Exams & Studying in Chinese 考试
kǎoshì
Exam in Chinese is 考试 (kǎo shì).
Also searched for as: exam, test, study, homework.
How do you prove what you've learned? 15 essential exams & studying words in Mandarin Chinese, with pinyin and English. Open it in the app to hear each word, tick off the ones you know and turn them into flashcards.
The word for exam in Chinese is 考试 (kǎo shì), and it works as a verb as well as a noun, so 明天考试 simply means 'there's an exam tomorrow'. These words cover the whole study cycle, from 学习 (xué xí), studying, and 复习 (fù xí), revising, to tackling each 题 (tí), question, and waiting for the 结果 (jié guǒ), results. Exams play a big part in Chinese education, so you'll hear this vocabulary constantly from students and parents alike.
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 学习 | xué xí | to study |
| 考试 | kǎo shì | exam |
| 题 | tí | question (in an exam) |
| 答案 | dá àn | answer |
| 复习 | fù xí | to revise |
| 练习 | liàn xí | to practise; exercise |
| 记住 | jì zhu | to remember |
| 忘记 | wàng jì | to forget |
| 难 | nán | difficult |
| 容易 | róng yì | easy |
| 笔记 | bǐ jì | notes |
| 测验 | cè yàn | test; quiz |
| 作弊 | zuò bì | to cheat |
| 通过 | tōng guò | to pass |
| 结果 | jié guǒ | result |
Usage tips
- Exam questions are counted with 道 (dào), as in 这道题 (zhè dào tí), this question, and 做题 (zuò tí) means working through practice questions.
- 考 (kǎo) combines with result words: 考得很好 (kǎo de hěn hǎo) is doing well in an exam, and the casual 考砸了 (kǎo zá le) means you messed it up.
- 测验 (cè yàn) is a short test or class quiz, while 考试 is a proper exam; students also say 小考 (xiǎo kǎo) for a small test.
Common mistakes
- Learners say 拿考试 or 做考试 for 'take an exam'; just use 考试 as a verb or say 参加考试 (cān jiā kǎo shì).
- 'I forgot my book at home' isn't 我忘记我的书在家; say 我把书忘在家里了 (wǒ bǎ shū wàng zài jiā lǐ le).
Mini dialogue
- A明天的考试你准备好了吗？Míng tiān de kǎo shì nǐ zhǔn bèi hǎo le ma?Are you ready for tomorrow's exam?
- B差不多了，就是这道题我还不会做。Chà bu duō le, jiù shì zhè dào tí wǒ hái bù huì zuò.Nearly, it's just this question I still can't do.
- A我看看……这个很容易，我教你。Wǒ kàn kan... Zhè ge hěn róng yì, wǒ jiāo nǐ.Let me see... this one's easy, I'll show you.
- B太好了！你的笔记也能借我看看吗？Tài hǎo le! Nǐ de bǐ jì yě néng jiè wǒ kàn kan ma?Brilliant! Could I have a look at your notes as well?
Example sentences
- 我每天学习两个小时中文。I study Chinese for two hours every day.
- 这次考试不太难。This exam wasn't too hard.
- 这道题我不会做。I can't do this question.
- 老师明天告诉我们答案。The teacher will tell us the answers tomorrow.
- 周末我在家复习。I'm revising at home this weekend.
- 多练习就会说得更好。If you practise more, you'll speak better.
- 这些生词你都记住了吗？Have you remembered all these new words?
- 我忘记带书了。I forgot to bring my book.
- 这次考试真难！This exam was really hard!
- 这个题很容易。This question is very easy.
- 能借我看看你的笔记吗？Could I have a look at your notes?
- 明天有一个小测验。There's a short quiz tomorrow.
- 考试作弊是不对的。Cheating in exams is wrong.
- 恭喜你通过了考试！Congratulations on passing the exam!
- 考试结果下周出来。The exam results come out next week.
Practise speaking
Ready to use these words? The Exams & studying speaking island has 8 everyday questions about exams & studying to prepare your own answers to.