Learn Mandarin Chinese Cheat Sheet 2026

The 30 highest-yield Learn Mandarin Chinese facts, distilled from real exam questions. Print it, save it as a PDF, or study it here — free, no sign-up.

1. How do you say 'wife' in Mandarin Chinese? → 妻子 (qīzi)
2. How do you say 'I don't understand' in Mandarin? → Wǒ tīng bù dǒng (我听不懂)
3. In pinyin, what tone mark is placed over the vowel when a syllable has multiple vowels? → On the vowel 'a' or 'e' if present, then 'o', then the final vowel
4. What are the two main forms of written Chinese used today? → Traditional and Simplified Chinese
5. What does the character '日 (rì)' mean? → Sun/Day
6. Which particle marks the direct object in Mandarin when it is moved before the verb? → 把 (bǎ)
7. How do you say 'Thank you' in Mandarin? → Xièxie (谢谢)
8. In Mandarin, how do you pronounce "you"? → Nǐ （你）
9. What is the HSK (汉语水平考试)? → The official Mandarin proficiency test for non-native speakers
10. What does the radical '氵' (three dots on the left) typically indicate about a character's meaning? → The character relates to water
11. Which pinyin syllable contains the retroflex final '-r' that gives a 'rhotacized' quality to Beijing Mandarin? → er
12. Please select the appropriate word. China → 中国
13. How do you say 'I want to go to the airport' in Mandarin? → Wǒ xiǎng qù jīchǎng (我想去机场)
14. Vesak Day is the occasion for → Buddha's birthday, enlightenment and nirvana.
15. What does 'Duìbuqǐ (对不起)' mean? → I'm sorry / I apologize
16. What is meant by a 'logographic' writing system? → Each symbol represents a word or morpheme
17. What is the Mandarin word for the number 10,000? → wàn
18. How do you say 'Thank you' in Mandarin? → Xièxiè
19. Pick the most accurate rendering of each phrase or sentence. What grade are you in? → 你上几年级？
20. What is the Mandarin word for 'mother'? → 妈妈 (māma)
21. What does 'Duìbuqǐ (对不起)' mean? → I'm sorry / I beg your pardon
22. What is the basic word order of a standard Mandarin sentence? → Subject-Verb-Object
23. What is the Mandarin word for 'parents'? → 父母 (fùmǔ)
24. How do you say 'I don't understand' in Mandarin? → Wǒ tīng bù dǒng
25. How many basic strokes are in Chinese writing? → 8
26. In pinyin, the letter combination 'zh' is pronounced similarly to which English sound? → j in 'judge'
27. What is the Mandarin word for 'week'? → xīngqī (星期)
28. What does 孙子 (sūnzi) mean in Mandarin? → Grandson
29. What does the phrase 'Méi wèntí (没问题)' mean? → No problem / No issue
30. How would you politely ask someone to speak more slowly in Mandarin? → Qǐng shuō màn yīdiǎn (请说慢一点)