Science and Technology: every key term you need (+ practice quiz)

More AP Chinese Language guides

• Personal and Public Identities
• Beauty and Aesthetics
• Contemporary Life
• Global Challenges

四大发明 (sì dà fāmíng)

The Four Great Inventions of ancient China: paper (造纸术), printing (印刷术), gunpowder (火药), and the compass (指南针).

蔡伦 (Cài Lún)

Han dynasty official credited with improving papermaking around 105 CE.

活字印刷 (huózì yìnshuā)

Movable-type printing invented by 毕昇 in the Song dynasty, centuries before Gutenberg.

指南针 (zhǐnánzhēn)

The compass, developed from lodestone 'south-pointers' and used for navigation by the Song.

算盘 (suànpán)

The abacus, a traditional calculating tool still taught in some schools.

中医 (Zhōngyī)

Traditional Chinese medicine: herbs, acupuncture, and balance of 阴阳 and 气; coexists with 西医.

针灸 (zhēnjiǔ)

Acupuncture and moxibustion; needles at points along meridians (经络) to restore 气 flow.

屠呦呦 (Tú Yōuyōu)

Pharmacologist who won the 2015 Nobel Prize for discovering artemisinin (青蒿素) from a TCM herb to treat malaria.

袁隆平 (Yuán Lóngpíng)

'Father of hybrid rice' whose high-yield varieties helped feed China and the world.

钱学森 (Qián Xuésēn)

Rocket scientist who founded China's space and missile program after returning from the US in 1955.

神舟 (Shénzhōu)

Crewed spacecraft series; 杨利伟 became China's first astronaut (航天员) aboard 神舟五号 in 2003.

嫦娥工程 (Cháng'é gōngchéng)

Lunar exploration program named for the moon goddess; 嫦娥四号 made the first far-side landing in 2019.

天宫空间站 (Tiāngōng)

China's modular space station completed in 2022.

北斗 (Běidǒu)

China's global satellite navigation system, an alternative to GPS, completed in 2020.

高铁 (gāotiě)

High-speed rail; China operates the world's largest network (over 40,000 km) with trains at 350 km/h.

移动支付 (yídòng zhīfù)

Mobile payment via 支付宝 and 微信支付; QR codes (二维码) replaced cash for most daily purchases.

二维码 (èrwéimǎ)

QR code, scanned to pay, add contacts, order food, or check in.

微信 (Wēixìn)

WeChat, the super-app for messaging, payments, mini-programs, and official accounts.

人工智能 (réngōng zhìnéng)

Artificial intelligence; China aims for AI leadership, seen in facial recognition and chatbots.

人脸识别 (rénliǎn shíbié)

Facial recognition used for payments, transit gates, and security, raising privacy debates.

5G 网络

Fifth-generation mobile networks; China has the largest 5G deployment, led by 华为.

华为 (Huáwéi)

Telecom and smartphone giant based in Shenzhen, central to debates about technology and trade.

电动汽车 (diàndòng qìchē)

Electric vehicles; China is the world's largest EV market with makers like 比亚迪 (BYD).

新能源 (xīn néngyuán)

New energy: solar, wind, and hydro; China leads global solar-panel production.

三峡大坝 (Sānxiá Dàbà)

Three Gorges Dam on the Yangtze, the world's largest hydroelectric project.

网购 (wǎnggòu)

Online shopping on 淘宝 and 京东; 双十一 (Nov 11) is the world's biggest shopping day.

外卖 (wàimài)

Food delivery apps such as 美团, ordered by phone and delivered by scooter within minutes.

共享单车 (gòngxiǎng dānchē)

Dockless bike sharing unlocked by scanning a QR code.

网课 (wǎngkè)

Online classes, widespread during the pandemic and in remote education.

网络安全 (wǎngluò ānquán)

Cybersecurity and data protection; China's Personal Information Protection Law (2021).

数字鸿沟 (shùzì hónggōu)

The digital divide between urban youth and rural or elderly users struggling with apps.

科技创新 (kējì chuàngxīn)

Science and technology innovation, a national priority in the 中国制造2025 plan.

手机成瘾 (shǒujī chéngyǐn)

Phone addiction; the term 低头族 describes people constantly looking down at screens.

天文历法 (tiānwén lìfǎ)

Ancient astronomy and the lunisolar calendar (农历) with 24 solar terms (二十四节气).

二十四节气 (èrshísì jiéqì)

Twenty-four solar terms guiding agriculture, e.g., 立春, 清明, 冬至; UNESCO heritage.