Grammar · Chapter 10
书面 and 口头: written and oral
书面 材料 / 形式 / 考试 · 口头 说明 / 考试
书面 is 'written', 口头 is 'oral': 书面材料, 书面考试, 口头练习. What matters is the form, not the content: 口头说不行，要写书面材料. Do not confuse 书面 with 书. 书 is the noun 'a book', while 书面 is the adjective 'written' — 书面考试 is 'a written exam', just as 口头考试 is 'an oral exam'.
Examples
- 请把你的意见写成书面材料，明天交给我。 Qǐng bǎ nǐ de yìjiàn xiě chéng shūmiàn cáiliào, míngtiān jiāo gěi wǒ. Please write your opinions up as a written document and hand it to me tomorrow.
- 口头说不行，要写书面材料。 Kǒutóu shuō bù xíng, yào xiě shūmiàn cáiliào. Saying it out loud won't do; put it in writing.
- 口头考试比书面考试容易。 Kǒutóu kǎoshì bǐ shūmiàn kǎoshì róngyì. An oral exam is easier than a written one.