SACE Stage 2 Chinese (background speakers) flashcards

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

Third-tone sandhi

When two third tones occur in sequence, the first is pronounced as a second tone while remaining written with a third-tone mark, for example nǐ hǎo spoken as ní hǎo.

Neutral tone

A short, weak syllable with no full tonal contour, often arising from reduplication or grammatical particles such as 的, 了, 吗, and the second syllable of 妈妈.

了 as perfective

Placed directly after a verb, 了 marks an action as completed or realised, as in 我买了三本书, and does not by itself mean past tense.

Sentence-final 了

At the end of a sentence, 了 signals a change of state or a new situation, such as 他来了 meaning he has now arrived.

的 versus 得 versus 地

的 links an attributive to a noun, 得 introduces a complement after a verb describing degree or manner, and 地 turns an adverbial phrase before a verb.

把 construction

A structure placing a definite object after 把 and before the verb, requiring a complement or particle, used to stress how the object is handled or affected.

被 passive

A passive marker preceding the agent, often implying something unfortunate happened to the subject, as in 我的自行车被偷了.

Measure words

Classifiers required between a numeral or demonstrative and a noun, chosen by noun category: 个 for people generally, 本 for books, 张 for flat objects.

比 comparison

The pattern A 比 B + adjective expresses inequality, as in 他比我高; adverbs like 很 cannot precede the adjective in this structure.

没有 comparison

The pattern A 没有 B + adjective means A is less than B, as in 今天没有昨天冷, and is the negative counterpart of 比.

越来越

A structure meaning 'more and more', followed by an adjective or psychological verb, as in 天气越来越热, expressing progressive change over time.

Simplified radical 讠

The reduced written form of the speech radical 言, appearing on the left of characters such as 说, 话, 语, and 请 in simplified text.

Simplified radical 饣

The reduced form of the food radical 食, used in characters such as 饭, 饿, 饺, and 馆 in simplified character writing.

Resultative complement

A verb or adjective placed after an action verb to show its outcome, such as 完 in 吃完, 到 in 看到, and 懂 in 听懂.

Potential complement

Inserting 得 or 不 between a verb and its resultative or directional complement expresses whether an outcome is possible, as in 看得懂 and 看不懂.

Spring Festival customs

春节 involves a family reunion dinner on New Year's Eve, red couplets on doorways, red envelopes for children, and the 春运 travel peak.

Mid-Autumn Festival

Falls on the fifteenth day of the eighth lunar month; families gather, eat mooncakes, admire the full moon, and recall the legend of Chang'e.

Dragon Boat Festival

Observed on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month, commemorating the poet Qu Yuan with dragon-boat races and zongzi, and recognised by UNESCO.

Twenty-four solar terms

A lunisolar agricultural calendar dividing the year into 24 periods; 清明 is both a solar term and the tomb-sweeping festival.

Confucian 孝

Filial piety: the duty of respect, care, and obedience toward parents and elders, one of the central virtues shaping Chinese family relations.

Confucian 礼

Ritual propriety: correct conduct, etiquette, and social forms that maintain harmony and appropriate hierarchy in relationships.

面子 (face)

Social prestige and dignity in the eyes of others; concern for face encourages indirect refusals, hedged criticism, and avoidance of public embarrassment.

Indirect refusal

A communication norm in which a request is declined through hesitation, delay, or a vague excuse rather than an explicit 'no', protecting both parties' face.

Seating etiquette

At a formal Chinese banquet the seat facing the door is reserved for the guest of honour or host, with seating arranged by seniority and status.

Gift taboos

Clocks, sharp objects, and white wrapping are avoided as gifts because 送钟 sounds like 'attending a death' and white is associated with funerals.

Eight great cuisines

The 八大菜系 classify regional Chinese cooking styles, including 川 (Sichuan), 粤 (Cantonese), 鲁 (Shandong), 苏 (Jiangsu), and 湘 (Hunan).

春节 红包

Red envelopes containing money, given by elders to children and juniors at Spring Festival; the red colour signifies luck and protection from evil.

清明 festival

A spring festival when families sweep ancestral tombs, offer food and paper items, and remember deceased relatives; it is also one of the 24 solar terms.

Address terms by seniority

Kinship terms distinguish relative age and side of family, such as 哥哥 versus 弟弟 and 叔叔 versus 舅舅, reflecting relational hierarchy.

Host-guest etiquette

The host toasts first, urges guests to eat more, pours tea for others before filling their own cup, and may see an emptied plate as a sign of hospitality.

Diaspora Chinese identities

Overseas Chinese communities in Southeast Asia, Australia, and North America blend Chinese traditions with local languages and customs, producing distinct hybrid cultural practices.

Chopstick etiquette

Chopsticks should not be stood upright in rice, used to point at people, or tapped on a bowl, since these gestures evoke funerals or begging.