Using the synonym cards

1. Access and signing in

• After paying, sign in to eachtone.com with the email you paid with.
• No password needed: type your email in the sign-in box, press “Email me a sign-in link”, and open the link in your inbox.
• To sign in with a password (the Mac floating window needs one): press “Forgot password?” in the sign-in box, open the email link and set one. This works even if you never had a password.
• Open the tool: For teachers → Synonym cards at the top of the site, or go straight to eachtone.com/jinyici.
• Another computer or your phone: sign in with the same email.

2. Finding a set

• Search by word, pinyin, English or word partner. Pinyin needs no tone marks: tigao finds 提高; often finds 经常／常常／时常.
• Sets where the word itself belongs come first; sets that only mention it in a partner or an example come after.
• Two shelves: confusable words, and everyday verb families (切, 剁, 剪… with pictures). Tap to switch.
• Order: pinyin A–Z, or by level (the lowest HSK level in the set; words outside the syllabus are marked off-list).
• Index: press Index to see every set and jump to one.
• Keys: in the search box, ↑ ↓ pick a set and Enter copies the card; with the box empty, ← → switch shelves.

3. Reading a card

• Word heads: pinyin, an English meaning, part of speech and HSK level for each word.
• In common: what the words share and whether they usually swap, right at the top.
• Say this in class: the difference in one line, Chinese and simple English — read it out.
• Key differences: for sets of three or four words, the difference in two or three points, each with an example.
• Word partners: first the ones every word takes (any word can go in ～), then each word's own.
• Examples: six, with pinyin and English. The set's words are coloured; small tags say where both words work and where only one does.
• Students often say: a real mistake, ✗ beside ✓.
• Teacher's note: the boundary textbooks skip — the one a student will ask about.
• Exercises: six, each with a one-line reason.

4. Teaching from a shared screen

• Exercise answers are covered by default, so students see nothing on a shared screen.
• Tap an answer to reveal it; “Show all answers” opens them all and tapping again hides them.
• Let students fill in first, ask them why, then reveal and compare with the reason.

5. Into your slides: copy and PPT

• Copy the card: press “Copy the card”, switch to WPS, PowerPoint or Word, press ⌘V (Ctrl+V on Windows). It pastes with colours and fonts.
• Copy one part: Examples, Exercises, English or Plain text. Copied exercises carry the answers on the last line, easy to delete.
• Download the PPT: “PPT · Download 4 pages” gives card, examples, exercises and answers (the answers on their own slide).
• If a paste into WPS loses its colours, choose “Keep source formatting” when pasting, or use the downloaded PPT.

6. Pictures (everyday verbs)

• Cards on the everyday shelf carry pictures: tap to enlarge, ‹ › or the arrow keys to turn.
• Enlarged, “Copy this picture” pastes it into your slides; “Download” saves it.

7. Reporting a mistake, suggesting a pair

• This is a beta: every set is up, and I am still reviewing them one by one.
• Something wrong? Press Report at the top right of the card and tell me — I read every note.
• Want a pair added? Press “+ Suggest a pair” and write the words and the student sentence behind them. Once I approve it I write the card; it appears in the tool at no extra cost.

8. The Mac floating window

A small window that stays on top of WPS or PowerPoint, with this tool inside. No switching to the browser while you plan: search → copy → switch back and paste.

Download for Mac

Needs macOS 12 or later; runs on Apple silicon and Intel. No Windows version yet — keep a browser window beside your slides.

1. 1

   Download and install

   Download with the button above, double-click to unzip, and drag “EachTone 近义词悬浮窗” into Applications.

2. 2

   First launch

   Double-click it. Your Mac will say it cannot verify the developer — the app is not in the App Store; it is not a virus. Press Done, open System Settings → Privacy & Security, scroll down and press “Open Anyway” under Security, then enter your Mac password. Only the first time.

3. 3

   Sign in

   Press Sign in inside the window and use email + password (emailed sign-in links open in your browser, not in the floating window). No password yet? Press “Forgot password?” in the sign-in box to set one. You stay signed in next time.

4. 4

   Everyday use

   A small icon holding a 词 book sits at the edge of your screen: tap to open, tap again to tuck it away; drag it anywhere. The window's red dot also tucks it away rather than quitting.

5. 5

   Copy and download

   Press “Copy the card” in the window, switch to WPS and press ⌘V. PPT downloads go to your Downloads folder and are selected in Finder when done.

6. 6

   Quit or refresh

   Right-click the icon: “重新载入” refreshes, “退出近义词悬浮窗” quits.

9. Questions

Do sets added later cost extra?

No. One payment, yours for good, including everything added later.

Does it work on a phone?

You can search and read. For copying into slides and downloading PPTs, use a computer.

Signed in but still only three sets?

Check that you signed in with the email you paid with. If not, reply to the access email and I will fix it.

The Mac floating window will not open?

The first time, press “Open Anyway” in System Settings → Privacy & Security. If it still fails, check that macOS is 12 or later.

The floating window says it cannot reach the site?

Check your connection, then right-click the icon → 重新载入 (reload).