3.4 Vocabulary

The minimum core vocabulary lists are primarily intended as a guide for teachers to assist in the planning of schemes of work.

The assessment tasks at Foundation Tier will require students to understand and respond to common or familiar and/or forms of words that are not on the vocabulary list.

The assessment tasks at Higher Tier will require students to understand and respond to words and/or forms of words that are not on the vocabulary list and which are less common or familiar than those used in relation to Foundation Tier assessments.

Vocabulary listed under a particular theme should be considered transferable, as appropriate, to the other themes.

General vocabulary

Students will be expected to use and understand the general vocabulary listed below. This vocabulary is not restricted to specific settings and can occur in any of the themes listed in the specification.

Measure words

Chinese	English
个	general measure word
口	for members of the family
本	for books
张	for flat things
只	for animals and birds
件	for clothes and glasses
杯	for cups
碗	for bowls
瓶	for bottles
双	for pairs of
条	for long things

Verbs

Chinese	English
是	to be
有	to have
问	to ask
吃	to eat
喝	to drink
知道	to know (a fact)/to be aware of (a person)
认识	to know (a person)
叫	to call/to be named
学	to learn/to study
懂/明白	to understand
说	to say/speak
要	to want
想	to want to/to think
觉得	to feel
写	to write
画	to draw/to paint
住	to live
坐	to sit
玩	to play
睡觉	to sleep
用	to use
希望	to hope
来	to come
去	to go
回	to return
买	to buy
卖	to sell
换	to change
试	to try
发	to send (an email)
寄	to send (a letter)
忘	to forget
记得	to remember
洗	to wash
找	to look for/to find
参观	to visit
参加	to take part in
穿	to wear (clothes)
戴	to wear (accessories)

Adjectives

Chinese	English
好	good
坏	bad
快	quick
慢	slow
漂亮	beautiful
难看	ugly
有意思	interesting
没意思	boring
干净	clean
脏	dirty
忙	busy
累	tired
饿	hungry
渴	thirsty
高兴	happy
好吃	delicious
强	strong
弱	weak
旧/老	old
新	new
贵	expensive
便宜	cheap

Comparisons

Chinese	English
一样	the same
跟/和。。。一样	…is the same as…
跟/和。。。不一样	…is not the same as…
没有。。。那么好	…is not as good as…
比	to compare
。。。比。。。好	...is better than...
比较好	quite good
最好	best
最坏/最差	worst
更好	even better

Conjunctions and connectives

Chinese	English
除了。。。以外。。	apart from ...and also...
虽然。。。但是。。	although…but…
要是/如果。。。就。。	if ...then...
又。。。又。。	both...and...
越。。。越。。	more and more
的时候	when
因为。。。所以。。	because…therefore...
可是/但是	but
不过	however
而且	moreover
。。。或者。。。	or... (statement)
。。。还是。。。	or... (question)
因此	because of this
一边。。。一边。。。	on the one hand…on the other hand...
一。。。就。。。	as soon as …then…
第一	firstly
第二	secondly
第三	thirdly
却	but

Negatives

Chinese	English
不	not
没有	has not
不。。。了	no longer

Money

Chinese	English
现金	cash
块	kuai (spoken)
元	yuan (written)
毛	mao (spoken)
角	jiao (written)
零用钱	pocket money
换钱	to change money

Asking questions

Chinese	English
什么时候	when?
为什么	why?
怎么样	how about it?
什么	what?
哪	which?
谁	who?
哪儿	where?
多长	how long? (length)
多久/多长时间	how long? (time)
几岁	how old?
多大	how old?
几点	what time?
多少/几	how much/many?
怎么	how?
从哪儿	where from?
去哪儿	where to?
和/跟谁一起	who with?
星期几	what day of the week?
几月几日	what month and what day?
哪年	what year?

Greetings and exclamations

Chinese	English
你好	hello
早上好	good morning
晚上好	good evening
你好吗	how are you?
你属什么	what year were you born in?
您贵姓	what is your name? (polite)
你叫什么	what is your name?
谢谢	thank you
对不起/没关系	sorry/it's okay
新年快乐	Happy New Year
欢迎	welcome
祝好	best wishes/good luck
再见	goodbye
干杯	cheers
太好了	that’s great!
真糟糕	that’s awful!

Opinions

Chinese	English
喜欢	to like
觉得/以为/想	to think/to feel
非常好	excellent
舒服	comfortable
一定	definite(ly)/certain(ly)
胡说	nonsense, rubbish
同意	to agree
反对	(to be) against/opposed to something
比较喜欢	to prefer
对。。。有兴趣	to be interested in...
不对	that’s not right/correct
高兴/快乐	happy/glad/pleased
相信	to believe
恨	to hate
有用	useful
没有用	useless
安全	safe
重要	important
希望	to wish

Expressions of time

Seasons

Chinese	English
季节	season
春天	spring
夏天	summer
秋天	autumn
冬天	winter

Months of the year

Chinese	English
年	year
月	month
日/号	day

The clock

Chinese	English
点	o’clock
小时	hour
分钟	minute
半	half
刻	quarter
慢	to be slow
快	to be fast
晚	late
早	early
几点了	what time is it?

Other expressions of time

Chinese	English
星期一	Monday
星期二	Tuesday
星期三	Wednesday
星期四	Thursday
星期五	Friday
星期六	Saturday
星期日/星期天	Sunday
早上	early morning
上午	morning
中午	midday
下午	afternoon
晚上	evening
每天早上	every morning
每天晚上	every evening
每天	every day
每个月	every month
每年	every year
今天	today
明天	tomorrow
昨天	yesterday
前天	the day before yesterday
后天	the day after tomorrow
常常/经常	often
快	soon
最近	recently
周末	weekend
到底	in the end
马上	immediately
总是	always
现在	now
有时候	sometimes
已经	already
很少	seldom/rarely

Location and distance

Chinese	English
这儿	here
那儿	there
近	close by
远	far
上	on top of
下	below
往	towards
对面	opposite
后	behind
前	in front
里	inside
外	outside
中间	in the middle of
旁边	next to
离	away from
左	left
右	right
附近	near by
在	to be situated (in)

Weights and measures

Chinese	English
斤	jin (old Chinese weight, 0.5kg)
公斤	kilogram
公里	kilometre
米	metre
公分	centimetre
升	litre
多	many
少	few
窄	narrow
瘦	thin
高	tall/high
矮	short (height)
一点	a little
一些	some/a few
差不多	about/roughly
瓶	bottle
杯	cup/glass

Access

Chinese	English
关	to close
开	to open
入口	entrance (building)
出口	exit (building)
有人	occupied, engaged
门票	entrance ticket
免费	free

Theme based vocabulary (Foundation Tier)

Identity and culture

Me, my family and friends

Chinese	English
家	family
爸爸	dad
父亲	father
妈妈	mum
母亲	mother
哥哥	older brother
弟弟	younger brother
姐姐	elder sister
妹妹	younger sister
儿子	son
女儿	daughter
奶奶	grandmother (paternal family)
爷爷	grandfather (paternal family)
孙子	grandson (paternal family)
孙女	granddaughter (paternal family)
阿姨	auntie (maternal family)
叔叔	uncle (maternal family)
结婚	married
年纪	age
岁	years old
胖	fat
瘦	thin
聪明	clever
友好	friendly
安静	quiet
亲切	kind
美丽	pretty
幽默	humorous
有名	famous
护照	passport
参观	to visit
笔友	pen friend
孩子	child
朋友	friend
男孩	boy
女孩	girl
宠物	pet
猫	cat
狗	dog
马	horse
兔子	rabbit
鸟	bird
我	I/me
你	you
他	he/him
她	she/her
它	it
我们	we
你们	you (plural)
他们	they
我的	my/mine
你的	your/yours
他的	his
她的	her/hers
它的	its
我们的	our/ours
你们的	your/yours (pl)
他们的	their/theirs
头发	hair
眼睛	eyes
嘴	mouth
耳朵	ears
手	hand
脚	foot
客人	guest
生日	birthday
电话号码	telephone number
地址	address
我很喜欢	I like... (very much)
我很讨厌	I can’t stand.../I don’t like...

Technology in everyday life

Chinese	English
网站	website
电脑	computer
网页	web page
上网	to go online
电子邮件	email
手机	mobile phone
打电话	to make a telephone call
用	to use
打字	to type
聊天	to chat
网民	internet user
网友	internet friend
收	to receive
发	to send
计算器	calculator
社交媒体/社交网站	social media

Free time activities

Chinese	English
踢足球	to play football
打羽毛球	to play badminton
玩滑板	to skateboard
打太极拳	to practice taiqi
跑步	to run
爬山	to climb hills
钓鱼	to go fishing
游泳	to swim
弹吉他	to play the guitar
看小说	to read a novel
遛狗	to walk a dog
看电视	to watch TV
听音乐	to listen to music
交朋友	to make friends
看电影	to watch a film
看京剧	to watch Beijing opera
去电影院	to go to the cinema
唱歌	to sing
跳舞	to dance
请	to invite
流行歌曲	pop song
电视节目	TV programme
电视剧	TV drama
动画片	cartoon
新闻	news
购物中心	shopping centre
赛马	horse racing
名人	celebrity
花钱	to spend money
照相/拍照	to take a photo
照片	photograph
网吧	internet café
有空	to have free time
比赛	competition
队员	team member
参加	to participate
买票	to buy a ticket
杂志	magazine
报纸	newspaper
书	book
爱好	hobby
茶	tea
咖啡	coffee
牛奶	milk
水	water
汽水	fizzy drink
果汁	fruit juice
酒	wine
汤	soup
米饭	rice
面条	noodles
面包	bread
牛肉	beef
猪肉	pork
鸡肉	chicken
鱼	fish
海鲜	seafood
饺子	dumpling
鸡蛋	egg
肉	meat
鸭肉	duck
烤	roast
蔬菜/青菜	vegetable
蛋糕	cake
水果	fruit
早饭	breakfast
午饭	lunch
晚饭	dinner
点心	snack/dim sum
菜单	menu
饭馆	restaurant
咖啡厅	cafe
点	to order food
做饭	to cook food
筷子	chopsticks

Customs and festivals in Chinese-speaking countries/communities

Chinese	English
春节/中国新年	Chinese New Year
饺子	dumplings
红包	red envelopes
舞狮	lion dance
舞龙	dragon dance
中秋节	Mid-autumn festival
月饼	moon cake
圣诞节	Christmas
收	to get/to receive
感谢	to thank
请	to invite
邀请	invitation
送礼物	to give a present
节日	festival/celebration
客人	guest
礼物	present

Local, national, international and global areas of interest

Home, town, neighbourhood and region

Chinese	English
饭厅	dining room
客厅	lounge
书房	study
卧室	bedroom
厨房	kitchen
厕所	toilet
浴室	bathroom
花园	garden
桌子	table
椅子	chair
床	bed
电视	TV
电话	telephone
门	door
灯	light
书架	bookcase
电脑	computer
冰箱	fridge
洗衣机	washing machine
炉子	cooker
空调	air conditioning
钟	clock
银行	bank
邮局	post office
超市	supermarket
电影院	cinema
汽车站	bus stop
公园	park
体育馆	sports centre
学校	school
美术馆	art gallery
动物园	zoo
明信片	postcard
城市	city
海边	seaside
农村	countryside
山区	mountain area
树	tree
空气	air
新鲜	fresh
安静	quiet
湖	lake
河	river
商店	shop
苹果	apple
桔子	orange
衣服	clothes
夹克/大衣	jacket
衬衣	shirt
裤子	trousers
领带	tie
裙子	skirt
毛衣	sweater
皮带	belt
袜子	socks
鞋	shoes
帽子	hat
颜色	colour
黑	black
白	white
红	red
黄	yellow
蓝	blue
绿	green
橙	orange
紫	purple
粉红	pink
灰	grey
棕	brown

Social issues

Chinese	English
抽烟/吸烟	to smoke
烟	cigarette
胖	fat
瘦	thin
健康	healthy
交朋友	make friends
男朋友	boyfriend
女朋友	girlfriend
爱	to love
医院	hospital
病	illness
药	medicine
疼	pain
年轻	young
结婚	marry
网上约会	internet dating

Global issues

Chinese	English
环境	environment
垃圾	rubbish
浪费	wastage
失业	unemployed
穷	poor
富	rich
人口	population
增加	increase
住房	housing
小偷	thief
社会	society
生活	life
有害的	harmful
罪行	crime
交通	traffic
是阴天	overcast/cloudy
有雾	foggy
下雪	snow
下大雪	heavy snow
下雨	rain
下小雨	showery
有风	windy
有云	cloudy
凉快	cool
热	hot
暖和	warm
冷	cold
是晴天	bright/fine/clear/fair
星星	star
月亮	moon
气候	climate
天气预报	weather forecast

Travel and tourism

Chinese	English
设备	equipment
单人房	single room
双人房	double room
单程票	single ticket
往返票	return ticket
度假	to have a holiday
旅行	to travel
买纪念品	to buy souvenirs
晒太阳	to sunbathe
向右拐	turn right
向左拐	turn left
向前走	go ahead
请问。。。	excuse me, may I ask...?
去。。。怎么走	how do you get to...
在旁边	beside
汽车	car
公共汽车	bus
旅游车	coach
飞机	plane
火车	train
地铁	underground
船	ship
出租车	taxi
自行车	bike
开车	to drive a car
公路	road
十字路口	crossroads
红绿灯	traffic lights
见面	to meet
等	to wait for
英国	England
中国	China
法国	France
德国	Germany
美国	America
台湾	Taiwan
香港	Hong Kong
新加坡	Singapore
旅行袋	travel bag
护照	passport
安全带	seat belt
地图	map
故宫	Forbidden City
鸟巢	Bird’s Nest
天安门	Tiananmen
天坛	Temple of Heaven
长城	Great Wall

Current and future study and employment

My studies

Chinese	English
老师	teacher
学生	student
科目	subject
校长	headteacher
作业	homework
聪明	clever/intelligent
教	to teach
学	to learn
课	lesson

Life at school/ college

Chinese	English
英文	English
汉语	Chinese
法文	French
意大利语	Italian
数学	Maths
科学	Science
美术	Art
历史	History
体育	PE
音乐	Music
地理	Geography
手工	DT
电脑	IT
节	measure word for lessons
礼堂	assembly hall
教室	classroom
办公室	office
食堂	dining hall/canteen
操场	playing field
体育馆	stadium/gymnasium
走廊	corridor
图书馆	library
卫生间/厕所 /洗手间	toilets
休息	break time
上学	to go to school
放学	to finish school
小学	primary school
中学	secondary school
校服	school uniform
笔	pen
毛笔	Chinese writing brush
尺子	ruler
橡皮	rubber
书包	school bag
钟	clock

Education post-16

Chinese	English
大学生	university student
大学	university
毕业	to graduate
工作	to work/work
社会实践	work experience
申请	to apply for
信	letter
学期	term

Jobs, career choices and ambitions

Chinese	English
能力	skills
名片	business card
机会	opportunity
同事	colleague
广告	advert
联系	to make contact
工资	wage/salary
理想	dream/ideal
赚钱	to earn money
目标	aim
办公室	office
家庭妇女	housewife
厨师	chef/cook
护士	nurse
医生	doctor
司机	driver
科学家	scientist
作家	writer
售货员	shop assistant
工程师	engineer
服务员	waiter
演员	actor

Theme based vocabulary (Higher Tier)