Learn Chinese Words: 1,000 Essential Words with Audio | Words
Learn the Chinese words you need every day: 300 nouns, 300 verbs, 300 adjectives and the helper words that connect them, each with pronunciation, audio, a simple meaning and an example. Practise with flashcards, listening, recall and matching games.
Nouns: Things & people
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| 人 | rén | person | 他是一个很好的人。 (He is a very good person.) |
| 男人 | nánrén | man | 那个男人是我叔叔。 (That man is my uncle.) |
| 女人 | nǚrén | woman | 那个女人在看书。 (That woman is reading a book.) |
| 孩子 | háizi | child | 他们有两个孩子。 (They have two children.) |
| 宝宝 | bǎobao | baby | 宝宝睡着了。 (The baby has fallen asleep.) |
| 男孩 | nánhái | boy | 那个男孩很高。 (That boy is very tall.) |
| 女孩 | nǚhái | girl | 这个女孩六岁了。 (This girl is six years old.) |
| 家人 | jiārén | family, family members | 我很想我的家人。 (I miss my family a lot.) |
| 妈妈 | māma | mother, mum | 我妈妈是医生。 (My mother is a doctor.) |
| 爸爸 | bàba | father, dad | 他爸爸在银行工作。 (His father works in a bank.) |
| 父母 | fùmǔ | parents | 我父母住在农村。 (My parents live in the countryside.) |
| 哥哥 | gēge | older brother | 我有一个哥哥。 (I have an older brother.) |
| 弟弟 | dìdi | younger brother | 我弟弟在上小学。 (My younger brother is in primary school.) |
| 姐姐 | jiějie | older sister | 我姐姐在学英语。 (My older sister is studying English.) |
| 妹妹 | mèimei | younger sister | 我妹妹很可爱。 (My younger sister is very cute.) |
| 儿子 | érzi | son | 他们的儿子十岁了。 (Their son is ten years old.) |
| 女儿 | nǚ'ér | daughter | 我女儿唱歌很好听。 (My daughter sings beautifully.) |
| 朋友 | péngyou | friend | 他是我最好的朋友。 (He is my best friend.) |
| 丈夫 | zhàngfu | husband | 她丈夫做饭很好吃。 (Her husband is a very good cook.) |
| 妻子 | qīzi | wife | 我妻子是上海人。 (My wife is from Shanghai.) |
| 邻居 | línjū | neighbour | 我们的邻居有一只狗。 (Our neighbour has a dog.) |
| 名字 | míngzi | name | 你叫什么名字？ (What's your name?) |
| 爷爷 | yéye | grandfather (father's father) | 爷爷每天早上散步。 (Grandpa goes for a walk every morning.) |
| 奶奶 | nǎinai | grandmother (father's mother) | 奶奶包的饺子很好吃。 (Grandma's dumplings are delicious.) |
| 同学 | tóngxué | classmate | 他是我的大学同学。 (He was my classmate at university.) |
| 身体 | shēntǐ | body | 多运动对身体好。 (Exercise is good for the body.) |
| 头 | tóu | head | 我头疼。 (My head hurts.) |
| 脸 | liǎn | face | 她的脸红了。 (Her face went red.) |
| 眼睛 | yǎnjing | eye | 她的眼睛很大。 (She has big eyes.) |
| 耳朵 | ěrduo | ear | 小猫的耳朵是白色的。 (The kitten's ears are white.) |
| 鼻子 | bízi | nose | 我的鼻子很冷。 (My nose is cold.) |
| 嘴 | zuǐ | mouth | 请张开嘴。 (Please open your mouth.) |
| 牙 | yá | tooth | 我牙疼。 (I have a toothache.) |
| 头发 | tóufa | hair | 她的头发很长。 (She has long hair.) |
| 手 | shǒu | hand | 吃饭前要洗手。 (Wash your hands before you eat.) |
| 胳膊 | gēbo | arm | 我的胳膊断了。 (I broke my arm.) |
| 手指 | shǒuzhǐ | finger | 我切到手指了。 (I cut my finger.) |
| 腿 | tuǐ | leg | 我腿疼。 (My leg hurts.) |
| 脚 | jiǎo | foot | 我的脚很冷。 (My feet are cold.) |
| 心 | xīn | heart | 他的心跳得很快。 (His heart is beating fast.) |
| 肚子 | dùzi | stomach, belly | 我肚子疼。 (I have a stomachache.) |
| 背 | bèi | back | 我背疼。 (My back hurts.) |
| 感冒 | gǎnmào | cold (illness) | 我感冒了。 (I've caught a cold.) |
| 药 | yào | medicine | 这个药每天吃两次。 (Take this medicine twice a day.) |
| 医生 | yīshēng | doctor | 我明天去看医生。 (I'm going to see the doctor tomorrow.) |
| 健康 | jiànkāng | health | 健康最重要。 (Health is the most important thing.) |
| 饭 | fàn | meal, food | 饭做好了。 (The food is ready.) |
| 水 | shuǐ | water | 我想喝水。 (I'd like some water.) |
| 米饭 | mǐfàn | rice (cooked) | 我每天都吃米饭。 (I eat rice every day.) |
| 面条 | miàntiáo | noodles | 我中午吃了一碗面条。 (I had a bowl of noodles for lunch.) |
| 饺子 | jiǎozi | dumpling | 我们一起包饺子吧。 (Let's make dumplings together.) |
| 菜 | cài | dish (of food) | 这个菜很好吃。 (This dish is delicious.) |
| 汤 | tāng | soup | 这碗汤太咸了。 (This soup is too salty.) |
| 面包 | miànbāo | bread | 我每天早上买面包。 (I buy bread every morning.) |
| 牛奶 | niúnǎi | milk | 我不喝牛奶。 (I don't drink milk.) |
| 鸡蛋 | jīdàn | egg | 我每天吃一个鸡蛋。 (I eat an egg every day.) |
| 苹果 | píngguǒ | apple | 我在吃苹果。 (I'm eating an apple.) |
| 水果 | shuǐguǒ | fruit | 我喜欢吃水果。 (I like eating fruit.) |
| 蔬菜 | shūcài | vegetable | 多吃蔬菜。 (Eat more vegetables.) |
| 肉 | ròu | meat | 我不吃肉。 (I don't eat meat.) |
| 鱼 | yú | fish | 今天晚上吃鱼。 (We're having fish tonight.) |
| 咖啡 | kāfēi | coffee | 我早上喝咖啡。 (I drink coffee in the morning.) |
| 茶 | chá | tea | 你要喝茶吗？ (Would you like some tea?) |
| 啤酒 | píjiǔ | beer | 他喜欢喝啤酒。 (He likes drinking beer.) |
| 糖 | táng | sugar, sweets | 咖啡里不要放糖。 (Don't put sugar in the coffee.) |
| 早饭 | zǎofàn | breakfast | 你吃早饭了吗？ (Have you had breakfast?) |
| 午饭 | wǔfàn | lunch | 我们一起吃午饭吧。 (Let's have lunch together.) |
| 晚饭 | wǎnfàn | dinner | 晚饭七点开始。 (Dinner is at seven.) |
| 杯子 | bēizi | cup, glass | 这个杯子是我的。 (This cup is mine.) |
| 碗 | wǎn | bowl | 给我一个碗。 (Give me a bowl.) |
| 筷子 | kuàizi | chopsticks | 你会用筷子吗？ (Can you use chopsticks?) |
| 刀 | dāo | knife | 这把刀很快。 (This knife is very sharp.) |
| 家 | jiā | home | 我在家。 (I'm at home.) |
| 房子 | fángzi | house | 他们的房子很大。 (Their house is very big.) |
| 房间 | fángjiān | room | 我的房间很小。 (My room is very small.) |
| 厨房 | chúfáng | kitchen | 妈妈在厨房做饭。 (Mum is cooking in the kitchen.) |
| 卫生间 | wèishēngjiān | bathroom | 卫生间在哪儿？ (Where's the bathroom?) |
| 厕所 | cèsuǒ | toilet | 请问，厕所在哪儿？ (Excuse me, where's the toilet?) |
| 门 | mén | door | 请关门。 (Please close the door.) |
| 窗户 | chuānghu | window | 请打开窗户。 (Please open the window.) |
| 桌子 | zhuōzi | table | 书在桌子上。 (The book is on the table.) |
| 椅子 | yǐzi | chair | 这把椅子很舒服。 (This chair is very comfortable.) |
| 床 | chuáng | bed | 我十一点上床。 (I go to bed at eleven.) |
| 沙发 | shāfā | sofa | 猫在沙发上睡觉。 (The cat is sleeping on the sofa.) |
| 钥匙 | yàoshi | key | 我找不到钥匙了。 (I can't find my keys.) |
| 灯 | dēng | light, lamp | 请把灯打开。 (Please turn on the light.) |
| 冰箱 | bīngxiāng | fridge | 冰箱里有牛奶。 (There's milk in the fridge.) |
| 空调 | kōngtiáo | air conditioner | 太热了，开空调吧。 (It's too hot, let's turn on the air conditioning.) |
| 楼 | lóu | building, floor (storey) | 我住在五楼。 (I live on the fifth floor.) |
| 电梯 | diàntī | lift, elevator | 我们坐电梯上去吧。 (Let's take the lift up.) |
| 垃圾 | lājī | rubbish | 请把垃圾扔掉。 (Please throw away the rubbish.) |
| 东西 | dōngxi | thing, stuff | 你买了什么东西？ (What did you buy?) |
| 衣服 | yīfu | clothes | 我要买新衣服。 (I want to buy new clothes.) |
| 衬衫 | chènshān | shirt | 这件衬衫很好看。 (This shirt looks nice.) |
| 裤子 | kùzi | trousers | 这条裤子太长了。 (These trousers are too long.) |
| 牛仔裤 | niúzǎikù | jeans | 我常常穿牛仔裤。 (I often wear jeans.) |
| 裙子 | qúnzi | skirt | 她穿了一条红裙子。 (She's wearing a red skirt.) |
| 外套 | wàitào | coat, jacket | 外面冷，穿上外套。 (It's cold outside, put on your coat.) |
| 帽子 | màozi | hat | 他戴着一顶帽子。 (He's wearing a hat.) |
| 鞋 | xié | shoe | 这双鞋很舒服。 (These shoes are very comfortable.) |
| 袜子 | wàzi | sock | 我的袜子湿了。 (My socks are wet.) |
| 眼镜 | yǎnjìng | glasses | 我的眼镜在哪儿？ (Where are my glasses?) |
| 包 | bāo | bag | 你的包真漂亮。 (Your bag is really pretty.) |
| 手表 | shǒubiǎo | watch | 这块手表是爸爸送的。 (My dad gave me this watch.) |
| 大小 | dàxiǎo | size | 这双鞋大小正好。 (These shoes are just the right size.) |
| 闹钟 | nàozhōng | alarm clock | 闹钟七点响。 (The alarm clock goes off at seven.) |
| 习惯 | xíguàn | habit | 这是一个好习惯。 (This is a good habit.) |
| 午觉 | wǔjiào | nap (after lunch) | 我每天睡午觉。 (I take a nap every day.) |
| 梦 | mèng | dream | 我昨天晚上做了一个梦。 (I had a dream last night.) |
| 毛巾 | máojīn | towel | 这条毛巾是干净的。 (This towel is clean.) |
| 牙刷 | yáshuā | toothbrush | 我的牙刷在哪儿？ (Where's my toothbrush?) |
| 枕头 | zhěntou | pillow | 这个枕头太硬了。 (This pillow is too hard.) |
| 被子 | bèizi | quilt, blanket | 冬天要盖厚被子。 (In winter you need a thick quilt.) |
| 家务 | jiāwù | housework, chores | 周末我做家务。 (I do the housework at the weekend.) |
| 地方 | dìfang | place | 这个地方很漂亮。 (This place is very beautiful.) |
| 城市 | chéngshì | city | 北京是一个大城市。 (Beijing is a big city.) |
| 街 | jiē | street | 这条街很热闹。 (This street is very lively.) |
| 商店 | shāngdiàn | shop | 商店九点开门。 (The shop opens at nine.) |
| 超市 | chāoshì | supermarket | 我去超市买东西。 (I'm going to the supermarket to do some shopping.) |
| 市场 | shìchǎng | market | 市场里的水果很便宜。 (The fruit at the market is very cheap.) |
| 学校 | xuéxiào | school | 我们的学校很大。 (Our school is very big.) |
| 医院 | yīyuàn | hospital | 他在医院工作。 (He works in a hospital.) |
| 银行 | yínháng | bank | 银行几点关门？ (What time does the bank close?) |
| 饭馆 | fànguǎn | restaurant | 这家饭馆很有名。 (This restaurant is very famous.) |
| 办公室 | bàngōngshì | office | 他不在办公室。 (He isn't in the office.) |
| 图书馆 | túshūguǎn | library | 我在图书馆看书。 (I'm reading in the library.) |
| 公园 | gōngyuán | park | 孩子们在公园里玩。 (The children are playing in the park.) |
| 电影院 | diànyǐngyuàn | cinema | 我们去电影院吧。 (Let's go to the cinema.) |
| 国家 | guójiā | country | 你去过哪些国家？ (Which countries have you been to?) |
| 车 | chē | car, vehicle | 我的车是白色的。 (My car is white.) |
| 公交车 | gōngjiāochē | bus | 我坐公交车上班。 (I go to work by bus.) |
| 地铁 | dìtiě | underground, metro | 坐地铁很方便。 (Taking the underground is very convenient.) |
| 出租车 | chūzūchē | taxi | 我们打出租车吧。 (Let's take a taxi.) |
| 火车 | huǒchē | train | 火车八点出发。 (The train leaves at eight.) |
| 高铁 | gāotiě | high-speed train | 坐高铁去上海很快。 (Taking the high-speed train to Shanghai is very fast.) |
| 飞机 | fēijī | plane | 飞机晚点了。 (The plane is delayed.) |
| 自行车 | zìxíngchē | bicycle | 我骑自行车上学。 (I ride my bike to school.) |
| 票 | piào | ticket | 我买了两张票。 (I bought two tickets.) |
| 护照 | hùzhào | passport | 别忘了带护照。 (Don't forget your passport.) |
| 行李 | xíngli | luggage | 你的行李太重了。 (Your luggage is too heavy.) |
| 旅行 | lǚxíng | journey, trip | 祝你旅行愉快！ (Have a good trip!) |
| 站 | zhàn | station, stop | 下一站是北京站。 (The next stop is Beijing Station.) |
| 机场 | jīchǎng | airport | 机场离这儿很远。 (The airport is far from here.) |
| 酒店 | jiǔdiàn | hotel | 我们住在这家酒店。 (We're staying at this hotel.) |
| 路 | lù | road, way | 这条路很长。 (This road is very long.) |
| 方向 | fāngxiàng | direction | 我走错方向了。 (I went the wrong way.) |
| 边 | biān | side | 你坐这边吧。 (Sit on this side.) |
| 中间 | zhōngjiān | middle | 他坐在中间。 (He's sitting in the middle.) |
| 左边 | zuǒbian | left, left side | 银行在左边。 (The bank is on the left.) |
| 右边 | yòubian | right, right side | 药店在右边。 (The pharmacy is on the right.) |
| 附近 | fùjìn | vicinity, nearby area | 这附近有银行吗？ (Is there a bank near here?) |
| 入口 | rùkǒu | entrance | 入口在那儿。 (The entrance is over there.) |
| 出口 | chūkǒu | exit | 出口在哪儿？ (Where's the exit?) |
| 路口 | lùkǒu | crossroads, junction | 在下一个路口左转。 (Turn left at the next junction.) |
| 地址 | dìzhǐ | address | 请告诉我你的地址。 (Please tell me your address.) |
| 钱 | qián | money | 我没有钱了。 (I have no money left.) |
| 块 | kuài | yuan (spoken) | 这个三块钱。 (This is three yuan.) |
| 价格 | jiàgé | price | 价格有点儿高。 (The price is a bit high.) |
| 卡 | kǎ | card | 可以刷卡吗？ (Can I pay by card?) |
| 现金 | xiànjīn | cash | 我身上没有现金。 (I don't have any cash on me.) |
| 二维码 | èrwéimǎ | QR code | 请扫这个二维码。 (Please scan this QR code.) |
| 发票 | fāpiào | receipt, invoice | 请给我开一张发票。 (Please give me a receipt.) |
| 顾客 | gùkè | customer | 店里有很多顾客。 (There are lots of customers in the shop.) |
| 购物 | gòuwù | shopping | 她喜欢购物。 (She loves shopping.) |
| 钱包 | qiánbāo | wallet, purse | 我的钱包丢了。 (I've lost my wallet.) |
| 礼物 | lǐwù | gift, present | 这是给你的礼物。 (This is a present for you.) |
| 工资 | gōngzī | salary, wages | 他的工资很高。 (His salary is very high.) |
| 工作 | gōngzuò | job, work | 我找到工作了。 (I've found a job.) |
| 任务 | rènwu | task | 这个任务很难。 (This task is very difficult.) |
| 会议 | huìyì | meeting | 会议三点开始。 (The meeting starts at three.) |
| 老板 | lǎobǎn | boss | 我们老板人很好。 (Our boss is very nice.) |
| 同事 | tóngshì | colleague | 他是我的同事。 (He's my colleague.) |
| 公司 | gōngsī | company | 她在一家大公司工作。 (She works for a big company.) |
| 经理 | jīnglǐ | manager | 我想找你们经理。 (I'd like to speak to your manager.) |
| 工人 | gōngrén | worker | 这个工厂有很多工人。 (This factory has many workers.) |
| 工厂 | gōngchǎng | factory | 我爸爸在工厂上班。 (My dad works in a factory.) |
| 警察 | jǐngchá | police officer | 有问题可以找警察。 (If you have a problem, you can ask the police.) |
| 司机 | sījī | driver | 出租车司机很友好。 (The taxi driver is very friendly.) |
| 护士 | hùshi | nurse | 她是一名护士。 (She's a nurse.) |
| 纸 | zhǐ | paper | 给我一张纸。 (Give me a sheet of paper.) |
| 笔 | bǐ | pen | 我能用一下你的笔吗？ (Can I borrow your pen?) |
| 书 | shū | book | 这本书很有意思。 (This book is very interesting.) |
| 课 | kè | lesson, class | 今天有三节课。 (I have three lessons today.) |
| 班 | bān | class (group of students) | 我们班有三十个学生。 (There are thirty students in our class.) |
| 老师 | lǎoshī | teacher | 我们的老师很好。 (Our teacher is very nice.) |
| 学生 | xuésheng | student | 他是大学学生。 (He's a university student.) |
| 问题 | wèntí | question, problem | 我有一个问题。 (I have a question.) |
| 词 | cí | word | 这个词是什么意思？ (What does this word mean?) |
| 汉字 | hànzì | Chinese character | 这个汉字怎么写？ (How do you write this character?) |
| 中文 | Zhōngwén | Chinese (language) | 我在学中文。 (I'm learning Chinese.) |
| 英语 | Yīngyǔ | English (language) | 她的英语很好。 (Her English is very good.) |
| 语言 | yǔyán | language | 他会说三种语言。 (He speaks three languages.) |
| 考试 | kǎoshì | test, exam | 明天有考试。 (There's an exam tomorrow.) |
| 作业 | zuòyè | homework | 我还没做作业。 (I haven't done my homework yet.) |
| 错误 | cuòwù | mistake | 这里有一个错误。 (There's a mistake here.) |
| 大学 | dàxué | university | 她在北京上大学。 (She goes to university in Beijing.) |
| 词典 | cídiǎn | dictionary | 我查一下词典。 (Let me look it up in the dictionary.) |
| 手机 | shǒujī | mobile phone | 我的手机没电了。 (My phone's battery is dead.) |
| 电话 | diànhuà | phone call, telephone | 有你的电话。 (There's a phone call for you.) |
| 电脑 | diànnǎo | computer | 我每天用电脑。 (I use the computer every day.) |
| 微信 | wēixìn | 我们加个微信吧。 (Let's add each other on WeChat.) | |
| 消息 | xiāoxi | message, piece of news | 我给你发了一条消息。 (I sent you a message.) |
| 邮件 | yóujiàn | 我收到了你的邮件。 (I got your email.) | |
| 网 | wǎng | internet, net | 我在网上买的。 (I bought it online.) |
| 软件 | ruǎnjiàn | app, software | 这个软件很好用。 (This app is very easy to use.) |
| 视频 | shìpín | video | 这个视频很好笑。 (This video is really funny.) |
| 电视 | diànshì | television | 晚上我看电视。 (I watch television in the evening.) |
| 照片 | zhàopiàn | photo | 我们拍张照片吧。 (Let's take a photo.) |
| 信 | xìn | letter | 我给奶奶写了一封信。 (I wrote a letter to Grandma.) |
| 对话 | duìhuà | conversation, dialogue | 请听这段对话。 (Please listen to this conversation.) |
| 声音 | shēngyīn | voice, sound | 她的声音很好听。 (She has a lovely voice.) |
| 新闻 | xīnwén | news | 你看新闻了吗？ (Have you seen the news?) |
| 信息 | xìnxī | information | 网上有很多信息。 (There's a lot of information online.) |
| 游戏 | yóuxì | game | 孩子们在玩游戏。 (The children are playing a game.) |
| 运动 | yùndòng | sport, exercise | 你喜欢什么运动？ (What sports do you like?) |
| 足球 | zúqiú | football | 我周末踢足球。 (I play football at the weekend.) |
| 篮球 | lánqiú | basketball | 他们在打篮球。 (They're playing basketball.) |
| 球 | qiú | ball | 把球给我。 (Give me the ball.) |
| 音乐 | yīnyuè | music | 我喜欢听音乐。 (I like listening to music.) |
| 歌 | gē | song | 这首歌很好听。 (This song is lovely.) |
| 电影 | diànyǐng | film | 我们去看电影吧。 (Let's go and see a film.) |
| 聚会 | jùhuì | party, get-together | 周六有一个聚会。 (There's a party on Saturday.) |
| 爱好 | àihào | hobby | 你有什么爱好？ (What are your hobbies?) |
| 队 | duì | team | 我们队赢了。 (Our team won.) |
| 博物馆 | bówùguǎn | museum | 这个博物馆周一不开门。 (This museum is closed on Mondays.) |
| 海滩 | hǎitān | beach | 我们去海滩玩吧。 (Let's go to the beach.) |
| 小说 | xiǎoshuō | novel | 我在看一本小说。 (I'm reading a novel.) |
| 假期 | jiàqī | holiday, vacation | 假期你去哪儿？ (Where are you going for the holiday?) |
| 节目 | jiémù | programme, show | 这个节目很有意思。 (This programme is very interesting.) |
| 动物 | dòngwù | animal | 你喜欢什么动物？ (What animals do you like?) |
| 狗 | gǒu | dog | 我家有一只狗。 (We have a dog at home.) |
| 猫 | māo | cat | 这只猫很可爱。 (This cat is very cute.) |
| 鸟 | niǎo | bird | 树上有一只鸟。 (There's a bird in the tree.) |
| 熊猫 | xióngmāo | panda | 熊猫在吃竹子。 (The panda is eating bamboo.) |
| 马 | mǎ | horse | 你会骑马吗？ (Can you ride a horse?) |
| 树 | shù | tree | 这棵树很高。 (This tree is very tall.) |
| 花 | huā | flower | 这些花真漂亮。 (These flowers are really beautiful.) |
| 植物 | zhíwù | plant | 我家有很多植物。 (There are lots of plants in my home.) |
| 海 | hǎi | sea | 我想去看海。 (I want to go and see the sea.) |
| 河 | hé | river | 这条河很长。 (This river is very long.) |
| 山 | shān | mountain | 我们周末去爬山。 (We're going hiking in the mountains at the weekend.) |
| 太阳 | tàiyáng | sun | 太阳出来了。 (The sun has come out.) |
| 月亮 | yuèliang | moon | 今天的月亮很圆。 (The moon is very round tonight.) |
| 天空 | tiānkōng | sky | 天空很蓝。 (The sky is very blue.) |
| 空气 | kōngqì | air | 这里的空气很好。 (The air here is very clean.) |
| 天气 | tiānqì | weather | 今天天气怎么样？ (What's the weather like today?) |
| 雨 | yǔ | rain | 外面在下雨。 (It's raining outside.) |
| 雪 | xuě | snow | 昨天下雪了。 (It snowed yesterday.) |
| 风 | fēng | wind | 今天风很大。 (It's very windy today.) |
| 云 | yún | cloud | 天上没有云。 (There are no clouds in the sky.) |
| 春天 | chūntiān | spring | 春天来了。 (Spring has arrived.) |
| 夏天 | xiàtiān | summer | 北京的夏天很热。 (Summer in Beijing is very hot.) |
| 秋天 | qiūtiān | autumn | 我最喜欢秋天。 (Autumn is my favourite season.) |
| 冬天 | dōngtiān | winter | 冬天很冷。 (Winter is very cold.) |
| 世界 | shìjiè | world | 我想去看看世界。 (I want to see the world.) |
| 时间 | shíjiān | time | 我没有时间。 (I don't have time.) |
| 天 | tiān | day | 我在北京住了三天。 (I stayed in Beijing for three days.) |
| 星期 | xīngqī | week | 我下个星期去上海。 (I'm going to Shanghai next week.) |
| 月 | yuè | month | 我学了三个月中文。 (I've studied Chinese for three months.) |
| 年 | nián | year | 我在这儿住了两年。 (I've lived here for two years.) |
| 小时 | xiǎoshí | hour | 我等了一个小时。 (I waited for an hour.) |
| 分钟 | fēnzhōng | minute | 请等五分钟。 (Please wait five minutes.) |
| 点 | diǎn | o'clock | 现在三点。 (It's three o'clock now.) |
| 早上 | zǎoshang | morning | 我早上六点起床。 (I get up at six in the morning.) |
| 中午 | zhōngwǔ | noon, midday | 我们中午见。 (See you at noon.) |
| 下午 | xiàwǔ | afternoon | 下午我有课。 (I have class in the afternoon.) |
| 晚上 | wǎnshang | evening, night | 晚上我在家。 (I'm at home in the evening.) |
| 周末 | zhōumò | weekend | 周末你做什么？ (What are you doing at the weekend?) |
| 生日 | shēngrì | birthday | 今天是我的生日。 (Today is my birthday.) |
| 钟 | zhōng | clock | 墙上的钟停了。 (The clock on the wall has stopped.) |
| 日期 | rìqī | date | 今天的日期是多少？ (What's the date today?) |
| 将来 | jiānglái | future | 将来我想当老师。 (In the future I want to be a teacher.) |
| 节日 | jiérì | festival, holiday | 春节是最重要的节日。 (Spring Festival is the most important festival.) |
| 春节 | Chūnjié | Spring Festival | 春节我回家。 (I'm going home for Spring Festival.) |
| 感觉 | gǎnjué | feeling | 我有一种奇怪的感觉。 (I have a strange feeling.) |
| 心情 | xīnqíng | mood | 今天我心情很好。 (I'm in a good mood today.) |
| 压力 | yālì | stress, pressure | 我最近压力很大。 (I've been under a lot of pressure lately.) |
| 惊喜 | jīngxǐ | surprise | 这是给你的惊喜！ (This is a surprise for you!) |
| 性格 | xìnggé | personality | 她性格很好。 (She has a lovely personality.) |
| 脾气 | píqi | temper | 他脾气不好。 (He has a bad temper.) |
| 兴趣 | xìngqù | interest | 我对音乐很有兴趣。 (I'm very interested in music.) |
| 运气 | yùnqi | luck | 他的运气真好。 (He's really lucky.) |
| 感情 | gǎnqíng | emotion, affection | 他们的感情很好。 (They're very close.) |
| 事 | shì | thing, matter | 有什么事吗？ (Is something the matter?) |
| 主意 | zhǔyi | idea | 这是个好主意！ (That's a good idea!) |
| 意思 | yìsi | meaning | 这个词是什么意思？ (What does this word mean?) |
| 原因 | yuányīn | reason | 你知道原因吗？ (Do you know the reason?) |
| 麻烦 | máfan | trouble, hassle | 给你添麻烦了。 (Sorry to trouble you.) |
| 计划 | jìhuà | plan | 你明天有什么计划？ (What are your plans for tomorrow?) |
| 选择 | xuǎnzé | choice | 我没有别的选择。 (I have no other choice.) |
| 决定 | juédìng | decision | 这是一个很难的决定。 (This is a difficult decision.) |
| 机会 | jīhuì | chance, opportunity | 这是一个好机会。 (This is a good opportunity.) |
| 意见 | yìjiàn | opinion | 你有什么意见？ (What's your opinion?) |
| 事实 | shìshí | fact | 这是事实。 (This is a fact.) |
| 结果 | jiéguǒ | result | 考试结果出来了。 (The exam results are out.) |
| 区别 | qūbié | difference | 这两个词有什么区别？ (What's the difference between these two words?) |
| 办法 | bànfǎ | way, solution | 我们得想个办法。 (We need to think of a solution.) |
| 目标 | mùbiāo | goal | 我的目标是学好中文。 (My goal is to learn Chinese well.) |
| 记忆 | jìyì | memory | 这是一段美好的记忆。 (That's a lovely memory.) |
| 建议 | jiànyì | advice, suggestion | 谢谢你的建议。 (Thanks for your advice.) |
Verbs: Actions
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| 是 | shì | to be (is, am, are) | 我是学生。 (I'm a student.) |
| 在 | zài | to be (at a place) | 他在家。 (He's at home.) |
| 有 | yǒu | to have, there is | 我有两个哥哥。 (I have two older brothers.) |
| 叫 | jiào | to be called, to call | 我叫李明。 (My name is Li Ming.) |
| 住 | zhù | to live (somewhere) | 我住在北京。 (I live in Beijing.) |
| 待 | dāi | to stay | 我今天待在家。 (I'm staying at home today.) |
| 当 | dāng | to work as, to be (a role) | 我想当医生。 (I want to be a doctor.) |
| 属于 | shǔyú | to belong | 这本书属于我。 (This book belongs to me.) |
| 像 | xiàng | to look like, to resemble | 你很像你妈妈。 (You look a lot like your mother.) |
| 包括 | bāokuò | to include | 价格包括早饭。 (The price includes breakfast.) |
| 出现 | chūxiàn | to appear | 太阳出现了。 (The sun has appeared.) |
| 发生 | fāshēng | to happen | 发生了什么事？ (What happened?) |
| 继续 | jìxù | to continue | 我们继续上课。 (Let's continue the lesson.) |
| 等 | děng | to wait | 我在等公交车。 (I'm waiting for the bus.) |
| 疼 | téng | to hurt, to ache | 我头很疼。 (My head really hurts.) |
| 休息 | xiūxi | to rest | 你应该休息一下。 (You should have a rest.) |
| 躺 | tǎng | to lie (down) | 我想躺一会儿。 (I want to lie down for a bit.) |
| 适合 | shìhé | to suit | 这件衣服很适合你。 (This outfit really suits you.) |
| 做 | zuò | to do, to make | 你在做什么？ (What are you doing?) |
| 用 | yòng | to use | 我可以用你的电脑吗？ (Can I use your computer?) |
| 找 | zhǎo | to look for | 我在找我的钥匙。 (I'm looking for my keys.) |
| 找到 | zhǎodào | to find | 我找到工作了。 (I've found a job.) |
| 得到 | dédào | to get, to obtain | 他得到了一个好机会。 (He got a great opportunity.) |
| 丢 | diū | to lose | 我丢了钱包。 (I've lost my wallet.) |
| 买 | mǎi | to buy | 我去买面包。 (I'm going to buy bread.) |
| 卖 | mài | to sell | 这家店卖水果。 (This shop sells fruit.) |
| 付 | fù | to pay | 我用手机付钱。 (I pay with my phone.) |
| 花 | huā | to spend (money, time) | 我花了很多钱。 (I spent a lot of money.) |
| 存 | cún | to save, to deposit | 我每个月存一千块。 (I save a thousand yuan every month.) |
| 洗 | xǐ | to wash | 我在洗衣服。 (I'm washing clothes.) |
| 打扫 | dǎsǎo | to clean | 我们一起打扫房间吧。 (Let's clean the room together.) |
| 做饭 | zuòfàn | to cook | 我爸爸每天做饭。 (My dad cooks every day.) |
| 穿 | chuān | to wear, to put on (clothes) | 今天穿得暖和一点儿。 (Dress warmly today.) |
| 戴 | dài | to wear (hat, glasses) | 他戴着眼镜。 (He's wearing glasses.) |
| 开 | kāi | to open, to switch on, to drive | 请开一下门。 (Please open the door.) |
| 关 | guān | to close, to switch off | 请关灯。 (Please turn off the light.) |
| 检查 | jiǎnchá | to check | 请检查一下你的作业。 (Please check your homework.) |
| 填 | tián | to fill in | 请填这张表。 (Please fill in this form.) |
| 刷牙 | shuāyá | to brush one's teeth | 我每天刷牙两次。 (I brush my teeth twice a day.) |
| 醒 | xǐng | to wake up | 我六点就醒了。 (I woke up at six.) |
| 起床 | qǐchuáng | to get up | 我每天七点起床。 (I get up at seven every day.) |
| 洗澡 | xǐzǎo | to have a shower, to bathe | 我晚上洗澡。 (I have a shower in the evening.) |
| 扫 | sǎo | to sweep | 我来扫地。 (I'll sweep the floor.) |
| 收拾 | shōushi | to tidy up | 快收拾你的房间。 (Tidy your room, quick.) |
| 工作 | gōngzuò | to work | 她在医院工作。 (She works in a hospital.) |
| 上班 | shàngbān | to go to work | 我八点上班。 (I start work at eight.) |
| 下班 | xiàbān | to finish work | 你几点下班？ (What time do you finish work?) |
| 去 | qù | to go | 我明天去上海。 (I'm going to Shanghai tomorrow.) |
| 来 | lái | to come | 你什么时候来？ (When are you coming?) |
| 走 | zǒu | to walk, to leave | 我们走路去吧。 (Let's walk there.) |
| 跑 | pǎo | to run | 他跑得很快。 (He runs very fast.) |
| 进 | jìn | to enter, to come in | 请进！ (Come in, please!) |
| 离开 | líkāi | to leave | 他昨天离开了北京。 (He left Beijing yesterday.) |
| 到 | dào | to arrive, to reach | 我们到了！ (We've arrived!) |
| 回 | huí | to return, to go back | 我想回家。 (I want to go home.) |
| 过 | guò | to cross, to pass | 小心过马路。 (Be careful crossing the road.) |
| 跟 | gēn | to follow | 请跟我来。 (Please follow me.) |
| 爬 | pá | to climb, to crawl | 我们去爬山吧。 (Let's go and climb a mountain.) |
| 跳 | tiào | to jump | 小狗跳上了沙发。 (The puppy jumped onto the sofa.) |
| 掉 | diào | to fall, to drop | 叶子掉下来了。 (The leaves have fallen.) |
| 游泳 | yóuyǒng | to swim | 你会游泳吗？ (Can you swim?) |
| 飞 | fēi | to fly | 鸟在天上飞。 (The birds are flying in the sky.) |
| 开车 | kāichē | to drive | 我开车上班。 (I drive to work.) |
| 骑 | qí | to ride | 我骑车去学校。 (I cycle to school.) |
| 旅游 | lǚyóu | to travel, to go sightseeing | 我喜欢旅游。 (I love travelling.) |
| 搬家 | bānjiā | to move house | 我们下个月搬家。 (We're moving house next month.) |
| 跳舞 | tiàowǔ | to dance | 我们去跳舞吧。 (Let's go dancing.) |
| 坐 | zuò | to sit, to take (transport) | 请坐。 (Please sit down.) |
| 站 | zhàn | to stand | 他站在门口。 (He's standing at the door.) |
| 上 | shàng | to go up, to get on | 快上车！ (Get in the car, quick!) |
| 下 | xià | to go down, to get off | 我在下一站下车。 (I'm getting off at the next stop.) |
| 出去 | chūqù | to go out | 我们晚上出去吃饭吧。 (Let's go out for dinner tonight.) |
| 散步 | sànbù | to go for a walk | 我们去公园散步吧。 (Let's go for a walk in the park.) |
| 转 | zhuǎn | to turn | 在路口左转。 (Turn left at the junction.) |
| 经过 | jīngguò | to pass by, to go through | 我每天都经过这家店。 (I pass this shop every day.) |
| 出差 | chūchāi | to go on a business trip | 他下周去上海出差。 (He's going to Shanghai on business next week.) |
| 逛街 | guàngjiē | to go shopping, to stroll the streets | 周末我们去逛街吧。 (Let's go shopping at the weekend.) |
| 拿 | ná | to take, to hold | 你拿着什么？ (What are you holding?) |
| 给 | gěi | to give | 请给我一杯水。 (Please give me a glass of water.) |
| 送 | sòng | to give (as a present), to see off | 他送了我一本书。 (He gave me a book.) |
| 放 | fàng | to put, to place | 把书放在桌子上。 (Put the book on the table.) |
| 带 | dài | to bring, to take along | 别忘了带雨伞。 (Don't forget to bring an umbrella.) |
| 提 | tí | to carry (in the hand) | 我帮你提行李。 (I'll help you carry your luggage.) |
| 扔 | rēng | to throw, to throw away | 别扔垃圾。 (Don't drop litter.) |
| 接 | jiē | to catch, to pick up (someone) | 我去机场接你。 (I'll pick you up at the airport.) |
| 推 | tuī | to push | 请推门。 (Please push the door.) |
| 拉 | lā | to pull | 请拉门。 (Please pull the door.) |
| 举 | jǔ | to lift, to raise | 有问题请举手。 (Raise your hand if you have a question.) |
| 切 | qiē | to cut | 我来切菜。 (I'll chop the vegetables.) |
| 打破 | dǎpò | to break | 他打破了一个杯子。 (He broke a glass.) |
| 打 | dǎ | to hit, to play (a ball game) | 别打他！ (Don't hit him!) |
| 踢 | tī | to kick | 他喜欢踢足球。 (He likes playing football.) |
| 倒 | dào | to pour | 我给你倒杯茶。 (Let me pour you a cup of tea.) |
| 挂 | guà | to hang | 把外套挂在这儿。 (Hang your coat here.) |
| 借 | jiè | to borrow, to lend | 我能借你的笔吗？ (Can I borrow your pen?) |
| 还 | huán | to give back, to return (a thing) | 明天我还你钱。 (I'll pay you back tomorrow.) |
| 按 | àn | to press | 按这个按钮。 (Press this button.) |
| 装 | zhuāng | to pack, to load, to fill | 我在装行李。 (I'm packing my luggage.) |
| 充电 | chōngdiàn | to charge (a battery) | 我的手机要充电了。 (My phone needs charging.) |
| 吃 | chī | to eat | 我们吃饭吧。 (Let's eat.) |
| 喝 | hē | to drink | 你想喝什么？ (What would you like to drink?) |
| 睡觉 | shuìjiào | to sleep, to go to bed | 我十一点睡觉。 (I go to bed at eleven.) |
| 看 | kàn | to look, to watch, to read | 你在看什么？ (What are you looking at?) |
| 看见 | kànjiàn | to see | 我看见他了。 (I saw him.) |
| 听 | tīng | to listen | 我喜欢听音乐。 (I like listening to music.) |
| 听见 | tīngjiàn | to hear | 你听见了吗？ (Did you hear that?) |
| 闻 | wén | to smell | 你闻一下这个。 (Smell this.) |
| 尝 | cháng | to taste, to try (food) | 你尝一下这个菜。 (Try this dish.) |
| 摸 | mō | to touch | 别摸我的东西。 (Don't touch my things.) |
| 呼吸 | hūxī | to breathe | 慢慢地呼吸。 (Breathe slowly.) |
| 笑 | xiào | to smile, to laugh | 她笑了。 (She smiled.) |
| 哭 | kū | to cry | 孩子在哭。 (The child is crying.) |
| 唱 | chàng | to sing | 她唱得很好。 (She sings very well.) |
| 咬 | yǎo | to bite | 那只狗咬人吗？ (Does that dog bite?) |
| 放松 | fàngsōng | to relax | 周末我想放松一下。 (I want to relax at the weekend.) |
| 锻炼 | duànliàn | to exercise, to work out | 我每天早上锻炼。 (I exercise every morning.) |
| 生病 | shēngbìng | to get ill | 他生病了。 (He's got ill.) |
| 发烧 | fāshāo | to have a fever | 孩子发烧了。 (The child has a fever.) |
| 咳嗽 | késou | to cough | 他一直在咳嗽。 (He keeps coughing.) |
| 看病 | kànbìng | to see a doctor | 我下午去看病。 (I'm going to see a doctor this afternoon.) |
| 做梦 | zuòmèng | to dream | 我昨晚做梦了。 (I had a dream last night.) |
| 说 | shuō | to say, to speak | 他说他很忙。 (He says he's busy.) |
| 告诉 | gàosu | to tell | 请告诉我你的电话号码。 (Please tell me your phone number.) |
| 问 | wèn | to ask | 我可以问你一个问题吗？ (Can I ask you a question?) |
| 回答 | huídá | to answer | 请回答我的问题。 (Please answer my question.) |
| 解释 | jiěshì | to explain | 你能解释一下吗？ (Can you explain?) |
| 说话 | shuōhuà | to talk, to speak | 请慢点儿说话。 (Please speak more slowly.) |
| 聊天 | liáotiān | to chat | 我们在聊天。 (We're chatting.) |
| 打电话 | dǎdiànhuà | to phone, to make a call | 我晚上给你打电话。 (I'll phone you this evening.) |
| 发 | fā | to send | 我给你发了一条消息。 (I sent you a message.) |
| 回复 | huífù | to reply | 他还没回复我。 (He hasn't replied to me yet.) |
| 描述 | miáoshù | to describe | 请描述一下那个人。 (Please describe that person.) |
| 重复 | chóngfù | to repeat | 请再重复一遍。 (Please repeat that again.) |
| 喊 | hǎn | to shout, to call out | 别喊了！ (Stop shouting!) |
| 讨论 | tǎolùn | to discuss | 我们讨论一下这个问题。 (Let's discuss this problem.) |
| 商量 | shāngliang | to talk over, to consult | 我跟家人商量一下。 (I'll talk it over with my family.) |
| 抱怨 | bàoyuàn | to complain | 他总是抱怨工作。 (He's always complaining about work.) |
| 答应 | dāying | to promise, to agree to | 你答应过我的！ (You promised me!) |
| 感谢 | gǎnxiè | to thank | 非常感谢你的帮助。 (Thank you so much for your help.) |
| 翻译 | fānyì | to translate | 你能帮我翻译吗？ (Can you translate for me?) |
| 提到 | tídào | to mention | 他提到了你。 (He mentioned you.) |
| 想 | xiǎng | to think, to miss, to want | 让我想一下。 (Let me think.) |
| 认为 | rènwéi | to think, to hold the view | 我认为他是对的。 (I think he's right.) |
| 知道 | zhīdào | to know (a fact) | 我不知道。 (I don't know.) |
| 认识 | rènshi | to know (a person), to recognize | 很高兴认识你。 (Nice to meet you.) |
| 懂 | dǒng | to understand | 你懂我的意思吗？ (Do you understand what I mean?) |
| 明白 | míngbai | to understand, to get (it) | 我明白了。 (I get it now.) |
| 记得 | jìde | to remember | 你还记得我吗？ (Do you still remember me?) |
| 忘 | wàng | to forget | 我忘了他的名字。 (I've forgotten his name.) |
| 学 | xué | to learn | 我在学中文。 (I'm learning Chinese.) |
| 学习 | xuéxí | to study | 他每天学习三个小时。 (He studies for three hours every day.) |
| 读 | dú | to read, to study (at school) | 她在读大学。 (She's at university.) |
| 相信 | xiāngxìn | to believe | 我相信你。 (I believe you.) |
| 猜 | cāi | to guess | 你猜我多大？ (Guess how old I am.) |
| 想象 | xiǎngxiàng | to imagine | 我无法想象。 (I can't imagine it.) |
| 发现 | fāxiàn | to discover, to find out | 我发现钱包不见了。 (I found that my wallet was gone.) |
| 考虑 | kǎolǜ | to consider, to think over | 让我考虑一下。 (Let me think it over.) |
| 比较 | bǐjiào | to compare | 我们比较一下价格。 (Let's compare the prices.) |
| 数 | shǔ | to count | 请数一下有多少人。 (Please count how many people there are.) |
| 教 | jiāo | to teach | 她教我们中文。 (She teaches us Chinese.) |
| 练习 | liànxí | to practise | 我每天练习说中文。 (I practise speaking Chinese every day.) |
| 复习 | fùxí | to review, to revise | 考试前要好好复习。 (You should revise well before the exam.) |
| 注意 | zhùyì | to pay attention, to be careful | 过马路要注意车。 (Watch out for cars when crossing the road.) |
| 以为 | yǐwéi | to think (mistakenly), to assume | 我以为你走了。 (I thought you had left.) |
| 查 | chá | to look up, to check | 我在网上查一下。 (I'll look it up online.) |
| 考 | kǎo | to take (an exam) | 我明天考数学。 (I have a maths exam tomorrow.) |
| 要 | yào | to want, to need | 我要一杯咖啡。 (I'd like a cup of coffee.) |
| 需要 | xūyào | to need | 我需要你的帮助。 (I need your help.) |
| 喜欢 | xǐhuan | to like | 我很喜欢这个城市。 (I really like this city.) |
| 爱 | ài | to love | 我爱你。 (I love you.) |
| 恨 | hèn | to hate | 我恨他。 (I hate him.) |
| 讨厌 | tǎoyàn | to dislike, to be annoyed by | 我讨厌下雨天。 (I hate rainy days.) |
| 希望 | xīwàng | to hope | 我希望明天不下雨。 (I hope it doesn't rain tomorrow.) |
| 愿意 | yuànyì | to be willing | 你愿意帮我吗？ (Would you be willing to help me?) |
| 享受 | xiǎngshòu | to enjoy | 我们在享受假期。 (We're enjoying the holiday.) |
| 想念 | xiǎngniàn | to miss (someone) | 我很想念你。 (I miss you very much.) |
| 担心 | dānxīn | to worry | 别担心。 (Don't worry.) |
| 关心 | guānxīn | to care about | 他很关心别人。 (He really cares about other people.) |
| 介意 | jièyì | to mind | 你介意我开窗吗？ (Do you mind if I open the window?) |
| 期待 | qīdài | to look forward to, to expect | 我很期待这次旅行。 (I'm really looking forward to this trip.) |
| 后悔 | hòuhuǐ | to regret | 我不后悔。 (I don't regret it.) |
| 佩服 | pèifú | to admire | 我很佩服他。 (I really admire him.) |
| 打扰 | dǎrǎo | to disturb, to bother | 对不起，打扰一下。 (Sorry to bother you.) |
| 怕 | pà | to be afraid of, to fear | 我怕狗。 (I'm afraid of dogs.) |
| 生气 | shēngqì | to get angry | 别生气了。 (Don't be angry.) |
| 吓 | xià | to scare, to frighten | 你吓了我一跳！ (You gave me a fright!) |
| 觉得 | juéde | to feel, to think | 我觉得有点儿冷。 (I feel a bit cold.) |
| 值得 | zhídé | to be worth, to deserve | 这本书值得一看。 (This book is worth reading.) |
| 见面 | jiànmiàn | to meet | 我们明天见面吧。 (Let's meet tomorrow.) |
| 帮 | bāng | to help | 我来帮你。 (Let me help you.) |
| 请 | qǐng | to invite, to treat (pay for) | 今天我请你吃饭。 (Dinner's on me today.) |
| 分享 | fēnxiǎng | to share | 谢谢你的分享。 (Thanks for sharing.) |
| 信任 | xìnrèn | to trust | 我信任你。 (I trust you.) |
| 看望 | kànwàng | to visit (a person) | 周末我去看望奶奶。 (I'm visiting Grandma at the weekend.) |
| 参观 | cānguān | to visit (a place) | 我们去参观博物馆。 (We're going to visit the museum.) |
| 同意 | tóngyì | to agree | 我同意你的看法。 (I agree with you.) |
| 反对 | fǎnduì | to oppose, to be against | 我妈妈反对这个计划。 (My mum is against this plan.) |
| 吵架 | chǎojià | to argue, to quarrel | 他们又吵架了。 (They've been arguing again.) |
| 介绍 | jièshào | to introduce | 我来介绍一下。 (Let me introduce everyone.) |
| 参加 | cānjiā | to take part, to join | 你参加明天的会议吗？ (Are you going to tomorrow's meeting?) |
| 结婚 | jiéhūn | to get married | 他们去年结婚了。 (They got married last year.) |
| 亲 | qīn | to kiss | 妈妈亲了一下宝宝。 (Mum gave the baby a kiss.) |
| 抱 | bào | to hug, to hold in one's arms | 来，抱一下！ (Come here, give me a hug!) |
| 原谅 | yuánliàng | to forgive | 请原谅我。 (Please forgive me.) |
| 道歉 | dàoqiàn | to apologize | 你应该道歉。 (You should apologize.) |
| 支持 | zhīchí | to support | 我们都支持你。 (We all support you.) |
| 保护 | bǎohù | to protect | 我们要保护环境。 (We must protect the environment.) |
| 尊重 | zūnzhòng | to respect | 我们要尊重老人。 (We should respect older people.) |
| 玩 | wán | to play, to have fun | 孩子们在外面玩。 (The children are playing outside.) |
| 赢 | yíng | to win | 我们赢了！ (We won!) |
| 输 | shū | to lose (a game) | 我们又输了。 (We lost again.) |
| 庆祝 | qìngzhù | to celebrate | 我们一起庆祝吧！ (Let's celebrate together!) |
| 打架 | dǎjià | to fight | 两个孩子在打架。 (Two children are fighting.) |
| 陪 | péi | to keep (someone) company | 我陪你去医院。 (I'll go to the hospital with you.) |
| 照顾 | zhàogù | to look after, to take care of | 她在家照顾孩子。 (She looks after the children at home.) |
| 联系 | liánxì | to contact, to get in touch | 我们保持联系。 (Let's keep in touch.) |
| 分手 | fēnshǒu | to break up | 他们上个月分手了。 (They broke up last month.) |
| 排队 | páiduì | to queue | 请排队。 (Please queue up.) |
| 开始 | kāishǐ | to start, to begin | 电影开始了。 (The film has started.) |
| 停 | tíng | to stop | 雨停了。 (The rain has stopped.) |
| 变 | biàn | to become, to change | 天气变冷了。 (The weather has turned cold.) |
| 改 | gǎi | to change, to correct | 老师在改作业。 (The teacher is marking homework.) |
| 换 | huàn | to exchange, to swap | 我想换个房间。 (I'd like to change rooms.) |
| 完成 | wánchéng | to complete, to finish | 我完成了作业。 (I've finished my homework.) |
| 结束 | jiéshù | to end, to be over | 会议结束了。 (The meeting is over.) |
| 长 | zhǎng | to grow | 孩子长得真快。 (Children grow so fast.) |
| 增加 | zēngjiā | to increase | 学生人数增加了。 (The number of students has increased.) |
| 减少 | jiǎnshǎo | to reduce, to decrease | 我要减少工作时间。 (I want to reduce my working hours.) |
| 提高 | tígāo | to improve, to raise | 我的中文提高了。 (My Chinese has improved.) |
| 发展 | fāzhǎn | to develop | 这个城市发展得很快。 (This city is developing very fast.) |
| 冻 | dòng | to freeze | 我的手冻得很疼。 (My hands are freezing.) |
| 煮 | zhǔ | to boil, to cook in water | 我来煮饺子。 (I'll boil the dumplings.) |
| 烧 | shāo | to burn | 纸烧起来了。 (The paper caught fire.) |
| 取消 | qǔxiāo | to cancel | 航班取消了。 (The flight has been cancelled.) |
| 暂停 | zàntíng | to pause | 请暂停一下视频。 (Please pause the video.) |
| 消失 | xiāoshī | to disappear | 他突然消失了。 (He suddenly disappeared.) |
| 死 | sǐ | to die | 我的花死了。 (My flowers have died.) |
| 涨 | zhǎng | to rise (prices, water) | 房价又涨了。 (House prices have gone up again.) |
| 失败 | shībài | to fail | 实验失败了。 (The experiment failed.) |
| 成功 | chénggōng | to succeed | 我们成功了！ (We did it!) |
| 放弃 | fàngqì | to give up | 不要放弃！ (Don't give up!) |
| 坏 | huài | to break down, to go bad | 我的手机坏了。 (My phone is broken.) |
| 出生 | chūshēng | to be born | 我在北京出生。 (I was born in Beijing.) |
| 退休 | tuìxiū | to retire | 我爸爸去年退休了。 (My dad retired last year.) |
| 毕业 | bìyè | to graduate | 她明年毕业。 (She graduates next year.) |
| 下雨 | xiàyǔ | to rain | 外面在下雨。 (It's raining outside.) |
| 下雪 | xiàxuě | to snow | 北京冬天常常下雪。 (It often snows in Beijing in winter.) |
| 选 | xuǎn | to choose, to pick | 你选哪个？ (Which one are you choosing?) |
| 决定 | juédìng | to decide | 我决定学中文。 (I've decided to learn Chinese.) |
| 试 | shì | to try | 我可以试一下吗？ (Can I try it?) |
| 解决 | jiějué | to solve | 这个问题很难解决。 (This problem is hard to solve.) |
| 管 | guǎn | to manage, to be in charge of | 她管这家店。 (She manages this shop.) |
| 准备 | zhǔnbèi | to prepare, to get ready | 我在准备考试。 (I'm preparing for an exam.) |
| 安排 | ānpái | to arrange | 我来安排时间。 (I'll arrange a time.) |
| 点 | diǎn | to order (food) | 我们点菜吧。 (Let's order.) |
| 订 | dìng | to book, to reserve | 我订了一个房间。 (I've booked a room.) |
| 计划 | jìhuà | to plan | 我们计划明年去日本。 (We're planning to go to Japan next year.) |
| 打算 | dǎsuàn | to intend, to be going to | 你打算做什么？ (What are you going to do?) |
| 避免 | bìmiǎn | to avoid | 我想避免麻烦。 (I want to avoid trouble.) |
| 允许 | yǔnxǔ | to allow, to permit | 这里不允许拍照。 (Taking photos isn't allowed here.) |
| 让 | ràng | to let, to make (someone do) | 让我看看。 (Let me have a look.) |
| 拒绝 | jùjué | to refuse | 他拒绝了我。 (He turned me down.) |
| 接受 | jiēshòu | to accept | 我接受你的道歉。 (I accept your apology.) |
| 建议 | jiànyì | to suggest | 我建议你早点儿去。 (I suggest you go early.) |
| 推荐 | tuījiàn | to recommend | 你能推荐一家饭馆吗？ (Can you recommend a restaurant?) |
| 实现 | shíxiàn | to achieve, to make come true | 我的梦想实现了。 (My dream has come true.) |
| 提醒 | tíxǐng | to remind | 请提醒我明天打电话。 (Please remind me to call tomorrow.) |
| 提供 | tígōng | to offer, to provide | 酒店提供早饭。 (The hotel provides breakfast.) |
| 控制 | kòngzhì | to control | 他控制不了自己。 (He can't control himself.) |
| 证明 | zhèngmíng | to prove | 你能证明吗？ (Can you prove it?) |
| 处理 | chǔlǐ | to handle, to deal with | 我来处理这件事。 (I'll deal with this.) |
| 建 | jiàn | to build | 这里要建一个新学校。 (A new school is going to be built here.) |
| 写 | xiě | to write | 我在写信。 (I'm writing a letter.) |
| 画 | huà | to draw, to paint (a picture) | 她画得很好。 (She draws very well.) |
| 修 | xiū | to repair, to fix | 我爸爸会修车。 (My dad can fix cars.) |
| 整理 | zhěnglǐ | to organize, to sort out | 我在整理照片。 (I'm sorting out my photos.) |
| 创造 | chuàngzào | to create | 我们要创造更好的生活。 (We want to create a better life.) |
| 设计 | shèjì | to design | 这件衣服是她设计的。 (She designed this outfit.) |
| 刷 | shuā | to paint (a wall), to brush | 我们把墙刷成白色。 (We're painting the walls white.) |
| 发明 | fāmíng | to invent | 谁发明了电话？ (Who invented the telephone?) |
| 生产 | shēngchǎn | to produce, to manufacture | 这家工厂生产汽车。 (This factory makes cars.) |
| 烤 | kǎo | to bake, to roast | 我在烤面包。 (I'm baking bread.) |
| 打字 | dǎzì | to type | 他打字很快。 (He types very fast.) |
| 打印 | dǎyìn | to print | 请帮我打印这个文件。 (Please print this document for me.) |
| 复印 | fùyìn | to photocopy | 请复印两份。 (Please make two copies.) |
| 安装 | ānzhuāng | to install | 我帮你安装这个软件。 (I'll help you install this app.) |
| 删 | shān | to delete | 我把照片删了。 (I deleted the photo.) |
| 下载 | xiàzài | to download | 你可以下载这个软件。 (You can download this app.) |
| 上传 | shàngchuán | to upload | 我上传了几张照片。 (I uploaded a few photos.) |
| 拍 | pāi | to take (a photo), to film | 我们拍张照片吧。 (Let's take a photo.) |
| 收集 | shōují | to collect | 他喜欢收集邮票。 (He likes collecting stamps.) |
| 挣 | zhèng | to earn | 他挣得很多。 (He earns a lot.) |
| 租 | zū | to rent | 我租了一套小房子。 (I'm renting a small flat.) |
| 喂 | wèi | to feed | 我去喂猫。 (I'm going to feed the cat.) |
| 迟到 | chídào | to be late | 对不起，我迟到了。 (Sorry, I'm late.) |
| 请假 | qǐngjià | to ask for time off | 我明天要请假。 (I need to take tomorrow off.) |
| 加班 | jiābān | to work overtime | 我今天要加班。 (I have to work late today.) |
| 上课 | shàngkè | to have class, to start class | 我们八点上课。 (Our class starts at eight.) |
| 下课 | xiàkè | to finish class | 下课了！ (Class is over!) |
| 减肥 | jiǎnféi | to lose weight, to diet | 我在减肥。 (I'm on a diet.) |
Adjectives: Descriptions
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| 大 | dà | big, large | 他们的房子很大。 (Their house is very big.) |
| 小 | xiǎo | small, little | 我有一只小狗。 (I have a little dog.) |
| 长 | cháng | long | 她的头发很长。 (Her hair is very long.) |
| 短 | duǎn | short (length) | 这条裙子太短了。 (This skirt is too short.) |
| 高 | gāo | tall, high | 我哥哥很高。 (My older brother is very tall.) |
| 矮 | ǎi | short (height) | 我奶奶很矮。 (My grandma is short.) |
| 低 | dī | low | 这张桌子太低了。 (This table is too low.) |
| 宽 | kuān | wide | 这条路很宽。 (This road is very wide.) |
| 窄 | zhǎi | narrow | 这条街很窄。 (This street is very narrow.) |
| 厚 | hòu | thick | 这本书很厚。 (This book is very thick.) |
| 薄 | báo | thin (flat things) | 这件衣服太薄了。 (This top is too thin.) |
| 瘦 | shòu | thin, slim (person) | 她很瘦。 (She's very thin.) |
| 胖 | pàng | fat, chubby | 我的猫很胖。 (My cat is fat.) |
| 苗条 | miáotiao | slim, slender | 她又高又苗条。 (She's tall and slim.) |
| 圆 | yuán | round | 今晚的月亮很圆。 (The moon is very round tonight.) |
| 平 | píng | flat, level | 这条路很平。 (This road is very flat.) |
| 满 | mǎn | full | 杯子满了。 (The glass is full.) |
| 空 | kōng | empty | 冰箱是空的。 (The fridge is empty.) |
| 重 | zhòng | heavy | 这个箱子很重。 (This box is very heavy.) |
| 轻 | qīng | light (weight) | 我的包很轻。 (My bag is very light.) |
| 巨大 | jùdà | huge, enormous | 这是一个巨大的变化。 (This is a huge change.) |
| 深 | shēn | deep, dark (colour) | 这条河很深。 (This river is very deep.) |
| 浅 | qiǎn | shallow, light (colour) | 这里的水很浅。 (The water here is very shallow.) |
| 直 | zhí | straight | 这条路很直。 (This road is very straight.) |
| 尖 | jiān | sharp, pointed | 这支铅笔很尖。 (This pencil is very sharp.) |
| 方 | fāng | square | 这是一张方桌子。 (This is a square table.) |
| 细 | xì | thin (narrow), fine | 她的手指很细。 (She has slender fingers.) |
| 粗 | cū | thick (round), coarse | 这根绳子很粗。 (This rope is very thick.) |
| 亮 | liàng | bright | 这个房间很亮。 (This room is very bright.) |
| 暗 | àn | dim, dark | 这里太暗了。 (It's too dark in here.) |
| 黑 | hēi | black, dark | 外面已经黑了。 (It's already dark outside.) |
| 白 | bái | white | 他的头发全白了。 (His hair has gone completely white.) |
| 红 | hóng | red | 她的脸红了。 (Her face turned red.) |
| 蓝 | lán | blue | 今天天很蓝。 (The sky is very blue today.) |
| 绿 | lǜ | green | 春天了，树都绿了。 (It's spring, and the trees have turned green.) |
| 黄 | huáng | yellow | 秋天叶子黄了。 (In autumn the leaves turn yellow.) |
| 灰色 | huīsè | grey | 我喜欢那件灰色的毛衣。 (I like that grey jumper.) |
| 棕色 | zōngsè | brown | 他有一只棕色的狗。 (He has a brown dog.) |
| 橙色 | chéngsè | orange | 我买了一件橙色的衬衫。 (I bought an orange shirt.) |
| 粉色 | fěnsè | pink | 她的包是粉色的。 (Her bag is pink.) |
| 紫色 | zǐsè | purple | 我最喜欢紫色的花。 (Purple flowers are my favourite.) |
| 金色 | jīnsè | golden, gold-coloured | 她有一头金色的头发。 (She has golden hair.) |
| 苍白 | cāngbái | pale | 你的脸很苍白。 (Your face is very pale.) |
| 漂亮 | piàoliang | beautiful, pretty | 这个地方真漂亮。 (This place is really beautiful.) |
| 好看 | hǎokàn | good-looking, nice to look at | 这件衣服很好看。 (This outfit looks nice.) |
| 丑 | chǒu | ugly | 这双鞋太丑了。 (These shoes are so ugly.) |
| 帅 | shuài | handsome | 他长得很帅。 (He's very handsome.) |
| 可爱 | kě'ài | cute, lovely | 这个宝宝真可爱。 (This baby is so cute.) |
| 整齐 | zhěngqí | neat, in order | 他的房间很整齐。 (His room is very neat.) |
| 时髦 | shímáo | fashionable, trendy | 她穿得很时髦。 (She dresses very fashionably.) |
| 朴素 | pǔsù | plain, simple (style) | 她穿得很朴素。 (She dresses very plainly.) |
| 鲜艳 | xiānyàn | brightly coloured, colourful | 这些花很鲜艳。 (These flowers are very colourful.) |
| 酷 | kù | cool (stylish) | 你的新车真酷！ (Your new car is so cool!) |
| 透明 | tòumíng | transparent, clear | 这个瓶子是透明的。 (This bottle is transparent.) |
| 美 | měi | beautiful (scenery), lovely | 这里的风景很美。 (The scenery here is beautiful.) |
| 干净 | gānjìng | clean | 房间很干净。 (The room is very clean.) |
| 脏 | zāng | dirty | 你的手很脏。 (Your hands are very dirty.) |
| 坏 | huài | broken, bad, gone off | 牛奶坏了。 (The milk has gone off.) |
| 破 | pò | torn, worn-out | 我的袜子破了。 (My sock has a hole in it.) |
| 健康 | jiànkāng | healthy | 我爷爷身体很健康。 (My grandpa is very healthy.) |
| 累 | lèi | tired | 我今天很累。 (I'm very tired today.) |
| 困 | kùn | sleepy | 我有点儿困。 (I'm a bit sleepy.) |
| 强 | qiáng | strong | 他的能力很强。 (He's very capable.) |
| 弱 | ruò | weak | 她身体很弱。 (She's in poor health.) |
| 结实 | jiēshi | sturdy, solid | 这张桌子很结实。 (This table is very sturdy.) |
| 新鲜 | xīnxiān | fresh | 这些鱼很新鲜。 (These fish are very fresh.) |
| 湿 | shī | wet | 我的鞋湿了。 (My shoes are wet.) |
| 干 | gān | dry | 衣服干了吗？ (Are the clothes dry?) |
| 活 | huó | alive, living | 这条鱼还是活的。 (This fish is still alive.) |
| 死 | sǐ | dead | 那棵树是死的。 (That tree is dead.) |
| 乱 | luàn | messy, chaotic | 我的桌子很乱。 (My desk is very messy.) |
| 饿 | è | hungry | 我饿了。 (I'm hungry.) |
| 渴 | kě | thirsty | 我很渴。 (I'm very thirsty.) |
| 饱 | bǎo | full (after eating) | 我吃饱了。 (I'm full.) |
| 醉 | zuì | drunk | 他喝醉了。 (He's drunk.) |
| 忙 | máng | busy | 我这周很忙。 (I'm very busy this week.) |
| 闲 | xián | free, not busy | 你明天闲吗？ (Are you free tomorrow?) |
| 舒服 | shūfu | comfortable | 这张床很舒服。 (This bed is very comfortable.) |
| 难受 | nánshòu | unwell, uncomfortable | 我胃很难受。 (My stomach feels awful.) |
| 清醒 | qīngxǐng | awake, clear-headed | 他现在很清醒。 (He is wide awake now.) |
| 整洁 | zhěngjié | tidy, clean and neat | 她的家很整洁。 (Her home is very tidy.) |
| 热 | rè | hot | 今天很热。 (It's very hot today.) |
| 冷 | lěng | cold | 外面很冷。 (It's very cold outside.) |
| 暖和 | nuǎnhuo | warm | 房间里很暖和。 (It's nice and warm in the room.) |
| 凉快 | liángkuai | cool, pleasantly cool | 晚上很凉快。 (It's nice and cool in the evening.) |
| 凉 | liáng | cold (to the touch), chilly | 饭凉了。 (The food has gone cold.) |
| 烫 | tàng | scalding, very hot (to the touch) | 汤很烫，小心！ (The soup's very hot, be careful!) |
| 冰 | bīng | ice-cold | 我要一杯冰的可乐。 (I'd like an ice-cold cola.) |
| 软 | ruǎn | soft | 这个枕头很软。 (This pillow is very soft.) |
| 硬 | yìng | hard | 这个面包太硬了。 (This bread is too hard.) |
| 粗糙 | cūcāo | rough | 他的手很粗糙。 (His hands are very rough.) |
| 光滑 | guānghuá | smooth | 她的皮肤很光滑。 (Her skin is very smooth.) |
| 粘 | nián | sticky | 我的手很粘。 (My hands are sticky.) |
| 滑 | huá | slippery | 下雪了，路很滑。 (It's snowed and the roads are slippery.) |
| 嫩 | nèn | tender | 这块肉很嫩。 (This meat is very tender.) |
| 晴 | qíng | sunny, clear | 明天是晴天。 (It'll be sunny tomorrow.) |
| 阴 | yīn | cloudy, overcast | 今天天很阴。 (It's very overcast today.) |
| 潮湿 | cháoshī | humid, damp | 夏天这里很潮湿。 (It's very humid here in summer.) |
| 干燥 | gānzào | dry (climate, air) | 北京的冬天很干燥。 (Winters in Beijing are very dry.) |
| 闷 | mēn | stuffy, muggy | 房间里太闷了。 (It's too stuffy in the room.) |
| 毛茸茸 | máoróngróng | fluffy, furry | 这只小狗毛茸茸的。 (This puppy is all fluffy.) |
| 甜 | tián | sweet | 这个蛋糕很甜。 (This cake is very sweet.) |
| 苦 | kǔ | bitter | 这个药很苦。 (This medicine is very bitter.) |
| 咸 | xián | salty | 菜太咸了。 (The food is too salty.) |
| 酸 | suān | sour | 这个苹果很酸。 (This apple is very sour.) |
| 辣 | là | spicy, hot | 四川菜很辣。 (Sichuan food is very spicy.) |
| 好吃 | hǎochī | delicious, tasty | 妈妈做的菜很好吃。 (Mum's cooking is delicious.) |
| 好喝 | hǎohē | nice to drink | 这个茶很好喝。 (This tea is lovely.) |
| 难吃 | nánchī | horrible-tasting | 这个菜真难吃。 (This dish tastes horrible.) |
| 香 | xiāng | fragrant, smelling good | 这些花真香。 (These flowers smell lovely.) |
| 臭 | chòu | smelly | 这双袜子好臭！ (These socks really stink!) |
| 淡 | dàn | bland, weak (taste) | 这个汤太淡了。 (This soup is too bland.) |
| 油 | yóu | greasy, oily | 这个菜太油了。 (This dish is too greasy.) |
| 脆 | cuì | crispy, crunchy | 这个饼干很脆。 (This biscuit is very crunchy.) |
| 生 | shēng | raw | 这块肉还是生的。 (This meat is still raw.) |
| 熟 | shú | ripe, cooked | 西瓜还没熟。 (The watermelon isn't ripe yet.) |
| 吵 | chǎo | noisy | 这里太吵了。 (It's too noisy here.) |
| 安静 | ānjìng | quiet | 图书馆里很安静。 (It's very quiet in the library.) |
| 响 | xiǎng | loud | 音乐太响了。 (The music is too loud.) |
| 痛 | tòng | painful, sore | 我的嗓子很痛。 (My throat is very sore.) |
| 痒 | yǎng | itchy | 我的背很痒。 (My back is itchy.) |
| 晕 | yūn | dizzy | 我头有点儿晕。 (I feel a bit dizzy.) |
| 麻 | má | numbing, tingly (Sichuan pepper) | 这个菜又辣又麻。 (This dish is spicy and numbing.) |
| 早 | zǎo | early | 你来得真早。 (You're really early.) |
| 晚 | wǎn | late | 现在太晚了。 (It's too late now.) |
| 快 | kuài | fast, quick | 他跑得很快。 (He runs very fast.) |
| 慢 | màn | slow | 这辆公交车很慢。 (This bus is very slow.) |
| 老 | lǎo | old (person) | 我爷爷很老了。 (My grandpa is very old now.) |
| 旧 | jiù | old (thing), used | 这是一辆旧车。 (This is an old car.) |
| 年轻 | niánqīng | young | 他还很年轻。 (He's still very young.) |
| 新 | xīn | new | 我买了一部新手机。 (I bought a new phone.) |
| 现代 | xiàndài | modern | 这是一个很现代的城市。 (This is a very modern city.) |
| 古老 | gǔlǎo | ancient, very old | 这是一座古老的寺庙。 (This is an ancient temple.) |
| 最后 | zuìhòu | final, last | 这是最后一个问题。 (This is the last question.) |
| 日常 | rìcháng | daily, everyday | 这是我的日常生活。 (This is my daily life.) |
| 突然 | tūrán | sudden | 这个消息太突然了。 (This news is so sudden.) |
| 短暂 | duǎnzàn | brief, short-lived | 夏天很短暂。 (Summer is short.) |
| 临时 | línshí | temporary | 这是一份临时工作。 (This is a temporary job.) |
| 及时 | jíshí | timely, just in time | 你来得真及时！ (You came just in time!) |
| 准时 | zhǔnshí | punctual, on time | 火车很准时。 (The train is on time.) |
| 长期 | chángqī | long-term | 这是一个长期计划。 (This is a long-term plan.) |
| 急 | jí | urgent, in a hurry | 别急，还有时间。 (No rush, there is still time.) |
| 过时 | guòshí | out of date, old-fashioned | 这件衣服已经过时了。 (This outfit is already out of fashion.) |
| 高兴 | gāoxìng | happy, glad | 见到你很高兴。 (I'm happy to see you.) |
| 开心 | kāixīn | cheerful, having fun | 今天玩得很开心。 (We had a lot of fun today.) |
| 快乐 | kuàilè | joyful | 祝你生日快乐！ (Happy birthday!) |
| 幸福 | xìngfú | happy (in life), blessed | 他们生活得很幸福。 (They live a very happy life.) |
| 难过 | nánguò | sad | 别难过了。 (Don't be sad.) |
| 伤心 | shāngxīn | heartbroken, very upset | 她哭得很伤心。 (She cried her heart out.) |
| 着急 | zháojí | worried, anxious | 别着急，慢慢来。 (Don't worry, take your time.) |
| 兴奋 | xīngfèn | excited | 孩子们很兴奋。 (The children are very excited.) |
| 激动 | jīdòng | emotional, worked up | 他激动得说不出话。 (He was so moved he couldn't speak.) |
| 平静 | píngjìng | calm | 她看起来很平静。 (She looks very calm.) |
| 生气 | shēngqì | angry | 妈妈很生气。 (Mum is very angry.) |
| 害怕 | hàipà | afraid, scared | 我很害怕。 (I'm very scared.) |
| 紧张 | jǐnzhāng | nervous | 考试前我很紧张。 (I'm very nervous before exams.) |
| 无聊 | wúliáo | bored, boring | 我好无聊。 (I'm so bored.) |
| 吃惊 | chījīng | surprised, shocked | 听到这个消息我很吃惊。 (I was surprised by the news.) |
| 骄傲 | jiāo'ào | proud | 我为你感到骄傲。 (I'm proud of you.) |
| 寂寞 | jìmò | lonely | 一个人住很寂寞。 (Living alone is lonely.) |
| 失望 | shīwàng | disappointed | 我对他很失望。 (I'm very disappointed in him.) |
| 感激 | gǎnjī | grateful | 我非常感激你。 (I'm very grateful to you.) |
| 好奇 | hàoqí | curious | 孩子们都很好奇。 (The children are all very curious.) |
| 烦 | fán | annoyed, fed up | 我今天很烦。 (I'm really fed up today.) |
| 满意 | mǎnyì | satisfied, pleased | 我对结果很满意。 (I'm very pleased with the result.) |
| 放心 | fàngxīn | relieved, at ease | 你放心吧。 (Don't worry about it.) |
| 尴尬 | gāngà | embarrassed, awkward | 我觉得很尴尬。 (I feel really embarrassed.) |
| 糊涂 | hútu | confused, muddled | 我被你说糊涂了。 (You've got me confused.) |
| 嫉妒 | jídù | jealous | 他很嫉妒他哥哥。 (He's very jealous of his brother.) |
| 轻松 | qīngsōng | relaxed, easy | 周末我很轻松。 (I'm very relaxed at the weekend.) |
| 委屈 | wěiqu | wronged, hard done by | 她觉得很委屈。 (She feels she's been treated unfairly.) |
| 感兴趣 | gǎnxìngqù | interested | 我对中国文化很感兴趣。 (I am very interested in Chinese culture.) |
| 愉快 | yúkuài | pleasant, cheerful (mood) | 祝你旅途愉快！ (Have a pleasant journey!) |
| 痛苦 | tòngkǔ | miserable, in agony | 他看起来很痛苦。 (He looks miserable.) |
| 善良 | shànliáng | kind, kind-hearted | 她是一个很善良的人。 (She's a very kind person.) |
| 诚实 | chéngshí | honest | 他很诚实。 (He's very honest.) |
| 友好 | yǒuhǎo | friendly | 这里的人很友好。 (People here are very friendly.) |
| 热情 | rèqíng | warm, enthusiastic | 主人很热情。 (The host is very welcoming.) |
| 小心 | xiǎoxīn | careful | 路上小心！ (Take care on the way!) |
| 粗心 | cūxīn | careless | 你太粗心了。 (You're too careless.) |
| 粗鲁 | cūlǔ | rude | 他说话很粗鲁。 (He speaks very rudely.) |
| 客气 | kèqi | polite, courteous | 你太客气了。 (You're too kind.) |
| 害羞 | hàixiū | shy | 我女儿很害羞。 (My daughter is very shy.) |
| 勇敢 | yǒnggǎn | brave | 你很勇敢。 (You're very brave.) |
| 懒 | lǎn | lazy | 他太懒了。 (He's too lazy.) |
| 聪明 | cōngming | clever, smart | 这个孩子很聪明。 (This child is very clever.) |
| 幽默 | yōumò | humorous, funny | 我们老师很幽默。 (Our teacher is very funny.) |
| 认真 | rènzhēn | serious, conscientious | 他工作很认真。 (He's very conscientious at work.) |
| 严格 | yángé | strict | 我爸爸很严格。 (My dad is very strict.) |
| 耐心 | nàixīn | patient | 她对孩子很耐心。 (She's very patient with children.) |
| 大方 | dàfang | generous | 他对朋友很大方。 (He's very generous to his friends.) |
| 自私 | zìsī | selfish | 别那么自私。 (Don't be so selfish.) |
| 乐观 | lèguān | optimistic, cheerful | 她是个乐观的人。 (She's an optimistic person.) |
| 温柔 | wēnróu | gentle, tender | 她说话很温柔。 (She speaks very gently.) |
| 自信 | zìxìn | confident | 他很自信。 (He's very confident.) |
| 懂事 | dǒngshì | sensible, mature | 这个孩子很懂事。 (This child is very sensible.) |
| 傻 | shǎ | silly, foolish | 别说傻话。 (Don't talk nonsense.) |
| 笨 | bèn | stupid, clumsy | 我真笨！ (I'm so stupid!) |
| 勤奋 | qínfèn | hard-working | 她学习很勤奋。 (She studies very hard.) |
| 能干 | nénggàn | capable, competent | 她很能干。 (She's very capable.) |
| 活泼 | huópo | lively | 我妹妹很活泼。 (My younger sister is very lively.) |
| 内向 | nèixiàng | introverted | 他有点儿内向。 (He's a bit introverted.) |
| 外向 | wàixiàng | outgoing | 她很外向。 (She's very outgoing.) |
| 调皮 | tiáopí | naughty, mischievous | 这个男孩很调皮。 (This boy is very naughty.) |
| 忠诚 | zhōngchéng | loyal | 狗很忠诚。 (Dogs are very loyal.) |
| 好客 | hàokè | hospitable | 中国人很好客。 (Chinese people are very hospitable.) |
| 老实 | lǎoshi | well-behaved, simple and honest | 这个孩子很老实。 (This child is very well-behaved.) |
| 谦虚 | qiānxū | modest | 他很谦虚。 (He is very modest.) |
| 小气 | xiǎoqi | stingy, petty | 别那么小气！ (Don't be so stingy!) |
| 积极 | jījí | positive, keen, active | 他工作很积极。 (He is very keen at work.) |
| 容易 | róngyì | easy | 这个问题很容易。 (This question is very easy.) |
| 难 | nán | difficult, hard | 中文难不难？ (Is Chinese hard?) |
| 简单 | jiǎndān | simple | 这个很简单。 (This is very simple.) |
| 复杂 | fùzá | complicated | 这件事很复杂。 (This matter is very complicated.) |
| 麻烦 | máfan | troublesome, a hassle | 这样太麻烦了。 (That's too much hassle.) |
| 辛苦 | xīnkǔ | hard, tiring (work) | 你的工作很辛苦。 (Your job is very hard.) |
| 顺利 | shùnlì | smooth, going well | 一切都很顺利。 (Everything went smoothly.) |
| 有用 | yǒuyòng | useful | 这本词典很有用。 (This dictionary is very useful.) |
| 没用 | méiyòng | useless | 哭也没用。 (Crying won't help.) |
| 必要 | bìyào | necessary | 没有必要担心。 (There's no need to worry.) |
| 重要 | zhòngyào | important | 这件事很重要。 (This is very important.) |
| 基本 | jīběn | basic | 这是基本的语法。 (This is basic grammar.) |
| 主要 | zhǔyào | main | 这是主要的问题。 (This is the main problem.) |
| 特别 | tèbié | special, unusual | 今天是一个特别的日子。 (Today is a special day.) |
| 正常 | zhèngcháng | normal | 这很正常。 (This is quite normal.) |
| 普通 | pǔtōng | ordinary, common | 我只是一个普通人。 (I'm just an ordinary person.) |
| 少见 | shǎojiàn | rare, uncommon | 这种鸟很少见。 (This kind of bird is rare.) |
| 免费 | miǎnfèi | free (of charge) | 这里的水是免费的。 (The water here is free.) |
| 方便 | fāngbiàn | convenient | 坐地铁很方便。 (Taking the underground is very convenient.) |
| 实用 | shíyòng | practical | 这个包很实用。 (This bag is very practical.) |
| 有效 | yǒuxiào | effective, valid | 这个办法很有效。 (This method is very effective.) |
| 额外 | éwài | extra, additional | 这需要额外的钱吗？ (Does this cost extra?) |
| 平常 | píngcháng | usual, ordinary | 今天跟平常一样。 (Today is the same as usual.) |
| 好 | hǎo | good | 这本书很好。 (This book is very good.) |
| 差 | chà | bad, poor (quality) | 这家酒店的服务很差。 (The service at this hotel is poor.) |
| 不错 | búcuò | pretty good, not bad | 你的中文很不错。 (Your Chinese is pretty good.) |
| 棒 | bàng | great, excellent | 你真棒！ (You're great!) |
| 优秀 | yōuxiù | outstanding, excellent | 她是一个优秀的学生。 (She's an excellent student.) |
| 糟糕 | zāogāo | terrible | 天气太糟糕了。 (The weather is terrible.) |
| 可怕 | kěpà | awful, frightening | 那是一个可怕的梦。 (That was an awful dream.) |
| 精彩 | jīngcǎi | wonderful, brilliant | 这场比赛很精彩。 (This match is brilliant.) |
| 完美 | wánměi | perfect | 没有人是完美的。 (Nobody is perfect.) |
| 厉害 | lìhai | amazing, impressive | 你太厉害了！ (You're amazing!) |
| 安全 | ānquán | safe | 这里很安全。 (It's very safe here.) |
| 危险 | wēixiǎn | dangerous | 晚上一个人出去很危险。 (Going out alone at night is dangerous.) |
| 贵 | guì | expensive | 这件衣服太贵了。 (This outfit is too expensive.) |
| 便宜 | piányi | cheap | 这里的东西很便宜。 (Things here are very cheap.) |
| 珍贵 | zhēnguì | precious, valuable | 这是一张很珍贵的照片。 (This is a very precious photo.) |
| 有钱 | yǒuqián | rich, wealthy | 他家很有钱。 (His family is very rich.) |
| 穷 | qióng | poor | 他小时候家里很穷。 (His family was very poor when he was young.) |
| 有名 | yǒumíng | famous, well-known | 这家饭馆很有名。 (This restaurant is very famous.) |
| 流行 | liúxíng | popular, in fashion | 这首歌现在很流行。 (This song is very popular now.) |
| 有意思 | yǒuyìsi | interesting | 这个电影很有意思。 (This film is very interesting.) |
| 好玩 | hǎowán | fun | 这个游戏很好玩。 (This game is a lot of fun.) |
| 奇怪 | qíguài | strange, odd | 他今天很奇怪。 (He's acting strange today.) |
| 对 | duì | right, correct | 你说得对。 (You're right.) |
| 错 | cuò | wrong | 我写错了。 (I wrote it wrong.) |
| 公平 | gōngpíng | fair | 这不公平！ (That's not fair!) |
| 合适 | héshì | suitable, right (for) | 这个时间很合适。 (This time is very suitable.) |
| 热闹 | rènao | lively, bustling | 街上很热闹。 (The street is very lively.) |
| 美好 | měihǎo | lovely, happy (life, memories) | 祝你有一个美好的未来。 (I wish you a bright future.) |
| 肯定 | kěndìng | certain, definite | 他肯定会来。 (He's certain to come.) |
| 确定 | quèdìng | sure | 你确定吗？ (Are you sure?) |
| 可能 | kěnéng | possible, likely | 明天可能会下雨。 (It may rain tomorrow.) |
| 不可能 | bùkěnéng | impossible | 这是不可能的。 (That's impossible.) |
| 清楚 | qīngchu | clear | 他说得很清楚。 (He explained it very clearly.) |
| 明显 | míngxiǎn | obvious | 这很明显。 (That's obvious.) |
| 真 | zhēn | true, real | 这是真的吗？ (Is this true?) |
| 假 | jiǎ | false, fake | 这个包是假的。 (This bag is fake.) |
| 真正 | zhēnzhèng | real, genuine | 他是我真正的朋友。 (He's a real friend of mine.) |
| 正确 | zhèngquè | correct | 你的答案是正确的。 (Your answer is correct.) |
| 准确 | zhǔnquè | accurate, exact | 这个时间不太准确。 (This time isn't very accurate.) |
| 秘密 | mìmì | secret | 这是一个秘密的计划。 (This is a secret plan.) |
| 陌生 | mòshēng | unfamiliar, strange (unknown) | 这里对我来说很陌生。 (This place is unfamiliar to me.) |
| 正式 | zhèngshì | official, formal | 这是正式的通知。 (This is the official notice.) |
| 模糊 | móhu | blurry, unclear | 这张照片很模糊。 (This photo is very blurry.) |
| 一样 | yíyàng | same, alike | 我们的衣服一样。 (Our clothes are the same.) |
| 不同 | bùtóng | different | 我们的想法不同。 (We have different ideas.) |
| 相似 | xiāngsì | similar | 这两个字很相似。 (These two characters are very similar.) |
| 平等 | píngděng | equal | 人人平等。 (Everyone is equal.) |
| 相反 | xiāngfǎn | opposite | 他的意见跟我相反。 (His opinion is the opposite of mine.) |
| 远 | yuǎn | far | 学校离我家很远。 (The school is far from my home.) |
| 近 | jìn | near, close | 超市很近。 (The supermarket is very close.) |
| 孤单 | gūdān | alone, on one's own | 他一个人很孤单。 (He's all alone.) |
| 单身 | dānshēn | single (not married) | 我现在还是单身。 (I'm still single.) |
| 亲密 | qīnmì | close, intimate | 她们是亲密的朋友。 (They're close friends.) |
| 熟悉 | shúxī | familiar | 这个声音很熟悉。 (This voice sounds very familiar.) |
| 独立 | dúlì | independent | 她很独立。 (She's very independent.) |
| 独特 | dútè | unique, distinctive | 他的想法很独特。 (His ideas are very original.) |
| 公共 | gōnggòng | public | 这是公共厕所。 (This is a public toilet.) |
| 私人 | sīrén | private, personal | 这是私人的事。 (This is a private matter.) |
| 外国 | wàiguó | foreign | 我有很多外国朋友。 (I have lots of foreign friends.) |
| 本地 | běndì | local | 他是本地人。 (He's a local.) |
| 国际 | guójì | international | 这是一所国际学校。 (This is an international school.) |
| 典型 | diǎnxíng | typical | 这是典型的北京菜。 (This is typical Beijing food.) |
| 一般 | yìbān | general, ordinary, so-so | 这家饭馆很一般。 (This restaurant is just so-so.) |
| 具体 | jùtǐ | specific, concrete | 请说得具体一点儿。 (Please be a bit more specific.) |
| 各种 | gèzhǒng | various, all kinds of | 这里有各种水果。 (There are all kinds of fruit here.) |
| 共同 | gòngtóng | common, shared | 我们有共同的爱好。 (We have shared hobbies.) |
| 外地 | wàidì | from out of town, non-local | 他是外地人。 (He is not from around here.) |
Helper Words: Connections & essentials
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| 我 | wǒ | I, me | 我是学生。 (I'm a student.) |
| 你 | nǐ | you | 你会说中文吗？ (Do you speak Chinese?) |
| 您 | nín | you (polite) | 您贵姓？ (May I ask your surname?) |
| 他 | tā | he, him | 他是我哥哥。 (He's my older brother.) |
| 她 | tā | she, her | 她在这儿工作。 (She works here.) |
| 它 | tā | it | 它是我的猫。 (It's my cat.) |
| 我们 | wǒmen | we, us | 我们住在北京。 (We live in Beijing.) |
| 咱们 | zánmen | we, us (including you) | 咱们走吧。 (Let's go.) |
| 你们 | nǐmen | you (plural) | 你们来参加聚会吗？ (Are you all coming to the party?) |
| 他们 | tāmen | they, them | 他们是我的朋友。 (They're my friends.) |
| 自己 | zìjǐ | oneself, myself | 我自己做的。 (I made it myself.) |
| 大家 | dàjiā | everyone, everybody | 大家好！ (Hello, everyone!) |
| 别人 | biérén | other people, others | 别管别人怎么说。 (Don't worry about what other people say.) |
| 的 | de | possessive particle ('s), links a description to a noun | 这是我的书。 (This is my book.) |
| 这 | zhè | this | 这是我妈妈。 (This is my mother.) |
| 那 | nà | that | 那是什么？ (What's that?) |
| 这些 | zhèxiē | these | 这些鞋很贵。 (These shoes are expensive.) |
| 那些 | nàxiē | those | 那些孩子是我的学生。 (Those children are my students.) |
| 这里 | zhèlǐ | here | 请到这里来。 (Please come here.) |
| 那里 | nàlǐ | there | 我家在那里。 (My home is over there.) |
| 一 | yī | one, a | 我有一个妹妹。 (I have a younger sister.) |
| 个 | gè | (general measure word for people and things) | 我买了三个苹果。 (I bought three apples.) |
| 本 | běn | (measure word for books) | 我有两本书。 (I have two books.) |
| 张 | zhāng | (measure word for flat things: paper, tables, tickets) | 请给我一张票。 (One ticket, please.) |
| 件 | jiàn | (measure word for clothes and matters) | 我买了一件衬衫。 (I bought a shirt.) |
| 位 | wèi | (polite measure word for people) | 请问，几位？ (How many people, please?) |
| 别的 | biéde | other, else | 你还要别的吗？ (Would you like anything else?) |
| 谁 | shéi | who | 他是谁？ (Who is he?) |
| 什么 | shénme | what | 你叫什么名字？ (What's your name?) |
| 哪儿 | nǎr | where | 你去哪儿？ (Where are you going?) |
| 怎么 | zěnme | how | 这个字怎么读？ (How do you read this character?) |
| 怎么样 | zěnmeyàng | how is it, how about | 你最近怎么样？ (How have you been lately?) |
| 为什么 | wèishénme | why | 你为什么不来？ (Why aren't you coming?) |
| 哪 | nǎ | which | 你要哪个？ (Which one do you want?) |
| 几 | jǐ | how many (small numbers) | 你有几个孩子？ (How many children do you have?) |
| 多少 | duōshao | how much, how many | 这个多少钱？ (How much is this?) |
| 吗 | ma | (question particle: turns a statement into a yes/no question) | 你是老师吗？ (Are you a teacher?) |
| 呢 | ne | (particle: "and you?", "what about...?") | 我很好，你呢？ (I'm fine, and you?) |
| 和 | hé | and | 我和我妈妈。 (My mum and I.) |
| 但是 | dànshì | but | 很贵，但是很好。 (It's expensive, but it's good.) |
| 不过 | búguò | however, but | 很好吃，不过有点儿贵。 (It's delicious, but a bit expensive.) |
| 或者 | huòzhě | or | 周六或者周日都可以。 (Saturday or Sunday are both fine.) |
| 还是 | háishi | or (in questions) | 你要茶还是咖啡？ (Would you like tea or coffee?) |
| 因为 | yīnwèi | because | 因为下雨，我没去。 (I didn't go because it was raining.) |
| 所以 | suǒyǐ | so, therefore | 我很累，所以想早点儿睡。 (I'm tired, so I want to go to bed early.) |
| 如果 | rúguǒ | if | 如果下雨，我就不去了。 (If it rains, I won't go.) |
| 虽然 | suīrán | although | 虽然很累，但是很开心。 (Although I'm tired, I'm very happy.) |
| 而且 | érqiě | and also, moreover | 这里很便宜，而且很近。 (It's cheap here, and it's close too.) |
| 也 | yě | also, too | 我也是学生。 (I'm a student too.) |
| 然后 | ránhòu | then, after that | 先吃饭，然后去看电影。 (First we'll eat, then go and see a film.) |
| 比 | bǐ | than, compared with | 他比我高。 (He's taller than me.) |
| 像 | xiàng | like, similar to | 她像她妈妈一样漂亮。 (She's as pretty as her mother.) |
| 一边 | yìbiān | while (doing two things at once) | 他一边吃饭一边看电视。 (He watches TV while he eats.) |
| 直到 | zhídào | until | 我等你直到十点。 (I'll wait for you until ten.) |
| 得 | de | (particle linking a verb to how it is done) | 他跑得很快。 (He runs very fast.) |
| 把 | bǎ | (particle putting the object before the verb) | 请把门关上。 (Please close the door.) |
| 在 | zài | at, in, on (a place) | 我在家吃饭。 (I'm eating at home.) |
| 里 | lǐ | in, inside (after a noun) | 钱在包里。 (The money is in the bag.) |
| 上 | shàng | on, on top of (after a noun) | 书在桌子上。 (The book is on the table.) |
| 下 | xià | under, below (after a noun) | 猫在床下。 (The cat is under the bed.) |
| 上面 | shàngmiàn | above, on top | 钥匙在冰箱上面。 (The keys are on top of the fridge.) |
| 外面 | wàimiàn | outside | 孩子们在外面玩。 (The children are playing outside.) |
| 前面 | qiánmiàn | in front, ahead | 银行就在前面。 (The bank is just ahead.) |
| 后面 | hòumiàn | behind, at the back | 花园在房子后面。 (The garden is behind the house.) |
| 旁边 | pángbiān | next to, beside | 他坐在我旁边。 (He's sitting next to me.) |
| 从 | cóng | from | 我从上海来。 (I'm from Shanghai.) |
| 到 | dào | to, until | 从北京到上海要五个小时。 (It's five hours from Beijing to Shanghai.) |
| 往 | wǎng | towards | 往左走。 (Go left.) |
| 离 | lí | from (distance) | 我家离学校很近。 (My home is close to the school.) |
| 跟 | gēn | with, and | 我跟朋友去看电影。 (I'm going to see a film with friends.) |
| 给 | gěi | for, to (someone) | 我给你打电话。 (I'll give you a call.) |
| 对 | duì | to, towards (someone) | 他对我很好。 (He's very good to me.) |
| 关于 | guānyú | about, concerning | 这是一本关于中国的书。 (This is a book about China.) |
| 除了 | chúle | except, apart from | 除了他，大家都来了。 (Everyone came except him.) |
| 现在 | xiànzài | now | 现在几点？ (What time is it now?) |
| 马上 | mǎshàng | right away, at once | 我马上来。 (I'm coming right away.) |
| 已经 | yǐjīng | already | 我已经吃了。 (I've already eaten.) |
| 总是 | zǒngshì | always | 他总是迟到。 (He's always late.) |
| 常常 | chángcháng | often | 我常常去那家饭馆。 (I often go to that restaurant.) |
| 有时候 | yǒushíhou | sometimes | 我有时候在家工作。 (Sometimes I work from home.) |
| 通常 | tōngcháng | usually | 我通常七点起床。 (I usually get up at seven.) |
| 从来 | cónglái | ever (从来不 = never) | 我从来不喝酒。 (I never drink alcohol.) |
| 今天 | jīntiān | today | 今天是星期一。 (Today is Monday.) |
| 明天 | míngtiān | tomorrow | 明天见！ (See you tomorrow!) |
| 昨天 | zuótiān | yesterday | 昨天下雨了。 (It rained yesterday.) |
| 今晚 | jīnwǎn | tonight | 今晚你有空吗？ (Are you free tonight?) |
| 以后 | yǐhòu | later, after, in future | 以后再说吧。 (Let's talk about it later.) |
| 以前 | yǐqián | before, previously | 我以前住在上海。 (I used to live in Shanghai.) |
| 先 | xiān | first, beforehand | 你先走吧。 (You go first.) |
| 再 | zài | again (in future), then | 请再说一遍。 (Please say it again.) |
| 又 | yòu | again (already happened) | 他又迟到了。 (He's late again.) |
| 还 | hái | still, also | 他还在睡觉。 (He's still sleeping.) |
| 刚 | gāng | just (a moment ago) | 我刚到。 (I've just arrived.) |
| 就 | jiù | then, right away, exactly | 我马上就来。 (I'll be right there.) |
| 才 | cái | only then, not until | 他十点才起床。 (He didn't get up until ten.) |
| 一直 | yìzhí | all along, continuously | 我一直在等你。 (I've been waiting for you all this time.) |
| 正在 | zhèngzài | in the middle of (doing) | 我正在做饭。 (I'm cooking right now.) |
| 最近 | zuìjìn | recently, lately | 你最近忙吗？ (Have you been busy lately?) |
| 终于 | zhōngyú | finally, at last | 你终于来了！ (You've finally arrived!) |
| 了 | le | (particle: completed action or new situation) | 下雨了。 (It's started raining.) |
| 过 | guo | (particle: have ever done) | 我去过北京。 (I've been to Beijing.) |
| 着 | zhe | (particle: ongoing state) | 门开着。 (The door is open.) |
| 很 | hěn | very | 今天很热。 (It's very hot today.) |
| 太 | tài | too, so | 太贵了！ (It's too expensive!) |
| 非常 | fēicháng | extremely, really | 我非常喜欢这儿。 (I really love it here.) |
| 真 | zhēn | really, truly | 你真好！ (You're really kind!) |
| 最 | zuì | most | 我最喜欢秋天。 (I like autumn best.) |
| 更 | gèng | even more | 今天比昨天更冷。 (It's even colder today than yesterday.) |
| 多 | duō | many, much, a lot | 这里人很多。 (There are a lot of people here.) |
| 少 | shǎo | few, little | 今天人很少。 (There aren't many people today.) |
| 一点儿 | yìdiǎnr | a little, a bit | 请说慢一点儿。 (Please speak a bit more slowly.) |
| 有点儿 | yǒudiǎnr | a bit, slightly (usually negative) | 我有点儿累。 (I'm a bit tired.) |
| 比较 | bǐjiào | fairly, relatively | 今天比较冷。 (It's fairly cold today.) |
| 都 | dōu | all, both | 我们都是学生。 (We're all students.) |
| 每 | měi | each, every | 我每天跑步。 (I run every day.) |
| 一些 | yìxiē | some, a few | 我买了一些水果。 (I bought some fruit.) |
| 两 | liǎng | two (before a measure word) | 我有两个孩子。 (I have two children.) |
| 够 | gòu | enough | 钱不够。 (There isn't enough money.) |
| 只 | zhǐ | only, just | 我只要一杯水。 (I only want a glass of water.) |
| 几乎 | jīhū | almost | 我几乎忘了。 (I almost forgot.) |
| 差不多 | chàbuduō | about, nearly | 我们差不多到了。 (We're nearly there.) |
| 不 | bù | not, no | 我不喝咖啡。 (I don't drink coffee.) |
| 没 | méi | not (did not, have not) | 我没去。 (I didn't go.) |
| 没有 | méiyǒu | not have, there isn't | 我没有钱。 (I don't have any money.) |
| 别 | bié | don't | 别走！ (Don't go!) |
| 能 | néng | can, to be able to | 你能帮我吗？ (Can you help me?) |
| 会 | huì | can (know how to), will | 我会说一点儿中文。 (I can speak a little Chinese.) |
| 可以 | kěyǐ | may, can (be allowed to) | 我可以进来吗？ (May I come in?) |
| 应该 | yīnggāi | should, ought to | 你应该多休息。 (You should rest more.) |
| 要 | yào | will, going to, must | 我明天要去上海。 (I'm going to Shanghai tomorrow.) |
| 必须 | bìxū | must (strong) | 你必须今天完成。 (You must finish it today.) |
| 一定 | yídìng | definitely, must | 我一定来。 (I'll definitely come.) |
| 也许 | yěxǔ | maybe, perhaps | 也许他不知道。 (Maybe he doesn't know.) |
| 大概 | dàgài | probably, about | 他大概不来了。 (He's probably not coming.) |
| 不用 | búyòng | no need to | 不用谢。 (No need to thank me.) |
| 吧 | ba | (particle: suggestion or "I suppose") | 我们走吧。 (Let's go.) |
| 你好 | nǐhǎo | hello | 你好！我叫王明。 (Hello! My name is Wang Ming.) |
| 再见 | zàijiàn | goodbye | 再见，明天见！ (Goodbye, see you tomorrow!) |
| 喂 | wéi | hello (on the phone) | 喂，你好！ (Hello?) |
| 是的 | shìde | yes, that's right | 是的，我是老师。 (Yes, I'm a teacher.) |
| 嗯 | ǹg | mm, yeah | 嗯，我知道。 (Mm, I know.) |
| 谢谢 | xièxie | thank you | 谢谢你！ (Thank you!) |
| 不客气 | búkèqi | you're welcome | ——谢谢！——不客气。 ("Thank you!" "You're welcome.") |
| 对不起 | duìbuqǐ | sorry | 对不起，我来晚了。 (Sorry I'm late.) |
| 没关系 | méiguānxi | it doesn't matter, that's all right | ——对不起！——没关系。 ("Sorry!" "That's all right.") |
| 请 | qǐng | please | 请坐。 (Please sit down.) |
| 好的 | hǎode | OK, all right | 好的，八点见。 (OK, see you at eight.) |
| 当然 | dāngrán | of course | 当然可以！ (Of course you can!) |
| 欢迎 | huānyíng | welcome | 欢迎来中国！ (Welcome to China!) |
| 加油 | jiāyóu | come on!, go for it! | 加油！你能行！ (Go for it! You can do it!) |