NCEA Level 2 Chinese 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-tone syllables occur in a row, the first is pronounced in the second tone: 你好 nǐ hǎo sounds like ní hǎo, and 很好 hěn hǎo sounds like hén hǎo.

一 yī tone change

一 is first tone when alone or at the end, but before a fourth tone it becomes second tone (一个 yí ge); before first, second or third tone it becomes fourth tone (一天 yì tiān).

不 bù tone change

不 is fourth tone by itself, but changes to second tone when it comes before another fourth-tone syllable, as in 不是 bú shì, 不要 bú yào and 不会 bú huì.

Retroflex versus alveolar initials

zh, ch and sh are made with the tongue curled back; z, c and s with the tongue tip behind the lower teeth. Mixing them changes meaning: 四 sì (four) versus 是 shì (to be).

-n versus -ng finals

For -n the tongue tip touches the ridge behind the upper teeth (an, en, in); for -ng the back of the tongue rises (ang, eng, ing). 新 xīn and 星 xīng differ only in this.

Neutral tone

Some syllables are said short and weak with no fixed contour, most often 的, 了, 吗, 呢, 们, 子 and 头, as in 我们 wǒmen and 桌子 zhuōzi.

A-not-A question

A yes/no question can be made by repeating the verb or adjective with 不 in between: 你去不去? (Are you going?) 这个好不好? (Is this good?) No 吗 is used.

Hearing numbers and prices

十 shí (ten) and 四 sì (four) are easily confused, so 十四 is fourteen and 四十 is forty. Prices use 块/元 for dollars and 毛/角 for ten-cent units, with 半 for half.

您 versus 你

您 is the polite form of 'you', used with strangers, elders, teachers, customers or anyone in a formal relationship; 你 is used with family, friends and classmates.

Measure word 位

位 is the polite measure word for people: 一位老师, 两位客人. 个 is the general measure word and is acceptable but less respectful when applied to people.

了 marking completion

A verb followed by 了 marks a completed action: 我吃了饭 (I have eaten). It does not simply mark past time, and it is not used with 是 or in habitual statements.

过 marking experience

Verb + 过 shows that an action has been experienced at least once at some indefinite time: 我去过中国, 他没吃过北京烤鸭. It is negated with 没(有).

正在 for ongoing action

在, 正在 or 正 before a verb shows an action happening now: 他正在打电话. A sentence-final 呢 often accompanies it, as in 我吃饭呢.

吧 for suggestion

The particle 吧 at the end of a sentence turns a statement into a suggestion or softens a request: 我们走吧 (Let's go), 你休息一下吧 (Do rest a while).

比 comparison

A 比 B + adjective compares two things: 今天比昨天热. Degree adverbs such as 很, 非常 and 太 cannot appear after the adjective in a 比 sentence.

把 construction

把 places the object before the verb to focus on what happens to it: 我把作业做完了. The verb must be followed by 了, a complement or a particle, never left alone.

Water radical 氵

The three-dot water radical 氵 marks meanings connected with water or liquids: 河 river, 海 sea, 洗 to wash, 酒 alcohol, 汤 soup.

Heart radical 忄

Written on the left of a character, 忄 relates to feelings, thoughts and states of mind: 忙 busy, 快 happy or fast, 怕 afraid, 情 feeling.

的, 得 and 地

的 joins a modifier to a noun (我的书); 得 follows a verb or adjective to introduce a complement (说得好); 地 links an adverbial phrase to its verb (慢慢地走).

没 versus 不

没 negates 有 and completed or experienced actions: 没有, 没去, 没看过. 不 negates habits, states, opinions and future intentions: 不去, 不喜欢, 不冷.

是…的 emphasis

是…的 highlights the time, place or manner of an action that has already happened: 我是昨天来的 (I came yesterday), 他是在中国学的汉语 (He learned Chinese in China).

Time and place word order

Chinese word order is subject + time + place + verb + object: 我明天在学校见他. Time expressions come before the verb, not after the object as in English.

Reading a 通知

A 通知 states the event, who must take part, and the time and place; the issuing body and the date usually appear at the end, below the message.

Measure words after 这/那/几

The demonstratives 这 and 那 and the question word 几 need a measure word before the noun: 这本书, 那辆车, 几个人. The measure word is never omitted.

Stroke order basics

Characters are written top to bottom and left to right; horizontal strokes before vertical, 撇 before 捺, outer frame before contents, and the closing stroke of an enclosure last.

Chinese email layout

A Chinese email opens with a greeting such as 亲爱的… or …你好, then the body, then a closing like 祝好 or 此致敬礼, followed by the sender's name and the date.

Enumeration comma 、

The comma 、 separates items in a list of words or phrases: 我喜欢苹果、香蕉和西瓜. It never joins two full clauses; full clauses take the ordinary comma ，.

Title marks 《》

Book, film, song and article titles are enclosed in 《 》: 《红楼梦》, 《卧虎藏龙》. When a title sits inside another title, the inner one uses 〈 〉.

在 versus 再

在 means 'at, in, on' or marks an ongoing action (我在家, 我在看书); 再 means 'again' or 'then' (再见, 再来一次). The two are not interchangeable in writing.

二 versus 两

两 is used with measure words when counting (两个人, 两本书); 二 appears in numbers, ordinals and dates (二十, 第二, 二月). 两点 means two o'clock.

了 in narratives

In written narratives, 了 after a verb marks a completed event in sequence (他吃了饭就走了), while 过 marks earlier experience (我去过北京). Overusing 了 is a common error.

Paragraph structure

A short written text usually has a topic sentence, supporting detail linked by 因为, 而且, 但是 or 所以, and a concluding sentence that restates the main point.