Updated HiNative Review: 5 On-Demand Features

Are you looking for a snappy platform to help you connect with native speakers? Our updated HiNative review will reflect on five excellent features in becoming fluent in your target language. You’ll even find pros and cons when considering their premium membership. Are you a new HiNative user? Check out the rest of what this app offers!

There is nothing more important for language learners than using high-quality applications and resources that can provide information related to your target language. Fortunately, several language-based materials out there can boost your skills no matter what language you are planning to master- from apps that can connect you with other native speakers.

Most language learners enjoy flashcard apps for memorizing frequently used words and vocabulary in a native language they want to study. These gamified platforms will keep you on your toes. There is literally something that will fit your learning style and needs. Most of them are filled with spaced repetition technology and science-based memorization techniques.

Nonetheless, a serious language learner should take advantage of a language exchange tool that is not only popular but is also proven effective. One example of a popular app with over a million users from across the globe is the HiNative. Basically, this platform offers a unique way language exchange concept where users can start answering questions about their native language. In addition, you can also send in your questions and have other users (native speakers) help you or correct your example sentences when needed. In short, this is pretty much like a Q&A app built to support anyone!

Are you interested to learn more about the basic functions of HiNative? Get to know more in this HiNative review!

What Is HiNative?

HiNative Review Logo

Whether you are learning Simplified Chinese, Korean, or even German, HiNative has native speakers who can answer questions at a blazing fast speed. The platform was created by a Tokyo-based company named Lang-8 (since 2007) and has been an expert in language teaching. HiNative app continues to grow from 9 million and counting since its release in 2014. Due to the success of this Q&A app, it gained a feature from giants like LifeHacker, Business Insider, and TechCrunch.

If you ask us, HiNative is not really the type of resource that will give you a structured language lesson like Ling AppDrops, Lingq, or Lingualift. It is only meant as an additional app when you want to clarify certain language features with native speakers so that you won’t ever have to rely on Google Translate or your textbook alone.

It is flexible and can be accessed using its website and mobile app. There is only one gamified feature here in the form of a pointing system. The more answers you provide to other users’ questions, you will earn additional quality points (if you have been chosen as a featured answer) and quick points (when you answer a new language question right away). The points can be used to level up, and this can also help other users identify your level as a native speaker in a particular language.

Aside from language-based questions, the app asks users to feel free to send in their questions related to cultures and traveling tips. For this reason, it is truly the best app for new and fluent speakers!

What Is It For? A language exchange app that focuses on questions and answers for learning your target language

Languages Offered: 113 Languages

Popular Languages In The App:

English (UK)English (US)
Simplified ChineseFrench
Spanish (Spain)Portuguese (Brazil)
GermanJapanese
KoreanArabic
HindiItalian
Russian

Level: Basic, Intermediate, and Advanced Learners

Pros:

  • Premium version users get questions prioritized
  • Use your points for your credibility
  • Stream questions and answers using the iOS version
  • Translate users Q&A

Cons:

  • It is not a lesson-based app
  • Less popular languages have little to no answer
  • Lacks direct message option for communicating

Who Is HiNative For? For language learners who want fast responses to grammar, writing, and speaking questions.

How Does HiNative Work?

HiNative is a straight-to-the-point language exchange app that works on your phone and PC. You can start using the app right when you register for an account. Although it doesn’t have a free version, users keep recommending HiNative as a way to simultaneously communicate with other native speakers for teaching and learning.

Before signing in, you’ll need to determine which language you want to become fluent in. HiNative gives you various options for languages you are interested in, your native language(s), and the country or region you’re getting to know. It will also ask if you are a beginner, beginner to intermediate, intermediate, or advanced learner.

Once you’re logged in, you’ll immediately see questions from different users and a way to filter them through the search engine. You can change these questions according to a native language you want to learn or through a country or region you’re specifically interested in.

The rest of the features are in this article, so make sure you don’t click anywhere else and read this detailed HiNative review.

HiNative User Interface And Design: How Easy Is It For First-Time Users?

HiNative Review User Interface And Design

HiNative looks like a forum-based question and answer (Q&A) platform that looks familiar to users of Reddit, Tandem, HelloTalk, iTalki, and more. It is a great language learning app for discussing many aspects of these lessons. For example, you want to ask a question about moods and tenses in French. You can ask these questions immediately or use question templates that highlight different topics and categories.

Moreover, users would only focus on a single dashboard where all questions can be viewed easily. If you want to switch to another language, you can easily do so by clicking on your profile and changing it in the account settings.

Their search engine filter is also easy to use, and you can also switch the search engine boards according to what language you’re currently taking.

Now that their user interface and design are established let’s move on to its one-of-a-kind features!

HiNative Features: Why It’s A Popular Community For Language Enthusiasts

The basic features of HiNative assist a long way for beginners who want to learn a new language. Anyone can ask questions and search for answers straight from the search engine. But it’s not exclusive to new learners only. You may even find HiNative, the perfect companion for locating others that want to practice complex sentences.

You may also want to sign up for the membership if you’re looking for premium features that expand your learning experience.

Ready to discover what HiNative has to offer? Check out these exclusive features!

Ask Questions Depending On Your Needs

Most of the question formats in many community-based apps are accessible to all. Contrary to many of these usual apps, HiNative focuses on how fellow learners can help each other become native speakers. Hence, speakers of your target language will understand what you’re trying to know.

It provides an avenue for you to post questions using pre-determined question templates. The templates are brilliant in the sense that it helps the users construct their query appropriately.

Some of the question templates include:

  • How do you say this?
  • Does this sound natural?
  • Please show me an example sentence with
  • What does this mean?
  • What’s the difference?
  • Please show me how to pronounce
  • How’s my pronunciation?
  • Free question format (about countries, language, culture, etc.)

HiNative Community: Become Fluent With Other Language Learners

Ultimately, the best training for someone to become fluent in less than three months is conversing with people in their mother tongue, right? Yes, it’s a great way to learn a new language to become immersed through typing, speaking, and reading French, even without an extensive vocabulary.

Unlike having to learn languages on your own, you can interact with like-minded language enthusiasts that simultaneously discover your desired language with you. 

Another excellent benefit of using this website is getting high-quality answers from native speakers. It is the perfect app for language learners who want to meet beginners and those who are far in their journey.

Filter your search using the in-app search engine

HiNative Review Features

Since the app has been in the industry for a pretty long time now, there are instances wherein another user has asked your question before. You can check whether your question has been asked to prevent repetitive questions. You can simply use the search feature for cases like this and bookmark it for future reference.

updated and growing database for language learning

Other language learning apps only focus on popular languages for developing their database. However, HiNative made it a mission to reach all native speakers of various countries, ethnicities, and regions. Currently, 113 languages are available for everyone to ask questions about. Through this platform, you may find answers for vulnerable, endangered, extinct, and less-spoken dialects and languages! That’s a great deal, right? You won’t regret subscribing to their plan if you want to meet someone that can speak Welsh.

Has A Quick Points System For Answering Questions

Is Thai your mother tongue? If your answer is yes, you’ll gain points just by typing a new response to many tricky questions. It’s a great way to help new learners distinguish correct answers from those that may not be fluent in that language.

What’s even better is that the more points your profile shows, the more people will trust your answers. Users can easily track how many points you’ve answered and your quick points on your account’s profile. Your answers might even be featured in Google and a reason for them to download HiNative too! As a rule of thumb, only bookmark answers from users with high-quality points.

How Much Does HiNative Cost?

HiNative Review Pricing Cost Offers

HiNative cost is effective as a knowledge-based platform for teaching languages even if you use the free version. Frequent users of HiNative suggest that you stick to the free version as it consists of what you already need for the most part. If you want to unlock exclusive features, the premium version of HiNative costs USD 5.68 per month

Why should you avail the premium membership? You’ll get special features like auto-translation, specific templates (correction template), priority tickets, bookmark notifications, and more. It also removes ads for uninterrupted learning, mainly if you’ve been concentrating on acing that Test of Proficiency in Korea (TOPIK).

As a first-time user, a pop-up appears on your mobile or web version of HiNative. It offers a free month of exclusive access to all the extra features. If you ask me, that’s a pretty cool deal among all the apps we’ve reviewed so far. On the other hand, if you’ve missed this offer, you can still have a chance to get a taste of the free membership. The best thing about subscribing to the premium membership is having a one-week free trial (7 days) to see if the app fits your needs.

Take a look at how you’ll maximize these features in the premium with the benefits of using Hinative.

Benefits of Using HiNative

Premium version users get questions prioritized

As a Q&A app, it’s inevitable to have thousands of queries people need to scroll through. It’s great that HiNative has a search engine to look for questions and answers you already need. But what if you need that question answered for your exam soon?

If you like your questions answered quickly, then having a premium subscription is worth paying. Priority tickets enable users to make their questions highlighted for at least two days. You need to get a HiNative premium plan which turns out great if you have tricky questions that require a quick solution.

Use your points for your credibility

As you start answering other users’ questions, you’ll have a chance to prove you are proficient in their target language. Growing your profile with quality points and answering questions accurately will make you a credible community member. You can even have a featured answer according to your points and profile experience.

Stream Users’ Questions Using the iOS version

An innovative feature and classy advantage of using HiNative on your phone are interactive discussions with other HiNative users through live streaming. For iOS users, you’ll get an exclusive streaming feature to answer questions about your native language. Who knows, you might even find someone to

Translate Questions And Answers

Most people downloading apps for language learners tend to have high expectations, and we can’t blame them! It’s one of the best things to record audio for pronunciation exercises, watch videos with native speakers, and even have a writing practice for the alphabet. Although HiNative may not have all of these premium features in its app, it can boast of having an automatic translation tool supported by DeepL translation.

HiNative also has a feature for unlimited translations if ever you need to answer a question of a user who does not speak English (or your language).

What Does HiNative Need To Refine?

It is not a lesson-based app

As much as we love the expanded language options you can choose in HiNative; it is not ultimately a lesson-based platform. You’ll have to exert due diligence in many of your questions and be wise in their bookmark feature. Are you looking for a separate page where you can learn how to write the Urdu alphabet? Sad to say, you will have to look for HiNative alternatives to practice your listening, reading, writing, and speaking lessons.

Moreover, it doesn’t work like Lingvist, Memrise, Anki, Ling, and Duolingo, as they are flashcards-based and gamified. HiNative doesn’t have additional features to improve your language skills quickly. Flashcards are one of the best memory recall apps available today.

Hence, you’ll find more free users that use HiNative as a supplementary tool instead of their main resource for learning a language.

Less Spoken Languages Have Little To No Answer

The app supports all languages so long as a user speaks that specific language. However, unpopular languages may have very few speakers in the community. This means that your question may even be left unanswered. For this reason, the app is a good choice only if the target language has a lot of speakers. You may have to switch to another language community. On the other hand, it may be better if you look for a language app that teaches you the question. These questions may include specific grammar rules, pronunciation guides, or alphabet writing.

There Is No Direct Message Option To Practice With Other Users

Somehow, there are times when you want to reach out to a native speaker to know why certain nouns have an unusual suffix. Or if you are having difficulty conjugating some verbs. It would sound like messaging them would be an excellent idea, right? Inopportunely, there is no way for you to directly message someone for one-on-one sessions. If you want to avoid repeated questions or just want a private way to ask for pronunciation help, HiNative may not be for you.

Updated: HiNative Review: A Complementary Language Learning App

As we’ve looked back in this previous HiNative review, we’ve established that it is a complementary app. Their outstanding features are the reason why their downloads are growing each day. It’s simply a great Q&A app and community platform to meet people with similar goals of becoming fluent.

On the other hand, the app may not guarantee you to master a new language, as it doesn’t have step-by-step lessons for phonology, syntax, semantics, and pragmatics. So you may need to be a student of a language course. However, HiNative works if you’re taking popular languages like German, Spanish, Portuguese, Japanese, or Chinese classes.

There is truly no one-size-fits-all application out there that can guarantee to help you master a language right away- some might work for you, while others may just not be fit for your level. You’ll only find HiNative helpful for you when you:

  • Subscribe to a language school
  • Use it as an additional resource when school is out
  • Use a textbook
  • Use a reference if you are in the intermediate to advanced levels

For the most part, HiNative is a way to connect language learners in various parts of the world, no matter what foreign language they speak. Yet, it still has many spaces to fill and will need to grow to accommodate other users’ needs.

Now, if you are looking for something that is more flexible and offers a holistic approach, then the Ling App is what you should consider.

Focus On All Your Language Skills With The Ling App

HiNative Review by Ling app

Speaking to various people who speak a foreign language provides the best experience in getting to know your desired language. However, not everyone has the time to do so. So what’s the next best thing for a friendly and user-focused app?

The Ling App is an innovative language-learning solution for those looking to level up their proficiency in over 60+ languages! Thanks to its compilation of best-in-class language lessons, you can get updated content that will teach you vocabulary words, grammar points, and writing systems. It can even provide information about a country’s common traditions and culture.

Aside from all that, it also comes with gamified content that will help you feel motivated to learn on the go. With just 10 minutes of use per day, you will be faced bite-sized lessons, challenging quizzes, and fun games that will strengthen your understanding of a specific lesson. Download Ling today via the Play Store or the App Store to learn more.

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