Mandarin Meadow
A little Mandarin, every day.

Help & FAQ 常见问题

Practising Mandarin

How do Listen, Record, Play mine and Compare work?

Listen plays the example. You can skip listening and record straight away. Tap Record, say the item, then tap Stop. A successful recording completes that item’s task. Play mine plays your voice; Compare plays the model, then your voice.

“Recorded” means you practised; it is not a pronunciation score. Listen for tones, rhythm and light syllables. You can record again. Try a few items at a time and take a break when needed.

Where do my recordings and completed tasks go?

Voice clips stay in this browser tab. Reloading, closing the tab or leaving the website clears them. Opening this help page keeps your clips available. Completed tasks remain saved even when a voice clip is gone, so Play mine and Compare become available after a new recording.

Learners have separate progress. Use the learner’s progress backup or sign-in sync to carry supported learning progress between devices. Voice clips are not included in backups or sync.

How can I read a longer text?

Use the Listen button beside each part. Pause or stop with the audio controls, then continue when ready. Pinyin + English and Useful expressions provide optional support. Short texts have one Listen button.

How do character animations and tracing work?

Flip a character card to see the writing controls. Replay shows the strokes; Trace lets you try them. The lesson’s writing focus identifies which characters to practise first. Printable pages are available in Practice.

Choosing a course & reviewing

How do I choose a starting point?

Each course page lists what to know before starting and what you will practise. Choose by what you can understand and do in Mandarin. Later literature and social themes are intended for teenagers and adults ready for extended reading and discussion; language support remains available.

How do the cumulative reviews work?

Open Review & connect on a course page, or use the extra review in the Review tab after each study block. Earlier vocabulary, sentence patterns and readings return in short recall questions, followed by a written response. First choices and retries remain saved. The written reflection is self-reviewed, with room for different supported answers.

Can I spread a long reading over several days?

Yes. Open Goals & study plan for reading sessions linked to each part. Read one part in a sitting, then connect the parts and complete the reading tasks when ready. The short Course 7 bridge readings have optional longer versions; the longer version is not required.

Chinese typing

How do I type Chinese and use written responses?

Add a Simplified Chinese Pinyin keyboard in your device’s keyboard or language settings. On iPhone/iPad, look under Settings → General → Keyboard → Keyboards. On Android, use your keyboard’s Languages settings. On Windows or Mac, use language or input-source settings. Select the Chinese keyboard, type pinyin, then choose the intended characters.

Later readings include a short written response. Drafts are saved to the active learner’s progress as you type. You can save a response, compare it with a possible supporting detail, and revise it. These responses are not automatically graded; different reasoned answers can work. Progress backup and supported sign-in sync include saved responses.

Microphone setup

What if microphone access is blocked?

Tap Record and allow microphone access when your browser asks. If access was denied, change this website’s microphone permission to Allow or Ask. Your device must also let the browser use its microphone. Return to the lesson and try Record again; reload only if your browser requires it. Reloading clears voice clips in this tab.

Open Mandarin Meadow directly in your browser if recording is unavailable in an embedded window. If the microphone is busy, close other apps using it. For children, a parent or carer can help with permission settings.

iPhone or iPad · Safari
  1. Open this website in Safari, then tap Record and allow the request.
  2. If blocked, open Safari’s page menu beside the address, find Website Settings (or More, then Website Settings), and change Microphone to Ask or Allow for this website.
  3. You can also check Settings → Apps → Safari → Microphone; older versions may show Safari directly in Settings. Return to Safari and try again.

Menu names vary by version. Apple’s Safari settings guide

Android phone or tablet · Chrome
  1. In Chrome, open Settings → Site settings → Microphone. Allow this website or remove its blocked permission, then try Record again.
  2. If still blocked, check Android Settings → Apps → Chrome → Permissions → Microphone, and allow access while using the app.

Google’s microphone guide for Android

Mac · Safari or Chrome

In Safari, use Settings → Websites → Microphone and choose Ask or Allow for this website. In Chrome, open the controls beside the address → Site settings → Microphone → Allow.

If the browser is blocked by macOS, check System Settings → Privacy & Security → Microphone and allow the browser if listed. Relaunch it if requested; relaunching clears current voice clips.

Safari website settings · Chrome microphone settings

Windows · Chrome or Edge

Open the controls beside the website address and allow Microphone in this site’s permissions. In Windows Settings → Privacy & security → Microphone, check microphone access and permission for desktop apps. On older Windows versions, look under Privacy.

Microsoft’s microphone settings guide

Firefox

Use the permissions icon beside the address to remove a blocked microphone permission, then tap Record and allow the new request. You can also review Microphone under Firefox Settings → Privacy & Security → Permissions. Check your device’s microphone permission for Firefox too.

Mozilla’s permission guide

A dust particle’s journey: from image to explanation

Explain lighting and visible observations.

Goals & study plan
A dust particle’s journey: from image to explanation

The dust traveller is personification. Use the sunbeam scene to distinguish not seeing from absence, then connect particle movement and cloud formation with their conditions. You can pause after any study block and continue later.

  • Explain lighting and visible observations.
  • Describe varied particle sources and movement.
  • Identify conditions rather than assuming all particles form rain.

Evidence, explanation & learning · Lessons 9–12

Science · reading focus

Identify the phenomenon, the explanation and the evidence. Distinguish observations from guesses and look for a limitation.

Reading sessions · 4 parts
  1. Session 1 · Part 1

    Read this part, identify the main event or idea, and note one useful detail.

  2. Session 2 · Part 2

    Read this part, identify the main event or idea, and note one useful detail.

  3. Session 3 · Part 3

    Read this part, identify the main event or idea, and note one useful detail.

  4. Session 4 · Part 4

    Read this part, identify the main event or idea, and note one useful detail.

  5. Connect & respond

    Link the parts, try the reading checks, then write or explain a supported response. Complete the dialogue recordings in short blocks.

Words & sentences

5–8 minutes

Learn the core expressions and record in short blocks.

Reading & dialogue

10–15 minutes per sitting

Read one part per sitting. Use the reading sessions in this plan, then connect the parts and practise the dialogue in short blocks.

Practice & review

5–10 minutes

Practise the writing focus and revisit your first-choice answers.

Help with self-study

Try each item in a short block. Listen when needed, record when ready, and use the hints to retry. Pinyin and English can be turned off independently.

Show support:
Pronunciation & learning options

Pinyin shows how to say a word. The mark above a vowel shows its tone.

mā1. High and level
má2. Rising
mǎ3. Low, then rising
mà4. Falling

Watch the tone marks and listen for the rhythm of the whole phrase. Light syllables are short; pauses belong between meaningful groups.

Characters0 / 22 tasks
Task checklist · 0 / 22 complete

Characters · 生字

Flip each card for stroke order. This lesson’s writing focus: 风 · 尘 · 灰 · 来 · 结 · 浮.

Lesson text · words, sentences and reading

Words & phrases

灰尘

huī chén

dust

颗粒

kē lì

particle

漂浮

piāo fú

float

凝结

níng jié

condense

来源

lái yuán

source

通风

tōng fēng

ventilation

Model sentences

灰尘并不是一种单一物质,而是许多微小物质的混合。

huī chén bìng bú shì yì zhǒng dān yī wù zhì, ér shì xǔ duō wēi xiǎo wù zhì de hùn hé。

Dust is not one single substance but a mixture of many tiny materials.

有些颗粒肉眼很难看见,却能通过仪器测量。

yǒu xiē kē lì ròu yǎn hěn nán kàn jiàn, què néng tōng guò yí qì cè liáng。

Some particles are difficult to see with the naked eye but can be measured with instruments.

较轻的微粒会在空气中漂浮,随后落到不同表面。

jiào qīng de wēi lì huì zài kōng qì zhōng piāo fú, suí hòu luò dào bù tóng biǎo miàn。

Lighter particles can float in the air before settling on different surfaces.

水汽在适当条件下凝结,空气中的微粒可能成为凝结核心。

shuǐ qì zài shì dàng tiáo jiàn xià níng jié, kōng qì zhōng de wēi lì kě néng chéng wéi níng jié hé xīn。

Under suitable conditions, water vapour condenses, and airborne particles may act as condensation nuclei.

判断灰尘来源需要比较地点、时间和颗粒成分。

pàn duàn huī chén lái yuán xū yào bǐ jiào dì diǎn、 shí jiān hé kē lì chéng fèn。

Identifying the source of dust requires comparing location, time and particle composition.

适当通风可以改善室内空气,但室外污染严重时也要调整方法。

shì dàng tōng fēng kě yǐ gǎi shàn shì nèi kōng qì, dàn shì wài wū rǎn yán zhòng shí yě yào tiáo zhěng fāng fǎ。

Suitable ventilation can improve indoor air, but the approach should change when outdoor pollution is severe.

灰尘的旅行

“我是一粒小小的灰尘,刚才还躺在窗边,一阵风吹来,就把我带进了房间。”

“wǒ shì yí lì xiǎo xiǎo de huī chén, gāng cái hái tǎng zài chuāng biān, yí zhèn fēng chuī lái, jiù bǎ wǒ dài jìn le fáng jiān。”

“I am a tiny speck of dust; a moment ago I lay by the window, until a breeze carried me into the room.”

阳光斜斜照进来,光束里许多细小的点慢慢移动,有的像在上升,有的轻轻落到书架旁。

yáng guāng xié xié zhào jìn lái, guāng shù lǐ xǔ duō xì xiǎo de diǎn màn màn yí dòng, yǒu de xiàng zài shàng shēng, yǒu de qīng qīng luò dào shū jià páng。

Slanting sunlight reveals tiny moving points, some seeming to rise and others drifting towards the bookshelf.

小宁伸手想指给朋友看,光线被手挡住以后,那些细小的点忽然不明显了。她把手移开,又看到它们继续移动,才发现不容易看见并不等于已经全部消失,观察还与当时的光有关。

xiǎo níng shēn shǒu xiǎng zhǐ gěi péng yǒu kàn, guāng xiàn bèi shǒu dǎng zhù yǐ hòu, nà xiē xì xiǎo de diǎn hū rán bù míng xiǎn le。 tā bǎ shǒu yí kāi, yòu kàn dào tā men jì xù yí dòng, cái fā xiàn bù róng yì kàn jiàn bìng bù děng yú yǐ jīng quán bù xiāo shī, guān chá hái yǔ dāng shí de guāng yǒu guān。

Blocking the light makes the specks less visible; removing her hand reveals them again, showing how lighting affects observation.

这粒灰尘的“旅行”没有地图,也没有预定的目的地,它的移动随着空气流动和周围条件而改变。

zhè lì huī chén de “lǚ xíng” méi yǒu dì tú, yě méi yǒu yù dìng de mù dì dì, tā de yí dòng suí zhe kōng qì liú dòng hé zhōu wéi tiáo jiàn ér gǎi biàn。

The speck’s “journey” has no map or planned destination; its movement changes with airflow and surrounding conditions.

空气中的颗粒有不同来源,有些来自土壤,有些与海盐、燃烧或生物活动有关,不能只用一种材料说明。

kōng qì zhōng de kē lì yǒu bù tóng lái yuán, yǒu xiē lái zì tǔ rǎng, yǒu xiē yǔ hǎi yán、 rán shāo huò shēng wù huó dòng yǒu guān, bù néng zhǐ yòng yì zhǒng cái liào shuō míng。

Airborne particles have different sources, including soil, sea salt, combustion and biological activity; no single material explains them all.

有的颗粒较重,很快落到附近,有的更细小,可以随空气移动更长时间。窗开着还是关着,空气怎样流动,也会影响它们的位置;同样称为灰尘,并不表示每一粒都有完全相同的旅程。

yǒu de kē lì jiào zhòng, hěn kuài luò dào fù jìn, yǒu de gèng xì xiǎo, kě yǐ suí kōng qì yí dòng gèng cháng shí jiān。 chuāng kāi zhe hái shì guān zhe, kōng qì zěn yàng liú dòng, yě huì yǐng xiǎng tā men de wèi zhì; tóng yàng chēng wéi huī chén, bìng bù biǎo shì měi yí lì dōu yǒu wán quán xiāng tóng de lǚ chéng。

Particle size and airflow affect movement and settling, so particles called dust do not all follow the same journey.

大小也不一样,能够在光束里看见的点,并不代表每一粒都能用肉眼看见,光线和背景也会影响观察。

dà xiǎo yě bù yí yàng, néng gòu zài guāng shù lǐ kàn jiàn de diǎn, bìng bù dài biǎo měi yí lì dōu néng yòng ròu yǎn kàn jiàn, guāng xiàn hé bèi jǐng yě huì yǐng xiǎng guān chá。

Sizes differ, and visible points do not mean every particle can be seen with the naked eye; lighting and background affect observation.

一粒小颗粒被空气带向更高的地方,在合适的条件下,某些颗粒能够参与云滴或冰晶的形成。

yí lì xiǎo kē lì bèi kōng qì dài xiàng gèng gāo de dì fang, zài hé shì de tiáo jiàn xià, mǒu xiē kē lì néng gòu cān yù yún dī huò bīng jīng de xíng chéng。

A small particle may be carried higher, where some particles can take part in forming cloud droplets or ice crystals under suitable conditions.

在天空中,一个微小颗粒也可能与周围的水分发生联系,许多变化要在合适的条件下才出现。小宁在图上画出颗粒和水滴,又把没有弄清楚的过程留成问题,没有直接把想象中的旅行当成已经发生的全部事实。

zài tiān kōng zhōng, yí ge wēi xiǎo kē lì yě kě néng yǔ zhōu wéi de shuǐ fèn fā shēng lián xì, xǔ duō biàn huà yào zài hé shì de tiáo jiàn xià cái chū xiàn。 xiǎo níng zài tú shàng huà chū kē lì hé shuǐ dī, yòu bǎ méi yǒu nòng qīng chu de guò chéng liú chéng wèn tí, méi yǒu zhí jiē bǎ xiǎng xiàng zhōng de lǚ xíng dàng chéng yǐ jīng fā shēng de quán bù shì shí。

Cloud-related processes depend on suitable conditions; Xiaoning distinguishes what she can diagram from processes she still needs to understand.

这个过程还需要水分与大气条件,并不是所有灰尘只要升上天空,就一定能够带来一场雨。

zhè ge guò chéng hái xū yào shuǐ fèn yǔ dà qì tiáo jiàn, bìng bú shì suǒ yǒu huī chén zhǐ yào shēng shàng tiān kōng, jiù yí dìng néng gòu dài lái yì cháng yǔ。

This process also depends on moisture and atmospheric conditions; dust rising into the sky does not automatically bring rain.

风小下来以后,有些颗粒慢慢落下,停在地面、叶子或桌面上,又可能在下一次空气流动中改变位置。

fēng xiǎo xià lai yǐ hòu, yǒu xiē kē lì màn màn luò xià, tíng zài dì miàn、 yè zi huò zhuō miàn shàng, yòu kě néng zài xià yí cì kōng qì liú dòng zhōng gǎi biàn wèi zhì。

When the wind weakens, some particles settle on ground, leaves or tables and may move again with later airflow.

自然过程里可能有颗粒参与,但某些场所过量的颗粒也会造成问题,人们因此要减少不必要的扬尘。

zì rán guò chéng lǐ kě néng yǒu kē lì cān yù, dàn mǒu xiē chǎng suǒ guò liàng de kē lì yě huì zào chéng wèn tí, rén men yīn cǐ yào jiǎn shǎo bù bì yào de yáng chén。

Particles can participate in natural processes, but excessive particles can cause problems in some places, so unnecessary dust should be reduced.

打扫以后,光束里仍然偶尔看见细小的点,她不再把清洁理解成肉眼看不见就绝对没有颗粒。整理环境是日常工作,解释现象则需要说清范围;两件事可以相互帮助,却不必被说成同一个问题。

dǎ sǎo yǐ hòu, guāng shù lǐ réng rán ǒu ěr kàn jiàn xì xiǎo de diǎn, tā bù zài bǎ qīng jié lǐ jiě chéng ròu yǎn kàn bú jiàn jiù jué duì méi yǒu kē lì。 zhěng lǐ huán jìng shì rì cháng gōng zuò, jiě shì xiàn xiàng zé xū yào shuō qīng fàn wéi; liǎng jiàn shì kě yǐ xiāng hù bāng zhù, què bù bì bèi shuō chéng tóng yí ge wèn tí。

Occasional visible particles remain after cleaning, helping her distinguish practical cleaning from absolute claims about particle absence.

小宁看完窗边的光束,和家人一起整理书桌,用平常的方法清洁,并没有为了观察而故意扬起粉末。

xiǎo níng kàn wán chuāng biān de guāng shù, hé jiā rén yì qǐ zhěng lǐ shū zhuō, yòng píng cháng de fāng fǎ qīng jié, bìng méi yǒu wèi le guān chá ér gù yì yáng qǐ fěn mò。

After watching the sunbeam, Xiaoning helps clean the desk in the usual way rather than deliberately raising powder to observe it.

她在本子上画出一条弯弯的路线,从窗边到书架,再到屋外,把空气流动写在箭头旁边。

tā zài běn zi shàng huà chū yì tiáo wān wān de lù xiàn, cóng chuāng biān dào shū jià, zài dào wū wài, bǎ kōng qì liú dòng xiě zài jiàn tóu páng biān。

She draws a winding route from window to bookshelf and outside, labelling airflow beside the arrows.

风从窗边转向门口,光束里的小点也换了方向。小宁抬头再看,刚才那粒“旅行者”已经分不清了,更多细小的亮点却仍在空气里缓缓移动。

fēng cóng chuāng biān zhuǎn xiàng mén kǒu, guāng shù lǐ de xiǎo diǎn yě huàn le fāng xiàng。 xiǎo níng tái tóu zài kàn, gāng cái nà lì “lǚ xíng zhě” yǐ jīng fēn bù qīng le, gèng duō xì xiǎo de liàng diǎn què réng zài kōng qì lǐ huǎn huǎn yí dòng。

The air moved towards the door and the dots changed direction. Xiaoning could no longer identify the same tiny traveller, but many bright specks still drifted slowly.

Conversation

A 灰尘真的计划路线吗?

huī chén zhēn de jì huà lù xiàn ma?

Does dust plan its route?

B 不,旅行者是拟人。

bù, lǚ xíng zhě shì nǐ rén。

No; traveller is personification.

A 没看见能证明没有吗?

méi kàn jiàn néng zhèng míng méi yǒu ma?

Does not seeing it prove absence?

B 不能,观察方法会影响结果。

bù néng, guān chá fāng fǎ huì yǐng xiǎng jié guǒ。

No; methods affect observation.

A 所有灰尘都会造雨吗?

suǒ yǒu huī chén dōu huì zào yǔ ma?

Does all dust make rain?

B 不能这样概括,要看颗粒和条件。

bù néng zhè yàng gài kuò, yào kàn kē lì hé tiáo jiàn。

No; particle type and conditions matter.

Sources & image credits

Curriculum references: 幼儿汉语 1–4 and 中文 1–12. Lessons are organised by learning themes and include original texts and graded adaptations.

Scene illustrations: Twemoji, © Twitter and contributors, CC BY 4.0. Pilot word-card illustrations are original AI-generated images.