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Read Chinese characters — with the pronunciation above each one

Chinese doesn't spell out how it sounds, so a wall of characters stays unreadable until something shows you the pinyin. Point Tova at any Chinese text and it stacks real Hanyu Pinyin above every character, with tap-to-listen audio.

Download on theApp Store

Free · No sign-up · Works offline in China — no VPN

How it works

Read it in three steps

Point Tova's camera at the Chinese text and tap the shutter.
Tova shows real Hanyu Pinyin above each character and the English translation, and you can tap to hear it spoken.
Switch to Cantonese for Jyutping, or Japanese and Korean for romaji and revised romanization.

Common questions

About this guide

What app shows pinyin above Chinese characters?

Tova Translate does: scan any Chinese text and it renders authentic Hanyu Pinyin above each character, with the English and tap-to-listen audio. It's free to download and also does Cantonese Jyutping and Japanese and Korean readings.

Can it read the characters aloud?

Yes — tap any result to hear it spoken in Mandarin (or Cantonese), so you learn the sound, not just the romanization.

Does it work offline?

The camera recognition and per-character pinyin run on your phone, so it keeps working with no connection — including inside China without a VPN.

Download on theApp Store