Every AI feature you can trigger has a credit price, and none costs less than 5 credits. This is the whole list, and each feature is charged the price shown. What the site does by itself, without you asking, costs nothing. If you have not read AI credits explained yet, start there.
Talking with your AI tutor
Nothing you ask an AI for costs less than 5 credits, a roleplay reply and a mission check included. Anything Jason answers costs at least 5, and a day on which you clear 3 or more checkpoints earns exactly that.
- An answer from Jason — 5 credits — Per answer: on dictionary, grammar and culture pages, in the speaking studio and the assistant.
- Ask Jason in focus mode — 5 to 10 credits — 5 for the answer, plus what he looks up to give it: 2 to read the page’s podcast, and 1 each for the word’s entry, your plan and progress, your Learning Lab and what you watch and listen to. Never more than 10, and under every answer he says what he looked at and what it cost.
- Jason explains a word to you — 15 credits — On a dictionary entry, Jason looks at what you watch and listen to, the checkpoints you have cleared, our lessons on the word and what you have been exploring, and explains it through them. Once per word: reading it again is free, and the general explanation above it is free for everyone.
- Why? Ask Jason — 5 credits — After a wrong answer in a dictionary entry's practice, Jason explains why it does not fit and how to remember the right one. The practice itself is free and earns credits.
- Jason Recommends — 5 credits — At the foot of a dictionary entry: three words to learn next and why each is worth your time. Each time you ask, including "Different words".
- Asking Jason for shows, songs and books — 5 credits — Per message in Chat with Jason on your Immersion tab.
- A reply from Jason on Dragon Daily — 5 credits — When you answer the day’s question and he writes back.
- A roleplay reply — 5 credits — Per reply from the person you are talking to. Marking your side of the conversation is free.
- A lesson mission check — 5 credits — Grading your lines for the mission at the end of a lesson.
- A Chinese name — 10 credits — Generating a Chinese name from your own.
Feedback on your work
Anything that listens to you or looks at your handwriting costs more than text, because speech and vision models cost more to run. These are the ones worth pacing if your balance is low.
- Grading an exam answer — 5 credits — Per open answer marked, in unit exams and mock papers. A paper with five written answers costs five times this; multiple-choice and matching are marked free.
- Culture-quiz feedback — 5 credits — Jason marks both open answers on a culture article in one go.
- Speaking instead of typing — 5 credits — Per recording, when you use the mic button in the assistant or on speaking practice. Your speech is transcribed so you can talk rather than type.
- A handwriting sentence to copy — 8 credits — Generating the sentence you are asked to write.
- Checking your handwriting — 9 credits — Reading what you actually wrote and marking it. The most expensive feedback you can ask for.
Your study plan
- A message to the schedule coach — 5 credits — Asking Jason to adjust your plan in conversation.
- Fresh suggestions from Jason — 5 credits — Each time you tap Refresh on the suggestions on your dashboard. Opening the ones you already have is free.
What costs nothing
Worth stating plainly, because people ration themselves unnecessarily. None of the following spends a credit, however much of it you do.
- Reading anything — Dictionary entries, grammar points, culture articles, learning materials, lessons.
- Listening to anything — Lesson podcasts, entry audio, listening passages, speaker samples. This audio is generated once, by us, and served to everyone — playing it is free.
- Sitting an exam or a mock test — No credits, whichever paper it is. (Whether a paper is OPEN to you is a plan question, not a credit one — Mock Test 1 of each level is free, the rest are Pro.) Only AI grading of an open written or spoken answer costs credits.
- Flashcards and reviews — The whole spaced-repetition deck. No AI is involved in scheduling.
- Your progress — Checkpoints, XP, streaks, stats and your existing study plan.
- Your study plan and weekly schedule — Built at the end of onboarding and rebuilt when you change your study days, minutes or level, on your device, with no AI involved.
- What the site does by itself — Translating the phrases in Jason’s replies that the dictionary does not have, the Chinese title of a module lesson, the English under a Discuss quote, and marking your side of a roleplay.
Common questions
No. Podcasts are generated once by us and served to every reader as ordinary audio. Playing one is free, however many times you play it, and the same is true of dictionary audio and listening passages.