It is important for the foreign students to tell apart the similar Chinese words when they learn Mandarin Chinese because they can use the words correctly in proper conditions after they know the tiny differences between two similar words. 计划and规划is a group of words students need to distinguish. With the meaning of planning something, both words can function as verb and noun. However, the former one emphasizes to formulate the plan of certain action like 计划一下明天的时间安排.

When we use the latter word, we usually mean to formulate the plan of a very important and large program, usually long-term and comprehensive like 规划一项工程. According to the explanation, we can see that  计划has a wide usage scope and the time can be both long and short. The things can be very important or small, but the contents are usually specific. On the contrary, 规划is limited in the application of formal, long term and comprehensive development plans in economy and politics. The contents are very generalized like 城市发展规划.

With the meaning to record something, 记录and记载are confusing for some students who study as volunteer in China. 记录is to write down what the other people say or the things happened. we usually say把重点记录下来and记录口供. But 记载is deeper in degree because it emphasizes to write the things happened into articles or record them in the books, mostly used for the record of history. When reading Chinese books, you may often see the sentence根据历史记载….. in addition, 记录can function as a noun to express the things recorded or the best achievement created.

The pair of words 加紧and加强carry the same meaning of making something more powerful. However, the former one is to speed up, with the similar meaning with “intensify” in English like 加紧赶路and加紧工作. Similar with strengthen, 加强carries the meaning of making something more powerful and effective. For instance, 我们要加强团结，集体的力量总是大于个人的力量.