Mandarin Chinese Vocabulary and Conversation Syllabus

Vocabulary and Conversation syllabus — full chapter and topic list

Expand any chapter to see its topics and sub-topics. This is the whole examinable outline for Vocabulary and Conversation in Mandarin Chinese, not a summary of it.

1. 1

   Everyday Survival Topics

   4 topics

   • Greetings and Self-Introduction
   • Numbers, Money, and Shopping
   • Time, Dates, and Scheduling
   • Asking for Directions
2. 2

   Daily Life

   4 topics

   • Family and Relationships
   • Food and Ordering in Restaurants
   • Hobbies and Free Time
   • Weather and Seasons
3. 3

   Practical Situations

   4 topics

   • Travel and Transportation
   • At the Doctor and Health
   • Work, Study, and Appointments
   • Phone Calls and Messaging
4. 4

   Conversation Skills

   4 topics

   • Fillers, Connectors, and Natural Flow
   • Expressing Opinions and Agreement
   • Making Requests Politely
   • Handling Misunderstandings
5. 5

   Idioms and Colloquial Speech

   3 topics

   • Common Chengyu (Four-Character Idioms)
   • Everyday Slang and Internet Language
   • Regional Variation and Standard Putonghua

Vocabulary and Conversation flashcards for Mandarin Chinese

25 of 49 cards from the Vocabulary and Conversation deck — real questions with worked answers.

1. How do you say a general "hello" in Mandarin, and what is the more polite/formal version used to show respect (e.g., to elders or teachers)?

   General hello: 你好 (nǐ hǎo). Polite/formal: 您好 (nín hǎo), where 您 (nín) is the respectful form of "you."

2. In a self-introduction, how do you say "My name is..." and "Nice to meet you" in Mandarin?

   "My name is...": 我叫… (wǒ jiào…) or 我的名字是… (wǒ de míngzi shì…). "Nice to meet you": 很高兴认识你 (hěn gāoxìng rènshi nǐ).

3. What are the Mandarin words for the numbers 0 through 10?

   0 零 líng, 1 一 yī, 2 二 èr, 3 三 sān, 4 四 sì, 5 五 wǔ, 6 六 liù, 7 七 qī, 8 八 bā, 9 九 jiǔ, 10 十 shí.

4. How does Mandarin build the numbers 11, 20, 21, and 100 from the base digits?

   It is a place-value system: 11 = 十一 (shí yī, "ten-one"), 20 = 二十 (èr shí, "two-ten"), 21 = 二十一 (èr shí yī), 100 = 一百 (yì bǎi).

5. When asking a price, what is the difference between 块 (kuài) and 元 (yuán) for currency?

   Both mean the base unit of RMB (yuan). 元 (yuán) is the formal/written form; 块 (kuài) is the colloquial spoken form. "How much?" = 多少钱？(duōshao qián?).

6. What are the two words for "two" in Mandarin, and when is each used?

   二 (èr) is used for counting, ordinal numbers, and phone/room numbers. 两 (liǎng) is used before measure words for the quantity "two," e.g., 两个 (liǎng ge) = two of something.

7. What is a measure word (classifier), and what is the most common general-purpose one?

   A measure word sits between a number/demonstrative and a noun. The most common general classifier is 个 (ge), e.g., 三个人 (sān ge rén) = three people, 这个 (zhè ge) = this one.

8. How do you ask and tell the time in Mandarin (e.g., "What time is it?" and "It's 3:00")?

   "What time is it?": 现在几点？(xiànzài jǐ diǎn?). "It's 3:00": 三点 (sān diǎn). Minutes use 分 (fēn), e.g., 3:15 = 三点十五分 (sān diǎn shíwǔ fēn).

9. How are the days of the week formed in Mandarin, and what is the exception?

   星期 (xīngqī) + number: Monday 星期一, Tuesday 星期二 … Saturday 星期六. The exception is Sunday, which uses 天 or 日 not a number: 星期天/星期日 (xīngqītiān/xīngqīrì).

10. How do you express relative days: today, tomorrow, and yesterday in Mandarin?

    Today 今天 (jīntiān), tomorrow 明天 (míngtiān), yesterday 昨天 (zuótiān).

11. How is a full date (year-month-day) ordered and expressed in Mandarin?

    Order is large-to-small: year 年 (nián), month 月 (yuè), day 号/日 (hào/rì). E.g., 2026年7月1日 = 二零二六年七月一号 (July 1, 2026). Months are just number + 月, e.g., July = 七月.

12. What is the polite way to ask for directions, and how do you say "Excuse me" to get someone's attention?

    "Excuse me": 请问 (qǐngwèn, literally "may I ask"). A directions question: 请问，去…怎么走？(qǐngwèn, qù… zěnme zǒu?) = "Excuse me, how do I get to…?"

13. How do you say left, right, and straight ahead when giving directions in Mandarin?

    Left 左 (zuǒ) / 左边 (zuǒbiān), right 右 (yòu) / 右边 (yòubiān), straight ahead 一直走 (yìzhí zǒu) or 前面 (qiánmiàn, ahead).

14. How do you say "turn left" and "turn right" in Mandarin?

    Turn left: 左转 (zuǒ zhuǎn) or 往左拐 (wǎng zuǒ guǎi). Turn right: 右转 (yòu zhuǎn) or 往右拐 (wǎng yòu guǎi). 往 (wǎng) = toward.

15. What are the Mandarin words for the immediate family: father, mother, older/younger brother, and older/younger sister?

    Father 爸爸 (bàba), mother 妈妈 (māma), older brother 哥哥 (gēge), younger brother 弟弟 (dìdi), older sister 姐姐 (jiějie), younger sister 妹妹 (mèimei). Note age is built into the sibling terms.

16. How do you ask "How many people are in your family?" and note the special measure word used?

    你家有几口人？(nǐ jiā yǒu jǐ kǒu rén?). Family members use the special measure word 口 (kǒu) instead of 个, e.g., 五口人 = five people (in a family).

17. How do you say "husband" and "wife" in Mandarin (common spoken terms)?

    Husband 丈夫 (zhàngfu) or colloquially 老公 (lǎogōng). Wife 妻子 (qīzi) or colloquially 老婆 (lǎopó).

18. In a restaurant, how do you say "I'd like to order" and call the server/waiter?

    "I'd like to order": 我要点菜 (wǒ yào diǎn cài). To call a server: 服务员！(fúwùyuán!). 点菜 (diǎn cài) = to order dishes.

19. How do you ask for the bill/check in a Chinese restaurant, and what are two common phrasings?

    买单 (mǎidān) or 结账 (jiézhàng), both meaning "the bill, please / check out." You can say 服务员，买单！(server, the bill!).

20. How do you say "I am a vegetarian" and "I don't eat..." for dietary restrictions in Mandarin?

    "I'm vegetarian": 我吃素 (wǒ chī sù) or 我是素食者 (wǒ shì sùshízhě). "I don't eat X": 我不吃… (wǒ bù chī…), e.g., 我不吃辣 = I don't eat spicy food.

21. How do you ask about someone's hobbies, and how do you say "My hobby is..."?

    "What are your hobbies?": 你有什么爱好？(nǐ yǒu shénme àihào?). "My hobby is...": 我的爱好是… (wǒ de àihào shì…). 爱好 (àihào) = hobby/interest.

22. What is the grammatical difference between 喜欢 (xǐhuan) and 爱 (ài) when talking about likes?

    喜欢 (xǐhuan) = "to like," used broadly for activities and things (我喜欢看书 = I like reading). 爱 (ài) = "to love," stronger; used for deep affection or emphasis (我爱旅游 = I love travel).

23. How do you ask and answer about today's weather in Mandarin?

    "How's the weather today?": 今天天气怎么样？(jīntiān tiānqì zěnmeyàng?). Answers: 今天很热 (hěn rè, hot), 很冷 (hěn lěng, cold), 下雨 (xià yǔ, raining), 晴天 (qíngtiān, sunny).

24. What are the four seasons in Mandarin?

    Spring 春天 (chūntiān), summer 夏天 (xiàtiān), autumn 秋天 (qiūtiān), winter 冬天 (dōngtiān).

25. How do you say the common weather conditions: raining, snowing, and windy?

    Raining 下雨 (xià yǔ), snowing 下雪 (xià xuě), windy 刮风 (guā fēng). The verb 下 (xià, "to fall") combines with 雨/雪, and 刮 (guā) with 风 (wind).

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