MandarinClips - Learn real Chinese by searching movie & TV show clips
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Watch real Chinese expressions from movies and TV shows. Search phrases or explore random subtitle clips with context, pinyin, and translation.
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Maker
π
Hi Product Hunt community! π
Iβm the developer behind MandarinClips. I'm incredibly excited (and a bit nervous!) to share this project with you all today.
**What inspired this project?**
Anyone who has tried learning a second language knows this frustrating truth: the polished, sterile dialogues in standard textbooks sound *completely* different from how native speakers actually talk in daily life.
I wanted to bridge this gap for Chinese learners. I envisioned an interactive, video-based dictionary where every single entry is backed by a native speaker showing you exactly when, where, and how to use it in real, authentic contexts.
**What does it do?**
MandarinClips slices authentic media into digestible, sentence-sized learning segments:
- π **Pinyin & Tone Alignment**: Helping you train your ears with precise pinyin.
- π·οΈ **HSK Vocabulary Tagging**: Instantly scan and click keywords to see HSK levels (1 to 9).
- π **Situational Context**: View what was said immediately before and after any given line, offering complete situational understanding.
**The Tech Behind the Scenes π»**
As a full-stack engineer, I wanted this platform to be blindingly fast. We built the backend using Rust (Axum) + PostgreSQL (leveraging GIN trigram indexes for sub-millisecond search), and the frontend with Next.js 15, hosting sitemaps and video assets on Cloudflare and Backblaze B2 to ensure maximum speed and edge delivery.
**A Special Gift for Hunters! π**
Iβd love to hear your thoughts, feedback, or feature requests.
To celebrate our launch, if you sign up today and drop a comment below with your feedback or your username, I will personally upgrade your account to our **Pro Plan** for free so you can enjoy unlimited study, downloads, and favorites!
Thank you so much, and happy learning! π
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Really clean way to pick up natural phrasing. Searching for ζ³ε½εΉ΄ and getting the exact clip with pinyin and translation made the meaning stick way better than a flashcard ever did.
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Maker
@havvat57401Β This is exactly the reason why I built this tool. I'm truly happy to receive such recognition. Thank you so much.
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Honestly the random clip feature is kind of addictive, just landed on a really natural sounding phrase from a show I'd never have found on my own. Pinyin right there next to it makes it way easier to actually start using the line instead of just recognizing it.
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Maker
@hamdikayrazasrΒ I'm currently working on the bookmark/save and export-to-Anki features. If you miss a random clip, you'll have to search for it yourself.
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love how the context stays right next to the pinyin and translation, makes it feel like flipping through a real subtitle file instead of a stripped down flashcard.
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Maker
@uur701440545451Β Thank you so much for the recognition. I'm planning to build an Anki card export feature, which can increase the chances of actually learning the content.
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Searched for a line from a Wong Kar-wai film and the clip pulled up with pinyin and translation right there, which made it way easier than screenshotting subtitles myself. Going to keep using this for the dramas I'm watching.
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Maker
@elifnurkcfjΒ Currently there are only 100,000 clips, and I'm really glad you were able to find what you were looking for. I'm going to keep scaling it up β my first goal is to reach 1 million clips.
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Searched for a phrase I heard in a show last week and got three clips with pinyin and translations right away. The random explore button is great for picking up slang I would never find in a textbook.
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Maker
@eray3okcΒ If youβre learning Chinese, I think it would be helpful. If you have any suggestions, please let me know.
Replies
Really clean way to pick up natural phrasing. Searching for ζ³ε½εΉ΄ and getting the exact clip with pinyin and translation made the meaning stick way better than a flashcard ever did.
@havvat57401Β This is exactly the reason why I built this tool. I'm truly happy to receive such recognition. Thank you so much.
Honestly the random clip feature is kind of addictive, just landed on a really natural sounding phrase from a show I'd never have found on my own. Pinyin right there next to it makes it way easier to actually start using the line instead of just recognizing it.
@hamdikayrazasrΒ I'm currently working on the bookmark/save and export-to-Anki features. If you miss a random clip, you'll have to search for it yourself.
love how the context stays right next to the pinyin and translation, makes it feel like flipping through a real subtitle file instead of a stripped down flashcard.
@uur701440545451Β Thank you so much for the recognition. I'm planning to build an Anki card export feature, which can increase the chances of actually learning the content.
Searched for a line from a Wong Kar-wai film and the clip pulled up with pinyin and translation right there, which made it way easier than screenshotting subtitles myself. Going to keep using this for the dramas I'm watching.
@elifnurkcfjΒ Currently there are only 100,000 clips, and I'm really glad you were able to find what you were looking for. I'm going to keep scaling it up β my first goal is to reach 1 million clips.
Searched for a phrase I heard in a show last week and got three clips with pinyin and translations right away. The random explore button is great for picking up slang I would never find in a textbook.
@eray3okcΒ If youβre learning Chinese, I think it would be helpful. If you have any suggestions, please let me know.