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

Water changes its form

Name liquid water, ice and water vapour.

Goals & study plan
Water changes its form

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.

  • Name liquid water, ice and water vapour.
  • Describe a change linked to temperature.
  • Distinguish invisible vapour from visible drops.

Nature, poems & explanations · Lessons 5–8

Science · reading focus

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

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: 化 · 冰 · 汽 · 变.

Lesson text · words, sentences and reading

Words & phrases

水滴

shuǐ dī

drop of water

水汽

shuǐ qì

water vapour

冰

bīng

ice

变化

biàn huà

change

温度

wēn dù

temperature

观察

guān chá

observe

Model sentences

杯子外面有许多小水滴。

bēi zi wài miàn yǒu xǔ duō xiǎo shuǐ dī。

There are many small water droplets on the outside of the cup.

水受热以后会变成水汽。

shuǐ shòu rè yǐ hòu huì biàn chéng shuǐ qì。

Water becomes water vapour when heated.

天气很冷时,水会结成冰。

tiān qì hěn lěng shí, shuǐ huì jié chéng bīng。

Water can freeze into ice in very cold weather.

温度改变时,水的状态也会变化。

wēn dù gǎi biàn shí, shuǐ de zhuàng tài yě huì biàn huà。

When the temperature changes, the state of water can also change.

我们用温度计测量水的温度。

wǒ men yòng wēn dù jì cè liáng shuǐ de wēn dù。

We use a thermometer to measure the water temperature.

我认真观察冰慢慢融化。

wǒ rèn zhēn guān chá bīng màn màn róng huà。

I carefully observe the ice melting slowly.

我是谁

小雨把冰放在盘子里观察。冰慢慢融化,盘子里出现水滴。妈妈说,这与温度的变化有关。

xiǎo yǔ bǎ bīng fàng zài pán zi lǐ guān chá。 bīng màn màn róng huà, pán zi lǐ chū xiàn shuǐ dī。 mā ma shuō, zhè yǔ wēn dù de biàn huà yǒu guān。

Xiaoyu observes ice on a plate. It melts into water droplets. Mum explains that temperature changes matter.

水还可以变成水汽。水汽看不见;我们看见的白雾里有很小的水滴。不能把白雾和水汽当成同一种样子。

shuǐ hái kě yǐ biàn chéng shuǐ qì。 shuǐ qì kàn bú jiàn; wǒ men kàn jiàn de bái wù lǐ yǒu hěn xiǎo de shuǐ dī。 bù néng bǎ bái wù hé shuǐ qì dàng chéng tóng yì zhǒng yàng zi。

Water can also become invisible vapour. Visible white mist contains tiny droplets, so mist and vapour should not be confused.

小雨记下观察到的变化,又问:“如果温度降低,水会怎样?”她想先提出问题,再寻找答案。

xiǎo yǔ jì xià guān chá dào de biàn huà, yòu wèn:“rú guǒ wēn dù jiàng dī, shuǐ huì zěn yàng?” tā xiǎng xiān tí chū wèn tí, zài xún zhǎo dá àn。

Xiaoyu records the changes and asks what happens when temperature falls. She wants to ask a question and then seek an answer.

Conversation

A 你说水有不同的样子,是什么意思?

nǐ shuō shuǐ yǒu bù tóng de yàng zi, shì shén me yì si?

What do you mean by water having different forms?

B 水可以是液体,也可以变成冰或水汽。

shuǐ kě yǐ shì yè tǐ, yě kě yǐ biàn chéng bīng huò shuǐ qì。

It can be liquid, ice or water vapour.

A 水汽是不是我们看见的白雾?

shuǐ qì shì bú shì wǒ men kàn jiàn de bái wù?

Is water vapour the white mist we see?

B 不是,水汽看不见,白雾里有很小的水滴。

bú shì, shuǐ qì kàn bú jiàn, bái wù lǐ yǒu hěn xiǎo de shuǐ dī。

No. Vapour is invisible; mist contains tiny water droplets.

A 我们怎样观察变化?

wǒ men zěn yàng guān chá biàn huà?

How can we observe a change?

B 和大人一起看冰在室温下融化。

hé dà rén yì qǐ kàn bīng zài shì wēn xià róng huà。

Watch ice melt at room temperature with an adult.

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.