Simplified and Traditional, never romanized
Mandarin is written in two character sets, Simplified on the mainland and in Singapore, Traditional in Taiwan, Hong Kong, and older texts elsewhere. Script is not something audio carries, so FastScribe cannot detect which set a speaker intends: the engine most often outputs Simplified characters rather than romanizing into pinyin. If your source needs Traditional, expect a conversion step afterward. Measured directly against Simplified-script test data, Mandarin benchmarks at 10.3% character error across 200 test clips. See the full language accuracy results for how every language on this site compares.
Mandarin is a tonal language, and getting a word right depends on the model hearing the tone correctly, not just the syllable. Our transcription engine handles standard Putonghua well, along with the more common regional accents, without you setting a script or region anywhere in the process.
Mandarin text, timestamps, and captions
The transcript stays in Mandarin exactly as spoken and is never machine-translated into English. If you need another language afterward, pass the Mandarin text through a translation tool of your choice, which keeps this step focused on getting the transcription itself right.
Every segment carries a timestamp, so captioning Mandarin video is straightforward. Export SRT or VTT to subtitle a Mandarin interview or lecture, TXT for a clean transcript, and DOCX on Pro for a formatted document.
Reaching FastScribe from mainland China
FastScribe runs on servers outside mainland China, and China's national firewall blocks or slows a wide range of foreign web services unpredictably. If you are uploading from inside mainland China, expect the site to load slowly or occasionally be unreachable without a VPN; this is a network reality we cannot fix from our end, and we would rather say so plainly than let you assume the upload simply failed.
Frequently asked questions
Does the transcript use Simplified or Traditional characters?
Mostly Simplified. Script is not something audio carries, so the engine cannot detect which set a speaker intends, and our benchmark measured Simplified-script test data at 10.3% character error. If you need Traditional characters, plan on a conversion step after transcription.
Does FastScribe translate Mandarin audio into English?
No, this is transcription, so Mandarin audio comes back as Mandarin text in Chinese characters. To get another language, run the finished Mandarin transcript through a separate translation tool afterward.
How accurate is Mandarin transcription?
Measured directly across 200 benchmark clips, Mandarin transcribes at 10.3% character error, a solid result for a script with no spaces between words, though behind our strongest Latin-script languages. Clear studio-quality speech comes through best, as with any language.
Can I access FastScribe from mainland China?
You can, but expect it to be slower or occasionally blocked, since China's national firewall filters a wide range of foreign web services unpredictably. A VPN usually restores normal access; this is outside anything we control from our servers.