Syllabus

Cambridge IGCSE™
Mandarin Chinese 0547
Use this syllabus for exams in 2025, 2026 and 2027.
Exams are available in the June series.

Version 1
Please check the syllabus page at www.cambridgeinternational.org/0547
to see if this syllabus is available in your administrative zone.

For the purposes of screen readers, any mention in this document of Cambridge IGCSE
refers to Cambridge International General Certificate of Secondary Education.
Why choose Cambridge International?

Cambridge International prepares school students for life, helping them develop an informed curiosity and a
lasting passion for learning. We are part of Cambridge University Press & Assessment, which is a department
of the University of Cambridge.

Our Cambridge Pathway gives students a clear path for educational success from age 5 to 19. Schools can
shape the curriculum around how they want students to learn – with a wide range of subjects and flexible ways
to offer them. It helps students discover new abilities and a wider world, and gives them the skills they need for
life, so they can achieve at school, university and work.

Our programmes and qualifications set the global standard for international education. They are created by
subject experts, rooted in academic rigour and reflect the latest educational research. They provide a strong
platform for learners to progress from one stage to the next, and are well supported by teaching and learning
resources.

Our mission is to provide educational benefit through provision of international programmes and qualifications
for school education and to be the world leader in this field. Together with schools, we develop Cambridge
learners who are confident, responsible, reflective, innovative and engaged – equipped for success in the
modern world.

Every year, nearly a million Cambridge students from 10 000 schools in 160 countries prepare for their future
with the Cambridge Pathway.

School feedback: ‘We think the Cambridge curriculum is superb preparation for university.’
Feedback from: Christoph Guttentag, Dean of Undergraduate Admissions, Duke University, USA

Quality management
Cambridge International is committed to providing exceptional quality. In line with this commitment, our
quality management system for the provision of international qualifications and education programmes
for students aged 5 to 19 is independently certified as meeting the internationally recognised standard,
ISO 9001:2015. Learn more at www.cambridgeinternational.org/ISO9001

© Cambridge University Press & Assessment September 2022

Cambridge Assessment International Education is part of Cambridge University Press & Assessment. Cambridge University Press &
Assessment is a department of the University of Cambridge.
Cambridge University Press & Assessment retains the copyright on all its publications. Registered centres are permitted to copy
material from this booklet for their own internal use. However, we cannot give permission to centres to photocopy any material that is
acknowledged to a third party even for internal use within a centre.
Contents

Why choose Cambridge International?......................................................................... 2

1  Why choose this syllabus? ......................................................................................... 4

2  Syllabus overview ........................................................................................................ 7

Aims 7
Content overview 8
Assessment overview 9
Assessment objectives 10

3  Subject content ..........................................................................................................12

Skills 12
Topic areas 14
Relationship between content and question papers 15

4  Details of the assessment .........................................................................................16

Paper 1 – Listening 16
Paper 2 – Reading 18
Paper 3 – Speaking 19
Paper 4 – Writing 24
List of grammar and structures 25
Vocabulary list 30

5  What else you need to know .................................................................................... 55

Before you start 55
Making entries 56
Accessibility and equality 57
After the exam 58
How students and teachers can use the grades 58
Grade descriptions 58
Changes to this syllabus for 2025, 2026 and 2027 59

Important: Changes to this syllabus

For information about changes to this syllabus for 2025, 2026 and 2027, go to page 59.
The latest syllabus is version 1, published September 2022. There are no significant changes which affect
teaching.
Any textbooks endorsed to support the syllabus for examination from 2022 are still suitable for use with this
syllabus.
 Cambridge IGCSE Mandarin Chinese 0547 syllabus for 2025, 2026 and 2027.

1  Why choose this syllabus?

Key benefits
Cambridge IGCSE is the world’s most popular international
qualification for 14 to 16 year olds, although it can be taken by
students of other ages. It is tried, tested and trusted.

Students can choose from 70 subjects in any combination – it is

taught by over 4500 schools in over 140 countries.
Cambridge
Our programmes balance a thorough knowledge and learner
understanding of a subject and help to develop the skills
learners need for their next steps in education or employment.

Cambridge IGCSE Mandarin Chinese develops a set of

transferable skills for understanding and communicating in
everyday situations in Chinese. Learners begin to develop
cultural awareness of countries and communities where
Chinese is spoken. They acquire the essential linguistic skills required for progression to further studies or
employment.

Our approach in Cambridge IGCSE Mandarin Chinese encourages learners to be:

confident, using new and familiar structures and vocabulary to communicate with others in everyday situations

responsible, seeking opportunities to use and develop their language skills

reflective, considering how to communicate different ideas and attitudes

innovative, applying language to a variety of situations

engaged, developing learning strategies which help them to express their ideas and their understanding of
other cultures.

School feedback: ‘The strength of Cambridge IGCSE qualifications is internationally

recognised and has provided an international pathway for our students to continue their studies
around the world.’
Feedback from: Gary Tan, Head of Schools and CEO, Raffles International Group of Schools, Indonesia

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 Cambridge IGCSE Mandarin Chinese 0547 syllabus for 2025, 2026 and 2027.  Why choose this syllabus?

International recognition and acceptance

Our expertise in curriculum, teaching and learning, and assessment is the basis for the recognition of our
programmes and qualifications around the world. The combination of knowledge and skills in Cambridge
IGCSE Mandarin Chinese gives learners a solid foundation for further study. Candidates who achieve grades
A* to C are well prepared to follow a wide range of courses including Cambridge International AS & A Level
Chinese.

Cambridge IGCSEs are accepted and valued by leading universities and employers around the world as
evidence of academic achievement. Many universities require a combination of Cambridge International
AS & A Levels and Cambridge IGCSEs or equivalent to meet their entry requirements.

UK NARIC*, the national agency in the UK for the recognition and comparison of international qualifications and
skills, has carried out an independent benchmarking study of Cambridge IGCSE and found it to be comparable
to the standard of the GCSE in the UK. This means students can be confident that their Cambridge IGCSE
qualifications are accepted as equivalent to UK GCSEs by leading universities worldwide.

Cambridge IGCSE Mandarin Chinese has been designed to help candidates develop language proficiency to
level A2 (Basic User) of the Common European Framework of Reference for Language: Learning, Teaching,
Assessment (CEFR).

Assessment objectives, subject content, mark schemes and task types have been designed with reference to
the CEFR to ensure that candidates have opportunities to demonstrate proficiency at the intended levels.

* Due to the United Kingdom leaving the European Union, the UK NARIC national recognition agency function was re-titled as UK ENIC
on 1 March 2021, operated and managed by Ecctis Limited. From 1 March 2021, international benchmarking findings are published
under the Ecctis name.

Learn more at www.cambridgeinternational.org/recognition

School feedback: ‘Cambridge IGCSE is one of the most sought-after and recognised
qualifications in the world. It is very popular in Egypt because it provides the perfect
preparation for success at advanced level programmes.’
Feedback from: Managing Director of British School of Egypt BSE

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 Cambridge IGCSE Mandarin Chinese 0547 syllabus for 2025, 2026 and 2027.  Why choose this syllabus?

Supporting teachers
We provide a wide range of resources, detailed guidance, innovative training and professional development
so that you can give your students the best possible preparation for Cambridge IGCSE. To find out which
resources are available for each syllabus go to our School Support Hub.

The School Support Hub is our secure online site for Cambridge teachers where you can find the resources
you need to deliver our programmes. You can also keep up to date with your subject and the global Cambridge
community through our online discussion forums.

Find out more at www.cambridgeinternational.org/support

Support for Cambridge IGCSE

Planning and Teaching and Learning and revision Results

preparation assessment • Example candidate • Candidate Results
• Schemes of work • Endorsed resources responses Service
• Specimen papers • Online forums • Past papers and • Principal examiner
• Syllabuses • Support for mark schemes reports for teachers
• Teacher guides coursework and • Specimen paper • Results Analysis
speaking tests answers

Sign up for email notifications about changes to syllabuses, including new and revised products and services at
www.cambridgeinternational.org/syllabusupdates

Professional development
We support teachers through:
• Introductory Training – face-to-face or online
• Extension Training – face-to-face or online
• Enrichment Professional Development – face-to-face or online
Find out more at www.cambridgeinternational.org/events

• Cambridge Professional Development Qualifications

Find out more at www.cambridgeinternational.org/profdev

Supporting exams officers

We provide comprehensive support and guidance for all Cambridge exams officers.
Find out more at: www.cambridgeinternational.org/eoguide

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 Cambridge IGCSE Mandarin Chinese 0547 syllabus for 2025, 2026 and 2027.

2  Syllabus overview

Aims
The aims describe the purposes of a course based on this syllabus.

The aims are to:

• develop the language proficiency required to communicate effectively in Mandarin Chinese at level A2
(CEFR Basic User)
• offer insights into the culture and society of countries and communities where Chinese is spoken
• develop awareness of the nature of language and language learning
• encourage positive attitudes towards speakers of other languages and a sympathetic approach to other
cultures
• provide enjoyment and intellectual stimulation
• develop transferable skills (e.g. memorising, drawing of inferences) to complement other areas of the
curriculum
• form a sound base of the skills, language and attitudes required for progression to work or further study,
either in Chinese or another subject area.

Cambridge Assessment International Education is an education organisation and politically

neutral. The contents of this syllabus, examination papers and associated materials do not endorse
any political view. We endeavour to treat all aspects of the exam process neutrally.

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 Cambridge IGCSE Mandarin Chinese 0547 syllabus for 2025, 2026 and 2027.  Syllabus overview

Content overview
The subject content is organised in five broad topic areas (A–E below). These provide contexts for the
acquisition of vocabulary and the study of grammar and structures. The study of these topic areas enables
students to gain an insight into countries and communities where Chinese is spoken. The five topic areas listed
below are described in more detail in section 3.

A Everyday activities
B Personal and social life
C The world around us
D The world of work
E The international world

The syllabus gives students opportunities to develop and apply a wide range of foreign language skills.

Candidates will be expected to read and understand a variety of written and spoken texts on familiar topics.
Candidates will be required to demonstrate understanding of the main ideas, opinions and attitudes, as well as
select and extract relevant details and deduce the meaning of occasional unknown words from context.

They will also have opportunities to write in Chinese on familiar, everyday topics, and to speak the language by
taking part in everyday conversations.

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 Cambridge IGCSE Mandarin Chinese 0547 syllabus for 2025, 2026 and 2027.  Syllabus overview

Assessment overview
All candidates take all four papers. Candidates will be eligible for grades A* to G.

All candidates take: and:

Paper 1 Approximately 40 minutes Paper 2 1 hour 15 minutes

Listening 25% Reading 25%
30 marks 40 marks
Candidates listen to a number of recordings and Candidates read a number of texts and answer
answer multiple-choice and matching questions. multiple-choice and matching questions as well
Externally assessed as questions requiring short answers.
Externally assessed

and: and:

Paper 3 Approximately 10 minutes Paper 4 1 hour 15 minutes

Speaking 25% Writing 25%
40 marks 45 marks
Candidates complete one role play and Candidates complete one form-filling task, one
conversations on two topics. directed writing task and one task in the format
Internally assessed and externally moderated of an email/letter or article/blog.
Externally assessed

Information on availability is in the Before you start section.

Check the timetable at www.cambridgeinternational.org/timetables for the test date window for Paper 3.

Check the samples database at www.cambridgeinternational.org/samples for submission information,

forms and deadlines for Paper 3.

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 Cambridge IGCSE Mandarin Chinese 0547 syllabus for 2025, 2026 and 2027.  Syllabus overview

Assessment objectives
The assessment objectives (AOs) are:

AO1 Listening
L1:. understand the main points and key information in simple everyday material
L2:. understand clear speech on a range of familiar topics
L3:. understand the description of events and expression of ideas, opinions and attitudes in simple texts
L4:. identify and select relevant information in predictable texts

AO2 Reading
R1:. understand the main points and key information in simple everyday material
R2:. understand authentic factual texts on a range of familiar topics
R3:. understand the description of events and expression of ideas, opinions and attitudes in simple texts
R4:. identify and select relevant information in predictable texts

AO3 Speaking
S1:. communicate clearly and effectively in a range of predictable everyday situations
S2:. engage in conversations on familiar topics, expressing opinions and feelings
S3:. use a range of structures and vocabulary with reasonable accuracy
S4:. demonstrate some ability to maintain interaction
S5:. show some control of pronunciation and intonation

AO4 Writing
W1:. communicate simple factual information clearly for everyday purposes
W2:. write simple phrases and sentences on a familiar topic
W3:. write simple connected texts describing events, experiences, opinions and hopes and ambitions
W4:. use a range of simple vocabulary and language structures reasonably accurately

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 Cambridge IGCSE Mandarin Chinese 0547 syllabus for 2025, 2026 and 2027.  Syllabus overview

Weighting for assessment objectives

The approximate weightings allocated to each of the assessment objectives (AOs) are summarised below.

Assessment objectives as a percentage of the qualification

Assessment objective Weighting in IGCSE %

AO1 Listening 25

AO2 Reading 25

AO3 Speaking 25

AO4 Writing 25

Total 100

Assessment objectives as a percentage of each component

Assessment objective Weighting in components %

Paper 1 Paper 2 Paper 3 Paper 4

AO1 Listening 100 0 0 0

AO2 Reading 0 100 0 0

AO3 Speaking 0 0 100 0

AO4 Writing 0 0 0 100

Total 100 100 100 100

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 Cambridge IGCSE Mandarin Chinese 0547 syllabus for 2025, 2026 and 2027.

3  Subject content

This syllabus gives you the flexibility to design a course that will interest, challenge and engage your learners.
Where appropriate you are responsible for selecting resources and examples to support your learners’
study. These should be appropriate for the learners’ age, cultural background and learning context as well as
complying with your school policies and local legal requirements.

Skills
The skills covered in the syllabus are outlined below.

Listening

• Understand short recordings dealing with everyday needs (e.g. simple transactions in shops, simple
directions or instructions).
• Understand factual information and ideas from a range of sources (e.g. announcements, phone
messages, news items, interviews, dialogues) on familiar topics.
• Understand descriptions of events, opinions, emotions, hopes and ambitions in simple texts (e.g. in radio
broadcasts, interviews, dialogues).
• Identify main points, specific information and details on everyday topics (e.g. personal and family
information, shopping, local area, employment, school, leisure activities).
• Identify main points, themes, opinions, ideas, emotions and attitudes in predictable texts (e.g. news
reports, conversations, interviews, simple monologues).
• Deduce the meaning of occasional unknown words and expressions from the context.

Reading

• Understand short, simple texts (e.g. signs and notices in public places, such as streets, restaurants and
bus/railway stations and airports).
• Understand authentic texts on familiar topics and situations (e.g. newspaper/magazine articles, email
messages, blogs and letters).
• Understand descriptions of events, opinions, emotions, hopes and ambitions in simple texts (e.g. in
articles, interviews or personal messages).
• Identify main points, specific information and details in predictable texts (e.g. advertisements, brochures,
menus, timetables, instructions, messages).
• Identify main points, themes, opinions, ideas, emotions and attitudes in predictable texts (e.g.
newspaper/magazine articles, simple plots of films or books).
• Deduce the meaning of occasional unknown words and expressions from the context.

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 Cambridge IGCSE Mandarin Chinese 0547 syllabus for 2025, 2026 and 2027.  Subject content

Speaking

• Participate in short social exchanges (e.g. greet people, make and respond to invitations, apologies) and
communicate on familiar topics to meet simple needs (e.g. order food and drink, simple transactions in
shops, use public transport, ask and give directions, request information).
• Participate in unprepared conversations on familiar topics of personal interest or relevant to everyday life
(e.g. family, friends, home environment, hobbies and interests, education, work, travel).
• Describe past events and experiences, hopes and ambitions and give brief reasons for opinions and
plans.
• Communicate with reasonable accuracy, using a range of structures, time frames and vocabulary
relevant to the given situation.
• Use simple connectors (e.g. and, but, because, then) to link a series of shorter discrete elements into a
connected sequence of points.
• Use appropriate strategies to maintain interaction.
• Use features of pronunciation and intonation to convey meaning and attitude.

Writing

• Fill in forms providing simple details.

• Communicate simple factual information in writing using everyday vocabulary and expressions.
• Write a series of simple phrases and sentences linked with simple connectors, relating to personal life,
immediate environment and everyday topics (e.g. writing about a holiday).
• Write simple connected texts (e.g. email messages, articles) on familiar topics (e.g. plans and
arrangements, likes and dislikes, family, home environment, hobbies and interests, education, work and
travel).
• Describe past events and experiences, opinions, hopes and ambitions and give brief reasons for
opinions and plans.
• Communicate with reasonable accuracy, using a range of structures, time frames and vocabulary
relevant to the given situation.
• Use simple connectors (e.g. and, but, because, then) to link a series of shorter discrete elements into a
connected sequence of points.

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 Cambridge IGCSE Mandarin Chinese 0547 syllabus for 2025, 2026 and 2027.  Subject content

Topic areas
Candidates will be required to show knowledge and understanding of the broad topic areas listed below.
These provide contexts for the acquisition of vocabulary and the study of grammar and structures. Through the
study of these broad topic areas, candidates gain insight into the cultures of countries and communities where
Chinese is spoken.

The sub-topics listed are provided as examples of what teachers may choose to focus on. They are examples
only and are not intended to be prescriptive or exhaustive.

Area Topic Areas Sub-topics

A Everyday activities • Time expressions (e.g. telling the time, days, days of the
week, months, seasons)
• Food and drink (e.g. meals, fruit and vegetables, meat,
fish and seafood, snacks, drinks, cutlery and utensils)
• The human body and health (e.g. parts of the body,
health and illness)
• Travel and transport (e.g. finding the way)

B Personal and social life • Self, family and friends (e.g. family and relationships,
describing physical appearance, character and mood)
• Home life (e.g. housing and locations, rooms and
furniture, household appliances)
• Colours
• Clothes and accessories
• Leisure time (e.g. things to do, hobbies, sport)

C The world around us • People and places (e.g. continents, countries and
nationalities, compass points)
• The natural world, the environment, the climate and the
weather
• Communications and technology (e.g. the digital world,
documents and texts)
• The built environment (e.g. buildings and services,
shopping)
• Measurements (e.g. units of length and mass, units of
money)

D The world of work • Education (e.g. learning institutions, places and people in
school, the classroom, subjects and learning)
• Work (e.g. jobs and careers, the workplace)

E The international world • Countries, nationalities and languages

• Culture (e.g. customs, faiths and celebrations, famous
sites and cities)

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 Cambridge IGCSE Mandarin Chinese 0547 syllabus for 2025, 2026 and 2027.  Subject content

Relationship between content and question papers

In addition to the topic areas, a list of vocabulary and a list of grammar and structures are provided in this
syllabus to guide teachers and candidates preparing for this examination. The complete lists can be found in
section 4. The table below summarises the relationship between the content and the question papers.

Paper Questions Topic areas Vocabulary list Grammar and

to be tested* structures
expected to learn

Paper 1 1–10 A, B, C  Part 1

11–20 A, B, C, D, E  Part 1
21–30 A, B, C, D, E Parts 1 and 2

Paper 2 1–7 A, B, C  Part 1

8–9 A, B, C, D, E  Part 1
10–11 A, B, C, D, E Parts 1 and 2

Paper 3 Role play A, B, C, D, E  Part 1

Topic A, B, C, D, E Parts 1 and 2
conversations

Paper 4 1 A, B, C, D, E  Part 1
2–3 A, B, C, D, E Parts 1 and 2

* ‘’ in this column indicates the assessment tasks will be based on the Vocabulary list and only vocabulary
from the list will be tested.

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 Cambridge IGCSE Mandarin Chinese 0547 syllabus for 2025, 2026 and 2027.

4  Details of the assessment

All questions requiring written responses are to be answered in Chinese.

Dictionaries are not allowed in the examination.

Paper 1 – Listening
Approximately 40 minutes, including 6 minutes’ transfer time, 30 marks

This paper consists of 30 multiple-choice and matching questions. Candidates answer all questions
by selecting the correct option. Each question tests comprehension of recorded texts (e.g. dialogues,
announcements, conversations). Candidates hear each recorded text twice. At the end of the test candidates
will be asked to transfer their answers onto the separate answer sheet.

Centres must check the Cambridge Handbook for the year candidates are taking the assessment. The
Cambridge Handbook tells you when and how to access the audio material for each examination series.
www.cambridgeinternational.org/eoguide

Teachers/invigilators must consult the relevant sections of the Cambridge Handbook about administering the
listening examination and for details about rooms, equipment, guidance on acoustics and checking the audio
material in advance.

Description of questions
Questions 1–5
Assessment objective L1
Task Candidates listen to short texts and answer five multiple-choice questions
with four options.
Text types Announcements, phone messages, or statements
Total marks 5

Questions 6–10
Assessment objective L1, L2
Task Candidates listen to a monologue or dialogue containing factual information
and answer five multiple-choice questions with four options.
Text types Short monologue or dialogue
Total marks 5

Questions 11–15
Assessment objective L1, L2, L4
Task Candidates listen to five short monologues and match the names of people
with the correct pictures.
Text types Short monologues
Total marks 5

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 Cambridge IGCSE Mandarin Chinese 0547 syllabus for 2025, 2026 and 2027.  Details of the assessment

Description of questions (continued)

Questions 16–20
Assessment objective L2, L3, L4
Task Candidates listen to a dialogue (conversation or interview) and match
speakers’ opinions/attitudes on different aspects.
Text types Conversation or interview
Total marks 5

Questions 21–25
Assessment objective L2, L3, L4
Task Candidates listen to a monologue and answer five multiple-choice questions
with four options.
Text types Monologue
Total marks 5

Questions 26–30
Assessment objective L2, L3, L4
Task Candidates listen to a dialogue (conversation, discussion or interview) and
answer five multiple-choice questions with three options.
Text types Conversation, discussion or interview
Total marks 5

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 Cambridge IGCSE Mandarin Chinese 0547 syllabus for 2025, 2026 and 2027.  Details of the assessment

Paper 2 – Reading
Written paper, 1 hour 15 minutes, 40 marks

This paper consists of seven groups of questions, each comprising a number of multiple-choice and matching
questions, as well as questions requiring short answers in Chinese.

Description of question groups

Question group 1 (Q1–Q5)
Assessment objective R1
Task Candidates answer multiple-choice questions with four options on some
short texts.
Text types Simple descriptions
Total marks 5

Question group 2
Assessment objective R1
Task Candidates match a series of short statements with correct pictures.
Text types Simple descriptions
Total marks 4
Question group 3
Assessment objective R1
Task Candidates answer multiple-choice questions with four options on a short
text.
Text types short descriptive text, email, message, postcard or letter
Total marks 3

Question group 4
Assessment objective R2, R4
Task Candidates answer questions on a longer text requiring short responses in
Chinese.
Text types Email, message, letter or blog
Total marks 9

Question group 5
Assessment objective R2, R4
Task Candidates match a series of questions with four short texts on the
description of places, events, services or activities. All texts are on a common
theme.
Text types Short descriptions, advertisements, notices
Total marks 5

Question group 6

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 Cambridge IGCSE Mandarin Chinese 0547 syllabus for 2025, 2026 and 2027.  Details of the assessment

Assessment objective R3, R4

Task Candidates answer multiple-choice questions with four options on a longer
text.
Text types Article
Total marks 5

Question group 7
Assessment objective R3, R4
Task Candidates answer questions on a longer text requiring short responses
in Chinese.
Text types Article
Total marks 9

Paper 3 – Speaking
Approximately 10 minutes (plus 10 minutes of preparation time), 40 marks

Each speaking test lasts approximately 10 minutes, and is structured as follows:

• a warm-up section which is not assessed (approximately 30 seconds)
• one role play – candidates respond to five transactional questions to, for example, accomplish a task or
obtain goods or services (approximately two minutes)
• two topic conversations – candidates respond to questions on each topic to share views, opinions and
experiences (approximately four minutes per topic conversation).

Both the role play and the topic conversations are set in predictable, everyday contexts and are based on the
topic areas outlined in the syllabus.

During the preparation time, candidates study a role play scenario provided on a candidate card. They must be
supervised under exam conditions. Candidates are not allowed to make notes.

The tests are conducted and marked by the teacher/examiner using the speaking assessment materials and
assessment criteria provided. They are moderated by Cambridge International.

Speaking tests take place before the main examination series (see the relevant series’ timetable). Before the
speaking test period, centres will receive materials for the test. Teachers/examiners must allow sufficient time to
familiarise themselves with the materials and procedures (see the Cambridge Handbook for details).

Cambridge International supplies a teacher/examiner booklet comprising instructions, assessment criteria and
teacher/examiner scripts for the role plays and topic conversations. Candidate cards containing the role play
scenarios are also supplied.

The teacher/examiner booklet is confidential and must not reach candidates either directly or indirectly at any
point. The candidate cards are confidential and must not reach candidates until the start of their 10 minutes of
preparation time immediately prior to their speaking test.

The teacher/examiner allocates a role play and two topic conversations to each candidate according to a
randomisation grid provided in the teacher/examiner booklet.

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 Cambridge IGCSE Mandarin Chinese 0547 syllabus for 2025, 2026 and 2027.  Details of the assessment

Administration of the speaking test

Further information about the administration of speaking tests is provided in the Cambridge Handbook for
the relevant year of assessment. For copies of the forms required for the speaking test as well as information
about the deadlines, sample size and methods of submission, please refer to the samples database at
www.cambridgeinternational.org/samples

Using the samples database

The samples database refers you to key information about administering speaking tests.

Use the database to find out:

• when and how to submit your marks for the speaking tests
• when and how to submit the speaking tests
• which forms to complete and submit with the speaking tests.

The samples database at www.cambridgeinternational.org/samples will ask you for:

• your country/territory
• the syllabus code (i.e. 0547 for this syllabus).

The database will then take you to the information you need, including dates and methods of submission of
candidates’ marks and work, as well as any forms you may need to complete.

Cover sheets
You should upload a completed cover sheet with the speaking tests that you submit to Cambridge International.
Download the cover sheet from the samples database at www.cambridgeinternational.org/samples. Follow
the instructions on the form itself to complete it.

Recording and submitting candidates’ marks and speaking tests

Please refer to the samples database at www.cambridgeinternational.org/samples for information, dates
and methods of submission of candidates’ marks and speaking tests. You should follow the instructions on the
samples database.

You should record marks on the required form which you should download each year from the samples
database at www.cambridgeinternational.org/samples

Follow the instructions on the form to complete it. The marks on this form must be identical to the marks you
submit to Cambridge International.

Internal moderation
If more than one teacher in your centre is marking internal assessments, you must make arrangements to
moderate or standardise your teachers’ marking so that all candidates are assessed to a common standard.

You should record the internally moderated marks for all candidates on the Working Mark Sheet and submit
these marks to Cambridge International according to the instructions.

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 Cambridge IGCSE Mandarin Chinese 0547 syllabus for 2025, 2026 and 2027.  Details of the assessment

External moderation
Cambridge International will externally moderate all internally assessed components.

External moderators will produce a short report for each centre with feedback on your marking and
administration of the assessment.

Guidance on using levels-based mark schemes

Marking of work should be positive, rewarding achievement where possible, but clearly differentiating across
the whole range of marks, where appropriate.

The marker should look at the work and then make a judgement about which level statement is the best fit.
In practice, work does not always match one level statement precisely so a judgement may need to be made
between two or more level statements.

Once a best-fit level statement has been identified, use the following guidance to decide on a specific mark:
• If the candidate’s work convincingly meets the level statement, award the highest mark.
• If the candidate’s work adequately meets the level statement, award the most appropriate mark in the
middle of the range (where middle marks are available).
• If the candidate’s work just meets the level statement, award the lowest mark.

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 Cambridge IGCSE Mandarin Chinese 0547 syllabus for 2025, 2026 and 2027.  Details of the assessment

Speaking assessment criteria grids

Role play
Each of the five role play tasks is assessed using the mark scheme below:

2 The information is communicated. Language is appropriate to the situation and is accurate.

Minor errors (e.g. use of prepositions) are allowed.
1 The information is partly communicated and/or the meaning is ambiguous.
Errors impede communication.
0 No creditable response.

Topic conversations
When both topic conversations have been completed, give a mark out of 15 for Communication and a mark
out of 15 for Quality of Language.

Communication
Give a mark out of 15 for the candidate’s performance in both topic conversations.

Mark Level Descriptor

13–15 Very good • Responds confidently to questions; may occasionally need repetition of
words or phrases.
• Communicates information which is consistently relevant to the
questions.
• Frequently develops ideas and opinions.
• Justifies and explains some answers.

10–12 Good • Responds well to questions; requires occasional use of the alternative
question(s) provided.
• Communicates information which is almost always relevant to the
questions.
• Sometimes develops ideas and opinions.
• Gives reasons or explanations for some answers.

7–9 Satisfactory • Responds satisfactorily to questions; frequently requires use of the

alternative question(s) provided.
• Communicates most of the required information; may occasionally give
irrelevant information.
• Conveys simple, straightforward opinions.

4–6 Weak • Has difficulty with many questions but still attempts an answer.
• Communicates some simple information relevant to the questions.

1–3 Poor • Frequently has difficulty understanding the questions and has great
difficulty in replying.
• Communicates one or two basic pieces of information relevant to
the questions.

0 • No creditable response.

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 Cambridge IGCSE Mandarin Chinese 0547 syllabus for 2025, 2026 and 2027.  Details of the assessment

Quality of Language
Give a mark out of 15 for the candidate’s performance in both topic conversations.

Mark Level Descriptor

13–15 Very good • Accurate use of a wide range of the structures listed in the syllabus with
occasional errors in more complex language.
• Accurate use of a wide range of vocabulary with occasional errors.
• Very good pronunciation, fluency, intonation and expression; occasional
mistakes or hesitation.

10–12 Good • Good use of a range of the structures listed in the syllabus, with some
errors.
• Good use of a range of vocabulary with some errors.
• Good pronunciation and fluency despite some errors or hesitation; a
good attempt at correct intonation and expression.

7–9 Satisfactory • Satisfactory use of some of the structures listed in the syllabus, with
frequent errors.
• Satisfactory use of vocabulary with frequent errors.
• Satisfactory pronunciation and fluency despite frequent errors and
hesitation; some attempt at intonation and expression.

4–6 Weak • Limited range of structures and vocabulary, rarely accurate and/or
complete; frequent ambiguity.
• Pronunciation can be understood with some effort; very noticeable
hesitations and stilted delivery.

1–3 Poor • Very limited range of structures and vocabulary, almost always
inaccurate.
• Poor pronunciation, rarely comprehensible; many serious errors.

0 • No creditable response.

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 Cambridge IGCSE Mandarin Chinese 0547 syllabus for 2025, 2026 and 2027.  Details of the assessment

Paper 4 – Writing
Written paper, 1 hour 15 minutes, 45 marks

This paper consists of a form-filling task, a directed writing task and an extended writing task in response to
given contexts and prompts.

Description of questions
Question 1
Assessment objective W1, W4
Task Candidates fill in a form with single words or short phrases in response to a
given context.
Total marks 5

Question 2
Assessment objective W2, W4
Task Candidates complete a directed writing task in about 80–100 characters on a
familiar, everyday topic.
Total marks 12

Question 3
Assessment objective W3, W4
Task Candidates choose between two tasks (an email/letter and an article/blog)
and complete one of these in about 150 characters.
Total marks 28

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 Cambridge IGCSE Mandarin Chinese 0547 syllabus for 2025, 2026 and 2027.  Details of the assessment

List of grammar and structures

The list of grammar and structures provides students with an indication of the grammatical knowledge they are
expected to demonstrate in all of their assessments for IGCSE Mandarin Chinese. The list is not intended to be
restrictive.

The list is divided into two parts: Part 1 and Part 2. Please refer to section 3 of this syllabus about which part(s)
may be tested in the assessment papers.

PART 1

Verbs

A Auxiliary verbs 你 应 该 去。
B Future
Sentences with no overt indication of the future 他 去 南 京。
Sentences with 会 or 要 明 天 会 下 雪。
她 要 来。
Imminent future indicated by 要
 ……了 要 下 雨 了。
快 要……了 快 要 下 雪 了。
快……了 快 到 了。
Sentences with the verbal aspect marker 了 他 吃 了 饭 就 去 哪 儿？
C Reduplication of verbs 她 想 看 看 电 视。
D Progressive actions
Marked by 呢 她 睡 觉 呢。
Marked by 正 and 呢 她 正 睡 觉 呢。
Marked by 在 她 在 睡 觉。
Marked by 正在 她 正 在 睡 觉。
Negation with 没 她 没 睡 觉。
E Perfective aspect marker 了
Indicating a completed, limited, contrasted or
perfective action 他 看 了 两 次。
Negation by 没 and without 了 他 没 看。
With reference to the future 你 吃 了 饭 就 去 哪 儿？
F Experiential aspect marker 过
Indicating an experience in the past 他 去 过 法 国。
Negation by 没 她 没 去 过 法 国。
G Simple directional complements 他 到 美 国 去。
她 从 上 海 来。
H Complements of result 书 都 卖 完 了。
这 个 字 写 错 了。
I Complements of degree
Verbs followed by 得 and a complement of degree 她 写 得 非 常 快。
J Postverbs
Use of the postverb 在 她 住 在 北 京。
Use of the postverb 到 请 你 寄 到 南 京。
K Verbal measure words 我 去 了 三 次。

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 Cambridge IGCSE Mandarin Chinese 0547 syllabus for 2025, 2026 and 2027.  Details of the assessment

Nouns and noun phrases

A Plurals
Use of 们 with personal nouns 学 生 们
B Measure words
Use after numerals 三 张 纸
Use after 这 and 那 这 本 书 那 个 人
Use after 几 and 哪 几 个 孩 子？
哪 本 字 典？
Measure word 些 这 些 人
Use of 一点儿 我 要 一 点 儿 水。
C Possession
Using 的 我 的 桌 子 在 哪 儿？
Without 的 我 妈 妈 我 朋 友
D Modification of nouns
Simple adjectives or attributives
With 的 年 轻 的 姑 娘 很 新 的 衣 服
Without 的 中 国 地 图 一 条 红 裙 子
E Noun phrases with 的
Linking modifier to the noun 昨 天 买 的 衣 服 贵 吗？
她 教 的 学 生 多 吗？
Nominalising 他 是 卖 报 的。
Prepositions 她 从 南 京 来。
他 在 日 本 学 习。
我 跟 他 说 “你 好”。
她 到 饭 馆 去。
她 给 我 写 信。
她 用 德 文 说 “再 见”。
Adverbs

A Sentences with an adverbial phrase before

a verb 他 昨 天 去 上 海。
Point of time 她 在 西 安 学 习 英 语。
Place 他 们 坐 船 去。
Manner 我 们 常 常 去 友 谊 商 店。
Frequency 她 也 来。
Other adverbs 他 从 南 京 到 上 海 去。
Movement 他 给 他 弟 弟 写 信。
Prepositional phrases 他 又 饿 又 累。
Conjunctive use of adverbs 她 也 来, 她 弟 弟 也 来。

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 Cambridge IGCSE Mandarin Chinese 0547 syllabus for 2025, 2026 and 2027.  Details of the assessment

B Sentences with an adverbial phrase after a

verb 他 住 三 天。
Complement of time after a verb 他 住 了 三 天。
Complement of time with the verbal aspect marker 了
Complement of time with the verbal aspect marker 了 他 住 了 三 天 了。
and the sentence particle 了 她 学 法 语 学 了 两 年。
Repetition of the verb 她 住 在 广 州。
Verb followed by postverb 小 孩 子 走 得 很 慢。
Verb followed by 得 and a complement of degree

Comparisons
Use of 比 他 比 我 老。
Use of 跟 …… 一样 这 个 跟 那 个 一 样。
Use of 像 …… 一样 她 像 你 一 样。
Use of 比 …… 更 这 本 书 比 那 本 更 贵。
Use of 比 …… 一点儿 这 个 比 那 个 大 一 点 儿。
Use of 最 这 本 书 最 贵。
Complement of quantity 他 比 我 大 三 岁。
Use of 没有 in comparisons A 没 有 B 好。
Numbers, dates and times

A Numbers
Cardinal numbers up to 10 000
Ordinal numbers 第 一
Use of 二 and 两 一，二， 三
两 本 书
Approximate numbers 三 、四 本 书
B Dates and times
Year 一 九 九 七 年
Day and month 四 月 三 号 / 四 月 三 日
Days of the week 星 期 五
Time of day, including 24-hour clock 三 点 半  二 十 二 点 五 十
C Time expressions
……的时候 她 五 岁 的 时 候 离 开 了 日 本。
Use of 以前 十 年 以 前 他 住 在 广 州。
Use of 以后 四 年 以 后 我 去 了 美 国。
Sentences

A Declarative sentences
Using 是 她 是 中 国 人。
Using 有 他 有 三 本 书。
Using stative verbs 我 很 忙。
Verbless sentences 今 天 星 期 二。

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 Cambridge IGCSE Mandarin Chinese 0547 syllabus for 2025, 2026 and 2027.  Details of the assessment

B Negative statements
With 不是 她 不 是 美 国 人。
With 没有 我 没 有 钢 笔。
With 不 and stative verb 书 不 多。
With 不 and verb 他 们 不 来。
With 没 and verb 他 没 来。
C Interrogative sentences
Using 吗 他 来 吗？
Verb 不 verb 他 来 不 来？
是不是 你 是 不 是 英 国 人？
有没有 你 有 没 有 地 图？
Stative verb (SV) 不 SV 你 忙 不 忙？
Using question words: 谁，谁 的，哪，哪 儿，几，多 少，为
什 么，怎 么，怎 么 样, 什 么，什 么
样 的，什 么 时 候, 几 点，多＋SV，
不……吗？

Tag questions 好 吗？ 好 不 好？ 是 吗？
Using 吧 你 是 中 国 人 吧？
还是 你 去 还 是 我 去？
D Sentence particle 了
Indicating the attitude of the speaker to an event in
the recent past 他 去 北 京 了。
Use with stative verbs to indicate a changed situation 他 老 了。
人 多 了。
Negation by 没
（有）and without 了 他 没（有）去 北 京。
E Topic-comment construction 这 本 书 你 看 了 吗？
F The 是……的 construction
Highlighting the circumstances of past events 他 是 去 年 去 的。
G Position
Use of 在 with 这儿 and 那儿 他 在 这 儿。
你 在 那 儿。
Use of 这儿 and 那儿 with places and the names of
people 请 你 来 我 们 这 儿。
他 在 王 老 师 那 儿。
Use of 在 with place and location 他 们 在 公 园 里 边。
医 院 在 火 车 站 西 边。

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 Cambridge IGCSE Mandarin Chinese 0547 syllabus for 2025, 2026 and 2027.  Details of the assessment

PART 2

Verbs

A Verbal aspect marker 着

Indicating that an action is an accompaniment to
another action 他 们 坐 着 说 话。
Indicating a state resulting from an action 妹 妹 穿 着 一 条 红 裙 子。
B Compound directional complements 我 说 的 话， 你 们 都 写 下 来
了 吗？
学 生 从 外 边 走 进 来 了。
C Potential complements
With 得 to signify capability 他 听 得 懂 我 的 话。
With 不 to signify non-capability 他 听 不 懂 我 的 话。
Adverbs

A Adverbs of manner 她 很 快 地 跑 过 来。
Sentences

A The 把 construction 我 们 把 那 件 礼 物 送 给 她。
With negator and/or modal verb before 把 今 天 晚 上 有 大 风， 我 们 应 该 把
窗 户 关 好。
B The 被 construction
Passive sentences with 被 as markers 包 子 被 狗 吃 掉 了。
那 些 新 书 都 被 借 走 了。
With negator and/or modal verb before 被 墙 上 的 画 儿 没 有 被 风 刮 掉。
C The 让，使 construction 妈 妈 让 我 吃 饭。
他 使 我 明 白 我 错 了。

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 Cambridge IGCSE Mandarin Chinese 0547 syllabus for 2025, 2026 and 2027.  Details of the assessment

Vocabulary list
The vocabulary list provided is intended as a guide for teachers to assist in the planning of lessons and
schemes of work. It is not intended to be prescriptive or exhaustive and the assessment tasks will require
students to understand and respond to words that are not on the list.

Although the skill of deduction is not directly tested, students should be taught the skill of deducing the
meaning of unknown words from the context on familiar topics.

Vocabulary is listed under particular topic headings but should be considered transferable, as appropriate, to
the other topics.

Adjective and attributive phrases

别的 业余
负面的 一般
另外的 有的
唯一 正面的

Adverbs and adverbial phrases

本来 就
别 另
不 马上
不常 没
不一定 少
才 太
差不多 特别
常 挺
常常 先
从来 也
大概 也许
当然 一定
都 一共
多 一起
非常 已经
刚 又
刚才 再
更 真
还 正在
还是 只
很 只好
很少 总是
忽然 最
经常

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 Cambridge IGCSE Mandarin Chinese 0547 syllabus for 2025, 2026 and 2027.  Details of the assessment

Auxiliary verbs
必须 能
不用 希望
不准 喜欢
得 (dĕi) 想
敢 需要
会 要
将要 应该
可能 愿意
可以

Conjunctions and conjunctive patterns

并（且） 没想到
不但……而且 然后
不过 如果
不是……而是…… 虽然……可是/但是
除了……以外 要是
从前 也……也……
但是 一边……一边……
而且 因为……所以……
跟 由于
还是 又……又……
和 与
后来 越……越……
或者 越来越……
可是 只要……就……
另外 只有……才……

Measure words
Common measure words
把 匹
本 双
顶 所
段 条
封 位
个 些
家 张
件 支
节 只
口 种
辆 座

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 Cambridge IGCSE Mandarin Chinese 0547 syllabus for 2025, 2026 and 2027.  Details of the assessment

Measure words (continued)

Container measure words
包 盘
杯 瓶
袋 碗
盒
Verbal measure words
遍 一会儿
次 一下
一点儿 一些

Nouns
变化 零花钱
词 录音
词语 旅游
答案 旅游景点
大小 目的
东西 情况
对话 人
儿童 设施
方法 生活
方格 事情
方面 收获
方式 特点
风景 文化
工艺品 问题
工作人员 性格
故事 兴趣
关系 样子
好处 要求
盒子 义工
坏处 义卖
机会 意见
经过 意思
经历 饮食
经验 印象
看法 原因
客人 运气
空白处 知识

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 Cambridge IGCSE Mandarin Chinese 0547 syllabus for 2025, 2026 and 2027.  Details of the assessment

Numbers
一 十
二 百
三 千
四 万
五 第
六 半
七 两
八 零
九

Particles
吧 了
得 吗
的 呢
地 着
过

Prepositions and coverbs

按照 关于
把 离
从 往
到 为
对 向
给 用
跟 在

Pronouns
别人 它
大家 她
那 她们
那儿 我
那里 我们
那些 这
你 这儿
你们 这里
您 这些
他 自己
他们

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 Cambridge IGCSE Mandarin Chinese 0547 syllabus for 2025, 2026 and 2027.  Details of the assessment

Question words
多长时间 什么
多久 什么时候
多少 什么样
几 谁
哪 谁的
哪儿 为什么
哪里 怎么
哪些 怎（么）样

Verbs
Common verbs
爱 戴
安排 当
搬 到
办（理） 得 (dé)
帮助 得到
包括 等
比 订
比较 丢
比赛 懂
毕业 发
变 发生
采访 发现
参观 放
参加 复习
查 感觉
唱 告诉
炒 挂
吃 关
迟到 关上
出 广播
出发 逛
出来 害怕
出去 好像
穿 喝
打 花
打开 画
打算 欢迎
呆 还 (huán)
带

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 Cambridge IGCSE Mandarin Chinese 0547 syllabus for 2025, 2026 and 2027.  Details of the assessment

Verbs (continued)
Common verbs (continued)
换 卖
回答 没有
回来 明白
挤 拿
计划 爬
记 怕
记住 判断
继续 跑
寄 碰见
加 破坏
检查 骑
讲 去
交换 让
交流 认识
教 认为
叫 申请
接 试
结束 是
解决 收
介绍 输
借 说
进 说明
禁止 死
救 送
举 躺
举行 踢
决定 提高
觉得 跳
开始 听
看 停
看见 通知
哭 同意
拉 偷
来 推
离开 完
练习 完成
了解 玩
路过 忘
旅行 问
买 习惯

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 Cambridge IGCSE Mandarin Chinese 0547 syllabus for 2025, 2026 and 2027.  Details of the assessment

Verbs (continued)
Common verbs (continued)
笑 站
写 长
休息 长大
修 找
选择 照顾
学 挣
学习 知道
养 住
邀请 祝
摇 转
以为 转告
赢 准备
用 走
游览 租
有 作
阅读 坐
在 做
Stative verbs
矮 高
安静 高兴
安全 够
饱 古老
笨 贵
差 好
长 好吃
吵 好看
成功 好奇
迟 合适
聪明 厚
错 坏
大 简单
担心 健康
低 紧张
短 近
对 久
多 旧
饿 可爱
方便 可惜
干净 渴

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 Cambridge IGCSE Mandarin Chinese 0547 syllabus for 2025, 2026 and 2027.  Details of the assessment

Verbs (continued)
Stative verbs (continued)
客气 失望
空 瘦
苦 舒服
酷 熟
快 帅
快乐 顺利
辣 酸
老 讨厌
累 特别
冷 甜
凉快 同
乱 晚
麻烦 危险
满意 像
慢 小
忙 小心
没意思 新
美 严重
免费 一样
难 用功
难过 友好
难看 有礼貌
年轻 有名
努力 有趣
暖和 有意思
胖 有用
便宜 愉快
漂亮 圆
奇怪 远
强 脏
全 早
热 着急
热闹 整齐
认真 正确
容易 直
伤心 重
少 重要
深 专心

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 Cambridge IGCSE Mandarin Chinese 0547 syllabus for 2025, 2026 and 2027.  Details of the assessment

Verb-object compounds
帮忙 看电视
唱歌 看电影
吃饭 看书
吃药 看戏
出院 来信
存钱 理发
打工 流血
打招呼 买单
打针 迷路
点菜 拍照
钓鱼 起床
读书 上班
度假 上课
发电子邮件 上网
放假 上学
放学 生病
付钱 生气
感冒 受伤
感兴趣 睡觉
刮风 说话
关（电灯，电视, 门 ） 谈话
画画儿 填表
回电话 填空
回国 吸烟
回家 洗脸
回信 洗澡
寄信 下班
见面 下课
讲话 写信
教书 写字
结婚 有空
开（电灯，电视, 门 ） 照相
开刀 挣钱
开会 住院
看报 走路
看病 做饭

Surnames
黄 王
李 吴
林 张
刘 赵
马

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 Cambridge IGCSE Mandarin Chinese 0547 syllabus for 2025, 2026 and 2027.  Details of the assessment

A   Everyday activities

Time expressions
……的时候 现在
寒假 以后
将来 以前
快要……了 有时候
目前 有一天
时间 最后
现代 最近
Time expressions – Telling the time
……点半 点
……点三刻 分
……点一刻 分钟
……点钟 刻
半 小时
Time expressions – Times of day
后天 下午
今天 夜里
每天 早上
明天 中午
前天 昨天
上午
Time expressions – Days of the week
日 星期天 / 星期日
上个星期 星期一,星期二，etc.
天 这个星期
下个星期 周末
星期
Time expressions – Months/year
后年 去年
今年 上个月
每年 下个月
明年 一月，二月, etc.
年 月
前年 这个月
Time expressions – Seasons
春天 秋天
冬天 夏天
季节

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 Cambridge IGCSE Mandarin Chinese 0547 syllabus for 2025, 2026 and 2027.  Details of the assessment

A   Everyday activities (continued)

Food and drink – Meals
零食 晚饭
全素 午饭
食物 野餐
素食 早饭
Food and drink – Fruit and vegetables
白菜 蔬菜
橙子 水果
豆角 土豆
梨 西瓜
苹果 西红柿
葡萄 西兰花
青菜 香蕉
Food and drink – Meat, fish and seafood
海鲜 肉
汉堡包 虾
鸡 羊肉
烤鸭 鱼
牛肉 猪肉
热狗
Food and drink – Other foods
包子 面包
冰淇淋 面条
饼 三明治
春卷 沙拉
醋 汤
豆腐 糖
方便面 盐
鸡蛋 油条
酱油 月饼
饺子 粥
馒头 粽子
米饭
Food and drink – Snacks
饼干 薯条
蛋糕 酸奶
点心 糖果

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 Cambridge IGCSE Mandarin Chinese 0547 syllabus for 2025, 2026 and 2027.  Details of the assessment

A   Everyday activities (continued)

Food and drink – Types of food
菜 四川菜
广东菜 西餐
名菜 中餐
Food and drink – Drinks
白酒 牛奶
茶 啤酒
橙汁 葡萄酒
果汁 汽水
酒 水
咖啡 饮料
可乐
Food and drink – Cutlery and utensils
杯子 盘子
叉 勺
刀 碗
筷子
Food and drink – Expressions (likes/dislikes, taste)
爱吃 辣
不爱吃 酸
不好吃 甜
好吃 咸
苦
The human body and health – Parts of the body
鼻子 手指
肚子 头
耳朵 头发
脚 腿
脸 胃
皮肤 心
嗓子 牙齿
身体 眼睛
手 嘴

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 Cambridge IGCSE Mandarin Chinese 0547 syllabus for 2025, 2026 and 2027.  Details of the assessment

A   Everyday activities (continued)

The human body and health – Health and illness
病 受伤
吃药 舒服
出院 疼
打电话 西药
打针 西医
发烧 牙医
感冒 严重
护士 药
救护车 药店
开刀 医生
看病 医院
咳嗽 中药
流血 中医
你哪儿不舒服？ 住院
生病
Travel and transport
(飞)机场 路 (1路, 30路, etc.)
班 旅馆
背包 旅客
迟到 旅行社
出发 末班车
出租车 目的地
船 票
单程票 骑
地铁 起飞
堵车 汽车站
飞机 桥
高铁 签证
高速公路 时刻表
公共汽车 事故
海关 铁路
火车 停车
火车站 箱子
假期 行李
交通 游客
酒店 准时
开 自行车
开车 走
开往 走路
来回票 坐

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 Cambridge IGCSE Mandarin Chinese 0547 syllabus for 2025, 2026 and 2027.  Details of the assessment

A   Everyday activities (continued)

Travel and transport – Finding the way
地图 米
方向 请问
附近 入口
公里 十字路口
红绿灯 往（北、回、前）走
近 一直
路过 远
路口 向（右、左）转
马路
Finding the way – Expressions
到……怎么走？ 在……边
……离这儿远吗？ ……在哪儿？

B   Personal and social life

Self, family and friends – Greetings and conversational phrases
不好意思 请
不客气 请进
不谢 请问
对不起 请坐
好久不见 喂
例如 问好
麻烦你了 我来介绍一下……
没办法 谢谢
没关系 再见
名片 怎么办？
你好 这位是……
你好吗？
Self, family and friends – Invitations
参加 请你来……
对不起 请原谅
欢迎光临 邀请
派对 有事儿
请客
Self, family and friends – Family and relationships
爸爸 父母
大人 父亲
弟弟 哥哥
儿子 孩子

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 Cambridge IGCSE Mandarin Chinese 0547 syllabus for 2025, 2026 and 2027.  Details of the assessment

B   Personal and social life (continued)

Self, family and friends – Family and relationships (continued)
家 女的
家庭 女儿
姐姐 朋友
姐妹 妻子
老人 亲爱的
姥姥 青年
姥爷 孙女
妈妈 孙子
妹妹 太太
母亲 先生
奶奶 兄弟
男的 爷爷
年轻人 丈夫
Self, family and friends – Describing physical appearance
(戴) 眼镜 胖
矮 瘦
长 头发
短 颜色
高 眼睛
卷 直
年龄
Self, family and friends – Describing character and mood
安静 开心
笨 懒
聪明 年轻
好奇 努力
紧张 严格
开朗 友好
Self, family and friends – Personal details
出生 日期
地点 生日
电话号码 岁
电子邮件 太太
国籍 先生
号 小姐
民族 姓
名字 姓名
年纪 性别
年龄 住址

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 Cambridge IGCSE Mandarin Chinese 0547 syllabus for 2025, 2026 and 2027.  Details of the assessment

B   Personal and social life (continued)

Home life – Housing and locations
城市 楼
地方 楼梯
地区 路
地址 农村
房子 人口
高楼 设施
家乡 省
建筑 市区
郊区 市中心
街 首都
邻居 周围
Home life – Rooms and furniture
层 门口
车库 暖气
厨房 沙发
窗户 书房
床 书架
电梯 书桌
饭厅 台灯
房间 玩具
花园 钥匙
家具 衣柜
镜子 椅子
客厅 桌子
门
Home life – Bathroom
厕所 牙膏
毛巾 牙刷
卫生间 浴室
Home life – Household appliances
冰箱 空调
电话 洗衣机
电视机
Home life – Household tasks
打扫房间 做家务
洗衣服

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 Cambridge IGCSE Mandarin Chinese 0547 syllabus for 2025, 2026 and 2027.  Details of the assessment

B   Personal and social life (continued)

Home life – Daily routine
吃晚饭 起床
吃午饭 睡觉
吃早饭 洗脸
穿衣服 洗澡
Colours
白 蓝
橙色 绿
黑 浅
红 深
黄 颜色
灰 银（色）
金（色) 紫
咖啡色 棕
Clothes and accessories
背包 上衣
衬衫 时尚
衬衣 手表
穿 手套
大衣 袜子
戴 围巾
短裤 西装
服装店 校服
裤子 鞋
连衣裙 眼镜
领带 衣服
毛衣 泳衣
帽子 雨伞
牛仔裤 雨衣
钱包 运动鞋
裙子
Leisure time – Things to do and hobbies
爱好 放风筝
表演 钢琴
参观 古典音乐
大提琴 逛街
电视 划船
电影 画画儿
钓鱼 吉他
动画片 纪录片

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 Cambridge IGCSE Mandarin Chinese 0547 syllabus for 2025, 2026 and 2027.  Details of the assessment

B   Personal and social life (continued)

Leisure time – Things to do and hobbies (continued)
节目 书法
看报 弹 (钢琴)
看电视 跳舞
看电影 听音乐
拉 (大提琴, 小提琴, etc.) 玩
聊天 晚会
流行歌曲 下棋
买东西 象棋
漫画 小说
名人 小提琴
明星 艺术
派对 音乐会
散步
Leisure time – Sport
保龄球 跑步
比赛 乒乓球
队 太极拳
橄榄球 体操
滑板 网球
滑冰 武术
滑旱冰 游泳
滑雪 羽毛球
篮球 运动
爬山 运动会
排球 足球

C   The world around us

People and places – Continents and countries
澳大利亚 国外
大洋洲 加拿大
德国 马来西亚
俄国 美国
法国 美洲
非洲 欧洲
国际 日本
国家 世界

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 Cambridge IGCSE Mandarin Chinese 0547 syllabus for 2025, 2026 and 2027.  Details of the assessment

C   The world around us (continued)

People and places – Continents and countries (continued)
西班牙 印尼
新加坡 英国
亚洲 中国
印度
People and places – Compass points and locations
北 旁边
北边 前边
北方 上面
地下 外面
东 西
东北 西北
东边 西边
东方 西方
东南 西南
对面 下面
附近 以上
后边 以外
里面 以下
楼上 右边
楼下 中间
南 中心
南边 左边
南方
The natural world and the environment
草 森林
岛 沙滩
地球 山
风景 山区
海 树
海边 树林
河 塑料
湖 塑料袋
花 太阳
环境 污染
回收 星星
空气 野生动物
垃圾 植物

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 Cambridge IGCSE Mandarin Chinese 0547 syllabus for 2025, 2026 and 2027.  Details of the assessment

C   The world around us (continued)

The natural world and the environment – The climate and the weather
冰 晴天
度 天气
多云 天气预报
风 下雪
刮风 下雨
冷 阳光
凉快 阴天
暖和 有雾
气候 云
气温
The natural world and the environment – Animals
虫 猫
宠物 鸟
大象 牛
动物 蛇
狗 兔子
猴子 乌龟
金鱼 熊猫
老虎 鸭子
老鼠 羊
龙 鱼
马 猪
Communications and technology – The digital world
笔记本电脑 视频
博客 手机
电脑 网络
电脑游戏 网民
电子邮件 网友
电子游戏 网站
短信 网址
广播 无线
留言 下载
平板电脑 新闻
软件 应用
上传 照片
上网 照相机
社交网站 转告

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 Cambridge IGCSE Mandarin Chinese 0547 syllabus for 2025, 2026 and 2027.  Details of the assessment

C   The world around us (continued)

Communications and technology – Documents and texts
报纸 生日卡
笔记 书
笔记本 文件
表格 文章
广告 小说
护照 信
漫画 杂志
明信片 帐单
票
The built environment – Buildings and services
(飞）机场 美术馆
博物馆 庙
餐厅 农场
茶馆 汽车站
超市 桥
电影院 商场
动物园 商店
饭店 设施
饭馆 市场
服装店 书店
工厂 体育场
公园 停车场
广场 图书馆
火车站 网吧
健身房 小吃店
教堂 药店
警察局 银行
酒吧 邮局
剧院 游乐场
咖啡馆 诊所
卡拉OK厅
Buildings and services – Post office
办 填表（格）
包裹 填写
表（格） 信
航空 信封
寄信 信箱
明信片 邮票
申请

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 Cambridge IGCSE Mandarin Chinese 0547 syllabus for 2025, 2026 and 2027.  Details of the assessment

C   The world around us (continued)

Buildings and services – Bank
存钱 取钱
换钱 填表（格）
钱 银行
Buildings and services – Lost and found
丢 偷
取 小偷
The built environment – Shopping
打折 便宜
多少钱? 钱
服务台 取钱
服务员 人民币
付钱 日常用品
顾客 售货员
贵 退货
花钱 现金
纪念品 小费
价钱 信用卡
减价 营业时间
礼物 找钱
零钱
Measurements – Units of length and mass
公斤 斤
公里 米
Measurements – Units of money
角 毛
块 元

D   The world of work

Education – Learning institutions
大学 学院
小学 幼儿园
学校 中学
Education – Places in school
办公室 图书馆
礼堂 小卖部
球场 校园
实验室 学校餐厅
宿舍 游泳池
体育场 运动场
体育馆

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 Cambridge IGCSE Mandarin Chinese 0547 syllabus for 2025, 2026 and 2027.  Details of the assessment

D   The world of work (continued)

Education – People in school
笔友 同学
交换学生 校长
老师 学生
留学生
Education – In the classroom, learning tools
白板 年级
班 铅笔
本子 铅笔盒
笔 设备
尺子 实验
词典 书
黑板 书包
教室 文具
练习本 橡皮
毛笔 纸
Education – Describing school days
毕业 课
放假 课本
放学 课程
复习 课程表
寒假 课外活动
家长会 上课
假期 上学
教学 暑假
教育 下课
节 夏令营
俱乐部 学费
考生 学期
考试 作业
Education – Subjects and learning
笔画 法语
笔顺 汉语
词 汉字
词语 化学
德文 技术
德语 句子
地理 科目
发音 科学
法文 口音

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 Cambridge IGCSE Mandarin Chinese 0547 syllabus for 2025, 2026 and 2027.  Details of the assessment

D   The world of work (continued)

Education – Subjects and learning (continued)
口语 听写
历史 外文
美术 外语
拼音 文学
普通话 物理
日文 写作
日语 音乐
生词 英文
生物 英语
声调 语法
数学 语言
体育 中文
听力 字
Subjects and learning – Expressions
不错 没意思
差 难
成绩 容易
对……感兴趣 水平
还可以 提高
好玩儿 有趣
进步 有意思
困难
Work – Jobs and careers
导游 律师
服务员 秘书
工程师 农民
工人 商人
护士 兽医
画家 售货员
记者 售票员
教授 司机
经理 新闻记者
警察 牙医
科学家 演员
空乘 医生
空姐 邮递员
会计师 运动员
老师 作家

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 Cambridge IGCSE Mandarin Chinese 0547 syllabus for 2025, 2026 and 2027.  Details of the assessment

D   The world of work (continued)

Work – The workplace
办公室 公司
单位 退休
工资 员工
工作 职业

E   The international world

Countries, nationalities and languages
自己的国籍+居住的国家 自己的母语+学过的外语
Culture – Customs, faiths and celebrations
除夕 龙舟
春节 庆祝
灯笼 生日
端午节 生日快乐
放烟花 圣诞节
过…… 送礼物
红包 新年
婚礼 新年快乐
节日 中秋节
Culture – Famous sites and cities
北海公园 拉萨
北京 名胜古迹
兵马俑 南京
长城 上海
长江 上海中心大厦
重庆 天安门
东方明珠塔 天津
古迹 天坛
故宫 武汉
广州 西安
桂林 西湖
杭州 香港
胡同 颐和园
黄河

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 Cambridge IGCSE Mandarin Chinese 0547 syllabus for 2025, 2026 and 2027.

5  What else you need to know

This section is an overview of other information you need to know about this syllabus. It will help to share the
administrative information with your exams officer so they know when you will need their support. Find more
information about our administrative processes at www.cambridgeinternational.org/eoguide

Before you start

Previous study
We recommend that learners starting this course should have studied a Chinese curriculum such as the
Cambridge Lower Secondary programme or equivalent national educational framework.

Guided learning hours

We design Cambridge IGCSE syllabuses to require about 130 guided learning hours for each subject. This is
for guidance only. The number of hours a learner needs to achieve the qualification may vary according to each
school and the learners’ previous experience of the subject.

Availability and timetables

All Cambridge schools are allocated to one of six administrative zones. Each zone has a specific timetable.

You can view the timetable for your administrative zone at www.cambridgeinternational.org/timetables

You can enter candidates in the June exam series.

Check you are using the syllabus for the year the candidate is taking the exam.

Private candidates can enter for this syllabus. For more information, please refer to the Cambridge Guide to
Making Entries.

Combining with other syllabuses

Candidates can take this syllabus alongside other Cambridge International syllabuses in a single exam series.
The only exceptions are:
• Cambridge IGCSE First Language Chinese (0509)
• Cambridge IGCSE Second Language Chinese (0523)
• syllabuses with the same title at the same level.

Cambridge IGCSE, Cambridge IGCSE (9–1) and Cambridge O Level syllabuses are at the same level.

Group awards: Cambridge ICE

Cambridge ICE (International Certificate of Education) is a group award for Cambridge IGCSE. It allows schools
to offer a broad and balanced curriculum by recognising the achievements of learners who pass exams in a
range of different subjects.

Learn more about Cambridge ICE at www.cambridgeinternational.org/cambridgeice

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 Cambridge IGCSE Mandarin Chinese 0547 syllabus for 2025, 2026 and 2027.  What else you need to know

Making entries
Exams officers are responsible for submitting entries to Cambridge International. We encourage them to work
closely with you to make sure they enter the right number of candidates for the right combination of syllabus
components. Entry option codes and instructions for submitting entries are in the Cambridge Guide to Making
Entries. Your exams officer has a copy of this guide.

Audio material
The Cambridge Handbook tells you when and how to access the audio material for each examination
series. www.cambridgeinternational.org/eoguide

Exam administration
To keep our exams secure, we produce question papers for different areas of the world, known as
administrative zones. We allocate all Cambridge schools to an administrative zone determined by their location.
Each zone has a specific timetable. Some of our syllabuses offer candidates different assessment options. An
entry option code is used to identify the components the candidate will take relevant to the administrative zone
and the available assessment options.

Support for exams officers

We know how important exams officers are to the successful running of exams. We provide them with the
support they need to make your entries on time. Your exams officer will find this support, and guidance for all
other phases of the Cambridge Exams Cycle, at www.cambridgeinternational.org/eoguide

Retakes and carrying forward marks

Candidates can retake the whole qualification as many times as they want to. Information on retake entries is at
www.cambridgeinternational.org/retakes

Candidates cannot resubmit, in whole or in part, speaking tests from a previous series for remarking.

Marks achieved in Paper 3 Speaking cannot be carried forward to future series. See the regulations for carry
forward set out in the Cambridge Handbook at www.cambridgeinternational.org/eoguide

Language
This syllabus is available in English only. The assessment materials are in Chinese.

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 Cambridge IGCSE Mandarin Chinese 0547 syllabus for 2025, 2026 and 2027.  What else you need to know

Accessibility and equality

Syllabus and assessment design
Cambridge International works to avoid direct or indirect discrimination. We develop and design syllabuses and
assessment materials to maximise inclusivity for candidates of all national, cultural or social backgrounds and
candidates with protected characteristics; these protected characteristics include special educational needs
and disability, religion and belief, and characteristics related to gender and identity. In addition, the language
and layout used are designed to make our materials as accessible as possible. This gives all candidates the
fairest possible opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge, skills and understanding and helps to minimise the
requirement to make reasonable adjustments during the assessment process.

Access arrangements
Access arrangements (including modified papers) are the principal way in which Cambridge International
complies with our duty, as guided by the UK Equality Act (2010), to make ‘reasonable adjustments’ for
candidates with special educational needs (SEN), disability, illness or injury. Where a candidate would otherwise
be at a substantial disadvantage in comparison to a candidate with no SEN, disability, illness or injury, we
may be able to agree pre-examination access arrangements. These arrangements help a candidate by
minimising accessibility barriers and maximising their opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge, skills and
understanding in an assessment.

Important:
• Requested access arrangements should be based on evidence of the candidate’s barrier to assessment
and should also reflect their normal way of working at school; this is in line with the Cambridge Handbook
www.cambridgeinternational.org/eoguide
• For Cambridge International to approve an access arrangement, we will need to agree that it constitutes
a reasonable adjustment, involves reasonable cost and timeframe and does not affect the security and
integrity of the assessment.
• Availability of access arrangements should be checked by centres at the start of the course. Details of our
standard access arrangements and modified question papers are available in the Cambridge Handbook
www.cambridgeinternational.org/eoguide
• Please contact us at the start of the course to find out if we are able to approve an arrangement that is not
included in the list of standard access arrangements.
• Candidates who cannot access parts of the assessment may be able to receive an award based on the
parts they have completed.
• Some access arrangements are not allowed in this syllabus because they affect the assessment objectives:
– candidates are not allowed to use voice-activated software to dictate their written work
– candidates are not allowed to use word processing technology which uses word prediction and/or
phrase prompting
– candidates are not allowed to use human readers.

Please note that we are unable to provide Braille papers for this syllabus.

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 Cambridge IGCSE Mandarin Chinese 0547 syllabus for 2025, 2026 and 2027.  What else you need to know

After the exam

Grading and reporting
Grades A*, A, B, C, D, E, F or G indicate the standard a candidate achieved at Cambridge IGCSE.

A* is the highest and G is the lowest. ‘Ungraded’ means that the candidate’s performance did not meet the
standard required for grade G. ‘Ungraded’ is reported on the statement of results but not on the certificate.

In specific circumstances your candidates may see one of the following letters on their statement of results:
• Q (PENDING)
• X (NO RESULT).
These letters do not appear on the certificate.

On the statement of results and certificates, Cambridge IGCSE is shown as INTERNATIONAL GENERAL
CERTIFICATE OF SECONDARY EDUCATION (IGCSE).

How students and teachers can use the grades

Assessment at Cambridge IGCSE has two purposes:
1 to measure learning and achievement
The assessment confirms achievement and performance in relation to the knowledge, understanding and
skills specified in the syllabus, to the levels described in the grade descriptions.
2 to show likely future success
The outcomes help predict which students are well prepared for a particular course or career and/or which
students are more likely to be successful.
The outcomes help students choose the most suitable course or career.

Grade descriptions
Grade descriptions are provided to give an indication of the standards of achievement candidates awarded
particular grades are likely to show. Weakness in one aspect of the examination may be balanced by a better
performance in some other aspect.

Grade descriptions for Cambridge IGCSE Mandarin Chinese will be published after the first assessment of the
syllabus in 2022.

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 Cambridge IGCSE Mandarin Chinese 0547 syllabus for 2025, 2026 and 2027.  What else you need to know

Changes to this syllabus for 2025, 2026 and 2027

The syllabus has been updated. This is version 1, published September 2022.

You must read the whole syllabus before planning your teaching programme. We review our
syllabuses regularly to make sure they continue to meet the needs of our schools. In updating this syllabus, we
have made it easier for teachers and students to understand, keeping the familiar features that teachers and
schools value.

Any textbooks endorsed to support the syllabus for examination from 2022 are suitable for use
with this syllabus.

Back to contents page www.cambridgeinternational.org/igcse 59

School feedback: ‘While studying Cambridge IGCSE and Cambridge International A Levels, students
broaden their horizons through a global perspective and develop a lasting passion for learning.’
Feedback from: Zhai Xiaoning, Deputy Principal, The High School Affiliated to Renmin University of China

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