Questions about ContextCat
The app
What is ContextCat?
- ContextCat is an iPhone app for reading in another language: tap any word and it explains what the word means in that sentence, in your own language.
Who is ContextCat for?
- Two kinds of people. Language learners who want to learn by reading real news, books and articles instead of drills. And people who need to read something in a language they do not fully know, such as a PDF for work or school, a letter or a book, and want help with the hard words without translating the whole thing.
How is it different from a dictionary or a translator?
- A dictionary lists every meaning a word can have and leaves you to guess which one fits. A translator replaces the whole text, so you stop reading the language. ContextCat leaves the text as it is and explains the one word you tap, in the sentence you found it in, in your own language.
Which languages does ContextCat support?
- 39 languages, both for reading and for explanations, including English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Japanese, Korean, Chinese, Russian, Turkish, Dutch, Swedish, Arabic, Polish, Ukrainian and Thai. The app itself is translated into all of them.
What can I read in it?
- Today's news from real outlets in your reading language, books and articles in the Store, and anything you bring: PDFs, links to web articles, and pasted text.
Can I read EPUB or Word files?
- Not yet. ContextCat imports PDF files, web links and pasted text.
Does it work for Japanese, Chinese and Thai?
- Yes. These languages do not put spaces between words, so ContextCat cuts the text into words on your iPhone. A tap lands on a whole word.
Is ContextCat on Android, iPad or the web?
- No. ContextCat is an iPhone app (iOS 14 or later). The App Store also lets it run on Macs with Apple silicon.
Are the explanations written by AI?
- Yes. AI language models write the explanations, translations, answers and audio, from the sentence and the text around it. They are right far more often than a word-for-word lookup, and sometimes they are wrong. Check anything that matters.
Learning
Can I really learn a language by reading?
- Reading a lot is one of the best-studied ways to build vocabulary, as long as you understand most of what you read. ContextCat helps with the words you do not know, then brings them back as review cards. It does not teach grammar step by step or practise speaking with you, so many learners pair it with a course or a teacher.
What level do I need?
- Real news and books are easiest from an intermediate level, when you know most of the words on a page. Beginners can start with the easy-language outlets on Today, such as 8 Sidor in Swedish or nachrichtenleicht in German, and with short texts of their own.
How does review work?
- Every word you tap is saved with its sentence and comes back as a card. Remembered pushes it further out: a day, six days, then longer gaps. Forgot brings it back tomorrow. You can also mark a word as known, or hide it for a year.
Price and privacy
Is ContextCat free?
- It is free to download and try. The free plan includes 25 word explanations, 15 sentence translations a day, 3 imports and 5 questions to Ask. ContextCat Pro removes those limits.
How much does ContextCat Pro cost?
- On the US App Store, $49.99 a year with a 7-day free trial, $24.99 for six months, or $7.99 a month. The App Store shows the price in your own currency.
Do I need an account?
- No. There is no sign-up and no password. Your library, words and settings are kept under a random ID the app gets the first time it opens.
Does ContextCat sell my data or show ads?
- No. It does not sell data and shows no ads. Some features send what you tap or ask to AI services to write the answer; the privacy policy lists what is sent and why.
Something else? Contact support.
