Twenty-two words cover what people actually do with a phone: 打电话, 短信, 上网, 登录, 下载, 上传 and 充电, plus the objects around them — 手机, 电话, 电脑, 平板, 网络, 网站, 软件, 应用, 账号, 密码, 照片, 视频, 消息, 电池 and 无线网络.
Two morphemes build half the list
电 (diàn, electric) gives you 电话 as electric speech, 电脑 as an electric brain, 电池 as an electric pool and 充电 as filling something with electricity. 网 (wǎng), originally a picture of a net, gives you 网络, 上网, 网站 and 无线网络. Once those two characters jump out at you, a word you have never seen, such as 电视 or 网购, is already half read.
Up, down, and one tone to watch
下载 (xià zǎi) is to download and 上传 (shàng chuán) is to upload, the same directional pair that turns 上课 into 下课. 上网 belongs with them, and it behaves as a verb plus its object, so it splits: 上过网 and 上不了网, never 上网过. One reading catches people out — 应用 is yìng yòng with a fourth tone, not the yīng of 应该. 密码 is secret plus code, and it covers passwords and PINs alike.
Trace each row, then write it again with the model covered. Digital vocabulary dates quickly, so edit the list down to the apps and devices you actually use before printing. There is a beginner version on the HSK 1 phones and internet sheet, and the worksheet generator accepts any words you paste in.
Words on this worksheet: 手机 (shǒujī) — mobile phone; 电话 (diàn huà) — phone; 打电话 (dǎ diàn huà) — make a phonecall; 短信 (duǎnxìn) — message; 电脑 (diànnǎo) — computer; 平板 (píng bǎn) — slab; 网络 (wǎngluò) — network; 上网 (shàngwǎng) — surf the internet; 网站 (wǎngzhàn) — website; 软件 (ruǎnjiàn) — software; 应用 (yìngyòng) — application; 账号 (zhàng hào) — account number; 密码 (mìmǎ) — password; 登录 (dēnglù) — sign in; 下载 (xiàzài) — download; 上传 (shàng chuán) — to upload; 照片 (zhàopiàn) — photo; 视频 (shìpín) — video; 消息 (xiāoxi) — message; 充电 (chōng diàn) — recharge, charge; 电池 (diànchí) — battery; 无线网络 (wú xiàn wǎng luò) — wireless network.
Hear these words in beginner Mandarin songs.
Frequently asked questions
Is this worksheet free to download as a PDF?
Yes. The Phones & Digital Life worksheet is free to print or save as a PDF, with no account or email needed. Press Print / Download PDF: on a computer the PDF opens ready to print or save, and on a phone it goes to your share sheet. A4 or US Letter follows your country.
What level is this worksheet?
It suits learners from about HSK 4. That is an editorial estimate for the Phones & Digital Life topic, not an official HSK word list, so a few of its 22 words may be harder. Each word prints with tone-marked pinyin and an English meaning to help.
Can I print copies for my class?
Yes. Print as many copies as you like — it's free. For a class set, press Change the words and open More options to add an answer key, a class line or a dictation page; the Student PDF leaves the key out. Test turns the sheet into a quiz.
Can I change the words or use traditional characters?
Yes. Press Change the words to open this sheet in the generator, then add, remove or replace words, up to 20 per sheet. Set Characters to Traditional to switch the whole sheet to traditional characters; a word with no verified traditional form stays as you typed it.
How should I practice with this worksheet?
Trace the gray guides first, saying each word aloud, then cover the model and write the characters from memory in the blank boxes. Scan the sheet's QR code or open the Practice tab to watch each stroke animate, trace it, then recall it without a guide. Revisit missed words a day or two later.