Independent Schools Examinations Board

COMMON ENTRANCE EXAMINATION at 11+ and 13+

MANDARIN CHINESE

VOCABULARY AND CHINESE CHARACTERS

FOR USE WITH COMMON ENTRANCE SYLLABUS

Independent Schools Examinations Board

CORE CHARACTERS FOR LEVEL 1

Activities: Adjectives: Adverb: The body: Chinese places: Clothes: Colours: Food and drink: Home: Family: Numbers: Time and date: School and classroom: Question words: Verbs: () () () () () () (numbers 11-99)

CORE CHARACTERS FOR LEVEL 2

There is no fixed list of core characters at Level 2. It is hoped that candidates will learn as wide a range of characters as possible.

WORD LIST
Key R Candidates must be able to read and understand the word in Chinese characters at this level. Candidates will not have to read the word in Chinese characters at this level. They must, however, know the pinyin and understand the word aurally. They may also need to be able to say the word.

(blank) When the Level 1 box is blank, the word is needed only at Level 2.

Chinese

Pinyin

English

Level 1

Level 2

Activities

()

zu fn ch fn kn dinsh pob t (zqi) zqi kn dinyng yndng yng dinno shng wng bsi d pngpngqi d wngqi yuyng d lnqi q m

to cook to eat/have a meal to watch television to run, to jog to play (football) football see a film to exercise; sport to use the computer surf the net to compete; competition to play ping pong to play tennis to swim to play basketball to ride a horse

R R R R R R * * * * * * * *

R R R R R R R R * * * * * * * *

Adjectives
d hoh hoch hown ho xn xio 3 big delicious/good to drink delicious/good to eat fun good new small R R R R R R R R R R R R R R

Chinese

Pinyin
yu ysi lo mil/pioliang wlio pinyi cngmng gu png goxng bishng i go shu li old

English
interesting

Level 1 * * * * *

Level 2 R R * * * * * * * * * * * *

beautiful boring cheap clever expensive fat happy sad short tall thin tired

Adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions

zi b/b hn fichng gn y h bjio dnsh to be in/located in no; not very very with also and quite but R R * R R R R R R R * *

The body
shu gbo rduo ynjng jio tu zuba bzi hand arm ear eyes foot leg mouth nose R * * * * * * * R * * * * * * *

China and the world

Zhnggu Bijng Chng Chng 4 China Beijing The Great Wall R R R R R R

Chinese

Pinyin
Hny Zhngwn Migu Ynggu Fgu Shnghi Yngy Xing Gng Lndn Ggng Tinnmn Hung H Migurn Zhnggurn Ynggurn Fgurn

English
Chinese Chinese America Britain France Shanghai English Hong Kong London The Forbidden City Tiananmen Square Yellow River American person Chinese person English person French person

Level 1 R R * * * * * * * * * *

Level 2 R R R R R R R * * * * * R R R R

Clothes
mozi moy jik chnshn xizi qnzi txshn wzi kzi yfu hat jumper jacket shirt shoes skirt T shirt socks trousers clothing R R * * * * * * * R R * * * * * * * R

Colours
hi ln l hng bi hung black blue green red white yellow R R R R R R R R R R R R

Directions
shngmian humian 5 above/on behind R R

Chinese

Pinyin
ximian qinmian zubian yubian

English
below/under in front (of) left right

Level 1

Level 2 R R * *

()

Food and drink

niru jru qshu nini shu hnbobo zofn do minbo jdn kfi kl mintio (m)fn ch wfn wnfn shtio qiokl pngguzh chngzh kuizi chzi shozi jiozi lzh cidn cngun xin l tin chnjun 6 beef chicken meat fizzy drink milk water hamburger breakfast knife bread chicken egg coffee Coke noodles rice tea lunch dinner chips chocolate apple juice orange juice chopsticks fork spoon dumplings lychee menu restaurant salty spicy sweet spring rolls R R R R R R R R * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Chinese

Pinyin
fwyun dngo waiter cake

English

Level 1

Level 2 * *

Greetings and introductions

n ho zijin xixie N ho ma? W hn ho. N jio shnme? W jio. N j su? W .su. N zh zi nl? W zh zi N sh shi? W sh jiq hi fndin hitn hello goodbye thank you How are you? I am well. What are you called? I am called How old are you? I am . years old. Where do you live? I live in Who are you? I am * * * * * * * * * * * * * R R R R R R R R R R R R R

Holidays and special occasions

Chinese

holiday the sea hotel/restaurant beach

R * * *

R R R * Level 2 R * * *

Pinyin
shngr kpin jhu lw mma bba gge jijie ddi mimei ji ktng shf ysh 7

English
birthday card party present

Level 1

Home and family

mum dad elder brother elder sister younger brother younger sister home living room sofa bathroom/shower room R R R R R R R R R * R R R R R R R R R *

 ... ? ?

wsh chfng chung zhuzi yzi shuj pngyou gu dngw wnj dngxi

bedroom kitchen bed table/desk chair mobile phone friend dog animals toy thing

* * * * * *

* * * * * * R R * * *

Numbers, time, date

y r sn s w li q b ji sh sh y jishji y bi ling din j din le j din zhng? xngq xngq j? xngq y xngq r xngq sn xngq s xngq w xngq li xngq tin 8 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 1199 100 2 (before a measure word) o'clock What time is it? What time is it? week What day of the week is it? Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday R R R R R R R R R R R * R R R * R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R * R R R R R R R R R

Chinese

Pinyin
xngq r tin yu j yu? y yu r yu sn yu s yu w yu li yu q yu b yu ji yu sh yu shy yu shr yu Yun g jin zh Sunday day/sky

English

Level 1 * R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R

Level 2 R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R

month/moon What month is it? January February March April May June July August September October November December Yuan/Chinese currency (measure word for things and people) (measure word for clothing) (measure word for some animals)

Places in town
gngyun shngdin chosh yuj park shop supermarket post office R R R *

Pronouns
w n t t wmen w de n de t de wmen de nmen de 9 I; me you he; him she; her we; us my your his/hers ours your (plural) * * * * * R R R R R R R R R R

Chinese

Pinyin
tmen de zh l n l l n zh nmen tmen/tmen here there inside that this

English
their (male/female)

Level 1

Level 2 R

/ / /

* * * * * * *

R R R R R R R

you (plural) they (m/f); them

Question words
ma j? shnme? nl/ nr? shi? dusho qin? n g? znme? question particle how many? what? where? who? how much? which? how? R R * * * R R R R R R R R

School and classroom

bo sh shngxu k b ch kbn xusheng losh fngxu zuy shxu ty kxu kosh xuxio shzhu tpin bibn 10 bag book go to school lesson pen ruler textbook student teacher to finish school homework maths PE science test/to test school desk picture whiteboard R R R R R R R * * * * * * * * R R R R R R R R R * * * * * * R * * *

Chinese

Pinyin

English

Level 1

Level 2

Transport

qch huch fij ki ch zu huch zu fij chun zu chun q ch zu l

car train plane to drive to go by train to go by plane boat to go by boat to ride a bicycle to walk

R R R R R R * * * *

Verbs
q yu miyu xhuan b xhuan yo b yo mi zu h ch qchung kn chun sh jio shujio zh yng hu b hu shu gi chng g 11 to go have/has; there is/there are do not/does not have; there is not/are not to like do not/does not like to want do not/does not want to buy to do/make to drink to eat to get up to watch to wear to be to be called to sleep to live to use to be able to/can to not be able to/cant to speak to give to sing R R R R R R R R R R R R R * * * * * * R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R * R R R * *

Chinese

Pinyin
tio w xing yo

English
to dance would like

Level 1

Level 2 * *

Weather
fng lng r lbian y xu wibian tiyng tinq x f m n wind cold hot inside rain snow outside sun weather R R R R R R * * *

Additional words
happy/ happiness lucky/ good fortune horse female R R R R R R R R

12