Chinese characters
that finally stay.

Tongda turns the most useful simplified Chinese characters and words into vivid scenes built from people, places, and things you already know.

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Tongda app: the mnemonic scene for 明 with its Person and Place beneath it
Built for real conversation

The right characters,
in the right order.

Most apps hand you a textbook table or an exam syllabus. We sort by real-world use, so the characters and words that open up everyday conversation come first, and each one sets up the next.

  • Most useful first. Ranked by how often you'll use them.
  • Starts where you are. A quick check finds your level.
  • Words build on characters. You learn the parts first.
  • A solid foundation. 2,000+ characters and 4,000+ words.
How it works

Every character becomes
a scene you can recall.

No more drilling symbols until they blur. Sound, tone, shape, and meaning become one mental image, built on mnemonics and a memory palace, not brute force.

From the start sound

A Person

The start sound calls up someone vivid, from a close friend to a face from film, music, or memory.

From the end sound & tone

A Place

The end sound sets a familiar place, and the tone puts the scene in a specific room.

From the pieces

A Few Things

Each piece of the character becomes an object you can picture, like a blazing sun, a moon, or a beating heart.

日
+
月
=
明
It compounds

Learn one character.
Quietly lock in three.

Characters are built from each other, so every new one strengthens the pieces inside it. Learn 明 and you've locked 日 and 月 in a little deeper, just by meeting them again.

Tongda casting screen: choosing the Person for the mi- sound from suggestions, or writing your own
Build it once

Build the mnemonic once.

The app suggests vivid people and things, then sets them in a place you already know. You can also use your own. Because the scene is made from your world, recall starts with an image instead of a blank flashcard.

  • Smart suggestions for every slot. Tap one, or use your own.
  • Anchors carry over, returning in every character that shares them.
  • One scene captures sound, tone, and meaning all at once.
  • Pronunciation built in. Audio for every character and word.
Tongda review screen: 明 with pinyin and meaning revealed, the scene one tap away, and Forgot / Remembered buttons
Reviews that respect your time

Recall first.
Reveal if you stall.

Reviews ask for meaning and pinyin from memory. Forgot one? The full scene is one tap away, so a stumble becomes a re-anchor instead of a wall.

  • Spaced repetition tuned for a light daily load.
  • Compound words break into characters you already know.
  • Reviews from every angle. Meaning, pronunciation, and listening.
  • One tap to grade. Remembered or Forgot, nothing in between.
Tongda home screen: streak with a mini practice chart, today's reviews up next, and New word and New character cards
A habit you keep

A quiet daily habit.
A streak worth protecting.

Open it and see exactly what's due, what's next, and how far you've come. No noisy gamification, just steady, visible progress in a space that feels good to return to.

  • Separate tracks for characters and the words they unlock.
  • A map of your recent practice, with your streak front and center.
  • Always clear what's next. Open it, see what's due, begin.
  • Offline study. Learn and review without a signal.
Questions

Good things to know

Do I need to know any Chinese already?
None at all. It starts by gauging what you already know, then picks up at the first character that's new to you, so you never waste time on ones you've got down.
Is this based on HSK?
We use it, but we don't follow its order. We blend HSK 3.0 with how Chinese is actually spoken and written, so characters come in real-world frequency order, not by exam level. That gets you into everyday conversation faster, and each new character builds on ones you already know. You still cover the essentials: nearly every HSK 1-5 character is included.
How is this different from flashcard apps?
Flashcards test whether you remember. Tongda helps you build the memory first. Each character gets a vivid mnemonic scene that connects sound, tone, shape, and meaning, so review becomes recall instead of repeated guessing.
What's a mnemonic?
A mnemonic is a memory aid that ties something hard to remember to something vivid and easy to picture. Tongda turns each character into a small scene, so instead of memorizing it through sheer repetition you recall an image that brings the sound, tone, and meaning back with it.
Do I have to come up with my own mnemonics?
No. That's the hard part of most mnemonic methods, and the app does it for you. It suggests a vivid person and a few things for each character, you pick the place, and the scene comes together. Prefer your own person or thing? Swap it in anytime.
What's the science behind it?
Tongda uses the memory palace and mnemonic imagery: techniques built around spatial memory, vivid association, and active recall. The app adapts those ideas specifically to simplified Chinese characters.
When does it launch?
Tongda is in early access ahead of public launch. Sign up and we'll email you as soon as it opens.
Is there an Android version?
We're starting on iOS, with Android to follow. Sign up for early access and we'll let you know the moment it's ready on your platform.
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