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

I eat the small apple · 我吃小苹果

Describe familiar objects as big or small.

Goals & study plan
I eat apples

大 and 小 describe size. In a choice question, 还是 offers alternatives; answer by naming the one you choose. You can pause after any study block and continue later.

  • Describe familiar objects as big or small.
  • Answer a choice question using 还是.
  • Read who eats an apple and who eats a cake.

Size & transport · Lessons 7–10

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 / 6 tasks
Task checklist · 0 / 6 complete

Characters · 生字

Flip each card for stroke order. This lesson’s writing focus: 小 · 大 · 吃.

Lesson text · words, sentences and reading

Words & phrases

吃

chī

to eat

小苹果

xiǎo píng guǒ

small apple

大西瓜

dà xī guā

large watermelon

小蛋糕

xiǎo dàn gāo

small cake

大足球

dà zú qiú

large football

大小

dà xiǎo

size

Model sentences

我吃小苹果。

wǒ chī xiǎo píng guǒ。

I eat the small apple.

我吃一个小苹果。

wǒ chī yí ge xiǎo píng guǒ。

I eat a small apple.

我有一个大西瓜。

wǒ yǒu yí ge dà xī guā。

I have a big watermelon.

这是小蛋糕。

zhè shì xiǎo dàn gāo。

This is a small cake.

这是大足球。

zhè shì dà zú qiú。

This is a big football.

这两个苹果大小不一样。

zhè liǎng gè píng guǒ dà xiǎo bù yí yàng。

These two apples are different sizes.

大和小

桌上有一个小苹果和一个大西瓜。

zhuō shàng yǒu yí ge xiǎo píng guǒ hé yí ge dà xī guā。

There are a small apple and a large watermelon on the table.

我吃小苹果。

wǒ chī xiǎo píng guǒ。

I eat the small apple.

妹妹吃小蛋糕。

mèi mei chī xiǎo dàn gāo。

My younger sister eats a small cake.

爸爸有一个大足球。

bà ba yǒu yí ge dà zú qiú。

Dad has a large football.

Conversation

A 你吃大苹果还是小苹果？

nǐ chī dà píng guǒ hái shì xiǎo píng guǒ？

Do you eat the big apple or the small apple?

B 我吃小苹果。

wǒ chī xiǎo píng guǒ。

I eat the small apple.

A 妹妹吃什么？

mèi mei chī shén me？

What does your younger sister eat?

B 她吃小蛋糕。

tā chī xiǎo dàn gāo。

She eats a small cake.

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.