Vocabulary

 

The characters in the brackets are unabbreviated.

We recommend that you should learn 10 words a day on average.

Write down each character or word on one side of a small card, and the English meaning and Pinyin on the other. Check the characters regularly (be ruthless!) and make sure you can remember them.

Watch the animated characters 15 minutes a day. (www.ctcfl.ox.ac.uk)

 

Pinyin

Chinese

 

English

Used as

Single characters

wŏ

我

I, me

PN

 

nĭ

你

you

PN

 

tā

他

he, him

PN

 

men

…们 (們)

[plural]

PN

 

zhōngguó

中 国(國)

China

N

中middle

国 state/country

dà

大

big, large

SV /

ADJ

 

xiăo

小

small, little

SV /

ADJ

 

xué

学(學)

study, learn

V

 

shì

是

be

V

 

dōu

都

all, both

ADV

 

lăoshī

老师 (師)

teacher

N

老 old, senior;

师 master

xuéshēng

学生

 

students

N

学 study

生 [suffix:-er,-or: 医生 doctor, 书生 scholar]

yĭhòu

以后(後)

later, after

TW

以 [indicates the limits of positions or time]

后behind

zài

在

to locate, be at

V,

Co-V

 

jiā

家

home / family

N

 

zhăng

长 (長)

head of …

N

 

zuò

作

to do

V

 

zuòye

作 业 (業)

assignment

N

作do

业course of study

huí

回

to come /go back, return

V

 

wán

玩

to enjoy oneself

V

 

xiàn  zài

现 (現) 在

now

TW

现 present

néng

能

can

MV

 

hĕnduō

很 多

very many

SV / ADJ

很very

多many, much

dōng  xi

东 (東) 西

things, items

N

 

huíjiā  zuòyè

 

回 家

作 业 

homework

N

回return

家home

 

bù

不

no, not

ADV (Neg)

 

zhīdao

知 道

 

to know

V

知know

道way, method

yīng

gāi

应 (應)

该 (該)

should

MV

 

shénme

什 么(麼)

what

QW

 

de

的

 

M

 

rèn

wéi

认 (認)

为 (為)

think, realise

V

认recognise

为regard sth. as…

zhĭ

只(祗)

Only

ADV

 

jiāwù

家 务 (務) 

housework

N

务business, occupation

zěnyàng

怎 样 (樣)

How

ADV (QW)

样type

tāmen

他 们 (們)

They

PN

 

dúlì

独(獨) 立

independent

ADV / SV

独single

立stand

shēnghuó

生 活

to live

V

生grow, give birth to

活to live

yŏude…

yŏude…

有 的 …

有 的…

 

Some… some…

CONST

 

suīrán…

kěshì…

虽(雖) 然 …

可 是…

Although…

CONST

可 是… but