Measured in productive hours

Speaking Mandarin takes about 900 hours. Getting started takes 60 seconds.

Set your goal, and learn the words that apply to it. The clock favors using the language over time spent "studying." During the beta, the whole app is open and free.

142PROD. HRS / 90016% of the way
example learner
Getting started

Sixty seconds to a plan that fits.

Answer a few questions about why you're here, and the app builds a starting plan you can adjust.

○ Welcome● Background○ Review○ Quick check
What do you want to do in Mandarin?
Talk with my partner's family at dinner.
Your goal
Family & in-laws
Starting point
HSK 1 · ~0 hrs
First words
家人 · 吃饭 · 想
The method

Built on how people actually retain a language.

01
Spaced repetition

Words come back right before you'd forget them, so review time goes where it's needed.

02
Recall from memory

You type the answer from memory. That effort is what makes it stick.

03
Tones on real words

Tones carry meaning in Mandarin, so they get their own drill. You hear a word and pick the tone you heard, color-coded from the first session.

04
Reading you can follow

Sentences pitched just past your level and slanted toward your goal. Tap any word to explain it.

The activities

What a session actually looks like.

Each drill runs on the words your goal picked. A few examples:

Recognize
你好
hello ✓goodbye
Type it
Type the Mandarin for "thank you"
谢谢xiè xie
Tone pairs
老师
lǎo shī
3rd1st
Read
xiǎng= want to
For you

Every word shows why it’s next.

The plan ranks every word in the bank for your goal and puts the reason on each card. You can see how common a word is and how well it fits your goal before you learn it, then slide the balance toward broad basics or your goal.

For you · 为你Ordered for your goal
All topics👪 Family🍽️ Dining💬 Social🎓 School24 topics
1家人HSK1
jiā rén
family member
Freq
Level
Goal
👪 Family
2吃饭HSK1
chī fàn
to have a meal
Freq
Level
Goal
🍽️ Dining🍜 Ordering
3好吃HSK1
hǎo chī
tasty; delicious
Freq
Level
Goal
🍽️ Dining🌟 Complimenting

This is the For You screen. It re-ranks as you learn and when you change your goal.

Open beta

The whole app is open right now.

Everything you saw above is free while SpeedRun Chinese is in beta. Paid tiers come later. Each will be a one-time purchase for a level you want to reach, and nothing here will ever be a subscription.

Questions
What counts as a productive hour?

Time you spend working a card or a passage. The clock pauses the moment you stop, so leaving the app open does nothing on its own.

Why 900 hours?

It's the rough estimate for English speakers to reach working fluency in Mandarin (FSI/ILR). Your own number will be different, which is why it's worth measuring.

Why no handwriting?

To talk and read, you recognize and type characters. Handwriting is a separate skill that's slower to build, so it's left out on purpose.

Do I need an account?

You can try everything without one. Signing in saves your progress to your account and syncs it across devices.

What does "racing yourself" mean?

There's no leaderboard. The only comparison is you last week against you today.

What does the beta cost?

Nothing. The whole app is open while it's in beta. Paid tiers come later as one-time purchases.

Your clock is at zero.