Zhenzhu

Native Chinese reading for macOS

Understand Chinese.Stay in the moment.

Select, snip, or hover over Chinese in any Mac app. Get pinyin, definitions, translation, HSK context, and a word-by-word breakdown—then review locally or send to Anki.

Join the macOS beta View product tour
  • macOS 15+
  • Free plan
  • No account required
Zhenzhu translating a Chinese sentence with word-by-word pinyin, HSK levels, and definitions
Actual app interface

Chinese shows up everywhere.

  • Selectable text
  • Images and PDFs
  • Interfaces and video
  • Words you bring in

One app, five entry points

Use the gesture that fits what you are reading.

Move from a passing question to a useful answer without opening a browser tab, copying into a translator, or rebuilding the context later.

Product tourSelect

Highlight Chinese in any Mac app.

Zhenzhu opens beside the selection with pinyin, definitions, translation, HSK context, and a word-by-word breakdown.

  • Stays beside what you are reading
  • Learning data remains on your Mac
Demo video placeholderSelect

Show a 10–15 second selection lookup from highlight to expanded word breakdown.

The complete reading loop

From first glance to the next review.

Zhenzhu is built around the whole moment: how you notice Chinese, how you inspect it, and what you choose to remember.

01

Capture Chinese anywhere

Select it, snip it, hover it, or search it.

Use the interaction that fits the page in front of you. Zhenzhu can follow a text selection, capture pixels, inspect the word under your pointer, or work as a full dictionary.
  • Automatic lookup and selection button
  • Configurable global shortcuts
  • Image, PDF, interface, and paused-video OCR
  • Type, paste, or drop an image into Dictionary & Translate
02

Understand it your way

A translation is the beginning, not the answer.

Start with the natural sentence, then inspect the language beneath it without losing the context that made the word useful.
  • Pinyin, definitions, speech, and HSK context
  • Word-by-word sentence breakdown
  • Simplified and traditional display
  • Merge, split, replace, or keep a custom phrase
03

Remember without lock-in

Keep the words that earned your attention.

Zhenzhu remembers locally. Review with its built-in FSRS scheduler, organize your own decks, export your cards, or continue in Anki.
  • Searchable lookup history
  • Local flashcards and direction-aware review
  • Decks, import, export, and bulk management
  • Optional Anki cards with context, image, and audio

A quiet learning rhythm

Notice. Understand. Decide.

01

Notice

Meet Chinese in the app, document, image, or video you already opened.

02

Understand

See the sentence, then move into pinyin, definitions, HSK level, and individual words.

03

Decide

Move on, mark what you know, save a local card, or send a polished note to Anki.

Built-in memory, optional Anki

Save the word—not the busywork.

One click carries the useful context forward. Study inside Zhenzhu or preview exactly what will be sent to Anki.

Local flashcardsFSRS review, decks, search, import, and export.
Anki when you want itContext-rich cards with optional image and audio.
FlashcardsLocal on this Mac
Ready when you areFSRS keeps each memory at the right distance.
Due12
New7
Recall91%
菜Words from reading18 cards · 6 dueReview →

One-time purchase, no subscription

Reading is free.
Learning grows with Pro.

Start with the complete reading tool. Upgrade only when you want more scale, organization, and learning automation.

Free

Understand anything you read.

$0 forever

  • Unlimited dictionary lookups, sentence translation, and speech
  • Selection lookup, pop button, and configurable global shortcut
  • Word breakdown, HSK context, and segmentation correction
  • Latest 30 history entries and 30 local flashcards
  • Local card export with every privacy and display setting
  • 10 OCR snips and 5 Anki exports each month
Join the Mac beta
Complete workflow

Pro

Capture faster. Remember longer.

Everything in Free, plus

  • Unlimited OCR, history, flashcards, and decks
  • Full FSRS review configuration
  • Flashcard import and bulk card management
  • Unlimited Anki export
  • Advanced Anki cards with images and audio
Same features in both

Choose how you get updates.

Pro 1Updates through Zhenzhu 1.x

$39

Lifetime Updates Best valueEvery future major update

$69

Join the Mac beta

Start free. Upgrade whenever the workflow earns its place.

Free: A complete Chinese reading tool. Pro: More scale, organization, and learning automation.

Be there when it opens

Get Zhenzhu when it is ready.

Join the Mac launch list, volunteer for an early build, or register interest in the Windows version now moving through release validation.

macOS 15+Launching first
WindowsRelease validation
What should we tell you about?

Only the updates you choose. Unsubscribe anytime.

Private by construction

Your reading stays yours.

Dictionary lookups, history, vocabulary status, and flashcards live on your Mac. Optional privacy-filtered crash reports stay off until you explicitly choose to share them.

Read the complete privacy notice
  • Local learning dataOn your Mac
  • Clipboard fallbackYour choice
  • Anki connectionLocal only
  • Crash reportsYour choice
  • Required accountNone
Accessibility

Reads the text you intentionally select and helps place the lookup beside it.

Screen Recording

Enables pixel-based Snip and Hover lookup when ordinary selection is unavailable.

Clipboard fallback

Optional. Briefly copies a selection when needed and restores your clipboard safely.

Anki connection

Optional. Talks only to the Anki desktop app running locally on your computer.

Before you install

Questions, answered.

The practical details before you add Zhenzhu to your menu bar.

What is Zhenzhu?

Zhenzhu is a native Chinese reading companion for macOS. It explains selected, captured, hovered, pasted, or typed Chinese with pinyin, definitions, sentence translation, HSK context, speech, and word breakdowns.

Which versions of macOS are supported?

Zhenzhu requires macOS 15 or later. It runs quietly from the menu bar without adding a permanent Dock icon.

Where can I use Zhenzhu?

Use it anywhere macOS can expose a text selection. When text is rendered as pixels, Snip to Translate and Hover Lookup can recognize Chinese from images, PDFs, paused video, and application interfaces.

Why does Zhenzhu request Accessibility permission?

Accessibility permission lets Zhenzhu read only the text you intentionally select in another app and position the lookup beside it. Clipboard fallback is optional and can be disabled in Settings.

Why is Screen Recording permission needed?

macOS requires Screen Recording permission for pixel-based features such as Snip to Translate and Hover Lookup. Zhenzhu uses captured pixels for the lookup you request; your learning data remains local.

Does Zhenzhu work without Anki?

Yes. Zhenzhu includes its own local flashcard library, decks, FSRS scheduling, study sessions, import, and export. Anki is an optional local integration.

What can I do with Zhenzhu Free?

Free includes every way to look up Chinese, unlimited dictionary and sentence translation, word breakdown, segmentation correction, pinyin, definitions, HSK context, and speech. It also includes recent history, a starter deck, card export, and monthly OCR and Anki allowances.

Is Pro a subscription?

No. Pro is a one-time purchase. Pro 1 and Lifetime Updates unlock the same features; Pro 1 includes updates through Zhenzhu 1.x, while Lifetime includes future major versions.

Zhenzhu app icon

Native for macOS 15+

Keep reading. Understand more.

Join the launch list now. Start free when Zhenzhu is ready.

Join the macOS beta