What is the official system for writing Mandarin sounds with Latin letters called?
AnswerPinyin
Hanyu Pinyin spells Mandarin pronunciation with Latin letters and tone marks.
Language · Facts & stats
Chinese facts & stats
7 fact-checked facts about the Chinese language, each with the reason behind it. 5 more are in today's round and join this page after it closes.
The basics
Which Mandarin phrase is the standard way to say 'hello'?
AnswerNǐ hǎo
Nǐ hǎo (你好) literally means 'you good' and is the everyday greeting.
Going deeper
How many main tones does standard Mandarin have, not counting the neutral tone?
Answer4
Mandarin has four main tones (high, rising, dipping, falling) plus a light neutral tone.
Which single Chinese character means the number 10?
Answer十
十 (shí) means ten; 一 is one, 八 is eight and 千 is one thousand.
Which variety of Chinese is the main native spoken language of Hong Kong and Guangzhou?
AnswerCantonese (Yue)
Cantonese, part of the Yue group, is the traditional everyday spoken language of Hong Kong and Guangzhou.
Expert level
In Mandarin, 'mǎ' said with the third (dipping) tone means what?
AnswerHorse
Mā is mother, má is hemp, mǎ is horse and mà is to scold, showing how tones change meaning.
As a general rule, in what order are strokes in a Chinese character written?
AnswerTop to bottom, left to right
Basic stroke order runs from top to bottom and from left to right.
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