Catalog / Chinese Language Cheatsheet
Chinese Language Cheatsheet
A comprehensive cheat sheet covering essential aspects of the Chinese language, including tones, pronunciation (pinyin), basic grammar, useful phrases, and characters. Useful for beginners and intermediate learners alike.
Pinyin & Pronunciation
Initials (Consonants)
|
b |
pronounced like 'b' in 'boy' |
|
p |
pronounced like 'p' in 'pot' (aspirated) |
|
m |
pronounced like 'm' in 'mom' |
|
f |
pronounced like 'f' in 'fun' |
|
d |
pronounced like 'd' in 'dog' |
|
t |
pronounced like 't' in 'top' (aspirated) |
|
n |
pronounced like 'n' in 'no' |
|
l |
pronounced like 'l' in 'low' |
Finals (Vowels)
|
a |
pronounced like 'ah' in 'father' |
|
o |
pronounced like 'o' in 'more' |
|
e |
pronounced like 'uh' in 'her' |
|
i |
pronounced like 'ee' in 'see' |
|
u |
pronounced like 'oo' in 'moon' |
|
ü (or v on some keyboards) |
pronounced like 'u' in French 'tu' or German 'über' |
Tones
|
First Tone (ā) |
High and level. Example: mā (妈 - mother) |
|
Second Tone (á) |
Rising. Example: má (麻 - hemp) |
|
Third Tone (ǎ) |
Falling then rising. Example: mǎ (马 - horse) |
|
Fourth Tone (à) |
Falling. Example: mà (骂 - to scold) |
|
Neutral Tone (a) |
Short and light. Example: ma (吗 - question particle) |
Basic Grammar
Word Order
|
Chinese follows Subject-Verb-Object (SVO) word order, similar to English. Example: |
Measure Words
|
Measure words (or classifiers) are used when counting nouns. They come between the number and the noun. Example: |
Basic Sentence Structure
|
Subject + Verb |
我走 (wǒ zǒu) - I walk |
|
Subject + Verb + Object |
我吃饭 (wǒ chī fàn) - I eat rice |
|
Subject + Adverb + Verb |
我很快走 (wǒ hěn kuài zǒu) - I walk very fast |
|
Subject + Verb + Object + Modifier |
我昨天吃饭 (wǒ zuótiān chī fàn) - I ate rice yesterday |
Using 是 (shì - to be)
|
是 (shì) is used to link a subject with its description or identity. Example: |
Useful Phrases
Greetings
|
你好 (nǐ hǎo) |
Hello |
|
您好 (nín hǎo) |
Hello (formal) |
|
早上好 (zǎoshang hǎo) |
Good morning |
|
晚上好 (wǎnshàng hǎo) |
Good evening |
|
好久不见 (hǎojiǔ bújiàn) |
Long time no see |
Basic Interactions
|
谢谢 (xièxie) |
Thank you |
|
不客气 (bú kèqì) |
You're welcome |
|
对不起 (duìbuqǐ) |
Sorry |
|
没关系 (méi guānxi) |
It's okay/No problem |
|
请 (qǐng) |
Please |
Asking Questions
|
你叫什么名字？(Nǐ jiào shénme míngzi?) |
What's your name? |
|
你是哪里人？(Nǐ shì nǎli rén?) |
Where are you from? |
|
多少钱？(Duōshao qián?) |
How much? |
|
这是什么？(Zhè shì shénme?) |
What is this? |
|
为什么？(Wèi shénme?) |
Why? |
Common Characters
Numbers
|
一 (yī) |
One |
|
二 (èr) |
Two |
|
三 (sān) |
Three |
|
四 (sì) |
Four |
|
五 (wǔ) |
Five |
|
六 (liù) |
Six |
|
七 (qī) |
Seven |
|
八 (bā) |
Eight |
|
九 (jiǔ) |
Nine |
|
十 (shí) |
Ten |
Basic Words
|
人 (rén) |
Person |
|
家 (jiā) |
Home/Family |
|
好 (hǎo) |
Good |
|
大 (dà) |
Big |
|
小 (xiǎo) |
Small |
Pronouns
|
我 (wǒ) |
I/Me |
|
你 (nǐ) |
You |
|
他 (tā) |
He/Him |
|
她 (tā) |
She/Her |
|
我们 (wǒmen) |
We/Us |
|
你们 (nǐmen) |
You (plural) |
|
他们 (tāmen) |
They/Them (masculine) |
|
她们 (tāmen) |
They/Them (feminine) |