About Mindarin
A free, web-based tool for learning Chinese characters using the Hanzi Movie Method.
Mindarin was built by Lee Durbin, a Chinese language learner who discovered the Hanzi Movie Method and wanted a dedicated tool to organize and study characters using this powerful mnemonic system.
As a student learning Chinese, I found that existing flashcard apps weren't designed for the Movie Method workflow - they didn't have built-in support for actors, sets, rooms, and props. I needed a tool that would help me create effective mnemonics, not just review them. That's why I built Mindarin.
The Hanzi Movie Method was developed by Mandarin Blueprint, and we highly recommend their courses for learning the complete methodology.
Frequently Asked Questions
The Hanzi Movie Method (HMM) is a location-based mnemonic system that uses the ancient Method of Loci (memory palace technique) to help you remember Chinese characters forever. You create memorable "movie scenes" in your mind using actors, sets, rooms, and props that encode the pronunciation, tone, and meaning of each character.
It's the same technique memory athletes use to memorize thousands of playing cards - but applied to Chinese characters with spectacular results.
Learn more about the MethodMindarin helps you CREATE mnemonics using the Hanzi Movie Method, then provides spaced repetition to study them. Anki focuses purely on study/reviewwith flashcards you create yourself.
Mindarin is designed specifically for the Movie Method workflow with built-in support for:
- Actors (Pinyin initials) with image galleries
- Sets (Pinyin finals) - your personal memory palaces
- Rooms (tones) - specific locations within sets
- Props (character components) - reusable building blocks
- Mnemonic auto-population based on pinyin
- Usage statistics to track your mnemonic system
Anki is a general-purpose flashcard tool that's excellent for spaced repetition but requires you to build everything yourself. They work great together! You can create mnemonics in Mindarin and export to Anki for review if you prefer.
Yes! Your data belongs to you. We don't sell, rent, or share your personal data with third parties for marketing purposes. All data is encrypted in transit (HTTPS) and at rest in secure databases.
You can export all your data at any time in multiple formats (YAML, CSV, JSON, Markdown) and request account deletion whenever you want.
Read our Privacy PolicyYes, Mindarin is completely free! There are no premium tiers, paywalls, or hidden costs. All features are available to everyone.
This project is open-source and built as a learning tool for the Chinese language community. The hosting costs are minimal and manageable, so we can keep it free for all learners.
No! Mindarin is self-contained with a complete guide to the Hanzi Movie Method. You can start learning immediately without any prior knowledge of the system.
That said, we highly recommend Mandarin Blueprint's courses if you want structured video lessons and a proven curriculum. They developed this methodology and teach it exceptionally well. Mindarin is simply a tool to organize your learning, regardless of where you learn the method from.
Absolutely! Mindarin is fully customizable. You can:
- Choose your own actors (celebrities, friends, fictional characters)
- Select your own sets (childhood home, workplace, favorite locations)
- Define your own room layouts for tones
- Create custom props for character components
- Write your own movie scenes
The whole point of the Method of Loci is that it uses your personal memories and associations. The more personal your mnemonic system, the better it works!
Mindarin supports multiple export formats to ensure your data is portable:
- YAML - Full backup format with all metadata and mnemonic data
- CSV - Spreadsheet-compatible for analysis or import to other tools
- Anki TSV - Direct import to Anki with proper field mapping
- JSON - Machine-readable format for developers
- Markdown - Human-readable documentation format
You can export all your cards at any time from the Export page. No lock-in!
Currently, Mindarin requires an internet connection as it's a web-based application that stores your data in the cloud. This ensures your data is automatically backed up and accessible from any device.
However, you can export your data for offline use in other applications like Anki, which has excellent offline support.
If you have questions not covered here, feel free to reach out:
Email: hello@leedurbin.co.nz
Business: LD Data
Owner: Lee Durbin