🇨🇳
Chinese Vocabulary
2,183 words to learn
Build your Chinese vocabulary with pronunciations and example sentences.
七点 Chee dee-en (like 'cheese' + 'dee-en')
seven o'clock
noun 孩子 hai-dzuh
child; kid; children
noun 大 Dah (like 'da' in 'father')
big; large
adjective 侄女 Jee-noo (Jee like 'jeep', noo like 'new' with a high-low tone)
niece (brother's daughter)
noun 家人 jyah-ren (jyah as in 'jar', ren as in 'run')
family (members)
noun 都 doh (as in dough)
all, both
adverb 多久 Dwoh jyo
how long / how often
adverb 妈妈 mah-mah (both syllables in the first, high, flat tone)
mom; mother
noun 兄弟 ssyong-dee (like 'sh' in 'shoe' + 'yong' in 'young' + 'dee' in 'deep')
brothers (male siblings)
noun 姐姐 jee-yeh jee-yeh (Jee like in Jeep, the second 'je' is light and quick)
older sister
noun 老大 lao-da (like 'lau' in 'loud' + 'dah' in 'dad')
eldest child/sibling; boss; leader
noun 爸爸 bah-bah (like 'paw-paw' but with 'b's)
dad / father
noun 堂表兄弟姐妹 Tong-beeow-shiong-dee-jee-may
cousins (generic term for all paternal and maternal cousins)
noun 阿姨 ah-yee (like 'ah' in 'father' + 'ee' in 'see')
aunt (mother's sister/general)
noun 想 shyang (like 'sh' in 'ship' followed by 'yahng' in 'young')
to miss (emotionally), to think, to want
verb 哥哥 guh-guh (like 'g' in 'go', slight pause, then another 'guh')
older brother
noun 想要 shyang yow (shyang rhymes with 'hang'; yow like 'y' + 'ow' in 'how')
to want, to wish for
verb 帮助 bahng-joo (like 'bang' + 'joo' in 'juice')
help
noun 岁 'sway' (like the word 'sway' but ending with a 't' sound)
years old
noun 只是 jir-shir (like 'j' in jump, 'shir' in shirt, often said quickly)
just; only; merely
adverb 每 may
every, each
adverb 星期 shing-chee (like 'sheen-chee' in 'shinny')
week
noun 儿子 err-dzuh (r-sound is soft; 'zi' like the 'ts' in 'cats')
son
noun 多大 dwoh dah
how old / how big
adjective 聚会 jyoo-hway
gathering; party; to get together
noun/verb 女儿 Nwee-err (Nwee like French 'nui', err like 'error')
daughter
noun 爱 eye (with a falling tone)
love
verb 开心 Kye-shin (Kye like 'sky', shin like 'sin')
happy, joyful, pleased
adjective 远 yew-en (blending the sounds 'yew' and 'en')
far, distant, away
adjective 棒 bahng (like 'bong' but with a flatter 'a')
great, awesome, excellent
adjective 家 jee-ah
family, home
noun 飞 fay
fly
verb 位 way (like 'wait' without the 't')
measure word for people (polite)
measure word 只 juh
measure word for animals
measure word 宠物 chong-woo
pet
noun 幽默 'Yoh-moh' (Yoh like 'yawn', moh like 'more')
funny/humorous
adjective 马上 Mah-shong (Mah like 'ma' in 'mama', Shong like 'show' + 'ong' in 'song')
soon, immediately
adverb 一起 Yee-chee
together
adverb 母亲 moo-chin (Moo as in 'mood', chin as in 'chin')
mother (formal)
noun 侄子 'Jir-zuh' (like 'Jerk' but with 'zih')
nephew (brother's son)
noun 回 Hway (like 'h' in 'hello' + 'way' in 'say')
to return, to go back
verb 吃饭 Churr-fahn
to eat (a meal)
verb 做 tswoh
to do; to make; to work as
verb 上班 'Shahng-bahn'
to go to work/to start work/to be on duty
verb 书桌 Shoo-jwor (Shoo like 'shoe'; jwor like 'drawer')
desk
noun 九 'Jee-oh' (pronounced quickly)
nine
number 休息 SHYOH-shee (like 'show' with a 'y' sound + 'shee' like 'she')
rest, take a break
verb 兼职 jee-en zhee (like 'Jian' + 'Zhi')
part-time (job); to work part-time
noun/verb 签名 Chee-en-ming (qiān like 'chee-en', míng like 'ming')
signature; to sign
noun 你 Nee (like the English word 'knee')
You
pronoun Master Chinese vocabulary faster
Learn these words with spaced repetition and native audio in the Language Island app.