<p>Now there is also <a href="https://langtern.com/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Langtern</a>, a free iOS and Android app that has an embedded browser with a dictionary that shows the meaning of words you click on.</p>
<p>This is an example with a piece of news from <a href="https://cn.chinadaily.com.cn/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">中国日报</a>:</p>
<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/ZLh7ym.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/ZLh7ym.png" alt="enter image description here" /></a></p>
<p>It works with web pages in general, but also with Youtube video subtitles, with PDF documents, and with e-books in epub format.</p>
<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/Xgjnbm.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/Xgjnbm.png" alt="enter image description here" /></a>
<a href="https://i.sstatic.net/W05X5m.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/W05X5m.png" alt="enter image description here" /></a></p>
<p>Full disclosure: I am the creator of Langtern.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-06-18T11:10:10.763Z
2022-06-18T11:49:55.483Z
2022-06-18T11:49:55.483Z
noe
<p>I found the <a href="https://www.pleco.com/" rel="noreferrer">Pleco app</a> manages to do this task using the (free) option <code>Screen Reader</code>:</p>
<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/yPzFul.jpg" rel="noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/yPzFul.jpg" alt="enter image description here" /></a></p>
<p>For example, browsing online in a website:</p>
<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/7e9TPl.jpg" rel="noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/7e9TPl.jpg" alt="enter image description here" /></a></p>
<p>If we press on the button
<img src="https://i.sstatic.net/1n6HSl.png" width="30" />, the app recognizes the characters and pressing on any character gives the <em>pinyin</em> and the <em>translation</em>:</p>
<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/GlrKil.jpg" rel="noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/GlrKil.jpg" alt="enter image description here" /></a></p>
<p>You can even <em>listen</em> to the selected character or the whole text with the corresponding buttons: <img src="https://i.sstatic.net/OFdaE.png" width="60" />.</p>
<p>From my testings, this function <strong>works fine in Whatsapp, Instagram and Facebook chat</strong>. But it does <strong>not work in Wechat or Facebook posts</strong>.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-09-26T19:59:18.070Z
2020-09-26T19:59:18.070Z
Puco4
<p>I <a href="https://chinese.meta.stackexchange.com/a/1653/25265">found</a> this popup browser dictionary: <a href="https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/zhongwen-chinese-english/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Zhongwen: Chinese-English Dictionary</a>. Hovering the mouse over a character, it displays the translation and the pinyin:</p>
<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/K8R5yl.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/K8R5yl.png" alt="enter image description here" /></a></p>
<p><strong>Is there an app that gives this easy segmented translation and the pinyin of Chinese characters in Android?</strong></p>
<p>Currently, I use Google translator but I have to copy every word and open the app for translating, which is not practical and too time-consuming.</p>
<hr />
<p><strong>Edit disclaimer:</strong> This question was closed and deleted as off-topic, because resources are off-topic on this site. However, I just now found an answer to this question and I believe it could be very useful for other users of this site learning Chinese (e.g. to communicate with other people, read from websites or read ebooks). So I will post it in an answer, I understand if the question is closed again.</p>

<resources><learning><dictionary><software>
Is there an Android app that pressing on words translates them?
# Is there an Android app that pressing on words translates them?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2020-09-26)

I [found](https://chinese.meta.stackexchange.com/a/1653/25265) this popup browser dictionary: [Zhongwen: Chinese-English Dictionary](https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/zhongwen-chinese-english/). Hovering the mouse over a character, it displays the translation and the pinyin:

[![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/K8R5yl.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/K8R5yl.png)

**Is there an app that gives this easy segmented translation and the pinyin of Chinese characters in Android?**

Currently, I use Google translator but I have to copy every word and open the app for translating, which is not practical and too time-consuming.

---

**Edit disclaimer:** This question was closed and deleted as off-topic, because resources are off-topic on this site. However, I just now found an answer to this question and I believe it could be very useful for other users of this site learning Chinese (e.g. to communicate with other people, read from websites or read ebooks). So I will post it in an answer, I understand if the question is closed again.

**Tags:** resources, learning, dictionary, software


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## 2 answers

### Answer by username_0 on 2020-09-26. Score: 5 | Accepted answer

I found the [Pleco app](https://www.pleco.com/) manages to do this task using the (free) option `Screen Reader`:

[![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/yPzFul.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/yPzFul.jpg)

For example, browsing online in a website:

[![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/7e9TPl.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/7e9TPl.jpg)

If we press on the button
![](https://i.sstatic.net/1n6HSl.png), the app recognizes the characters and pressing on any character gives the *pinyin* and the *translation*:

[![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/GlrKil.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/GlrKil.jpg)

You can even *listen* to the selected character or the whole text with the corresponding buttons: ![](https://i.sstatic.net/OFdaE.png).

From my testings, this function **works fine in Whatsapp, Instagram and Facebook chat**. But it does **not work in Wechat or Facebook posts**.


---

### Answer by username_1 on 2022-06-18. Score: 3

Now there is also [Langtern](https://langtern.com/), a free iOS and Android app that has an embedded browser with a dictionary that shows the meaning of words you click on.

This is an example with a piece of news from [中国日报](https://cn.chinadaily.com.cn/):

[![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/ZLh7ym.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/ZLh7ym.png)

It works with web pages in general, but also with Youtube video subtitles, with PDF documents, and with e-books in epub format.

[![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/Xgjnbm.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/Xgjnbm.png)
[![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/W05X5m.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/W05X5m.png)

Full disclosure: I am the creator of Langtern.


---

