Learn Mandarin Chinese Vocabulary
Chinese words & examples on 30+ topics
Vocabulary fuels your Chinese learning.
Of course, there are other aspects of the language learning too — grammar, listening & speaking skills, cultural knowledge — but vocabulary is at the core of it! The more words you know and, more importantly, can use, the more clearly you will be able to express your thoughts and understand others.
How to Use This Page
Use this page as a guide to many (over 30!) free Chinese vocabulary lists we have on NihaoCafe blog. Some of them are suitable for beginners; other will be more suitable for intermediate & advanced levels.
But as it happens in real life, daily language doesn’t always follow the HSK levels. So pick and choose any words you’d like to learn (or need for your daily conversations) and don’t worry about their ‘difficulty’!
All Nihao Cafe’s Chinese vocabulary lists come with:
- Accurate pinyin;
- Hand-picked English translations;
- Creative examples written by NihaoCafe teachers;
- Audio pronunciation of the words recorded by NihaoCafe teachers in putonghua, standard Chinese pronunciation;
- Custom-made illustrations to help you visualize these words;
- Quiz feature so you can test yourself on both Chinese and English translations.
You can use them to:
- learn new Chinese words;
- learn how to use these words in context with simple examples.
Happy learning — and feel free to share your favorite lists with friends!
Vocabulary Quiz
Do you feel confident enough to test yourself on vocabulary right from the start?
Then click Start the Quiz and dive in!
If not, you can always come back to this section and toggle the switch on later.
Chinese Vocabulary Topics
You can use these quick links to jump to a topic you like.
General
- Numbers in Chinese
- Languages & Nationalities in Chinese
- Technology / IT in Chinese
- Money & Shopping-related Vocabulary in Chinese
- Economics in Chinese
- Sports in Chinese
- Seasons in Chinese
Food
House
People
Nature
Misc
Numbers
Learn how to count in Chinese, especially words for 1000 and 10000 which are always very useful to know.
千
thousand
我每个月的房租是3千五百元。
My monthly rent is 3,500 yuan.
号
Number
今天几月几号？
What day is it today?
Languages & Nationalities
Learn what to call different nationalities in Chinese, so that you can tell where you and your friends are from.
英文
English
这首英文歌很好听。
This English song is very nice.
汉语
Chinese
她是一名汉语老师。
She is a Chinese teacher.
口语
Spoken language
他想要每天练习口语。
He wants to practice his spoken Chinese every day.
Technology / IT
Learn the different terms related to IT and Technology. Whether these terms are related to WeChat, Alipay, or payment and communication in general, they are all quite useful in everyday life.
技术
Technology
科学技术快速发展。
The rapid development of science and technology.
刷脸
Face scan
现在可以刷脸支付了。
Now you can pay with face recognition.
扫
To scan
你扫我还是我扫你？
Will you scan my QR code or shall I scan yours?
发语音
To send a voice message
我喜欢给朋友发语音。
I like to voice my friends.
Money & Shopping
Learn all the terms related to money and shopping, so that next time you need to buy some new piece of clothes, you know how to express yourself.
收货
To receive goods
请在这里写一下你的收货地址。
Please write your delivery address here.
现金
Cash
可以用现金吗？
Can I pay with cash?
小票
Receipt
这是您的小票。
This is your receipt.
买单
To pay the bill
今天的晚饭我来买单。
I’ll pay the bill for today’s dinner.
Economics
Learn the most important economics terms in order to talk business with local people.
房价
house/apartment price
市中心的房价只涨不跌。
Housing prices in the city center only rise but never fall.
元
Chinese yuan(unit of money)
这杯咖啡三十元。
This cup of coffee is thirty yuan.
完美
Perfect
世界上没有完美的人。
There is no perfect person in the world.
Sports
Learn the name of the most commonly played sports ; whether it’s tennis, football or basketball, it’s always useful to know those names in order to start a small talk.
足球
Football
你喜欢踢足球吗？
Do you like playing football?
球员
Football player
我最喜欢的球员是梅西。
My favorite player is Messi.
篮球
basketball
要一起去打篮球吗？
Do you want to play basketball together?
游泳
To swim
今天下午你要去游泳吗？
Are you going swimming this afternoon?
Seasons
Learn how to call the different seasons of the year, so that you can get ready for the hot and cold temperatures.
季节
Season
你最喜欢的季节是什么？
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE SEASON?
秋天
Autumn
北京的秋天很漂亮。
AUTUMN IN BEIJING IS VERY BEAUTIFUL.
冬天
Winter
冬天很冷。
WINTER IS VERY COLD.
Western food
Learn the name of the most common western ingredients and dishes, in order to order them in the restaurant or at the supermarket whenever you miss food from home.
牛肉
Beef
牛肉面很好吃。
THE BEEF NOODLES ARE DELICIOUS.
面包
Bread
今天早饭是面包和牛奶。
BREAKFAST TODAY IS BREAD AND MILK.
披萨
Pizza
意大利人喜欢吃披萨。
ITALIANS LIKE TO EAT PIZZA.
沙拉
Salad
我点了一份沙拉。
I ORDERED A SALAD.
Fruits
Learn how to call the most important fruits, because it’s important to provide your body with a lot of vitamins.
苹果
apple
这个苹果不太甜。
THIS APPLE IS NOT TOO SWEET.
香蕉
banana
香蕉多少钱一斤？
HOW MUCH IS A POUND OF BANANAS?
葡萄
grape
我们点了一瓶红葡萄酒。
WE ORDERED A BOTTLE OF RED WINE
水果
fruit
吃水果对身体好。
EATING FRUIT IS GOOD FOR YOUR HEALTH.
Desserts
Learn how to call the most delicious desserts so that next time at the restaurant, you can treat yourself some yummy dish.
饼干
Biscuits
桌子上放着很多饼干。
There are many biscuits on the table.
蛋糕
cake
我想吃一块儿蛋糕。
I want to eat a piece of cake.
巧克力
chocolate
小朋友爱吃巧克力。
Children love chocolate.
House Rooms
Learn how to call the different rooms of an apartment. This is especially useful when you need to describe your dream flat to a real estate agent.
房间
Room
我家有四个房间。
There are four rooms in my house.
厕所
Bathroom
厕所在一楼。
The bathroom is on the first floor.
窗
Window
我想要一个靠窗的位置。
I want a position by the window.
客厅
Living room
你家客厅很大。
Your living room is very big.
Home Furniture
Learn the names of the furniture items you might need to buy in China when changing apartment. It’s important to know how the different pieces are called in case you need to replace them or order them online.
衣柜
Wardrobe
这个衣柜很高。
This wardrobe is very tall.
垃圾桶
Trash can
请把垃圾扔进垃圾桶里。
Please throw the rubbish in the trash can.
桌子
Table
咖啡在桌子上。
Coffee on the table.
镜子
Mirror
不可以把镜子放在床对面。
Do not put the mirror on the opposite side of the bed.
House appliances
Learn the name of the different devices at your apartment. It’s important to know how to call the appliances, for example if you need to call the repair man to come fix some broken devices.
空调
Air conditioning
夏天经常用空调。
AIR CONDITIONING IS OFTEN USED IN SUMMER.
洗碗机
Dishwasher
我要换一个新的洗碗机。
I WANT TO REPLACE IT WITH A NEW DISHWASHER.
烤箱
Oven
用烤箱烤面包。
Bake bread in the oven.
洗衣机
Washing machine
洗衣机坏了。
The washing machine is broken.
Daily Use Objects
Learn the name of the different objects of your daily life, so that you can ask for it in the supermarket.
日用品
Daily necessities
我去超市买日用品。
I go to the supermarket to buy daily necessities.
柴米油盐
firewood, rice, oil and salt (expression)
做饭需要柴米油盐。
You need firewood, rice, oil and salt to cook.
牙膏
toothpaste
牙膏用完了。
I ran out of toothpaste.
Family members
Learn how to call the different family members. You might know that Chinese vocabulary is very precise for family members, that’s why it’s important to know them all in order to not get confused when talking about a specific person.
家庭
Family
我有一个大家庭。
I HAVE A BIG FAMILY.
女朋友
Girlfriend
我的女朋友很漂亮。
MY GIRLFRIEND IS VERY BEAUTIFUL.
妻子
Wife
我的妻子是上海人。
MY WIFE IS FROM SHANGHAI.
丈夫
Husband
她丈夫是一名警察。
HER HUSBAND IS A POLICEMAN.
People
Learn the most important nouns and adjectives describing people, so that you can easily describe individuals.
老
Old
他是我的老朋友。
He is my old friend.
年轻
Young
现在的年轻人都离不开手机。
Young people today are inseparable from mobile phones.
孩子
Child
他的孩子都很优秀。
His children are excellent.
友情
Friendship
友情和爱情哪个更重要？
Which is more important, friendship or love?
Celebrities
Learn the name of the some celebrities, actors or fictional characters.
成龙
Jackie Chan
你看过成龙的电影吗？
HAVE YOU SEEN JACKIE CHAN’S MOVIE?
创始人
Founder
马云是阿里巴巴的创始人。
MA YUN IS THE FOUNDER OF ALIBABA.
超人
Superman
超人会飞。
SUPERMAN CAN FLY.
Habits
Learn the most common animal names in Chinese. Learn how to pronounce the 12 zodiac animals, but also other animals of the farm.
养生
Keep in good health
中国人很懂养生。
Chinese people know a lot about health & nutrition.
抽烟
To smoke
房间里不可以抽烟。
Smoking is not allowed in the room.
Body Parts
Learn the names for different body parts in Chinese, so that next time you go to a massage place, to see a doctor or to get a new haircut, you can describe the body they should pay particular attention to.
身体
body
我身体不舒服。
I’m not feeling well.
脸
face
她的脸红了。
She blushed.
头发
hair
你的头发很长。
Your hair is long.
刘海儿
bangs / fringe
我想剪刘海儿。
I want to get bangs.
Make Up
Learn terms related to make up and cosmetics, so that next time you need to make a present for your best friend’s birthday, you know what to ask for.
化妆
make up
今天来不及化妆就出门了。
I went out before I had time to put on makeup today.
护肤品
Skin care products
我一直用这个牌子的护肤品。
I always use this brand of skin care products.
Animals
Learn the most common animal names in Chinese — including pets from dogs & cats to birds, fishes & butterflies — and other common animal species in the animal kingdom!
动物
Animal
你最喜欢的动物是什么？
What’s your favourite animal?
宠物
Pet
你养宠物吗?
Do you have a pet?
猫
Cat
我家有一只小猫。
I have a cat.
Plants
Learn all the terms related to plants and more generally nature, so that next time you need to add some green to your living room, you know what to look for.
草
grass
不要坐在草地上。
Don’t sit on the grass.
花
flower
我们去花店买花吧！
Let’s go to the flower shop to buy flowers!
叶子
leaf
树上的叶子是黄色的。
The leaves on the tree are yellow.
Holidays
Learn what to call the different celebrations of the year and get ready to celebrate with people that count.
生日
Birthday
你养宠物吗?
Do you have a pet?
婚礼
Wedding
很多中国老年人喜欢养鸟。
Many old Chinese people like to HAVe birds as A pet.
圣诞节
Christmas
你最喜欢的动物是什么？
What’s your favourite animal?