Mandarin Proficiency Test

The most widely used Mandarin proficiency test is 

the 汉语水平考试 or HSK (Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi). 

The test is used for proficiency certification that 

may be required by Chinese universities and 

professional organizations.

According to The Examiner, China is planning a new 

version of the HSK, although I have heard that the 

"new HSK" has been in use for at least a year now.

Nonetheless, the Examiner article contains some

 interesting comments about the nature of the 

exam and its application in daily life:

"If you pass Level 3 and immerse yourself

in Beijing for months, you will have no problem

interacting with the locals," said Mr Zhou. "

But even if you obtain Level 6, if you are not

soaked in a conducive language environment,

you most probably will still struggle to converse

or read Chinese newspapers."

There are six levels to the HSK, and each level consists 

of a writing test and a speaking test. Level One candidates 

must know 150 words, while the Level Six tests expects a 

knowledge of more than 5,000 words. You can read more 

about the HSK requirements at this link

:http://english.hanban.org/node_8002.htm

哪裡?nǎli?

Zai Nali 

The Mandarin question word for "where" is zài nǎli. Zài nǎli literally means, "Where is it located?"

Example:

Wǒde shū zài nǎli?
Where is my book?


Traditional Characters:
我的書在哪裡?
Simplified Characters:
我的书在哪里?

以前yǐqián

Yiqian 

Yǐqián is used to talk about the indefinite past in Mandarin Chinese.

Example:

Tā yǐqián zhù zài Yīngguó.
He used to live in England.
Traditional Characters:
他以前住在英國｡
Simplified Characters:
他以前住在英国｡

地方dìfang

Difang 

The Mandarin phrase for "place" or "area" is dìfang. Dìfang has two characters which roughly translate as "a square of earth."

Example:

Nǐ jiā zài Měiguó shénme dìfang?
你家在美國甚麼地方?
Where do you live in the USA?

漢字の筆順

中国語では　漢字の筆順　を　「汉语笔顺」という。

汉语笔顺　は　わかりやすい。

貝、見、金、糸、言　などのヘン･･･の書き方。
飯、書、樹、為、挿、置、直、植、画･･･の中国語
饭，书，树，为，插，置，直，植，画









ちょっとづつ　ちがうなぁ。

请问qǐngwèn

Qingwen 

The Mandarin compound qǐngwèn is used as a preface when asking questions politely. It should be used whenever asking a question to a stranger or person in authority.

Example:

Qǐngwèn, huǒchēzhàn zài nǎli?
Excuse me, where is the train station? 
Traditional Characters:
請問, 火車站在哪裡?
Simplified Characters:
请问, 火车站在哪里?

鱼 yú Fish

The Chinese character meaning fish is 魚 in the traditional form and
 鱼 in the simplified form. It is pronounced yú.

This character is also a radical, meaning that it is used as a building
block in other, more complex Chinese characters, many of which
have something to do with fish or seafood, as in these examples:

• 魦 - shā - shark family, including some rays and skates
• 魨 - tún - leatherfish
• 鮚 / 鲒 - jié - oyster
• 鮞 / 鲕 - ér - caviar; fish roe
• 鯁 / 鲠 - gěng - blunt; fish bones; unyielding
• 鯖 / 鲭 - qīng - mackerel; mullet
• 鯨 / 鲸 - jīng - whale
• 鱟 / 鲎 - hòu - king crab

The character 魚 / 鱼 is a pictograph which, in its earliest forms,
clearly showed the fins, eyes, and scales of a fish. The current
traditional form incorporates the four strokes of the fire radical
(火 - 灬), perhaps suggesting that fish is most useful to human
beings when it is cooked.

Mandarin Vocabulary With Yú

	Simplified Characters	Pinyin
	八带鱼 octopus	bā dài yú
	鲍鱼 abalone	bào yú
	捕鱼 to catch fish	bǔ yú
	炒鱿鱼 to be fired	chǎo yóu yú
	钓鱼 to go fishing	diào yú
	鳄鱼 crocodile	è yú
	鮭鱼 salmon	guī yú
	金鱼 goldfish	jīn yú
	鲸鱼 whale	jīng yú
	鲨鱼 shark	shā yú
	鱼夫 fisherman	yú fū
	鱼竿 fishing rod	yú gān
	鱼网 fishing net	yú wǎng