Read explanations on the spot
Explanations that fit the context appear right on the page you're reading. No more switching between tabs to look things up.
A Chrome extension for desktop
Just select a word or passage on a web page or PDF. Read an explanation that fits the context without switching tabs, and revisit it later in the same spot.
Try it for free. Usage is limited.
How it works
Words you've never seen, words whose meaning here isn't clear, roundabout phrasing—select it and click the balloon to read an explanation right on the page. No need to open another tab to look it up.
How it works
Sample article:People who drank coffee every day tended to have a lower risk of heart disease. However, because this was a retrospective cohort study, a causal relationship cannot be established.
Select “retrospective cohort study” in the article.
A balloon appears at the end of the text you selected.
Huh? "Retrospective"? Like a film retrospective, a look back at someone's greatest hits?
An explanation that fits the context opens right over the article.
It's a study that goes back through existing records to examine what already happened. "Retrospective" refers to the direction in time, not a celebration of past work. Because researchers can't control the conditions, other factors can easily get mixed in. So you can say "coffee drinkers had a lower risk," but not "coffee caused the lower risk."
The explanation is saved automatically, so you can reopen it from the balloon the next time you visit the page.
How it works
Sample article:The court ruled that the agreement was unenforceable because there was no consideration.
Select “consideration” in the article.
A balloon appears at the end of the text you selected.
Huh? No consideration? So someone was being inconsiderate, and that cancels a contract?
An explanation that fits the context opens right over the article.
In everyday English, "consideration" means thoughtfulness or careful thought. In contract law, it means something of value that each side gives or promises in exchange, such as money, goods, or a service. Here, the point is that one side promised something but got nothing in return, so the law doesn't treat it as a binding contract. It has nothing to do with anyone's manners.
The explanation is saved automatically, so you can reopen it from the balloon the next time you visit the page.
How it works
Sample article:At my first church potluck in Georgia, I proudly set down my kale and quinoa salad next to the fried chicken and mac and cheese. An older woman looked at it, smiled sweetly, and said, "Well, bless your heart." I suddenly felt like I'd done something wrong.
Select “Well, bless your heart.” in the article.
A balloon appears at the end of the text you selected.
Huh? She was blessing me. So why did I feel embarrassed?
An explanation that fits the context opens right over the article.
In the South, "bless your heart" can be a sincere expression of sympathy, but it's also famous as a polite way of saying "you poor thing, you don't get it." Southern manners favor softening criticism instead of saying it directly. Here, the speaker is gently pointing out that the salad doesn't fit the local potluck culture, and the writer sensed that hidden meaning.
The explanation is saved automatically, so you can reopen it from the balloon the next time you visit the page.
* All three demos are fixed examples; the articles and explanations were prepared for illustration. The legal example explains the meaning of a term and is not legal advice. Actual explanations vary depending on the words you select and the surrounding text.
Features
Explanations that fit the context appear right on the page you're reading. No more switching between tabs to look things up.
Ask about anything the explanation leaves you wondering.
Available after signing in with Google
Open saved explanations from the balloon on the original page. You can also look back through your notes and history.
Note editing is available after signing in with Google
Try it for free.Usage is limited.
No sign-in required.Follow-up questions and note editing are available after signing in with Google.
To generate explanations, the selected text and necessary page information are sent to an external AI service. Saved explanations and notes are stored on your device.
Getting started
Add the extension from the Chrome Web Store.
Available on the Chrome Web Store
Use your mouse to select a word or passage you're curious about.
Click the balloon that appears at the end of your selection to open an explanation.
The first time, you can choose to sign in with Google or try it without signing in.
Why we built it
For work and study, I often find myself reading web articles and PDFs in fields I'm not familiar with, looking things up as I go.
Every time I hit a word or sentence I didn't understand, I'd open an AI chat in another tab, explain the original text and its context, and ask my question. After reading the answer, I'd go back, find where I'd left off, and keep reading. I repeated this over and over.
Each step is a small hassle, but every time, it interrupts your reading and your train of thought. And whatever you figured out never stays on the original page, so days later I'd find myself looking up the same thing again, thinking, “Didn't I already look this up?”
So what if you could just select what you don't understand, read the explanation right there, and keep on reading? What if what you learned stayed in that spot, so you could recall it the next time you read the page? That idea is how I started building Fu-Sen.
As I kept using it myself, I found it much easier to keep my research moving and to read on while understanding things one at a time. I decided to release it in the hope that it would help others who also want to read carefully, working through what they don't understand one step at a time.
I'll keep using Fu-Sen myself as one of its users, and keep making it a little better over time.
Share your thoughts and feedbackhello@fu-sen.app
FAQ
Yes, you can use it for free. Usage is limited. You can check your usage and the next reset date and time in the extension's settings.
You can try the basic explanations without signing in. Signing in with Google also unlocks follow-up questions and note editing.
It works with PDFs where you can select the text. PDFs made only of images are not supported. To use it with PDF files on your computer, allow file access in Chrome's extension settings.
Rest assured. Fu-Sen passed review by Google's official Chrome Web Store before being published.
Before publication, the Chrome Web Store reviews whether an extension complies with Google's Developer Program Policies. The review uses automated checks, with additional manual checks when needed. Google's published review process and Developer Program Policies describe review criteria and publication requirements such as the following.
Because Fu-Sen explains text you select on a web page right where you are, it uses permissions that let it run on a wide range of websites. Google itself identifies broad site access permissions such as <all_urls> as something it reviews with particular care, checking whether the requested permissions are truly necessary and used appropriately.
Rather than relying only on passing the Chrome Web Store review, Fu-Sen is designed with privacy and safety in mind as much as possible: it requests no more permissions than necessary, stores explanations and notes on your device by default, and clearly states in its Privacy Policy what information is sent to external services.
They're stored on your device, in your Chrome profile. They are not automatically synced to other devices. If a page's content or structure changes, they may not appear in their original spot, but you can still find your saved explanations in your history.
When you request an explanation, the selected text, the surrounding context needed for the explanation, page information such as the page title and URL, and the content of your question are sent to an external AI service. For details, see our Privacy Policy.
You can use it with Chrome on a computer. Extensions aren't available on smartphones, but you can still view this page.
The next time you run into something you don't understand, just select it and click the balloon.