqiān | tag | 我用標籤分類生字。 | Wǒ yòng biāoqiān fēnlèi shēngzì. | I tag new words to organize them. |
| 匯出 | huìchū | export | 我把單字匯出成檔案。 | Wǒ bǎ dānzì huìchū chéng dǎng’àn. | I export the vocab list to a file. |
| 付費加購 | fùfèi jiāgòu | paid add-on | 這個功能要付費加購。 | Zhè ge gōngnéng yào fùfèi jiāgòu. | This feature requires a paid add-on. |
| 隱私權 | yǐnsī quán | privacy rights | 下載前先看隱私權說明。 | Xiàzài qián xiān kàn yǐnsī quán shuōmíng. | Check the privacy info before downloading. |
Tiny Practice: Use Your Dictionary Like a Pro
Try these mini tasks in your favorite app (字典 App / zìdiǎn app):
- Switch to 繁體字（fántǐzì） if your results show 簡體字（jiǎntǐzì）
Optional Variants (Taiwan-Friendly Notes)
| What You Want | Chinese | Pinyin | Meaning | Quick Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Traditional characters (common label) | 繁體字 | fántǐzì | Traditional characters | 我學繁體字。 Wǒ xué fántǐzì. I learn Traditional characters. |
| Traditional characters (Taiwan wording) | 正體字 | zhèngtǐzì | Traditional characters (Taiwan term) | 這個網站有正體字版本。 Zhè ge wǎngzhàn yǒu zhèngtǐzì bǎnběn. This site has a Traditional version. |
| Look up a character | 查字 | chá zì | look up a character | 我查字查到半夜。 Wǒ chá zì chá dào bànyè. I ended up looking up characters until midnight. |
| Look up a word/phrase | 查詞 | chá cí | look up a word | 這個要查詞才準。 Zhè ge yào chá cí cái zhǔn. You need to look up the whole word for accuracy. |
Final Yak Box: Pick one main dictionary app and learn its shortcuts (手寫輸入, 注音/拼音切換, 離線, 例句). “Having five apps” is not a learning strategy. It’s a hobby.
Start with Pleco (learner power tools), add one Taiwan-official option (MOE or Moedict) for local usage, and you’ll cover 95% of real-world Traditional Chinese needs—without turning “looking up one word” into a 20-minute side quest.
