The language learning application Duolingo has experienced a remarkable surge of over 200% in U.S. users eager to learn Mandarin, as many have turned to the Chinese app RedNote due to the ongoing uncertainties around TikTok.

On Friday, the Supreme Court confirmed a decision to prohibit TikTok in the U.S. Earlier, TikTok suggested it would prepare to deactivate the app if the court ruled unfavorably on Thursday. Meanwhile, President Joe Biden has stated he would not enforce the ban, leaving the decision to President-elect Donald Trump. Thus, as the weekend approaches, the fate of TikTok remains uncertain, prompting social media users to seek alternatives, like RedNote.

Among all free iPhone applications, RedNote, known as Xiaohongshu in Chinese, has now become the top social networking application on the Apple App Store. Many disgruntled TikTok users, upset about the potential ban, flocked to this platform, finding it ironic to inundate a Chinese-based app with American users (and their data) as a response to concerns about U.S. data privacy involving TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance.

It has turned into a viral trend to sign up for RedNote, with many users humorously claiming they are on the lookout for a “new Chinese spy” or quipping, “We’ll make sure they have our data now.”

According to Similarweb, a digital analytics firm, RedNote has seen a spike to 3.4 million daily active users across iOS and Android in the U.S., a jump from just 654,200 users within a single day. Overall, the app recorded a 133.8% increase week-over-week since the start of January.

Adding to the irony, a significant portion of the app’s content is primarily in Mandarin. Instead of being deterred by this, many American users have opted to learn essential phrases in the language to engage with the content.

Duolingo has noted that a substantial number of these learners are seriously committed to their studies.

Duolingo reports a 216% increase in new Mandarin learners

This Tuesday, Duolingo took to X, formerly Twitter, where they playfully remarked, “Oh, so now you’re learning Mandarin,” reaching an audience of 15 million, and gathering nearly 190,000 likes.

The following day, they added, “Learning Mandarin out of spite? You’re not alone. We’ve experienced about a 216% increase in new Chinese (Mandarin) learners in the U.S. compared to this time last year.”

In a press release to YSL News, Duolingo emphasized that this growth is not only significant for Mandarin specifically but also exceeds the growth of other languages. For instance, Spanish, one of the most popular languages to learn in the U.S., only increased by 40% during the same period.

What prompted this influx of Mandarin learners? TikTok, of course. According to a survey asking users how they discovered Duolingo, the rise in Mandarin learners coincided with a notable increase in people selecting “TikTok” as their source.

The data shows that most of these new learners are under 30, with 43% stating they want to learn the language to connect with others, a notable rise from a baseline of around 25%.

One commenter under Duolingo’s post quipped, “Spite has found its most articulate expression yet.” Another chimed in with a joke that the company is “the biggest winner” in this scenario.

What is Chinese Mandarin?

Mandarin is the most commonly spoken form of Chinese and serves as the official language of Mainland China. While all Mandarin is considered Chinese, the term “Chinese” encompasses about 129 other dialects spoken among various ethnic groups in China, such as Cantonese.

Owing to its widespread usage, Mandarin is often referred to simply as “Chinese” informally.

Americans showcase their new Mandarin abilities

Some users have taken their newly acquired language skills to different platforms, such as a video on TikTok featuring user @amphetamineanne, who excitedly says “Watch this” before expressing in Mandarin: “What the (expletive) was the U.S. government thinking?” with over 5 million views.

User @krisdewdew shared a video with more than 4 million views, where they revealed some phrases they learned, including “Hello. This is my cat,” and “I’m learning Mandarin,” captioning it, “Me after literally 2 hours on RedNote.”

In another clip with over a million views from @orionsisters, two American sisters have a light conversation in Mandarin, playfully suggesting in their caption, “Us practicing our Chinese so we can move to China and keep TikTok.”

Once again, many comments under these posts poked fun at the “pettiness” of Americans suddenly diving into the language to counter the U.S. government’s TikTok ban, with remarks like “It’s remarkable how motivating spite can be” and “Revenge is the best motivator.”