Proven Mnemonics & Acronyms — fast to learn, hard to forget.
Topic — tap to reveal mnemonic
Tap card or click Reveal
Memory Trick
Review these again
Card 1 of ?0 correct0 missed? remaining
0 correct0 wrong? remaining
questions correct
🗣️ Mandarin
1-10: yī èr sān sì wǔ liù qī bā jiǔ shí
Mandarin Numbers 1–10
Numbers 1–10 — the foundation of Mandarin counting
Master these 10 numbers and you can count to 99. 11 = shí yī (10+1). 20 = èr shí (2×10). 99 = jiǔ shí jiǔ. The system is perfectly logical — no irregulars.
Nǐ hǎo (你好): hello. Xièxie (谢谢): thank you. Duìbuqǐ (对不起): sorry/excuse me. Add "nín" for formal "you" (instead of nǐ) when speaking to elders or superiors.
🗣️ Mandarin
No verb conjugation in Mandarin — time words do the work
Mandarin Grammar Simplification
Mandarin verbs never change form — ever
Unlike European languages, Mandarin verbs don't conjugate. "I eat, he eats, I ate, I will eat" all use 吃 (chī). Time words (yesterday/tomorrow/now) or context indicate tense.
🗣️ Mandarin
Measure words: yī + MW + noun
Chinese Measure Words (量词)
Every noun needs a measure word — this is non-negotiable
You can't say "one book" directly — you need "yī běn shū" (one [volume] book). 本 is the measure word for books. 个 (gè) is the general measure word when unsure. Learn it first.
Pinyin Pronunciation Guide
Pinyin: the romanization system for Mandarin. x = 'sh', q = 'ch', zh = 'j', c = 'ts', r = unusual English r
Pinyin Pronunciation Guide
Key Pinyin letters that don't sound like their English equivalents
X sounds like 'sh' in 'she': xiè (thanks) = 'shyeh'. Q sounds like 'ch': qǐng = 'ching'. Zh sounds like 'j': zhōng = 'jong'. C sounds like 'ts': cài = 'tsai'. R is between English r and zh — no English equivalent. U after j/q/x/y is actually ü (like German).
x
Sounds like 'sh'
q
Sounds like 'ch'
zh
Sounds like 'j'
c
Sounds like 'ts'
r
Unique sound — no English equivalent
Three Essential Verbs
是 (shì) = to be (for nouns). 有 (yǒu) = to have/there is. 在 (zài) = to be located.
Three Essential Verbs
The three most common verbs — each used differently
是 (shì): equates nouns — Wǒ shì xuésheng (I am a student). 有 (yǒu): possession or existence — Wǒ yǒu shū (I have a book), Nàlǐ yǒu shū (There are books there). 在 (zài): location — Wǒ zài jiā (I am at home). Never use 是 for location or adjectives.
是 shì
To be — equating nouns
有 yǒu
To have / there is
在 zài
Located at
Forming Questions in Mandarin
Question particle 吗 (ma): add to end of statement to make yes/no question. No word order change.
Forming Questions in Mandarin
Two ways to ask questions — particle ma and A-not-A pattern
Add 吗 (ma) to any statement: Nǐ shì xuésheng. → Nǐ shì xuésheng ma? (Are you a student?) A-not-A pattern: Nǐ shì bú shì xuésheng? (Are you or are you not a student?) — more emphatic. Question words (shéi, shénme, nǎr, wèishéme) stay in same position as answer would be.
Mandarin Word Order for Time
Time expressions go BEFORE the verb in Mandarin: Wǒ míngtiān qù — I tomorrow go (= I'll go tomorrow)
Mandarin Word Order for Time
Time comes before the verb — opposite of English tendency
English: I will go tomorrow. Chinese: Wǒ míngtiān qù (I tomorrow go). Larger time units before smaller: Wǒ xīngqīsān xiàwǔ liǎng diǎn yǒu kè (I Wednesday afternoon two o'clock have class). Time-manner-place order: Wǒ míngtiān zài túshūguǎn kàn shū.
11 = shíyī (ten-one). 12 = shí'èr (ten-two). 20 = èrshí (two-ten). 21 = èrshíyī (two-ten-one). 100 = yī bǎi. 1000 = yī qiān. 10,000 = yī wàn (unique unit — English has no equivalent). 100 million = yī yì. The system is completely regular once you know 1-10.
Mandarin shows ASPECT not tense — how an action relates to completion
了 (le): completion — Wǒ chī le (I ate/I have eaten). 过 (guò): experience — Wǒ qù guò Zhōngguó (I've been to China before). 着 (zhe): ongoing state — Tā zuò zhe (She is sitting). Mandarin doesn't conjugate verbs for tense — time words and aspect markers do this work.
Four-character classical idioms that appear everywhere in Chinese
成语 (chéngyǔ): four-character phrases from classical stories and texts. 一石二鸟 (yī shí èr niǎo) = one stone two birds (kill two birds with one stone). 半途而废 (bàn tú ér fèi) = give up halfway. Understanding chengyu dramatically improves reading comprehension and sounds impressive in speech.
Negation — Bu and Mei
不 (bù) negates present and future. 没 (méi) negates past and 有 (yǒu). Use 不 by default.
The two main negation words in Mandarin and when to use each one
不 before most verbs. 没 before 有 (to have) and for completed actions.
不 (bù): general negation — negates most verbs, adjectives, and future actions. 我不去 = I am not going. 他不高 = He is not tall. 没 (méi): negates 有 (to have) — 我没有钱 = I don not have money. Also negates completed actions (where 了 would appear in the positive). 我没吃 = I did not eat. Tone change: 不 is normally 4th tone but becomes 2nd tone (bú) before another 4th tone word.
不 (bù)
General negation — present, future, adjectives, most verbs
Essential location words — always follow the noun they describe
Location words come AFTER the noun in Mandarin — the opposite of English prepositions
Structure: Noun + location word + 面/边 (optional). 桌子上 = on the table (table-on). 箱子里 = inside the box (box-inside). With 在: subject + 在 + place + location word. 书在桌子上 = The book is on the table. 在 (zài) marks location — always before the place. Common pairs: 上下 (up/down), 里外 (inside/outside), 前后 (front/back), 左右 (left/right).
上/下
On top / underneath — 桌子上 = on the table
里/外
Inside / outside — 家里 = inside the home
在 structure
Subject + 在 + noun + location word
Tone Sandhi — Tone 3
Two 3rd tones in a row: first one becomes 2nd tone. 3+3 → 2+3. 你好 (nǐ hǎo) is actually pronounced níhǎo.
Tone sandhi — how tones change when certain tones appear together
This is why 你好 sounds like níhǎo even though both characters are individually 3rd tone
The most important tone sandhi rule: when two 3rd tone syllables appear together, the first changes to 2nd tone. 你好 (nǐ hǎo) → pronounced níhǎo. 也许 (yě xǔ) → yéxǔ. Three 3rd tones: first two become 2nd, last stays 3rd. 不 (bù) tone change: 不 is 4th tone but becomes 2nd (bú) before another 4th tone. 一 (yī) changes: 2nd tone before 4th, 4th tone before 1st/2nd/3rd. Pinyinized pinyin in dictionaries shows original tones, not sandhi.
3+3 → 2+3
First 3rd tone becomes 2nd — 你好 sounds like níhǎo
不 change
不 (4th) becomes bú (2nd) before any 4th tone word
一 change
一 (1st) becomes 2nd before 4th, 4th before 1st/2nd/3rd
Radicals are building blocks of characters — knowing them unlocks meaning and pronunciation clues
Recognizing radicals lets you guess the meaning and sometimes the pronunciation of unfamiliar characters
Semantic radicals hint at meaning: 氵(water) appears in 河 river, 海 sea, 游 swim, 泳 swim. 木 (tree/wood) in 树 tree, 桌 table, 椅 chair. 口 (mouth) in 吃 eat, 喝 drink, 说 speak, 唱 sing. Phonetic component: the other part of many characters hints at pronunciation. 请 (qǐng), 清 (qīng), 情 (qíng), 晴 (qíng) — all share the qing sound from 青. Knowing radicals reduces the learning burden from thousands of random shapes to recognizable patterns.
氵water
河 sea 海 swim 游 — water-related meanings
口 mouth
吃 eat 喝 drink 说 speak 唱 sing
Phonetic clue
The non-radical part often hints at pronunciation
比 Comparison Structure
A 比 B + adjective: A is more [adj] than B. No word for "more" — just put the adjective directly after 比.
The 比 (bǐ) comparison structure — the standard way to say one thing is more than another
Never use 更 (more) in a 比 sentence — the adjective alone expresses the comparison
Structure: A 比 B + adjective. 我比他高 = I am taller than him (I compare-to him tall). 今天比昨天冷 = Today is colder than yesterday. Negation: A 没有 B + adjective = A is not as [adj] as B. 我没有他高 = I am not as tall as him. Equality: A 跟 B 一样 + adjective = A is as [adj] as B. 他跟我一样高 = He is as tall as me. Common mistake: saying 比他更高 — the 更 is redundant and sounds unnatural.
A 比 B + adj
A is more [adj] than B — no word for more needed
A 没有 B + adj
A is not as [adj] as B — negated comparison
A 跟 B 一样
A is the same as B — equality comparison
Resultative Complements
Verb + result: 写完 (finish writing), 听懂 (hear and understand), 做好 (do well). The second character tells you the outcome.
Resultative complements — attached to verbs to describe the result or completion of an action
Mandarin verbs often need a result attached — the bare verb alone does not imply completion
Resultative complements attach directly to the verb to show the outcome. 完 (wán) = finish: 吃完 eat finish = finish eating. 懂 (dǒng) = understand: 听懂 hear-understand = understand by listening. 好 (hǎo) = well/done: 做好 do-good = do it well. 到 (dào) = reach/arrive: 找到 find-arrive = find (successfully). 错 (cuò) = wrong: 说错 say-wrong = say it wrongly. Potential form: insert 得 (can) or 不 (cannot) between verb and complement. 听得懂 = can understand, 听不懂 = cannot understand.
完 finish
吃完 finish eating, 写完 finish writing
懂 understand
听懂 understand by listening, 看懂 understand by reading
得/不 potential
听得懂 = can understand, 听不懂 = cannot understand
🎓 Common Exam Questions
Q: Explain the four tones of Mandarin with examples of minimal pairs.
A: Mandarin is a tonal language — the same syllable with different tones has completely different meanings. 1st tone (flat high, ˉ): mā (妈) = mother. Produced at a high sustained pitch. 2nd tone (rising, ˊ): má (麻) = hemp/numb. Voice rises like an English question. 3rd tone (dip, ˇ): mǎ (马) = horse. Falls then rises — in isolation dips low. In connected speech often just goes low before rising. 4th tone (falling, ˋ): mà (骂) = to scold. Sharp fall from high to low. Neutral tone (no mark): light, unstressed, short syllable — ma (吗) question particle. Tone sandhi: two 3rd tones in sequence — first becomes 2nd tone. 你好 (nǐ hǎo) sounds like níhǎo. 不 (bù) becomes bú before another 4th tone. Learning tip: practice tones from day one — they cannot be added later. Pitch shapes: 1st flat line, 2nd rising line, 3rd low dip, 4th falling stroke.
Q: How do measure words work in Mandarin and what are the most common ones?
A: Measure words (量词 liàngcí) are required whenever a number or demonstrative (this/that) appears before a noun. Structure: number + measure word + noun. 三本书 (sān běn shū) = three books (three volume books). You cannot say 三书. Most common measure word: 个 (gè) — the default for people and many objects. When unsure, use 个. 本 (běn) for bound things — books, magazines. 张 (zhāng) for flat things — paper, table, bed, face, ticket. 条 (tiáo) for long flexible things — fish, river, road, pants, rope. 件 (jiàn) for affairs and clothing — shirt, matter. 辆 (liàng) for vehicles. 只 (zhī) for small animals and one of a pair. 杯 (bēi) for cups of liquid. 瓶 (píng) for bottles. 双 (shuāng) for pairs. Demonstratives also need measure words: 这本书 (this book), 那个人 (that person).
Q: Explain how Mandarin expresses time and why the word order differs from English.
A: Mandarin follows a hierarchy from largest to smallest time unit, opposite to English tendency. Date order: year → month → day → time of day → specific time. 2024年3月15日下午三点 (2024 March 15 afternoon 3 o clock). In sentences: time expressions typically come after the subject but before the verb. 我明天去北京 (I tomorrow go Beijing = I am going to Beijing tomorrow). Never at the very end. This reflects Mandarin topic-comment structure — you set the time frame (topic) then describe what happens (comment). Time words: 现在 now, 今天 today, 明天 tomorrow, 昨天 yesterday, 以前 before/in the past, 以后 after/in the future. Duration follows the verb: 我学了三年中文 (I studied Chinese for three years — duration comes after the verb and its object). Questions about time: 什么时候 when, 多长时间 how long, 几点 what time.
Q: What is the difference between 的 de, 地 de, and 得 de in Mandarin?
A: All three are pronounced de but have completely different grammatical functions and characters. 的 (de): possessive and noun modification particle. Placed between a modifier and the noun it describes. 我的书 (my book), 红色的苹果 (red apple), 漂亮的女孩 (beautiful girl). 地 (de): adverb marker. Placed between an adverb/adjective and the verb it modifies — modifies HOW an action is done. 慢慢地走 (walk slowly), 认真地学习 (study seriously). 得 (de): complement marker. Placed after a verb to introduce a result or degree complement. 跑得很快 (run very fast — runs in a fast way), 高兴得跳起来 (so happy that jumped up). Memory: 的 for nouns, 地 for verbs, 得 for results and degree. The traditional mnemonic in Chinese education: 白的 (white de for 的), 快地 (fast de for 地), 好得很 (very good de for 得).
Q: Explain the major sentence patterns in Mandarin Chinese.
A: Basic order: Subject + Time + Place + Manner + Verb + Object. Not all elements appear in every sentence but this is the general hierarchy. Topic-comment structure: Mandarin frequently puts the topic first regardless of grammatical role. 那本书我看过了 (That book I have already read — book is topic, rest is comment). Existential sentences with 有: place + 有 + noun. 桌子上有一本书 (On the table there is a book). Location sentences with 在: subject + 在 + place. 书在桌子上 (The book is on the table). 是 sentences: subject + 是 + noun. 他是老师 (He is a teacher). Note: 是 is not used with adjectives — use adjective directly. 他很高 (He is tall) not 他是高. 有 for possession: subject + 有 + object. 我有一个哥哥 (I have an older brother). Comparative: A + 比 + B + adjective. 他比我高 (He is taller than me).