What's New

* For each radical, eight representative characters using the radical are also provided, for a total of 24 radicals and 192 characters.

* Radicals and characters that the user draws incorrectly are automatically added to a list of missed characters which then can be reviewed separately.

* The Missed Character List incorporates a spaced repetition algorithm to assure that the most frequently missed characters are most frequently reviewed.

* Options have been added allowing user to select drawing color and stroke-filling behavior in Train Mode.

App Description

Master the most commonly used Chinese radicals--and representative characters based upon them--with the Xiezi Chinese Character Trainer app from Clavis Sinica.

Radicals are the building blocks of Chinese characters. The app uses attractive stroke animations to show you how each radical or character is formed, one stroke at a time. It then invites you to practice writing the radical or character yourself on the touchscreen, and gives you immediate feedback on every stroke you draw.

Three different learning modes--Train, Drill, and Test--take you from your first encounter with each new radical or character through systematic writing practice to a thorough mastery of its structure and stroke order.

This version of the app gets you started with a set of the 24 most frequently used radicals. In addition, the app includes eight common characters based on each radical to help you recognize the semantic clues that radicals often provide.

Over 2100 basic characters, and roughly 2/3 of all the characters used in modern Chinese incorporate the 24 radicals introduced in this app. So once you master this set, written Chinese looks a lot less intimidating than it did before!

iPhone Screenshots

(click to enlarge)

CS Xiezi - Radicals screenshot 1 CS Xiezi - Radicals screenshot 2 CS Xiezi - Radicals screenshot 3

App Changes

  • June 16, 2014 Initial release