
Pleco Chinese Dictionary
Chinese dictionary with handwriting, OCR, flashcards, audio, Cantonese, and more
Pleco Software · com.pleco.chinesesystem
UpdatedNov 28, 2025
PublishedJun 17, 2020
Packagecom.pleco.chinesesystem
MD558d62639d98d23cf8bfdf1253e292792
SHA1 (signer)9D:D2:C2:3A:EE:CA:FE:D3:BA:54:1B:C7:C8:39:E0:B8:87:8F:4B:CF
Signed byOU=Main Office, O=Pleco Software, L=New York, ST=NY, C=US
Architecturesarmeabi-v7a
Malware scanTRUSTED
Websitehttp://www.pleco.com
Contact[email protected]
Privacy policyView
What's new
- 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.
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
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)
•
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. ($)
•
lookup unknown characters by drawing them, with a best-in-class recognition engine. (basic version free, enhanced version $)
•
look up Chinese words in the dictionary simply by pointing your device's camera at them, or by scrolling around a still image. ($)
•
instantly tap-lookup Chinese words in other apps through a floating interface; works on Android 4.1 and later. (reader free, OCR $)
•
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 $)
•
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 $).
•
look up words by Chinese characters, Pinyin (spaces/tones optional), or a combination, with support for wildcards and full-text search.
•
tap on any Chinese character / word in any dictionary entry to bring up its definition.
•
animations showing you how to draw each Chinese character; 500 in free app, 28,000 in paid add-on.
•
look up words by speaking them into your device's microphone.
•
open a Chinese-language text or PDF file and look up unknown words in the dictionary simply by tapping on them. ($) You can also look up characters on web pages through "Share" and in other documents through the clipboard. (free)
•
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.
•
display headwords + perform searches in Jyutping/Yale romanization. We also offer Cantonese dictionary and Cantonese audio add-ons. (some $)
•
we won't even nag you about buying add-ons.
We also offer excellent customer support - send us an email and see for yourself - and an active user community at plecoforums.com.
We've been making Chinese dictionary apps since 2000, and our sales and customer base have been steadily growing for 17 years across four different platforms. We take good care of our longtime users: people who bought a dictionary on a Palm Pilot in 2001 can still use that dictionary on a new Android phone in 2017 without even paying an upgrade fee.
Paid add-ons can be moved to a new device like any other paid app; just open our free app on your new device and they should reactivate.
If you already own Pleco on another OS, see pleco.com/android for migration options.
This app uses Accessibility services. (for our Screen Reader feature, which helps users to get by in Chinese-speaking regions without knowing Chinese)
Twitter/Facebook: plecosoft
Pleco is the ultimate Chinese learning companion - an integrated Chinese English dictionary / document reader / flashcard system with fullscreen handwriting input and live camera-based character lookups, from a company with 17 years' experience making mobile Chinese learning software.
($ = paid add-on)
•
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. ($)
•
lookup unknown characters by drawing them, with a best-in-class recognition engine. (basic version free, enhanced version $)
•
look up Chinese words in the dictionary simply by pointing your device's camera at them, or by scrolling around a still image. ($)
•
instantly tap-lookup Chinese words in other apps through a floating interface; works on Android 4.1 and later. (reader free, OCR $)
•
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 $)
•
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 $).
•
look up words by Chinese characters, Pinyin (spaces/tones optional), or a combination, with support for wildcards and full-text search.
•
tap on any Chinese character / word in any dictionary entry to bring up its definition.
•
animations showing you how to draw each Chinese character; 500 in free app, 28,000 in paid add-on.
•
look up words by speaking them into your device's microphone.
•
open a Chinese-language text or PDF file and look up unknown words in the dictionary simply by tapping on them. ($) You can also look up characters on web pages through "Share" and in other documents through the clipboard. (free)
•
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.
•
display headwords + perform searches in Jyutping/Yale romanization. We also offer Cantonese dictionary and Cantonese audio add-ons. (some $)
•
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
Permissions (16)
Pleco Chinese Dictionary requests the following Android permissions:
- Access Network State android.permission.ACCESS_NETWORK_STATE
- Camera android.permission.CAMERA
- Foreground Service android.permission.FOREGROUND_SERVICE
- Internet android.permission.INTERNET
- Read Phone State android.permission.READ_PHONE_STATE
- Receive Boot Completed android.permission.RECEIVE_BOOT_COMPLETED
- System Alert Window android.permission.SYSTEM_ALERT_WINDOW
- Vibrate android.permission.VIBRATE
- Wake Lock android.permission.WAKE_LOCK
- Write External Storage android.permission.WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE
- Com Android Launcher Permission Install Shortcut com.android.launcher.permission.INSTALL_SHORTCUT
- Com Android Vending Billing com.android.vending.BILLING
- Com Android Vending Check License com.android.vending.CHECK_LICENSE
- Com Ichi2 Anki Permission Read Write Database com.ichi2.anki.permission.READ_WRITE_DATABASE
- Com Pleco Chinesesystem Permission Attach Screen Content Capture Service com.pleco.chinesesystem.permission.ATTACH_SCREEN_CONTENT_CAPTURE_SERVICE
- Com Samsung Android Providers Context Permission Write Use App Feature Survey com.samsung.android.providers.context.permission.WRITE_USE_APP_FEATURE_SURVEY