Bring your text
Read Chinese material that matters to you instead of waiting until you have memorized every character.
Chinese reading software since 2005
Learn to read Chinese by reading what interests you.
Chinese Toolbox helps you understand unfamiliar characters and words while keeping your attention where it belongs: on reading.
The new web-based Chinese Toolbox is available now. It runs in your browser—no Windows installation required.
學而時習之，不亦說乎？
學
to learn; to study
Focus on what you are learning
Browser-based
Character and word dictionaries
Learning progress that follows your reading
A reading-first approach
Get help without leaving the text.
Chinese Toolbox reduces the interruptions that make reading Chinese slow and frustrating.
Look up what is unfamiliar
Select a character or word to see useful dictionary information in the same workspace.
Keep your focus
Mark what you know or need to learn so the program can emphasize the information most useful to you.
Available now
The current Chinese Toolbox runs on the web.
Open the reading workspace directly from this site. The established Windows edition remains available for people who need it, together with its extensive documentation and release history.
Web application
Use Chinese Toolbox in a modern browser.
Open the web appWindows application
Download the desktop edition or consult its documentation.
Windows downloadWhy Chinese Toolbox?
Reading is not the reward after learning. Reading is how you learn.
Chinese Toolbox was created to make authentic Chinese reading practical for learners. Immediate character and word assistance removes the need to stop, change tools, and search manually every time something is unfamiliar.
Its approach separates familiar material from what still needs attention. As you read more, your reading itself becomes review and repeated exposure becomes understanding.
Read the full philosophyHistorical homepage informationPreserved from the previous website for reference
Previous development notice (2020): As of 2020 a new version of Chinese Toolbox was in the works, at the time likely to be marketed as “My Chinese Reader.” Plans discussed mobile versions that would sync with a desktop application. That notice has been superseded by the web-based Chinese Toolbox now available above.
Previous stability notice: When Chinese Toolbox 13.1.0.4 was released in 2013, everything about it worked as designed. It was the sixth maintenance update in 2013 since version 13.0.0.0 had been released. Later changes in Internet technologies and hosting caused failures in application/server communications. The Windows program could continue to function after its startup error message was closed.
Original welcome message
Never before has reading Chinese been easier. Chinese Toolbox is the tool to enable you to read more and faster than ever before. Features help you target characters and words that you don’t know, so you can focus your effort on what’s important to you.
Chinese Toolbox was created specifically to increase reading efficiency. If you’re reading efficiently and faster, then you’re probably also reading more. More reading means more exposure to Chinese, resulting in a better understanding of the Chinese language.
Chinese Toolbox has nearly everything you need to be an efficient reader in Chinese. Its system of Marking for Unassisted Reading enables you to focus your effort on the characters and Chinese words that you don’t know. When you come across a word that is not in the dictionary, you can add your own entry. Character and word dictionaries are both editable.
There is much in Chinese Toolbox, and there are many features to help you learn. See the historical release notes for the improvements in the earlier Windows edition.
Start reading