Why vocabulary matters more than you think
AMO questions are written in clear, precise English, but they assume familiarity with standard mathematical terms. A single unknown word — remainder, consecutive, perimeter — can make an otherwise easy question feel impossible. Because the difficulty here is linguistic rather than mathematical, time spent on vocabulary is some of the highest-value preparation a Chinese student can do.
Number and arithmetic terms
- Sum — the result of adding (和)
- Difference — the result of subtracting (差)
- Product — the result of multiplying (积)
- Quotient — the result of dividing (商)
- Remainder — what is left after division (余数)
- Digit — a single symbol 0–9 (数位 / 数字)
- Consecutive — following in order, e.g. 5, 6, 7 (连续的)
- Even / Odd — divisible by 2 or not (偶数 / 奇数)
Geometry and measurement terms
- Perimeter — the distance around a shape (周长)
- Area — the space inside a shape (面积)
- Volume — the space inside a solid (体积)
- Angle — the measure of a turn (角)
- Parallel / Perpendicular — never meeting / at right angles (平行 / 垂直)
Problem-instruction words
- Estimate — give a reasonable approximate answer (估算)
- Express — write in a particular form (表示)
- At most / At least — maximum / minimum (最多 / 最少)
- Average (mean) — total shared equally (平均数)
Learn the instruction words first — misreading “at most” as “at least” turns a correct method into a wrong answer.
How to build the vocabulary
The most effective approach is little and often, tied to practice. Each time your child meets an unfamiliar word in a practice problem, add it to a personal list with its Chinese meaning and a tiny example. Review the list briefly before each session. Within a few weeks the core terms become second nature — and the benefit reaches far beyond AMO, into every English-language maths setting your child will encounter later. For a fuller, grade-by-grade list, message us on WhatsApp and ask.
This site is the AMO (American Mathematics Olympiad) guide operated by Hanlin Education, an authorized registration partner for AMO. AMO is organized by SIMCC (Singapore) together with Southern Illinois University for grades 2–12, and is not the MAA’s American Mathematics Competitions (AMC). We help China-based families register the official way. Confirmed errors are corrected within 7 working days.