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

Clues and riddles

Use words for a riddle, clue and guess.

Goals & study plan
Clues and riddles

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 a riddle, clue and guess.
  • Explain why a clue fits an answer.
  • Compare the house guess with the umbrella answer.

Everyday encounters & clues · Lessons 1–4

Riddle · reading focus

Test every clue before choosing an answer. Explain why an earlier guess fails and how you revise it.

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: 伞 · 形 · 状 · 线.

Lesson text · words, sentences and reading

Words & phrases

谜语

mí yǔ

riddle

答案

dá àn

answer

线索

xiàn suǒ

clue

形状

xíng zhuàng

shape

雨伞

yǔ sǎn

umbrella

猜测

cāi cè

guess

Model sentences

这个谜语有三条线索。

zhè ge mí yǔ yǒu sān tiáo xiàn suǒ。

This riddle has three clues.

我想了一会儿,终于找到答案。

wǒ xiǎng le yí huì er, zhōng yú zhǎo dào dá àn。

After thinking for a while, I finally find the answer.

每一条线索都要和答案相符。

měi yì tiáo xiàn suǒ dōu yào hé dá àn xiāng fú。

Every clue must fit the answer.

先观察形状,再找线索。

xiān guān chá xíng zhuàng, zài zhǎo xiàn suǒ。

Observe the shape first, then look for clues.

雨伞撑开以后像一朵大花。

yǔ sǎn chēng kāi yǐ hòu xiàng yì duǒ dà huā。

An open umbrella looks like a large flower.

猜测以后,还要检查自己的想法。

cāi cè yǐ hòu, hái yào jiǎn chá zì jǐ de xiǎng fǎ。

After making a guess, check your idea.

猜一猜

老师说一个谜语:“下雨时打开,天晴时收起来。”大家先想一想,再说答案。

lǎo shī shuō yí ge mí yǔ:“xià yǔ shí dǎ kāi, tiān qíng shí shōu qǐ lái。” dà jiā xiān xiǎng yi xiǎng, zài shuō dá àn。

The teacher gives a riddle: it opens in rain and folds away in fine weather. Everyone thinks before answering.

小林猜测是房子,因为房子能挡雨。小美想起雨伞的形状,也想到它能收起来。

xiǎo lín cāi cè shì fáng zi, yīn wèi fáng zi néng dǎng yǔ。 xiǎo měi xiǎng qǐ yǔ sǎn de xíng zhuàng, yě xiǎng dào tā néng shōu qǐ lái。

Xiaolin guesses a house because it keeps out rain. Xiaomei thinks of an umbrella’s shape and how it folds.

老师问:“哪一个猜测符合全部线索?”小林又读一遍,发现房子不能收起来。他修改答案,选了雨伞。

lǎo shī wèn:“nǎ yí ge cāi cè fú hé quán bù xiàn suǒ?” xiǎo lín yòu dú yí biàn, fā xiàn fáng zi bù néng shōu qǐ lái。 tā xiū gǎi dá àn, xuǎn le yǔ sǎn。

The teacher asks which guess fits all the clues. Xiaolin rereads, realises a house cannot fold, and changes his answer to umbrella.

Conversation

A 你猜答案是什么?

nǐ cāi dá àn shì shén me?

What do you think the answer is?

B 我先猜房子,因为它能挡雨。

wǒ xiān cāi fáng zi, yīn wèi tā néng dǎng yǔ。

A house at first, because it keeps out rain.

A 可是房子会收起来休息吗?

kě shì fáng zi huì shōu qǐ lái xiū xi ma?

But can a house fold away to rest?

B 不会,那一条线索不符合。

bú huì, nà yì tiáo xiàn suǒ bù fú hé。

No; that clue does not fit.

A 雨伞是不是更合适?

yǔ sǎn shì bú shì gèng hé shì?

Would an umbrella fit better?

B 是,每一条线索都能解释了。

shì, měi yì tiáo xiàn suǒ dōu néng jiě shì le。

Yes, now we can explain every clue.

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.