Free resources · GCSE Mandarin topics
GCSE Mandarin: Life at school
Free vocabulary, grammar and Higher model answers with exam tips for the GCSE Mandarin topic “Life at school” (school day, rules, uniform and activities). Click a section to open it.
Key vocabulary
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| Places at school | ||
| 教室 | jiàoshì | classroom |
| 办公室 | bàngōng shì | office |
| 校长办公室 | xiàozhǎng bàngōngshì | headteacher's office |
| 礼堂 | lǐtáng | assembly hall |
| 食堂 | shítáng | canteen, dining hall |
| 操场 | cāochǎng | playground |
| 体育馆 | tǐyùguǎn | sports hall, stadium |
| 走廊 | zǒuláng | corridor |
| 图书馆 | túshū guǎn | library |
| 卫生间 / 厕所 / 洗手间 | wèishēngjiān / cèsuǒ / xǐshǒujiān | toilet |
| The school day | ||
| 上学 | shàngxué | to go to school |
| 放学 | fàngxué | to finish school |
| 上课 | shàngkè | to have a lesson; lessons start |
| 下课 | xiàkè | lessons end |
| 休息 | xiūxi | break, to have a break |
| 起床 | qǐchuáng | to get up |
| 吃早饭 | chī zǎofàn | to eat breakfast |
| 回家 | huíjiā | to go home |
| 做作业 | zuò zuò yè | to do homework |
| Schools and people | ||
| 小学 | xiǎoxué | primary school |
| 中学 | zhōngxué | secondary school |
| 校长 | xiàozhǎng | headteacher |
| 老师 | lǎoshī | teacher |
| 学生 | xuésheng | student |
| 同学 | tóngxué | classmate |
| Uniform and equipment | ||
| 校服 | xiàofú | uniform |
| 书包 | shūbāo | school bag |
| 笔 | bǐ | pen |
| 毛笔 | máobǐ | brush pen |
| 尺子 | chǐzi | ruler |
| 橡皮 | xiàngpí | rubber |
| 本子 | běnzi | exercise book |
| 钟 | zhōng | clock |
| Rules and opinions | ||
| 规则 / 规定 | guīzé / guīdìng | rules / regulations |
| 必须 | bìxū | must, have to |
| 不要 | búyào | must not |
| 别 | bié | don't |
| 公平 | gōngpíng | fair |
| 同意 / 不同意 | tóngyì / bù tóngyì | agree/disagree |
| Activities and trips | ||
| 夏令营 | xiàlìngyíng | summer camp |
| 冬令营 | dōnglìngyíng | winter camp |
| 留学体会 | liúxué tǐhuì | exchange visit |
| 留学交流 | liúxué jiāoliú | study-abroad exchange |
| 科技节 | kējì jié | science and technology festival |
| 表演 | biǎoyǎn | to perform; performance |
| 各种各样的 | gè zhǒng gè yàng de | all kinds of |
Grammar and complex structures
Use these in your speaking and writing.
| Structure | Meaning | Example for this topic |
|---|---|---|
| 必须 / 不要 / 别 | must / must not / don’t | 在我们学校，学生必须穿校服。 At our school, students must wear uniform. |
| 除了……以外，还…… | apart from …, also … | 除了上课以外，我还参加课外活动。 Apart from lessons, I also take part in activities outside lessons. |
| ……以后 | after … | 放学以后，我和同学一起踢足球。 After school I play football with my classmates. |
| 一方面……另一方面…… | on the one hand … on the other hand … | 一方面穿校服很方便，另一方面不太舒服。 On the one hand uniform is convenient; on the other hand it isn’t very comfortable. |
| 如果我是……，我就会…… | if I were …, I would … | 如果我是校长，我就会让午饭时间长一点儿。 If I were the headteacher, I would make lunchtime a bit longer. |
| 总的来说 | overall, in summary | 总的来说，我很喜欢我的学校。 Overall, I really like my school. |
Speaking questions and model answers
Try answering each question yourself first, then click it to see a Higher model answer and an exam tip.
Photo card
The photo card task follows the AQA format, but the same skills are useful for the picture-based task in the Pearson Edexcel GCSE Chinese speaking exam.
A photo of students in school uniform in a playground.
Photo card照片里有什么？What is in the photo? Show model answer
照片里有很多学生在操场上。他们都穿着校服，一些学生在聊天，一些学生在玩。我觉得现在是休息的时候，因为他们没有在教室里。
In the photo there are lots of students in the playground. They are all wearing school uniform; some students are chatting and some are playing. I think it is break time, because they aren’t in a classroom.
Exam tip: Describe only what you can see. Complex structures: 一些……一些…… (some … some …) to describe a group, verb + 着 (穿着) for what people are wearing, and 我觉得……，因为…… to give a reason for your guess.
Edexcel tip: Describe what you can see in the picture first, and read each question carefully for key words.
General conversation
Questions your teacher may ask about this topic.
General conversation请你介绍一下你的学校。Tell me about your school. Show model answer
我的学校是一个中学，有一千二百个学生。学校有很大的图书馆、食堂和体育馆。我最喜欢图书馆，因为那里不但很安静而且有很多书，我常常在那儿做作业。
My school is a secondary school with 1,200 students. It has a big library, a canteen and a sports hall. I like the library best, because it is not only quiet but also has lots of books, and I often do my homework there.
Exam tip: Complex structures: 最喜欢……因为……, 不但……而且…… (不但很安静而且有很多书). Use numbers with measure words (一千二百个学生).
General conversation你觉得你们学校的规则怎么样？What do you think of your school rules? Show model answer
我们学校的规则很多。比如，我们不但必须穿校服，而且上课的时候不要用手机。我同意这些规则，因为这些规则很公平。不过，我觉得冬天的时候学生应该可以穿自己的大衣。
Our school has lots of rules. For example, not only must we wear uniform, but we also mustn’t use phones in lessons. I agree with these rules, because they are fair. However, I think students should be allowed to wear their own coats in winter.
Exam tip: Complex structures: 比如 (for example), 不但……而且…… (不但必须穿校服，而且上课的时候不要用手机), ……的时候, 不过 (however) to give a different opinion. Vocabulary: 规则, 必须, 不要, 同意, 公平.
General conversation昨天在学校你做了什么？What did you do at school yesterday? Show model answer
昨天我上了五节课。第一节课是数学，我们有一个考试。午饭以后，我去参加了书法班。放学以后，我还和同学一起踢足球，六点才回家。明天我们要去参观博物馆。
Yesterday I had five lessons. The first lesson was maths, and we had a test. After lunch I went to calligraphy class. After school I played football with my classmates and didn’t get home until six. Tomorrow we are going to visit a museum.
Exam tip: Complex structures: ……以后, 才 (not until). Time frames: past (上了, 参加了) and future (明天我们要去……).
General conversation你觉得你的学校怎么样才能更好？How could your school be better? Show model answer
以前我们的午饭时间是一个小时，可是去年只有三十分钟了。如果我是校长，我就会让午饭时间长一点儿。我还想让学校有更多的课外活动，因为我很喜欢书法和国画。
Lunchtime used to be an hour, but last year it was cut to only thirty minutes. If I were the headteacher, I would make lunchtime a bit longer. I would also like the school to have more extracurricular activities, because I love calligraphy and Chinese painting.
Exam tip: Complex structures: 如果我是……，我就会……, 让 + noun + adjective. Time frames: past (以前……去年变成了……) and future / conditional (我会……).
More general conversation questions to practise
- 中午休息的时候你做什么？ (What do you do at lunch break?)
- 你参加过什么课外活动？ (What activities outside lessons have you done?)
- 你喜欢你的小学还是中学？ (Do you prefer your primary school or your secondary school?)
- 中国学校和英国学校有什么不一样？ (How are Chinese schools different from British schools?)
- 你昨天参加了什么学校活动？ (What school activities did you take part in yesterday?)
- 明天放学以后你会做什么？ (What will you do after school tomorrow?)
- 下个学期你想参加什么活动？ (What activity would you like to do next term?)
Questions about this topic
What does the topic “Life at school” cover in GCSE Mandarin?
It covers school day, rules, uniform and activities. The topic can come up in speaking, writing, reading and listening, so learn the vocabulary and practise the speaking questions out loud.
What is the difference between the photo card and the general conversation?
In the photo card task you describe a photo and answer questions about it. In the general conversation your teacher asks questions about the topic, and you should give opinions, reasons and use past, present and future time frames. This page has model answers for both.
How can I make my answers sound more advanced?
Give opinions with reasons, use past, present and future time frames, join ideas with connectives such as 虽然……但是……, and add specific details or examples.