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Chinese Vocabulary
2,183 words to learn
Build your Chinese vocabulary with pronunciations and example sentences.
沙拉 Shah-lah
salad
noun 不该 boo g-eye
shouldn't have
auxiliary verb 第二份 dee err fuhn
second helping/portion
noun phrase 足以 Zoo-yee
sufficient to / really speaks to
adverb 说明 Sho-ming
explain / demonstrate
verb 葡萄酒 poo-tao-jyo (poo as in 'pool', tao as in 'dow', jyo as in 'Joe')
wine (grape alcohol)
noun 虽然 sway-ran (like 'sway' then 'ran')
although/while
conjunction 摆盘 bye-pahn (like 'buy' then 'pon')
plating/presentation
noun 漂亮 pee-ow-lee-ang (like 'peel' then 'young')
beautiful/pretty
adjective 味道 way-dow (like 'way' then 'dao')
flavor/taste
noun 正式 jung shrr (like 'chung' + 'shir' in shirt)
formal, official
adjective 道 dow (like 'dao' in 'Tao')
course (of a meal), road, path
measure word 实惠 Shir-hway (like 'sure' + 'hway' in 'way')
affordable, good value, practical
adjective 淡 dahn (like 'dawn')
bland/light (in flavor/color)
adjective 点菜 Dee-en tsai (like 'di-an' and 'ts-eye')
to order dishes/food (in a restaurant)
verb 评论 Ping-loon (like 'ping' pong, 'loon' like moon)
review, comment, critique
noun 羊腿 yahng-tway
lamb shank
noun 还是 hye-shurr
or
conjunction 意式烩饭 ee-shurr hway-fahn
risotto
noun 不过 boo-gwoh
but, however
conjunction 赢了 ying-luh
won out, won
verb 错过 Tswore gwo (like 'tswore' and 'gwoe')
to miss (an opportunity, time, bus, etc.)
verb 晚餐 Wahn tsahn (like 'wahn' as in won, 'tsahn' as in 'tsunami')
dinner, supper
noun 最后 Zway hoe (like 'zway' and 'ho')
last, final, eventually
adjective 入座 Roo tswore (like 'roo' and 'tswoe')
to take a seat, seating
verb 一般 Yee-ban (like 'yee-haw', 'ban' like banish)
mediocre, ordinary, so-so
adjective 无可挑剔 Woo-kuh-tea-tee (four syllables: 'woo' like who, 'kuh' like cut, 'tea', 'tee' like tee-off)
impeccable, flawless, beyond reproach
idiom (adjective) 犹豫 yoh-yoo
hesitate, debate
verb 老实说 Lao-shur shwo (Like 'loud-sure shwo')
frankly, to be honest
adverb/phrase 高档 Gao-dung (Like 'gow-dong')
high-end, high-class
adjective 牛排馆 Nyoh-pie gwan (Like 'neo-pie gwahn')
steakhouse
noun 靠 Cow (Like the animal)
to rely on, to depend on
verb 名气 Ming-chee (Like 'ming-chee')
reputation, fame
noun 撑着 Chung-zuh (Like 'chong-zuh')
sustaining, holding up (a state)
verb 總共 *Dzong-gong*
total; altogether
adverb 却 chweh (like 'ch' in 'chew' then 'way')
yet/but/actually
adverb 一次 Ee tsih (like 'ee' and 'tsuh')
one time, once
measure word phrase 尽管 Jing-gwan (like 'jing' in jingle, 'gwan' like 'gwon' in gwan-tanamo)
despite, even though
conjunction 认为 Ren-way (like 'run' but with 'r', 'way' like road)
to think, to believe, to consider
verb 我觉得 Wuo jew-eh duh
I think/feel
phrase 那家 Nah jee-ah
that (measure word for shop/restaurant)
pronoun/measure word 如此 roo-tsuh
such; in this way; so much
adverb/pronoun 简单 jyahn-dahn
simple; uncomplicated
adjective 精致 jing-juh
exquisite; delicate; sophisticated
adjective 百分之 bye-fen-zher
percent (lit. hundred-part-of)
particle/structure 任何 run-huh (like 'ren' + 'her')
any
pronoun 严重 yen-jong (like 'yawn' + 'dzong')
serious; grave
adjective 饮食限制 yin-shirr shyen-jzerr
dietary restrictions
noun 点餐 dyen-tsan (like 'dee-en' + 'tsun')
to order food
verb 你 Nee (like the English word 'knee')
You
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