Maharashtra HSC Chinese (MSBSHSE) key terms

The Roman letter system used to write the sound of Standard Mandarin, showing initials, finals and tone marks. Candidates use it to read new characters and to record pronunciation in listening and speaking tasks.

The pitch pattern carried by a Chinese syllable. Mandarin has four main tones plus a neutral tone, and changing the tone changes the meaning of a word entirely.

The opening consonant sound of a Mandarin syllable, such as b, p, m, f, zh, ch, sh or r. It comes before the final and is written in pinyin.

The vowel part of a Mandarin syllable, coming after the initial. It may be a single vowel, a diphthong or a vowel plus nasal ending such as -n or -ng.

A weak, short, toneless syllable, common in particles and repeated kinship words. It is written without a tone mark and is tested in pronunciation and listening sections.

A Chinese written character, a unit of meaning rather than a single sound. Candidates must recognise a set number of characters, read them and write them with correct stroke order.

A single continuous stroke used to build a Chinese character, such as a horizontal, vertical, left-falling or dot stroke. Correct stroke order is required in writing tasks.

The conventional order in which strokes of a character are written, generally top to bottom, left to right, and enclosing strokes last. Examiners penalise wrong stroke order in handwriting answers.

A component that forms part of a character and often hints at meaning or sound, for example the water and speech components. Recognising components helps guess the sense of unfamiliar characters.

The component chosen to index a character in a dictionary, such as the wood or heart radical. Knowing radicals lets candidates look up unknown characters and understand semantic families.

A measure word placed between a number or demonstrative and a noun, for example the general one used with people, or the one used with flat objects. Choosing the right measure word is a common grammar item.

A particle with grammatical rather than lexical meaning, such as the possessive marker 的, the aspect markers 了 and 过, or the question particle 吗. Misusing particles is a frequent error in composition.

Particles attached to verbs to show aspect, chiefly 了 for completion, 着 for continuation and 过 for past experience. They mark how an action unfolds rather than when it happens.

A sentence-final particle that changes the speaker's tone or attitude, such as 吗 for questions, 呢 for continuation, 吧 for suggestion and 啊 for exclamation. It carries mood, not content.

A sentence pattern using the marker 把 before a definite object to show what is done to it, as in 他把书放在桌子上. It emphasises the result of the action on the object.

A passive construction where 被 introduces the doer of an action, often with an unfavourable result, as in 杯子被弟弟打破了. The doer may be omitted when unknown.

A word or phrase after a verb or adjective that completes its meaning, showing result, direction, degree or duration, such as 完, 起来 or 得很. It is a major grammar point in the syllabus.

A directional complement such as 来, 去, 上, 下, 起来 or 下去 placed after a verb to show the direction of movement or a change of state. It often appears in listening dialogues.

A sentence comparing two things, usually with 比, 没有 or 跟……一样, as in 今天比昨天冷. Candidates must choose the correct pattern and avoid stacking comparatives.

A word naming a person, place, thing or idea. Chinese nouns take measure words rather than articles, and they do not change form for plural unless a plural suffix is added to people.

A numeral such as 一, 十, 百, 千 or 万. Chinese groups large numbers in units of ten thousand, so 一万 means ten thousand and 十万 means one hundred thousand.

A word describing quality or state, such as 高, 漂亮 or 冷. In Chinese it can act as a predicate with 很, and it is used in comparison patterns and in descriptive writing.

A fixed four-character idiomatic expression with a set meaning, often drawn from classical stories, such as 画蛇添足. Using one correctly raises marks in composition and comprehension.

A traditional proverb or popular saying expressing common wisdom, such as 有志者事竟成. Proverbs appear in reading passages and are valued in essays for illustrating a point.

Classical Chinese, the written language of older texts and quotations. The syllabus may include short classical passages or sayings, requiring understanding of archaic pronouns and particles.

The section testing comprehension of a written passage. Candidates answer multiple-choice or short-answer questions on main idea, detail, inference and the meaning of words in context.

The central idea or main point of a passage. Main-idea questions ask the candidate to choose the option that best summarises the whole text rather than one detail.

Drawing a conclusion not stated directly in the text, using clues and logic. Inference questions test whether the candidate can read between the lines of a dialogue or article.

Rendering a text from one language into another. The exam requires Chinese-to-English and Chinese-to-Marathi translation plus the reverse, with attention to meaning, tone and natural target-language phrasing.

Literal translation that keeps the original wording and structure as closely as possible. It works for simple factual sentences but can produce awkward or wrong output with idioms.

Free translation that conveys the meaning and effect of the original rather than its exact words. It is preferred for idioms, proverbs and culturally specific expressions.

A letter, a common writing task. Candidates must use the correct format: salutation, greeting, body, closing wishes, signature and date, with register suited to the recipient.

A notice or announcement giving information to a group, such as a change of schedule or a meeting. It needs a title, addressee, clear details of time and place, and the issuer.

A formal written invitation, usually for an event such as a wedding or function. It follows a fixed layout with polite wording and full details of occasion, date and venue.

A narrative composition recounting an event or experience, with setting, characters, sequence and reflection. It is a frequent essay choice in the writing section.

An argumentative essay that states a viewpoint and supports it with reasons and examples. It needs a clear thesis, organised paragraphs and a conclusion that restates the position.

An expository essay explaining a topic, process or idea objectively. It uses description, classification and examples rather than personal opinion or plot.

The listening component, where recorded dialogues or passages are played and candidates answer questions. It tests catching key facts, numbers, tones and speaker intention.

Spoken Chinese, tested in oral tasks such as reading aloud, short response and description. Marks depend on pronunciation, tones, fluency and appropriate vocabulary.

The Spring Festival, the most important Chinese festival, marked by family reunion, dumplings, red couplets and the lunar new year. It is a standard topic in culture and composition questions.

The Mid-Autumn Festival, celebrated on the fifteenth day of the eighth lunar month with mooncakes, family gatherings and moon viewing. It symbolises reunion and appears in cultural passages.

The Dragon Boat Festival, held on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month, associated with dragon boat races, zongzi and the poet Qu Yuan. It is a common culture question.