Pleco Chinese Dictionary is an app by Pleco Software in the Books & Reference category, listed since at least June 2020. It includes native code only for ARM 32-bit, so it won't run on 64-bit-only phones such as recent Pixels.
It asks for 16 permissions, 4 of them sensitive, including camera, read phone status and identity and display over other apps. The app offers in-app purchases through Google Play.
Ratings
4.8out of 58 ratings
5 ★88%
4 ★0%
3 ★13%
2 ★0%
1 ★0%
Ratings from users of the source store — not collected or verified by AAPKs.
What's new in v3.2.64
- A few more bug fixes, including an annoying endless flashcard backup prompt + word wrapping issues in a few paid reader add-ons.
Also, if you haven't checked out our "Add-ons" screen recently, we just added a whopping *50* new graded readers, including graded-reading versions of the "Four Great Books" plus a wide range of other titles for a variety of skill levels.
Description
From the listing uploaded by “appupdater”.
NOTE: if you experience download errors, see pleco.com/android for other download options.
Pleco is the ultimate Chinese learning companion - an integrated Chinese English dictionary / document reader / flashcard system with fullscreen handwriting input and live camera-based character lookups, from a company with 17 years' experience making mobile Chinese learning software.
($ = paid add-on)
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the free app comes with two dictionaries - CC-CEDICT and our in-house PLC dictionary - which together cover 130,000 Chinese words and include 20,000 example sentences with Pinyin. We offer 8 more free dictionaries as optional downloads, including a 22,000-entry Cantonese-English dictionary, and 19 other great dictionaries are available as paid upgrades. ($)
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lookup unknown characters by drawing them, with a best-in-class recognition engine. (basic version free, enhanced version $)
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look up Chinese words in the dictionary simply by pointing your device's camera at them, or by scrolling around a still image. ($)
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instantly tap-lookup Chinese words in other apps through a floating interface; works on Android 4.1 and later. (reader free, OCR $)
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create a card from any dictionary entry with a single button tap, import premade word lists, use advanced techniques like SRS (spaced repetition), and study in a variety of modes including fill-in-the-blanks and tone drills. (simple version free, full-featured $)
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instantly hear male + female native-speaker audio for Chinese dictionary headwords; recordings available for over 34,000 words. (stitched-syllable free, multi-syllable $) Or listen to example sentences with text-to-speech (system TTS free, enhanced $).
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look up words by Chinese characters, Pinyin (spaces/tones optional), or a combination, with support for wildcards and full-text search.
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tap on any Chinese character / word in any dictionary entry to bring up its definition.
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animations showing you how to draw each Chinese character; 500 in free app, 28,000 in paid add-on.
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look up words by speaking them into your device's microphone.
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open a Chinese-language text or PDF file and look up unknown words in the dictionary simply by tapping on them. ($) You can also look up characters on web pages through "Share" and in other documents through the clipboard. (free)
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supports traditional and simplified characters (in dictionary definitions, stroke order, search, OCR, and handwriting), and supports Zhuyin (with ruby support) as well as Pinyin for pronunciation display.
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display headwords + perform searches in Jyutping/Yale romanization. We also offer Cantonese dictionary and Cantonese audio add-ons. (some $)
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we won't even nag you about buying add-ons.
We also offer excellent customer support - send us an email and see for yourself - and an active user community at plecoforums.com.
We've been making Chinese dictionary apps since 2000, and our sales and customer base have been steadily growing for 17 years across four different platforms. We take good care of our longtime users: people who bought a dictionary on a Palm Pilot in 2001 can still use that dictionary on a new Android phone in 2017 without even paying an upgrade fee.
Paid add-ons can be moved to a new device like any other paid app; just open our free app on your new device and they should reactivate.
If you already own Pleco on another OS, see pleco.com/android for migration options.
This app uses Accessibility services. (for our Screen Reader feature, which helps users to get by in Chinese-speaking regions without knowing Chinese)
Twitter/Facebook: plecosoft
Security & authenticity
Security rating: Trusted
Signing certificate
Signature matches the Google Play versionChecked by the source store on Nov 28, 2025.
Certificate issued to “Pleco Software”This is the certificate of the Google Play version.
Store checks and file details
Developer signature not checked yetNov 28, 2025
Validated against Google PlayNov 28, 2025
Signed byOU=Main Office, O=Pleco Software, L=New York, ST=NY, C=US
Uploaded by “appupdater”Gold tier · 117,810 followers · uploading since 2020
Scans and ratings come from the source store; the certificate comparisons are AAPKs's own, made from the files' published signatures. AAPKs doesn't scan files itself — compare the MD5 and signer after downloading.
Permissions (16)
Pleco Chinese Dictionary requests 16 permissions, 4 of them sensitive.
CameraSensitiveandroid.permission.CAMERA
Display over other appsSensitiveandroid.permission.SYSTEM_ALERT_WINDOW
Pleco Chinese Dictionary APK: questions and answers
How much space does Pleco Chinese Dictionary need?
The APK is 98 MB, and the app also needs 78.6 MB of extra data (OBB files). Leave about 274.5 MB free for the installation.
Can I install this APK over the version I already have?
Yes, if your installed copy is older. It is signed like the Google Play version, so Android installs it as an update and keeps your data.
Is Pleco Chinese Dictionary free?
The APK is free to download, but the app offers in-app purchases through Google Play.
Is the Pleco Chinese Dictionary APK safe?
No one can promise that a file is safe, but some things can be checked. The source store rates this file Trusted. Its signature matches the Google Play version. After downloading, check that the file's MD5 is 58d62639d98d23cf8bfdf1253e292792.