# Kobane Mandarin — Listen, speak & trace Chinese > Playful Mandarin learning app for children aged 6-8 with interactive lessons. (iPhone/iPad app by Matthew Jackson.) - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/kobane-mandarin/id6814320285 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`) - Developer: [Matthew Jackson](https://appshunter.io/developer/6812589615) - Category: Education - Price: Free with in-app purchases - Rating: 5.00/5 from 2 App Store ratings - Age rating: 4+ - Requires: iOS 18.0 · 60 MB - Languages: American English - Released: 2026-09-25 - Data updated: 2026-10-05 - Monetization: free with in-app purchases - User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/kobane-mandarin/id6814320285/reviews.md ## What is Kobane Mandarin? Meet Bane, your child's little cat companion for a playful first adventure in Mandarin. Explore 45 short lessons across 19 worlds, from friendly greetings and counting to animals, family and festivals. Each lesson introduces four words or phrases, then brings them back through listening, matching, speaking and tracing. MADE FOR LITTLE DISCOVERIES • Meet 180 words and phrases with simplified Chinese characters, pinyin with tone marks, and English meanings. • Listen at a natural or slower pace, then match words to what you hear or read. • Say it with Bane. Record a short practice take and hear yourself, or simply practice out loud without the microphone. • Trace 153 characters one stroke at a time, with golden hints and a “Show me” demonstration. • Revisit word cards, character tracing and the four Mandarin tones in Practice. • Follow the adventure trail, replay favorite lessons and collect world badges. MADE FOR PRACTICING TOGETHER Designed for English-speaking beginners, roughly ages 6–8. A grown-up can join in to help read the instructions. Bane offers encouragement along the way, and a missed match is another chance to try. Grown-ups can adjust music, sound effects, animations and pinyin helpers. Lessons and audio are included in the app for offline practice. There are no accounts, ads or in-app chat. Progress stays on this device and does not sync between devices. Microphone use is optional. Recordings stay on the device and are deleted when the activity closes or the app leaves the foreground. Speaking practice is self-guided and does not score pronunciation. Mandarin examples use prerecorded synthetic speech. Six lessons in the first two worlds are included with the app. One optional in-app purchase opens the other 17 worlds. Purchasing and restoring purchases are behind a grown-up gate; an internet connection is needed for these store actions. ## Key features - Interactive lessons with a cat companion - Covers greetings, numbers, animals, and festivals - Listening, matching, speaking, and tracing activities - Simplified Chinese characters and pinyin with tone marks - Offline practice available - Progress tracking and world badges ## Pricing and in-app purchases Base price: Free. **One-time purchases** | Purchase | Price | Type | | --- | --- | --- | | Unlock every world | $2.99 | one-time | ## Frequently asked questions about Kobane Mandarin ### What is the learning methodology used in Kobane Mandarin? Kobane Mandarin uses a playful, interactive approach with a cat companion named Bane. Lessons introduce new words and phrases through listening, matching, speaking, and tracing activities, reinforcing learning through repetition and varied exercises. ### How does Kobane Mandarin track progress? Users can follow an adventure trail, replay favorite lessons, and collect world badges to track their progress. The app also allows revisiting word cards and character tracing in a dedicated practice section. ### Is Kobane Mandarin suitable for children of all ages? Kobane Mandarin is designed for English-speaking beginners, roughly ages 6–8. The content and interactive elements are tailored to this age group for optimal engagement and learning. ### Can I use Kobane Mandarin offline? Yes, lessons and audio are included in the app for offline practice. This allows children to continue learning Mandarin without an internet connection. ### What are the pricing details for Kobane Mandarin? The app is free to download and includes six lessons in the first two worlds. An optional in-app purchase is available to unlock the remaining 17 worlds. ### Does Kobane Mandarin have ads? No, Kobane Mandarin is ad-free. The description explicitly states there are no accounts, ads, or in-app chat. ### What devices does Kobane Mandarin support? Kobane Mandarin is available for iPhone and iPad devices. It is designed for iOS users. ### How frequently is Kobane Mandarin updated? The provided data indicates the latest version is 1.0, released on 2026-09-25. Further update frequency information is not available in the provided data. ## Version history (last 1 release) ### 1.0 — 2026-09-25 No release notes. --- *Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-10-05.*