Firefox Extensions For Learning Chinese
Our recommended Firefox extensions can make learning Chinese easier and more efficient. Find useful tools for dictionaries, dual subtitles, OCR, and more, all selected for their usefulness and practical value for Chinese learners.
Some Chrome Extensions may also work with Firefox, so they’re worth checking if you’re looking for additional options.
Popup Dictionaries & Reading Tools
★ Adds instant Chinese word lookups, Pinyin or Zhuyin, and interactive subtitles while browsing and watching videos. Inkah is a free browser extension for learning Mandarin and Korean from webpages, Netflix, and YouTube. For Mandarin, hover over words to see definitions with Pinyin or Zhuyin, Simplified or Traditional characters, and Pleco-style tone colors; select sentences to break them into individual words, save vocabulary, and hear words and sentences with text-to-speech. Its Netflix tools add multiple subtitle layers, clickable vocabulary, auto-pause, and subtitle navigation for studying while you watch. Learn more on their website. Available for Firefox and Chrome.
Free
★ Hover over Chinese text for instant Mandarin or Cantonese dictionary lookups without leaving the page. LiuChan Chinese Popup Dictionary is a free Chrome extension that works with Simplified and Traditional Chinese, providing Mandarin definitions with Pinyin or Zhuyin and Cantonese definitions with Jyutping. It also includes text-to-speech, text highlighting, clipboard export, customizable themes, synced settings, and an offline dictionary that can be updated from within the extension. Get it from the Firefox Add-Ons Store or visit their website.
Free
★ See Chinese pronunciation and definitions instantly by hovering over words on webpages. Perapera Chinese Popup Dictionary is a free Firefox extension that displays pronunciation and definitions for Chinese words as you move your mouse over them. It supports Mandarin and Cantonese, with Cantonese available by changing the language in the add-on settings. Learn more on their website. Available for Firefox.
Free
★ Hover over Chinese text for instant definitions, pronunciation audio, and easy Anki card creation. Yomitan Popup Dictionary is a free, open-source browser extension that supports Mandarin through downloadable dictionaries such as CC-CEDICT. Hold a modifier key and hover over selectable Chinese text to open dictionary definitions, hear pronunciation audio, and send vocabulary directly to Anki. Multiple dictionaries can be installed and customized, and lookups work offline once the dictionaries are downloaded. Learn more on their website or download it from the Firefox Add-Ons Store.
Free
★ Hover over Chinese text to instantly see definitions, Pinyin, and pronunciation information. Zhongwen: Chinese-English Dictionary is a free popup dictionary extension that works with both Simplified and Traditional Chinese, using CC-CEDICT to provide English definitions and color-coded Pinyin while you read Chinese webpages. It also supports Zhuyin, links to grammar notes and example sentences, lets you save vocabulary to a built-in word list, export words for Anki, and add words to Skritter. Available for Chrome and Firefox.
FreePinyin & Reading Display Tools
★ Adds pronunciation guides directly above Chinese characters as you browse. Hanzi Annotator is a free browser extension that annotates Chinese text on webpages with Pinyin, Zhuyin, IPA, Wade-Giles and several other pronunciation systems. Click a character to view its pronunciation, dictionary definition and HSK level, or use optional tone colors to make tones easier to spot. It works offline after installation and does not require an account. Available for Chrome and Firefox.
Free
★ Add Pinyin or Zhuyin directly above Chinese characters on webpages and video subtitles. Pinyin Annotator is a free, ad-free, open-source browser extension that adds Hanyu Pinyin or Zhuyin annotations to Simplified and Traditional Chinese text. It can annotate entire webpages or selected text and works with Chinese subtitles on sites such as YouTube, Netflix, Disney+, and Bilibili. You can also click words for dictionary lookup and optionally have pages annotated automatically. View the project on GitHub. Available for Chrome and Firefox, with support for Firefox on Android.
FreeTranslation, OCR & Character Conversion
★ Extract and translate text that is trapped inside images, PDFs, and video subtitles. Copyfish Free OCR Software is a free, open-source browser extension that uses OCR to turn text in images, screenshots, PDFs, and videos into editable text you can copy, search, or translate. It is especially useful for language learners because it can capture text from subtitles on sites such as YouTube and Youku, including text that ordinary translation extensions cannot access, and its repeat OCR feature makes it easier to capture changing subtitles.
Not sure how to use it? Watch our Copyfish tutorial.
★ Translate Chinese text, webpages, and even text in images without leaving your browser. DeepL: translate and write with AI is a Chrome extension that lets you translate selected text while browsing, translate text as you write, and improve writing with grammar, style, and tone suggestions. Free users can translate selected text, while DeepL Pro unlocks features such as full-page translation and unlimited characters. Available on the web, Android and iOS.
Free / Paid
★ Shows original and translated text side by side across webpages, PDFs, subtitles, and more. Immersive Translate is a Firefox extension that adds bilingual translation to webpages and also supports PDFs, EPUBs, video subtitles, images, selected text, and multiple translation engines and AI models. The extension is free to use, with additional paid features and higher usage limits available. Get the Firefox extension or visit their website. Also available on Android and iOS.
Free / Paid
★ Converts webpages and clipboard text between Simplified and Traditional Chinese, with both automatic and manual options. New TongWenTang is a free browser extension that converts Chinese text between Simplified and Traditional characters. It can automatically convert webpages as they load, handle dynamically changing page content, convert text manually from the browser menu, and convert clipboard text. Users can also create URL-based conversion rules and custom word mappings. View the project on GitHub. Available for Chrome and Firefox.
FreeVideo Controls, Downloaders & Subtitle Tools
★ Turn videos and webpages into interactive language-learning material with bilingual translation and study tools. Trancy is a language-learning browser extension and app that adds bilingual subtitles to videos on sites such as YouTube and Netflix, translates webpages, and provides tools for looking up and saving words, analyzing sentences, practicing listening and speaking, and reviewing vocabulary. A free plan includes its core translation and subtitle features, while paid plans add advanced AI tools, expanded vocabulary features, pronunciation evaluation, PDF translation, and more. Available on the web, as a Chrome or Firefox extenion, Android and iOS.
See our Trancy tutorial on YouTube to learn how to use it. We get a small commission if you buy a Trancy subscription through our links, at no extra cost to you.
★ Download videos and save audio directly from YouTube pages. Tubly Downloader is a browser extension for Chrome, Edge, and Firefox that saves YouTube videos, Shorts, and MP3 audio for offline listening and viewing. The free version includes unlimited video downloads up to 480p, with daily limits on MP3 conversions, 1080p videos, and Shorts. A paid Pro plan removes these limits and supports video downloads up to 8K when available.
Limited Free / Paid
★ Control HTML5 video speed and quickly replay or skip sections with customizable keyboard shortcuts. Video Speed Controller is a free, open-source browser extension that adds an on-screen speed indicator and controls for speeding up, slowing down, resetting, rewinding, and advancing HTML5 video. Users can customize shortcut keys and speed increments and choose whether the extension remembers their playback speed, making it especially useful for slowing down dialogue or replaying short sections while studying. View the project on GitHub. Available for Firefox and Chrome.
Free