Translation into Chinese
English into Chinese characters: sentences at Foundation, a short paragraph at Higher.
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Translation into Chinese, explained point by point
Everything the GCSE specification expects you to be able to do, and how to actually do it - the same lesson a signed-in student studies from.
Know how AQA sets and marks it
With AQA it is Question 3 at both tiers. At Foundation you translate five English sentences, at least 25 words in all, for 10 marks: 5 for getting the key messages across and 5 for your grammar and vocabulary, judged across all five sentences. At Higher it is a short passage of at least 40 words, for 12 marks, 6 for the messages and 6 for the language.
Know how Pearson Edexcel sets and marks it
With Pearson Edexcel it is the last question, Question 4 at Foundation and Question 3 at Higher, worth 12 marks either way. Foundation has five sentences that get harder: (a) to (c) are worth 2 marks each and (d) and (e) 3 each, and each sentence is marked on its own. Higher has a short paragraph, marked as a whole. You can write in simplified or traditional characters.
Build the sentence in Chinese order
Start with who, then when, then where, how or with whom, and finish with the verb and its object. I play basketball with my brother in the park on Sundays becomes 星期天我跟哥哥在公园打篮球。 The time word can also come straight after who: 我星期天跟哥哥在公园打篮球。
Put a measure word after every number
A number before a noun needs a measure word: 一本书, 两杯茶, 三个朋友, 这件衣服. Two before a measure word is 两, never 二.
Use 不 and 没 the right way round
不 makes the present and the future negative: 我不喝咖啡。 没 or 没有 makes the past negative, and it is the only negative 有 takes: 昨天我没去学校。 我没有哥哥。
Carry over every element
Check the time frame, any negative and every small word: often is 常常, sometimes 有时候, every day 每天 and also 也. An adjective takes 很, not 是, so I am tired is 我很累. And joins nouns with 和; between two actions, use 也 or 然后.
Write characters you know, carefully
Write in characters throughout. Pinyin is never credited in our practice, and AQA's examiners have said that in the exam it can still get a message across but earns nothing for your language, so use it only where you would otherwise leave a gap. Watch the pairs that sound alike, such as 在 and 再, 做 and 作, 他 and 她. If a word escapes you, keep the rest of the sentence and find another way to say it.
Check the details
Read your answer once for word order, once for measure words, once for time words and 了, and once for the characters themselves. Then compare it with the English, phrase by phrase, so nothing is missing.
Translation into Chinese key terms
The words the specification and the mark schemes use, each defined the way an examiner wants it.
- Translation into Chinese
- The last writing question with both boards: five sentences at Foundation and a short passage at Higher.
- Word order
- Chinese puts who, when and where before the verb, and the object after it.
- Measure word
- The word between a number or 这 and a noun, such as 本 in 一本书.
- 两
- Two, before a measure word: 两个人. 二 is for counting and inside numbers.
- 没
- Not, for the past or with 有: 我没去, 我没有钱.
- Key message
- A piece of meaning in the English. AQA's marks for meaning count how many of them come across.
- Homophone
- A character that sounds like another, such as 做 and 作. Picking the wrong one can change the meaning.
- Frequency word
- A word for how often something happens: 常常, 有时候, 每天.
Common mistakes in Translation into Chinese
The slips that cost marks year after year, and what to do instead.
Following English order, as in 我打篮球在公园.
The place comes before the verb in Chinese, so I play basketball in the park is 我在公园打篮球。 in that order.
Leaving out the measure word or using 二, as in 二个人.
Every number before a noun needs a measure word, and two is 两: 两个人, 三本书.
Using 不 for the past, as in 昨天我不去公园.
For something that didn't happen, use 没. I didn't go to the park yesterday is 昨天我没去公园。 in Chinese.
Translating often as 很多.
很多 means a lot of, for an amount. Often is 常常, so I often go to the library is 我常常去图书馆。 in Chinese.
Leaving a gap when a word escapes you.
A gap loses the whole message. Write the rest of the sentence and say the missing idea in simpler words you can write.