NCEA L1 Chinese key terms

The standard everyday greeting in Mandarin, used when meeting someone. It literally means 'you good'. Use it with people of any age in most situations; add 们 (men) for a group.

A polite opener placed before a question, meaning 'may I ask'. It softens requests for information, for example when asking directions or a price. Very common in shops, stations and when approaching a stranger.

The everyday way to say thank you. Use it for small and large favours. The reply is usually 不客气 (bú kèqi) or 没关系 (méi guānxi) depending on context. Reduplicated second syllable is unstressed.

The standard polite reply to 谢谢, meaning 'you're welcome' or 'don't be polite'. Also used when accepting thanks for a small service. Note the tone change: 不 is bú before a fourth tone.

An apology for a mistake you made, such as being late or bumping someone. Different from 请问, which only opens a request. The usual reply is 没关系 (méi guānxi).

Said to reassure someone that a problem does not matter: 'it's fine', 'no worries'. Used as the reply to an apology, and also to decline an offer of help politely.

The common question asking someone's name: 'what are you called?'. The answer pattern is 我叫… (wǒ jiào…). For adults you do not know well, 您贵姓 is more formal when asking a surname.

The sentence frame for giving your name: 我叫 followed by the name. 叫 literally means 'to be called'. To state your surname only, say 我姓… (wǒ xìng…).

A question asking someone's age, acceptable for children, students and people of similar age. 多大 literally means 'how big'. For adults you do not know, 您多大年纪 is more polite.

A question word meaning 'how many', used with small numbers, usually under ten, and always followed by a measure word: 几个人 (how many people). For larger or unknown numbers use 多少 (duōshao).

A question word meaning 'how much' or 'how many', used for larger or open-ended quantities, and for asking prices: 多少钱？ (how much money?). Unlike 几 it does not usually need a measure word after it.

Measure words, the classifier placed between a number or 这/那 and a noun. Examples: 个 for people and general objects, 本 for books, 杯 for cups, 只 for animals. Every counted noun in Mandarin needs one.

The most general measure word, used for people and many objects: 一个人 (one person), 三个苹果 (three apples). It is the safe default when you are unsure which classifier a noun takes.

The measure word for books, notebooks and similar bound items: 两本书 (two books). Do not use 个 with books in written or formal work, although learners may hear it in casual speech.

Money. Appears in shopping exchanges such as 多少钱？ (how much?) and 太贵了 (too expensive). The currency unit is 块 (kuài) in speech and 元 (yuán) on signs and receipts.

The spoken unit of Chinese currency, like 'dollar' or 'quid': 五块钱 (five yuan). On signs, menus and formal writing the same unit appears as 元 (yuán). Both are used in price listening tasks.

A complaint or bargaining phrase meaning 'too expensive'. Pattern: 太 + adjective + 了 expresses excess. Useful in shop dialogues, along with 便宜一点 (a little cheaper) when negotiating.

A sentence pattern meaning 'too' or 'extremely', with an adjective in the middle: 太好了 (great!), 太冷了 (too cold). The 了 at the end is part of the pattern, not a past-tense marker.

A degree adverb meaning 'very'. In simple descriptive sentences it often just links subject and adjective: 我很好 (I'm fine). Do not confuse it with 太, which signals excess.

Adjectives, words describing nouns, such as 大 (big), 便宜 (cheap), 高兴 (happy). In Mandarin they behave like verbs: no 'to be' is needed before them, so 她很忙 is already a full sentence.

The possessive and linking particle: 我的书 (my book), 红色的车 (a red car). It attaches a modifier to a noun. Do not confuse it with 得 (de, after verbs) or 地 (de, before verbs).

A particle with two main jobs: after a verb it marks a completed action (我吃了饭, I ate); at the end of a sentence it marks a change of state (下雨了, it's raining now). Context decides which.

A particle placed after a verb to show the action has been experienced at some time in the past: 我去过中国 (I have been to China). Different from 了, which marks completion rather than experience.

A versatile word: as a verb it means 'to be located at' (我在家, I'm at home); before a verb it marks ongoing action (他在看书, he is reading). Also used for location in 在…上/里 patterns.

Placed before a verb to stress that an action is happening right now: 他正在吃饭 (he is eating right now). Often shortened to 正 or just 在 in casual speech. Frequently paired with 呢 at the end.

A sentence-final particle. After a noun or pronoun it asks 'and…?': 你呢？ (and you?). After a verb phrase it signals an ongoing state, often with 正在: 他睡觉呢 (he's sleeping).

The yes/no question particle placed at the end of a statement to turn it into a question: 你是学生吗？ (are you a student?). The word order does not change. Do not use it together with a question word like 什么.

The general question word for 'what'. It stays in the position the answer would occupy: 你吃什么？ (what are you eating?). It cannot be combined with 吗 in the same question.

A question word meaning 'how', used for manner or method: 怎么去？ (how do you get there?), 怎么说？ (how do you say it?). With 了 it can also ask what happened: 怎么了？

The question word for 'why'. The answer typically uses 因为 (yīnwèi, because). Useful in opinion tasks where you must give a reason for a preference, not just state it.

A paired connector meaning 'because… therefore…'. In Chinese both halves are usually kept, unlike English: 因为下雨，所以我没去 (because it rained, I didn't go). Signals reasons in spoken and written answers.

A conjunction meaning 'but' or 'however', used to contrast two ideas: 我想去，但是没有时间 (I want to go, but I have no time). 可是 is a common informal alternative with the same position.

An adverb meaning 'also' or 'too'. It goes before the verb, never at the end of the sentence: 我也喜欢 (I like it too). Do not copy the English habit of placing 'too' last.

An adverb meaning 'all' or 'both', placed after the subject and before the verb: 我们都去了 (we all went). It refers back to a plural subject or object already mentioned.

The pronoun 'we' or 'us'. The suffix 们 makes pronouns plural: 你们 (you plural), 他们 (they, male or mixed), 她们 (they, female). Do not add 们 to nouns for people in standard usage.

The pronoun 'they' for a group of males or a mixed group. 她们 is used only for an all-female group. In speech the two sound identical, so listening tasks rely on context, not sound.

The four tones of Mandarin plus the neutral tone. Tone changes meaning completely: mā (mother), má (hemp), mǎ (horse), mà (scold). Listening and speaking tasks both depend on accurate tone production and recognition.

The romanised spelling system for Mandarin used on signs, keyboards and in dictionaries. It marks initials, finals and tone marks. You will meet pinyin in written tasks and need to read it aloud accurately.

The neutral tone: a syllable pronounced short and weak with no tone mark, as in the second syllable of 谢谢 (xièxie) or 朋友 (péngyou). Using it correctly makes speech sound natural and is tested in listening.