HSC Chinese Beginners (NSW) flashcards

32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

我叫…

Pattern for giving your name: 我叫 followed by the full name, or 我姓 plus surname. Used in self-introduction and when answering 你叫什么名字？

我今年…岁

Pattern for stating age: 我今年 + number + 岁. In Chinese, 是 is not used with age; 今年 means this year.

哥哥 and 弟弟

哥哥 is an older brother and 弟弟 a younger brother. Chinese distinguishes relative age, unlike English 'brother'.

没有 as negative of 有

有 (to have) is negated with 没有, giving 我没有哥哥 (I have no older brother). 不有 is never correct in Mandarin.

Measure word 口 for family

口 counts family members: 我家有四口人 means there are four people in my family. 个 is also acceptable but 口 is standard for household size.

Time before verb rule

Time expressions come before the verb, not after: 我七点起床 (I get up at seven), not 我起床七点. This applies to clock times, days and dates.

喜欢 + activity

喜欢 means to like and is followed by a noun or verb phrase: 我喜欢打篮球, 我喜欢听音乐. Negate with 不喜欢 before the verb.

想 as 'want to'

想 before a verb expresses intention or desire: 我想当医生 (I want to be a doctor). 要 is stronger, closer to 'will' or 'must'.

Official language status

Mandarin Chinese is the official language of the People's Republic of China, Taiwan (as 国语) and Singapore. It is also widely spoken in Chinese communities worldwide.

Simplified vs traditional

Mainland China and Singapore use simplified characters; Taiwan and Hong Kong largely use traditional characters. Both write the same spoken language with different character forms.

Tone mark placement

In pinyin the tone mark goes on a first, then o, then e; otherwise on the last vowel: hǎo, guó, xiè, liù. A neutral tone takes no mark.

春节 Spring Festival

The lunar new year, China's most important festival. Families reunite, eat dumplings (饺子) and fish, set off firecrackers and give red envelopes (红包).

中秋节 Mid-Autumn Festival

A festival held on the fifteenth day of the eighth lunar month. Families eat mooncakes (月饼), admire the full moon and tell the story of Chang'e.

端午节 Dragon Boat Festival

Falls on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month. People eat rice dumplings (粽子) and hold dragon boat races, commemorating the poet Qu Yuan.

你吃饭了吗 as greeting

Literally 'Have you eaten?', this functions as a friendly everyday greeting in Chinese, similar to 'How are you?'. A short reply such as 吃了 is enough.

Question word 什么

什么 means 'what' and asks about things: 你叫什么名字？ 你喜欢什么？ It never moves to the front of the sentence; it stays where the answer would go.

Question word 为什么

为什么 means 'why' and asks for a reason. Answers usually begin with 因为 (because), often paired with 所以 (therefore) in the reply.

吗-questions

Adding 吗 to the end of a statement makes a yes/no question: 你是学生吗？ Reply with 是 or 不是, or repeat the verb. No word order change is needed.

A-not-A questions

A verb repeated in the pattern verb-不-verb forms a yes/no question: 你去不去？ 你有没有？ Answer with the verb or 不/没有, not with 吗.

不 vs 没 negation

不 negates present, habitual or volitional actions (我不去). 没(有) negates past events and possession (我没去, 我没有钱). Choosing the wrong one changes the meaning.

两 before measure words

Two is 两 before a measure word (两个人, 两本书) but 二 in counting, dates and phone numbers (二十二, 二月). Listening items often test this switch.

Discourse marker 但是

但是 means 'but' and signals contrast. In listening, the information after 但是 often overrides what came before, so the answer usually follows this marker.

Radical 氵 water

Words containing the water radical 氵 usually relate to water or liquids: 河 (river), 海 (sea), 洗 (wash), 茶-related drinks. Radicals help guess meaning of new characters.

Radical 讠 speech

The speech radical 讠 appears in characters about talking or language: 说 (speak), 话 (words), 请 (please), 谢 (thank). It narrows the meaning of unfamiliar words.

因为…所以 structure

因为 introduces a cause and 所以 introduces the result: 因为下雨，所以我不去. In reading, locate 因为 to find why something happened.

虽然…但是 structure

虽然 means 'although' and 但是 means 'but'; they appear together: 虽然很累，但是很高兴. The main point sits in the 但是 clause.

先…然后…最后

These sequence markers mean 'first…then…finally' and order events in a passage. Use them to answer questions about what happens next or in what order.

Sign words 请 and 禁止

请 means 'please' and marks an invitation or request; 禁止 means 'forbidden'. Reading a notice, decide whether it permits, requests or prohibits an action.

了 for completed action

The particle 了 after a verb marks a completed action: 我买了书 (I bought a book). It does not simply mean past tense; it stresses completion.

在 as ongoing action

在 or 正在 before a verb marks an action in progress: 他在看书 (he is reading). 在 as a verb also means 'to be located at'.

Stroke order basics

Write left to right, top to bottom, horizontal strokes before vertical, and enclose outside before inside. A closing horizontal stroke seals a box last.

Letter opening and closing

A Chinese letter opens with 亲爱的 + name and a colon, ends with 祝好 or 此致敬礼, then the writer's name and date on separate lines.