Kimchi Reader

Kimchi Reader Sàrl

About this app

Free to download, subscription required. Kimchi Reader needs an active subscription to use. You can try it free for 7 days with just an email, no credit card.

Kimchi Reader is a tool, not a course. I built it so you can learn Korean from the things you already watch and read.

READ AND WATCH REAL KOREAN
Watch YouTube in Korean, or import your own e-books (EPUB) and text files.

TAP ANY WORD
Every word is clickable. Tap one to see:
• Definitions, including a Korean-Korean dictionary
• A breakdown of the grammar
• Hanja meanings
• How common the word is, so you can learn the frequent ones first

SENTENCE MINING
When you find a sentence worth keeping, mine it. The app makes a flashcard with the word, its definition, the sentence audio and a screenshot from the video.

ANKI SYNC
The desktop add-on sends your mined sentences to Anki, where you review them with spaced repetition.

RECOMMENDATIONS
Mark the words you know, and Kimchi Reader suggests books and shows that match your level from its library.

WHO IT'S FOR
Learners who can read Hangul and know some basic vocabulary. If you're starting from zero, learn Hangul first.

MADE BY A LEARNER
I'm a solo developer, and I'm learning Korean too. I built Kimchi Reader because the tools I was using kept getting in the way. Most features started as a problem I ran into myself.

Questions? Come ask on the Discord. Someone from the community (real people) is usually around to help.

Ratings and reviews

If you are committed to learning Korean, I swear there is no better app. I have been disappointed by other popup dictionary apps and chrome extensions because they don't process Korean conjugations and particals properly. Kimchi Reader is a godsend and a staple of my Korean study. I love the customizability, app design, dictionary settings, YouTube functionality, document and video upload, recommendation system, and wonderful customer support particularly in the official Discord.

the local media player does not work, i import the mp4 file and nothing happens, it doesn't prompt to do anything, it explains it some what poorly what i need to do for instructions. (Yes i followed the instructions, yes it has korean subtitles embedded in the video) Otherwise app seems great, shame i can't use my own videos.

This has been a total game changer for my Korean self-study. Thank you so much for making this. It helps me choose what to read or watch much more realistically, because I can see which words I already know and where the gaps are. That makes it easier to prepare for a book, article, show, or other content before jumping in. Another big thing for me is how easy it is to look up words and see how common they are. That helps me decide which words are actually worth adding to my vocabulary.