Chinese Online Learning & Digital Education Phrases — Mandarin for Online Courses, Webinars, Self-Study Apps & Virtual Classrooms

China has a massive online education ecosystem with its own terminology. Major platforms: 网易公开课 (wǎng yì gōng kāi kè) — NetEase Open Course, 中国大学MOOC (zhōng guó dà xué mù kè) — Chinese University MOOC (massive open online courses), 学堂在线 (xué táng zài xiàn) — XuetangX (Tsinghua-backed platform), 腾讯课堂 (téng xùn kè táng) — Tencent Classroom, B站 (bī zhàn) — Bilibili (popular for free educational content), 知乎 (zhī hū) — Zhihu (Q&A with paid courses), 得到 (dé dào) — Dedao (knowledge-sharing app), 喜马拉雅 (xǐ mǎ lā yǎ) — Ximalaya (audio learning). Key enrollment vocabulary: 报名 (bào míng) — register / sign up, 选课 (xuǎn kè) — select a course, 免费 (miǎn fèi) — free, 付费 (fù fèi) — paid, 试听 (shì tīng) — trial lesson, 开课时间 (kāi kè shí jiān) — course start date, 课时 (kè shí) — class hours / sessions, 课程大纲 (kè chéng dà gāng) — course syllabus, 结课 (jié kè) — course completion, 证书 (zhèng shū) — certificate. Key phrases: 我想报名这门课 (wǒ xiǎng bào míng zhè mén kè) — I want to enroll in this course. 这门课是免费的吗 (zhè mén kè shì miǎn fèi de ma) — Is this course free? 有没有试听课 (yǒu méi yǒu shì tīng kè) — Is there a trial lesson? 每周几节课 (měi zhōu jǐ jié kè) — How many classes per week? 课程多久能学完 (kè chéng duō jiǔ néng xué wán) — How long does it take to finish the course?

Payment and pricing vocabulary: 学费 (xué fèi) — tuition fee, 课程价格 (kè chéng jià gé) — course price, 优惠卷 (yōu huì quàn) — discount coupon, 拼团 (pīn tuán) — group buy, 限时优惠 (xiàn shí yōu huì) — limited-time offer, 退款 (tuì kuǎn) — refund, 分期付款 (fēn qī fù kuǎn) — installment payment. Course types: 录播课 (lù bō kè) — pre-recorded course, 直播课 (zhí bō kè) — live-streamed course, 一对一 (yī duì yī) — one-on-one tutoring, 小班课 (xiǎo bān kè) — small group class, 大班课 (dà bān kè) — large lecture class, 训练营 (xùn liàn yíng) — bootcamp / intensive training camp, 打卡 (dǎ kǎ) — daily check-in / attendance (common gamification feature). Key phrases: 可以用花呗吗 (kě yǐ yòng huā bèi ma) — Can I pay with Huabei? (Alipay credit), 可以退款吗 (kě yǐ tuì kuǎn ma) — Can I get a refund? 有没有拼团优惠 (yǒu méi yǒu pīn tuán yōu huì) — Is there a group discount? 这个课程有证书吗 (zhè ge kè chéng yǒu zhèng shū ma) — Does this course offer a certificate?

Participating in live online classes requires specific vocabulary for technology and interaction. Platform and technical vocabulary: 直播平台 (zhí bō píng tái) — live-streaming platform, 视频会议 (shì pín huì yì) — video conference, 屏幕共享 (píng mù gòng xiǎng) — screen sharing, 摄像头 (shè xiàng tóu) — webcam, 麦克风 (mài kè fēng) — microphone, 耳机 (ěr jī) — headphones, 网络 (wǎng luò) — internet / network, 卡了 (kǎ le) — it is lagging, 断线 (duàn xiàn) — disconnected, 重新连接 (chóng xīn lián jiē) — reconnect, 全屏 (quán píng) — full screen, 聊天区 (liáo tiān qū) — chat area, 举手 (jǔ shǒu) — raise hand (feature), 连麦 (lián mài) — go on mic / join the audio, 禁言 (jìn yán) — mute all, 录制 (lù zhì) — recording. Key technical phrases: 老师我卡了 (lǎo shī wǒ kǎ le) — Teacher, I am lagging. 听不清楚 (tīng bù qīng chu) — I can't hear clearly. 声音有点小 (shēng yīn yǒu diǎn xiǎo) — The sound is a bit low. 可以调大一点声音吗 (kě yǐ tiáo dà yì diǎn shēng yīn ma) — Can you turn up the volume? 看不到屏幕共享 (kàn bú dào píng mù gòng xiǎng) — I can't see the screen share. 可以再讲一遍吗 (kě yǐ zài jiǎng yí biàn ma) — Can you explain that again?

Classroom interaction vocabulary: 提问 (tí wèn) — ask a question, 回答 (huí dá) — answer, 发言 (fā yán) — speak / make a comment, 互动 (hù dòng) — interact, 讨论 (tǎo lùn) — discuss, 练习 (liàn xí) — practice / exercise, 作业 (zuò yè) — homework, 考试 (kǎo shì) — exam, 评分 (píng fēn) — grade / score, 点评 (diǎn píng) — give feedback / comment, 纠正 (jiū zhèng) — correct. Common classroom instructions: 请大家打开麦克风 (qǐng dà jiā dǎ kāi mài kè fēng) — Please everyone turn on your microphone. 请在聊天区打字 (qǐng zài liáo tiān qū dǎ zì) — Please type in the chat area. 大家听懂了吗 (dà jiā tīng dǒng le ma) — Does everyone understand? 有没有问题 (yǒu méi yǒu wèn tí) — Any questions? 现在做练习 (xiàn zài zuò liàn xí) — Now let's do the exercise. 分组讨论 (fēn zǔ tǎo lùn) — Break into groups for discussion. 下节课预习 (xià jié kè yù xí) — Preview for next class. Key student phrases: 老师我有一个问题 (lǎo shī wǒ yǒu yí ge wèn tí) — Teacher, I have a question. 我想回答这个问题 (wǒ xiǎng huí dá zhè ge wèn tí) — I'd like to answer this question. 我不太明白 (wǒ bú tài míng bai) — I don't quite understand. 可以举个例子吗 (kě yǐ jǔ ge lì zi ma) — Can you give an example? 请问作业在哪里提交 (qǐng wèn zuò yè zài nǎ lǐ tí jiāo) — Where do I submit the homework?

Self-directed learners need vocabulary for describing study methods and using digital tools. Study method vocabulary: 自学 (zì xué) — self-study, 复习 (fù xí) — review, 预习 (yù xí) — preview, 背诵 (bèi sòng) — memorize by reciting, 默写 (mò xiě) — write from memory, 听写 (tīng xiě) — dictation, 做笔记 (zuò bǐ jì) — take notes, 查字典 (chá zì diǎn) — look up in dictionary, 跟读 (gēn dú) — shadow reading / repeat after, 精听 (jīng tīng) — intensive listening, 泛听 (fàn tīng) — extensive listening, 刷题 (shuā tí) — grind practice questions (colloquial), 背单词 (bèi dān cí) — memorize vocabulary. Chinese learning apps vocabulary: 学习打卡 (xué xí dǎ kǎ) — study check-in, 词汇量 (cí huì liàng) — vocabulary size, 生词本 (shēng cí běn) — new word list / vocabulary notebook, 错题本 (cuò tí běn) — error notebook (for recording mistakes), 收藏 (shōu cáng) — bookmark / save, 分享 (fēn xiǎng) — share, 点赞 (diǎn zàn) — like / upvote, 评论 (píng lùn) — comment, 关注 (guān zhù) — follow, 粉丝 (fěn sī) — follower. Progress and goal vocabulary: 学习计划 (xué xí jì huà) — study plan, 学习目标 (xué xí mù biāo) — learning goal, 进度 (jìn dù) — progress, 完成率 (wán chéng lǜ) — completion rate, 坚持 (jiān chí) — persist / keep at it, 放弃 (fàng qì) — give up, 瓶颈 (píng jǐng) — plateau / bottleneck, 突破 (tū pò) — breakthrough. Key phrases: 我今天学习了两个小时 (wǒ jīn tiān xué xí le liǎng ge xiǎo shí) — I studied for two hours today. 你用什么app学中文 (nǐ yòng shén me app xué zhōng wén) — What app do you use to learn Chinese? 我的词汇量大概两千左右 (wǒ de cí huì liàng dà gài liǎng qiān zuǒ yòu) — My vocabulary size is about 2000 words. 我最近进步很大 (wǒ zuì jìn jìn bù hěn dà) — I have made great progress recently. 感觉遇到瓶颈了 (gǎn jué yù dào píng jǐng le) — I feel like I've hit a plateau.

Digital learning tools and resources: 电子书 (diàn zǐ shū) — e-book, 电子词典 (diàn zǐ cí diǎn) — electronic dictionary, PDF, 视频 (shì pín) — video, 音频 (yīn pín) — audio, 字幕 (zì mù) — subtitles, 速度 (sù dù) — speed (playback), 倍速播放 (bèi sù bō fàng) — speed playback (1.5x, 2x), 截图 (jié tú) — screenshot, 下载 (xià zǎi) — download, 缓存 (huǎn cún) — cache / offline save, 云盘 (yún pán) — cloud drive. Common learning communities: 学习群 (xué xí qún) — study group (usually on WeChat), 打卡群 (dǎ kǎ qún) — check-in group (for accountability), 学习博主 (xué xí bó zhǔ) — study blogger / studygram-style content creator, 学习直播 (xué xí zhí bō) — study livestream (popular trend: live-streaming yourself studying). Key phrases: 能发我一份PDF吗 (néng fā wǒ yí fèn PDF ma) — Can you send me the PDF? 有没有字幕 (yǒu méi yǒu zì mù) — Are there subtitles? 用1.5倍速看 (yòng 1.5 bèi sù kàn) — Watch at 1.5x speed. 加个学习群吧 (jiā ge xué xí qún ba) — Let's join a study group. 我在B站看中文教学视频 (wǒ zài bī zhàn kàn zhōng wén jiào xué shì pín) — I watch Chinese teaching videos on Bilibili.

Knowing how to ask for help effectively is a critical learning skill. Question formation vocabulary: 请教 (qǐng jiào) — consult / ask for advice (polite), 请问 (qǐng wèn) — may I ask, 麻烦问一下 (má fan wèn yí xià) — sorry to trouble you with a question, 我有一个疑惑 (wǒ yǒu yí ge yí huò) — I have a doubt / confusion, 这里不太懂 (zhè lǐ bú tài dǒng) — I don't quite understand this part, 能解释一下吗 (néng jiě shì yí xià ma) — Can you explain? 这个字怎么读 (zhè ge zì zěn me dú) — How do you read this character? 这个词什么意思 (zhè ge cí shén me yì si) — What does this word mean? 这个语法怎么用 (zhè ge yǔ fǎ zěn me yòng) — How do you use this grammar point? 这样说对吗 (zhè yàng shuō duì ma) — Is it correct to say it this way? 自然吗 (zì rán ma) — Does it sound natural? 有更地道的说法吗 (yǒu gèng dì dao de shuō fǎ ma) — Is there a more native way to say it?

Asking for feedback and corrections: 帮我纠正一下 (bāng wǒ jiū zhèng yí xià) — Help me correct this. 我的发音对不对 (wǒ de fā yīn duì bú duì) — Is my pronunciation correct? 可以帮我改一下吗 (kě yǐ bāng wǒ gǎi yí xià ma) — Can you help me revise this? 哪里有问题 (nǎ lǐ yǒu wèn tí) — Where is the problem? 有什么建议吗 (yǒu shén me jiàn yì ma) — Any suggestions? 怎么提高听力 (zěn me tí gāo tīng lì) — How can I improve my listening? 口语怎么练 (kǒu yǔ zěn me liàn) — How do I practice speaking? Clarification and repair phrases: 我没听懂 (wǒ méi tīng dǒng) — I didn't understand. 能再说一次吗 (néng zài shuō yí cì ma) — Can you say it again? 慢一点可以吗 (màn yì diǎn kě yǐ ma) — Can you speak a bit slower? 用中文怎么说 (yòng zhōng wén zěn me shuō) — How do you say it in Chinese? 英文的意思是... (yīng wén de yì si shì...) — The English meaning is... 我想表达的是... (wǒ xiǎng biǎo dá de shì...) — What I want to express is... 这个词和那个词有什么区别 (zhè ge cí hé nà ge cí yǒu shén me qū bié) — What is the difference between this word and that word? 我的意思是... (wǒ de yì si shì...) — What I mean is...

Language proficiency exams are important milestones for Chinese learners. HSK vocabulary: HSK (hàn yǔ shuǐ píng kǎo shì) — Chinese Proficiency Test, HSK一级到六级 — HSK Level 1 through 6, 笔试 (bǐ shì) — written test, 口试 (kǒu shì) — oral test, 报名费 (bào míng fèi) — registration fee, 考点 (kǎo diǎn) — test center, 准考证 (zhǔn kǎo zhèng) — admission ticket, 成绩 (chéng jì) — score / results, 及格 (jí gé) — pass, 满分 (mǎn fēn) — full marks, 听力部分 (tīng lì bù fen) — listening section, 阅读部分 (yuè dú bù fen) — reading section, 书写部分 (shū xiě bù fen) — writing section. Key HSK phrases: 你考过HSK吗 (nǐ kǎo guò HSK ma) — Have you taken the HSK? 你考了几级 (nǐ kǎo le jǐ jí) — Which level did you take? 成绩出来了吗 (chéng jì chū lái le ma) — Are the results out? 多少分及格 (duō shǎo fēn jí gé) — What is the passing score? (HSK 1-2: 120/200, HSK 3-6: 180/300). 你在哪里考的 (nǐ zài nǎ lǐ kǎo de) — Where did you take the test? 我想报HSK4 (wǒ xiǎng bào HSK sì) — I want to register for HSK 4.

Other exams and certifications: 汉语水平口语考试/HSKK (hàn yǔ shuǐ píng kǒu yǔ kǎo shì) — HSK Speaking Test (separate from main HSK), 商务汉语考试/BCT (shāng wù hàn yǔ kǎo shì) — Business Chinese Test, 普通话水平测试 (pǔ tōng huà shuǐ píng cè shì) — Putonghua Proficiency Test (for native speakers too), 教师资格证 (jiào shī zī gé zhèng) — Teacher Qualification Certificate, 国际汉语教师证书 (guó jì hàn yǔ jiào shī zhèng shū) — Certificate for Teachers of Chinese to Speakers of Other Languages. Study schedule vocabulary: 备考 (bèi kǎo) — prepare for an exam, 模拟考试 (mó nǐ kǎo shì) — mock exam, 真题 (zhēn tí) — real/previous exam questions, 考试技巧 (kǎo shì jì qiǎo) — exam techniques, 时间管理 (shí jiān guǎn lǐ) — time management, 考前冲刺 (kǎo qián chōng cì) — last-minute sprint before exam. Key phrases: 你什么时候考 (nǐ shén me shí hou kǎo) — When are you taking the test? 在备考中 (zài bèi kǎo zhōng) — I'm preparing for the exam. 做过模拟题吗 (zuò guò mó nǐ tí ma) — Have you done mock questions? 真题在哪里找 (zhēn tí zài nǎ lǐ zhǎo) — Where can I find real exam questions? 你目标是几级 (nǐ mù biāo shì jǐ jí) — What level are you aiming for? 我上次差几分没过 (wǒ shàng cì chà jǐ fēn méi guò) — I missed by a few points last time. 这次一定要过 (zhè cì yí dìng yào guò) — I must pass this time.