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

to cook

ch fn

to eat/have a meal

kn dinsh

to watch television

pob

to run, to jog

t (zqi)

to play (football)

zqi

football

kn dinyng

see a film

yndng

to exercise; sport

yng dinno

to use the computer

shng wng

surf the net

bsi

to compete; competition

d pngpngqi

to play ping pong

d wngqi

to play tennis

yuyng

to swim

d lnqi

to play basketball

q m

to ride a horse

Adjectives

big

hoh

delicious/good to drink

hoch

delicious/good to eat

hown

fun

ho

good

xn

new

xio

small

Chinese

Pinyin

English

Level 1

Level 2

yu ysi

interesting

lo

old

mil/pioliang

beautiful

wlio

boring

pinyi

cheap

cngmng

clever

gu

expensive

png

fat

goxng

happy

bishng

sad

short

go

tall

shu

thin

li

tired

Adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions

zi

to be in/located in

b/b

no; not

hn

very

fichng

very

gn

with

also

and

bjio

quite

dnsh

but

The body

shu

hand

gbo

arm

rduo

ear

ynjng

eyes

jio

foot

tu

leg

zuba

mouth

bzi

nose

China and the world

Zhnggu

China

Bijng

Beijing

Chng Chng

The Great Wall

Chinese

Pinyin

English

Level 1

Level 2

Hny

Chinese

Zhngwn

Chinese

Migu

America

Ynggu

Britain

Fgu

France

Shnghi

Shanghai

Yngy

English

Xing Gng

Hong Kong

Lndn

London

Ggng

The Forbidden City

Tinnmn

Tiananmen Square

Hung H

Yellow River

Migurn

American person

Zhnggurn

Chinese person

Ynggurn

English person

Fgurn

French person

Clothes

mozi

hat

moy

jumper

jik

jacket

chnshn

shirt

xizi

shoes

qnzi

skirt

txshn

T shirt

wzi

socks

kzi

trousers

yfu

clothing

Colours

hi

black

ln

blue

green

hng

red

bi

white

hung

yellow

Directions

shngmian

above/on

humian

behind

Chinese

Pinyin

English

Level 1

Level 2

ximian

below/under

qinmian

in front (of)

zubian

left

yubian

right

Food and drink

()

niru

beef

jru

chicken meat

qshu

fizzy drink

nini

milk

shu

water

hnbobo

hamburger

zofn

breakfast

do

knife

minbo

bread

jdn

chicken egg

kfi

coffee

kl

Coke

mintio

noodles

(m)fn

rice

ch

tea

wfn

lunch

wnfn

dinner

shtio

chips

qiokl

chocolate

pngguzh

apple juice

chngzh

orange juice

kuizi

chopsticks

chzi

fork

shozi

spoon

jiozi

dumplings

lzh

lychee

cidn

menu

cngun

restaurant

xin

salty

spicy

tin

sweet

chnjun

spring rolls

Chinese

Pinyin

English

Level 1

Level 2

fwyun

waiter

dngo

cake

Greetings and introductions

n ho

hello

zijin

goodbye

xixie

thank you

N ho ma?

How are you?

W hn ho.

I am well.

N jio shnme?

What are you called?

W jio.

I am called

N j su?

How old are you?

W .su.

I am . years old.

N zh zi nl?

Where do you live?

W zh zi

I live in

N sh shi?

Who are you?

W sh

I am

Holidays and special occasions

jiq

holiday

hi

the sea

fndin

hotel/restaurant

hitn

beach

Level 1

Level 2

Chinese

Pinyin

English

shngr

birthday

kpin

card

jhu

party

lw

present

Home and family

mma

mum

bba

dad

gge

elder brother

jijie

elder sister

ddi

younger brother

mimei

younger sister

ji

home

ktng

living room

shf

sofa

ysh

bathroom/shower room

wsh

bedroom

chfng

kitchen

chung

bed

zhuzi

table/desk

yzi

chair

shuj

mobile phone

pngyou

friend

gu

dog

dngw

animals

wnj

toy

dngxi

thing

Numbers, time, date

...

sn

li

ji

sh

10

sh y jishji

1199

y bi

100

ling

?
?

din

2 (before a measure
word)
o'clock

j din le

What time is it?

j din zhng?

What time is it?

xngq

week

xngq j?

What day of the week is

it?

xngq y

Monday

xngq r

Tuesday

xngq sn

Wednesday

xngq s

Thursday

xngq w

Friday

xngq li

Saturday

xngq tin

Sunday

Chinese

Pinyin

English

Level 1

Level 2

xngq r

Sunday

tin

day/sky

yu

month/moon

j yu?

What month is it?

y yu

January

r yu

February

sn yu

March

s yu

April

w yu

May

li yu

June

q yu

July

b yu

August

ji yu

September

sh yu

October

shy yu

November

shr yu

December

Yun

jin

zh

Yuan/Chinese currency
(measure word for
things and people)
(measure word for
clothing)
(measure word for some
animals)

R
R
R

Places in town

gngyun

park

shngdin

shop

chosh

supermarket

yuj

post office

Pronouns

I; me

you

he; him

she; her

wmen

we; us

w de

my

n de

your

t de

his/hers

wmen de

ours

nmen de

your (plural)

Chinese

Pinyin

English

Level 1

Level 2

tmen de

their (male/female)

zh l

here

n l

there

inside

that

zh

this

nmen

you (plural)

tmen/tmen

they (m/f); them

Question words

ma

question particle

j?

how many?

shnme?

what?

nl/ nr?

where?

shi?

who?

dusho qin?

how much?

n g?

which?

znme?

how?

School and classroom

bo

bag

sh

book

shngxu

go to school

lesson

pen

ch

ruler

kbn

textbook

xusheng

student

losh

teacher

fngxu

to finish school

zuy

homework

shxu

maths

ty

PE

kxu

science

kosh

test/to test

xuxio

school

shzhu

desk

tpin

picture

bibn

whiteboard

10

Chinese

Pinyin

English

Level 1

Level 2

Transport

qch

car

huch

train

fij

plane

ki ch

to drive

zu huch

to go by train

zu fij

to go by plane

chun

boat

zu chun

to go by boat

q ch

to ride a bicycle

zu l

to walk

Verbs

to go

yu

miyu

xhuan

have/has; there is/there

are
do not/does not have;
there is not/are not
to like

b xhuan

do not/does not like

yo

to want

b yo

do not/does not want

mi

to buy

zu

to do/make

to drink

ch

to eat

qchung

to get up

kn

to watch

chun

to wear

sh

to be

jio

to be called

shujio

to sleep

zh

to live

yng

to use

hu

to be able to/can

b hu

to not be able to/cant

shu

to speak

gi

to give

chng g

to sing

11

Chinese

Pinyin

English

Level 1

Level 2

tio w

to dance

xing yo

would like

Weather

fng

wind

lng

cold

hot

lbian

inside

rain

xu

snow

wibian

outside

tiyng

sun

tinq

weather

Additional words

happy/ happiness

lucky/ good fortune

horse

female

12