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Mandarin Chinese Vocabulary and Conversation Flashcards
49 question-and-answer cards covering Vocabulary and Conversation as it is examined in Mandarin Chinese. 24 of them are printed below, taken from across the deck — no signup, no paywall on the preview.
24 sample cards from the Vocabulary and Conversation deck
Sampled from the end of the deck, so these are different cards from the ones shown on the syllabus page.
How do you say "I want to buy a ticket to Beijing" when traveling?
我要买一张去北京的票 (wǒ yào mǎi yì zhāng qù Běijīng de piào). 张 (zhāng) is the measure word for flat objects like tickets; 票 (piào) = ticket.
What are the Mandarin words for the main modes of transportation: bus, subway, train, taxi, and airplane?
Bus 公共汽车/公交车 (gōngjiāochē), subway 地铁 (dìtiě), train 火车 (huǒchē), taxi 出租车 (chūzūchē) / 打车 (dǎchē, to hail a taxi), airplane 飞机 (fēijī).
Which verb pattern is used for "to take/ride" a vehicle in Mandarin, and give an example?
坐 (zuò, "to sit/ride") for most vehicles: 坐地铁 (take the subway), 坐飞机 (fly). For bikes/motorbikes/horses use 骑 (qí): 骑自行车 (ride a bike).
At the doctor, how do you say "I don't feel well" and "I have a headache/fever"?
"I don't feel well": 我不舒服 (wǒ bù shūfu). "Headache": 我头疼 (wǒ tóu téng). "Fever": 我发烧 (wǒ fāshāo). 疼/痛 (téng/tòng) = to hurt.
What are the Mandarin words for hospital, doctor, and medicine?
Hospital 医院 (yīyuàn), doctor 医生 (yīshēng) / 大夫 (dàifu), medicine 药 (yào). "To see a doctor" = 看医生/看病 (kàn yīshēng/kàn bìng).
How do you talk about your job and studies: "What do you do?" and "I am a student / I work at..."?
"What's your job?": 你做什么工作？(nǐ zuò shénme gōngzuò?). "I'm a student": 我是学生 (wǒ shì xuéshēng). "I work at...": 我在…工作 (wǒ zài… gōngzuò).
How do you make an appointment or say "Are you free tomorrow?" in Mandarin?
"To make an appointment": 预约 (yùyuē) / 约 (yuē). "Are you free tomorrow?": 你明天有空吗？(nǐ míngtiān yǒu kòng ma?). 有空 (yǒu kòng) = to have free time.
On the phone, how do you say "Hello?" (the special telephone greeting) and "Who is this?"?
Phone "hello": 喂？(wéi?, tone often rises to wèi). "Who is this?": 你是哪位？(nǐ shì nǎ wèi?) or 请问您是谁？(qǐngwèn nín shì shéi?).
How do you say "send a message," "add me on WeChat," and "my phone number is..."?
"Send a message": 发信息 (fā xìnxī) / 发消息. "Add me on WeChat": 加我微信 (jiā wǒ Wēixìn). "My number is...": 我的电话号码是… (wǒ de diànhuà hàomǎ shì…).
In conversation, what does the filler 那个 (nàge) function as, and what is 就是说 used for?
那个 (nàge/nèige) is a hesitation filler like English "um/uh..." (also literally "that one"). 就是说 (jiùshì shuō) = "that is to say / in other words," used to clarify or rephrase.
What are the common conjunctions for "but," "because," and "so/therefore" in Mandarin?
But: 但是 (dànshì) / 可是 (kěshì). Because: 因为 (yīnwèi). So/therefore: 所以 (suǒyǐ). The pattern is 因为…所以… (because… so…).
What is the 一边…一边… structure used for, and give an example?
一边…一边… (yìbiān… yìbiān…) expresses two simultaneous actions: "doing X while doing Y." Example: 我一边吃饭一边看电视 (wǒ yìbiān chīfàn yìbiān kàn diànshì) = I eat while watching TV.
How do you express an opinion with "I think...", and what is the difference between 觉得 and 认为?
"I think...": 我觉得… (wǒ juéde…) or 我认为… (wǒ rènwéi…). 觉得 (juéde) is subjective feeling/casual ("I feel"); 认为 (rènwéi) is a firmer, more considered opinion/judgment.
How do you agree and disagree in Mandarin: "I agree," "You're right," and "I disagree"?
"I agree": 我同意 (wǒ tóngyì). "You're right": 你说得对 (nǐ shuō de duì) / 没错 (méi cuò). "I disagree": 我不同意 (wǒ bù tóngyì).
How does 请 (qǐng) work to make polite requests, and what does adding 一下 (yíxià) do?
请 (qǐng) = "please" before a verb, e.g., 请坐 (please sit). Adding 一下 (yíxià) after a verb softens it to "a little / for a moment," e.g., 请等一下 (please wait a moment).
How do you politely ask "Could you help me...?" and "May I...?" in Mandarin?
"Could you help me...?": 你能帮我…吗？(nǐ néng bāng wǒ… ma?) or 请帮我… (qǐng bāng wǒ…). "May I...?": 我可以…吗？(wǒ kěyǐ… ma?), where 可以 = to be permitted.
How do you say "Sorry, I didn't understand" and "Could you please repeat that?" when there's a misunderstanding?
"I didn't understand": 我没听懂 (wǒ méi tīng dǒng). "Please say it again": 请再说一遍 (qǐng zài shuō yí biàn). 听懂 = to understand by listening; 一遍 = one time (through).
How do you ask someone to speak more slowly, and what is the difference between 慢一点 and 快一点?
"Please speak more slowly": 请说慢一点 (qǐng shuō màn yìdiǎn). 慢一点 (màn yìdiǎn) = a bit slower; 快一点 (kuài yìdiǎn) = a bit faster. 一点 after an adjective = "a bit more."
What does the chengyu 马马虎虎 (mǎmǎhūhū) mean, and how is it used in conversation?
马马虎虎 literally "horse horse tiger tiger." It means "so-so, careless, mediocre." Used to answer "how's it going?" meaning "just okay," or to describe sloppy/careless work.
What does the chengyu 入乡随俗 (rù xiāng suí sú) mean?
"Enter village, follow customs" — the equivalent of "When in Rome, do as the Romans do." It advises adapting to local customs when in a new place.
What does the chengyu 一举两得 (yì jǔ liǎng dé) mean?
"One action, two gains" — to accomplish two things with a single effort; equivalent to "kill two birds with one stone."
What does the chengyu 半途而废 (bàn tú ér fèi) mean?
"Halfway, then give up" — to abandon something before finishing; to quit halfway through / give up midway.
In internet slang, what do the numbers 666 and 520 mean in Chinese online culture?
666 (liù liù liù) sounds like 溜 (liù, "smooth/skilled") and means "awesome / well done / cool." 520 (wǔ èr líng) sounds like 我爱你 (wǒ ài nǐ) = "I love you," so it is a way to express love.
What do the popular slang terms 加油 (jiāyóu) and 牛 (niú) mean in everyday conversation?
加油 (jiāyóu) literally "add oil" = "Come on! / You can do it! / Keep going!" — an all-purpose cheer. 牛 (niú) or 牛逼 (niúbī) literally "cow" = slang for "awesome / impressive / badass."
What this deck covers
The Vocabulary and Conversation deck follows the Mandarin Chinese Vocabulary and Conversation syllabus — 5 chapters and 19 topics — so questions land on material that is genuinely examinable rather than trivia around it. That works out to roughly 9.8 cards per chapter.
Answers are written to be recallable, not just readable — averaging about 144 characters, which is long enough to carry the reasoning and short enough to say out loud.
A deck like this earns its keep on the second and third pass. Read the syllabus first so you know the shape of the subject, then use the cards to find the specific facts that have not stuck.
Vocabulary and Conversation flashcards FAQ
How many Vocabulary and Conversation flashcards are in this Mandarin Chinese deck?
49 cards. This page previews 24 of them, sampled evenly across the deck so you can judge the difficulty before installing anything.
Are these Mandarin Chinese flashcards free?
Yes. The preview here is free to read with no signup, and the full 49-card deck is free inside the Examius app.
What do the Vocabulary and Conversation cards cover?
They follow the Mandarin Chinese Vocabulary and Conversation syllabus — 5 chapters and 19 topics — so the questions track what is actually examinable.
How should I use these flashcards?
Read the syllabus first so you know the shape of the subject, then drill the deck. Examius schedules each card with spaced repetition, so cards you keep missing come back sooner and ones you know drift further apart.