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

Choosing a book

Use words for choosing a suitable book.

Goals & study plan
Choosing a book

Start with this short core reading. Explain one reason or clue before trying the optional longer version. You can pause after any study block and continue later.

  • Use words for choosing a suitable book.
  • Give a reason for a choice.
  • Compare book difficulty and price with the child’s budget.

Everyday encounters & clues · Lessons 1–4

Dialogue · reading focus

Identify the speakers’ purpose and what information each needs. Try an alternative reply that still fits the situation.

Words & sentences

5–8 minutes

Learn the core expressions and record in short blocks.

Reading & dialogue

5–10 minutes

Read one part, try the checks, then record the core dialogue.

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 / 10 tasks
Task checklist · 0 / 10 complete

Characters · 生字

Flip each card for stroke order. This lesson’s writing focus: 书 · 价 · 合 · 店.

Lesson text · words, sentences and reading

Words & phrases

书店

shū diàn

bookshop

故事

gù shì

story

书架

shū jià

bookshelf

价格

jià gé

price

选择

xuǎn zé

choose

适合

shì hé

suitable

Model sentences

周末我和姐姐去书店。

zhōu mò wǒ hé jiě jie qù shū diàn。

My older sister and I go to the bookshop at the weekend.

这本书里有一个有趣的故事。

zhè běn shū lǐ yǒu yí ge yǒu qù de gù shì。

There is an interesting story in this book.

动物书放在第二排书架上。

dòng wù shū fàng zài dì èr pái shū jià shàng。

The animal books are on the second row of the bookshelf.

我先看看价格,再决定买哪一本。

wǒ xiān kàn kan jià gé, zài jué dìng mǎi nǎ yì běn。

I check the price before deciding which book to buy.

我选择了一本适合自己的图画书。

wǒ xuǎn zé le yì běn shì hé zì jǐ de tú huà shū。

I choose a picture book that suits me.

句子短、图片多的书更适合初学者。

jù zi duǎn、 tú piàn duō de shū gèng shì hé chū xué zhě。

Books with short sentences and many pictures suit beginners better.

去书店

我带二十元去书店,想找一个动物故事。姐姐和我一起看书架。

wǒ dài èr shí yuán qù shū diàn, xiǎng zhǎo yí ge dòng wù gù shì。 jiě jie hé wǒ yì qǐ kàn shū jià。

I take twenty yuan to a bookshop to find an animal story. My sister and I look at the shelves.

一本书很厚,有些字我不认识。另一本句子短一些,我先读一页。

yì běn shū hěn hòu, yǒu xiē zì wǒ bù rèn shi。 lìng yì běn jù zi duǎn yì xiē, wǒ xiān dú yí yè。

One book is thick and has unfamiliar characters. Another has shorter sentences, so I read a page.

这本书的价格是十八元,内容也适合我。我作出选择,把书带回家。

zhè běn shū de jià gé shì shí bā yuán, nèi róng yě shì hé wǒ。 wǒ zuò chū xuǎn zé, bǎ shū dài huí jiā。

This book costs eighteen yuan and its content suits me. I choose it and take it home.

Conversation

A 你想找哪一种书?

nǐ xiǎng zhǎo nǎ yì zhǒng shū?

What kind of book are you looking for?

B 我想找关于动物的书。

wǒ xiǎng zhǎo guān yú dòng wù de shū。

A book about animals.

A 这本很厚,你能读懂吗?

zhè běn hěn hòu, nǐ néng dú dǒng ma?

This one is thick. Can you understand it?

B 有些字我不认识,我先看看另一本。

yǒu xiē zì wǒ bù rèn shi, wǒ xiān kàn kan lìng yì běn。

I do not know some characters. I will look at the other one first.

A 为什么选这本图画书?

wèi shén me xuǎn zhè běn tú huà shū?

Why choose this picture book?

B 因为内容适合我,而且没有超过预算。

yīn wèi nèi róng shì hé wǒ, ér qiě méi yǒu chāo guò yù suàn。

Because the content suits me and it is within my budget.

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.