Praxis Chinese (Mandarin): World Language cheat sheet

Tone-pair discrimination drives meaning: mǎi (buy) vs mài (sell), wèn (ask) vs wěn (kiss); the exam audio tests minimal pairs, so map tone contours before meaning.

Neutral tone after a full tone is short and weak: 妈妈 māma, 朋友 péngyou, 东西 dōngxi; the second syllable carries no full tone contour.

Third-tone sandhi: a 3rd tone before another 3rd tone is pronounced 2nd (nǐ hǎo → ní hǎo), but the written pinyin keeps the underlying 3rd tone.

不 bù becomes bú before a 4th tone (bú shì, bú qù); 一 yī becomes yì before 1st/2nd/3rd tone and yí before 4th tone.

Erhua marks northern speech and sometimes changes the word: 一点 yìdiǎn (a little) vs 一点儿 yìdiǎnr; 那里 vs 那儿.

Listen for discourse markers that signal the answer: 但是/可是 (contrast), 其实 (correction), 所以 (result), 不过 (qualification).

Numbers, times, and prices are frequent distractors: 两点 (2 o'clock), 两点半 (2:30), 十五 (15) vs 五十 (50), 块 vs 毛.

Reduplication signals tone or aspect: 看看 (a quick look), 试试 (give it a try), 慢慢 (slowly), 高高兴兴 (cheerfully).

Classifiers heard in audio narrow the referent: 一条鱼, 一只猫, 一张票, 一份工作; a mismatch often marks the wrong option.

Aspect markers change reading: 了 (completed/change of state), 过 (experienced), 着 (ongoing state), 在/正在 (progressive action).

的/地/得 split by function: 的 before nouns (红色的车), 地 before verbs (慢慢地走), 得 after verbs for degree (跑得快).

把 bǎ fronts a definite object for disposal/result: 我把书放在桌子上了; 被 bèi marks passive with an agent: 书被他拿走了.

Comparison patterns: A 比 B + adjective (他比我高); A 没有 B 那么 + adjective (他没我高); A 跟 B 一样 + adjective.

Cause-result connectors: 因为…所以…, 虽然…但是…, 不但…而且…, 只要…就…, 只有…才…, 如果…就….

Measure words pair with specific nouns: 张 (paper, tickets, tables), 条 (long thin things, roads, fish), 件 (clothes, matters), 台 (machines).

Directional complements show movement: 进来/出去, 上来/下去, 起来 (start/upward), 下来 (continue down/from past).

Register cues in text type: 通知/告示 use terse imperative phrasing; 广告 uses superlatives; 新闻 uses 据…报道 and passive 被.

Punctuation signals clause role: 、 lists items, -- introduces explanation, 《》 marks titles, “” quotes speech.

Character stroke order rules: top-to-bottom, left-to-right, horizontal before vertical, outside before inside, center before两侧, close the box last.

Commonly confused pairs to proofread: 已/己/巳, 未/末, 天/夫, 人/入, 干/千, 刀/力, 王/玉.

Written register: 您 for respect, 贵校/贵公司 in formal address, 请教/麻烦您 for requests, 此致敬礼 to close a formal letter.

Email/letter frame: 尊敬的…您好 opening; 首先…其次…最后 for structure; 期待您的回复 closing.

Interpersonal writing requires a response to each prompt point; unanswered bullet points lose content points regardless of grammar quality.

Connectives raise coherence: 因此, 然而, 此外, 总之, 换句话说, 与此同时.

Aspect accuracy in narration: use 了 for completed events, 过 for past experience, 在/正在 for background action.

Avoid English calques: 开灯 not 打开灯 for lights; 吃药 not 吃 medicine for 药; 参加考试 not 坐考试.

Presentational writing structure: thesis sentence, 2–3 supporting points with examples, conclusion; use 例如/比如 to introduce evidence.

Tone accuracy is scored separately from fluency; a flat delivery of 4th tones (是, 去, 大) reads as unclear even with good grammar.

Third-tone sandhi and 一/不 sandhi apply in speech but not in pinyin spelling; produce them naturally rather than marking them.

Interpersonal tasks are role-plays: ask a follow-up question, negotiate, and react (真的吗? 那太好了! 我觉得…) rather than monologuing.

Presentational speaking needs an explicit structure: 我想谈三个方面… 第一… 第二… 最后… 总而言之….

Hedging and fillers keep speech natural: 我觉得, 可能, 一般来说, 也就是说, 怎么说呢.

Measure-word and classifier errors are common under time pressure; drill 个, 位 (people, polite), 条, 张, 次, 遍.

Resultative complements add precision: 说完, 做好, 看见, 听懂, 找到; use them instead of vague 完成.

Pronunciation traps: r- initial (人 rén, 热 rè), ü after j/q/x (去 qù, 学 xué), and -ng vs -n finals (生 shēng vs 身 shēn).

Circumlocution strategy: when a word is missing, describe it (那个用来…的东西) instead of switching to English.

Mandarin has no tense inflection; time is marked by adverbs (昨天, 明天), aspect particles (了, 过, 着), and context.

Basic order is Subject–Verb–Object; time expressions precede the verb (我明天去), and location phrases precede the verb with 在 (我在家吃饭).

Questions: A-not-A (你去不去?), 吗 (neutral), 呢 (follow-up), and question words stay in the answer position (你去哪儿? 我去学校).

Negation split: 不 negates present/habitual/will; 没(有) negates 有 and completed actions (我没去 vs 我不去).

Measure words are obligatory between a number/demonstrative and a noun: 三本书, 这个人; 多/少/几 also require one.

Comparison of equality: A 跟/和 B 一样 + adjective; superiority: A 比 B + adjective (+ 一点儿/得多/多了).

Sentence-final particles carry stance: 吧 (suggestion), 呢 (ongoing question), 啊 (softening), 嘛 (obviousness).

Complement types: 得 degree (说得很好), 结果 (吃完), 方向 (走出来), 可能 (看得懂/看不懂).

Pinyin spelling rules: y/w replace i/u at syllable start (yi, wu), and ü is written u after j/q/x/y (ju, qu, xu, yu).

Major festivals: 春节 (lunar new year, red envelopes 红包, dumplings 饺子), 中秋节 (mooncakes 月饼, family reunion), 端午节 (dragon boats, zongzi), 清明节 (tomb sweeping).

Number symbolism: 8 (bā) sounds like 发 (prosper), 4 (sì) sounds like 死 (death); 6 signals smoothness, 9 signals longevity.

Table etiquette: tea is poured for others first; tapping two fingers (叩指) thanks the pourer; chopsticks are not stood upright in rice.

Color symbolism: red = luck and celebration, white = mourning, gold/yellow = imperial, green hats carry a taboo meaning.

Social address: 姓 + 老师/先生/女士; 老/小 + surname for familiarity; given name only among close friends or family.

Geography: Yangtze 长江 and Yellow River 黄河; provinces 省, autonomous regions 自治区, municipalities 直辖市, SARs 特别行政区.

Historical sequence: 夏, 商, 周, 秦 (221 BCE unification), 汉, 唐, 宋, 元, 明, 清; 丝绸之路 linked Chang'an westward.

Arts and thought: 京剧 (Peking opera, role types 生旦净丑), 书法 (calligraphy), 儒家 (Confucianism: 仁, 礼, 孝), 道家 (Daoism: 道, 无为).

Modern society: 高考 university entrance exam, 户口 household registration, 高铁 high-speed rail, 微信 as dominant messaging platform.