TridindiaTridindiaTridindia

Basic Chinese Vocabulary: 299+ Essential Chinese Words To Learn

Chinese language is dominating the world, and it has now become one of the most popular languages in the world. With time, China has gained great dominance in every sector, and due to its advancement in various fields, people are eager to learn Chinese language and its vocabulary.

It is evident China is a major player on the global stage, and the Chinese language and culture play a major role in navigating international business. China’s rapidly growing economy has created a demand for professionals with Chinese language skills to get into diverse fields.

Everyone used Traditional Chinese earlier but then the Government issued new Simplified Chinese characters thus making the language much easier to learn. One of the reasons why is language translation important in Chinese language is to connect with a promising audience base in the best way.

Popularity Of Chinese Language

The major intention of introducing Simplified Chinese is to increase Chinese speaking peoples. So, it was simplified to limit the number of pen strokes required for writing many of the characters. Even though the Chinese language is now simplified, it is still a difficult language to translate.

As businesses prefer translation, Chinese language translation is carried out by most translators consider it as the tough challenge. It requires extensive experience to achieve the accuracy of a translation. You need well-qualified translator who understands the intricacies of the Chinese language and follow Chinese translation guidelines to establish clarity.

299+ Basic Chinese Words

Not only businesses, but even individuals who are planning a trip to China look to expand their cultural horizons and learn the basics of Chinese language. Here are the basic 299+ Chinese vocabulary words for you:

1. Chinese Words For Body Parts – Find it easy to speak body parts in Chinese language:

English Words Chinese Translation
Body shēn tǐ 身体
Mouth zuǐ
Head tóu
Face liǎn
Hand shǒu
Arm gē bo 胳膊
Leg tuǐ
 

Feet

jiǎodǐ 脚底
Chest xiōng
Back bèi

2. Chinese Words For Animals – Know how to pronounce different animals in Chinese language:

English Words Chinese Translation
Animal dòng wù 动物
Dragon lóng
Dog gǒu
Cow niú
Rat shǔ
Tiger
Horse
Rabbit tù zǐ 兔子
Dolphin hǎi tún 海豚

3. Chinese Words For Plants – Identify the plants and their common names in Chinese language:

English Words Chinese Translation
Lily bǎihé 百合
Lotus liánhuā 莲花
Cactus xiānrénzhǎng 仙人掌
Rose méiguī 玫瑰
Sunflower xiàngrìkuí 向日葵
Lavender xūnyīcǎo 薰衣草
Daisy chújú huā 雏菊花
Bamboo zhúzi 竹子
Iris yuānwěi huā 鸢尾花
Orchid lánhuā 兰花

4. Chinese Words For Colors – Learn to describe the color in Chinese language:

English Words Chinese Translation
Red hóng sè 红色
White bái sè 白色
Black hēi sè 黑色
Blue lán sè 蓝色
Pink fěn sè 粉色
Green lǜ sè 绿色
Gold jīn sè 金色
Purple zǐ sè 紫色
Gray huī sè 灰色
Yellow huáng sè 黄色

5. Chinese Words For Directions – When in doubt you can seek Chinese translation but here are basic Chinese words to understand directions in Chinese language:

English Words Chinese Translation
Right yòu biān 右边
Left zuǒ biān 左边
Up xiàng shàng 向上
Down xiàng xià 向下
Go straight zhí zǒu 直走
Go backwards xiàng hòu zǒu 向后走
Over guò 通过
Through tōng guò 通过
North běi
Stop tíng

6. Chinese Words For Furniture – Get to buy the furniture for your house with simple Chinese words:

English Words Chinese Translation
Bed chuáng
Table zhuō zi 桌子
Couch shā fā 沙发
Chair yǐ zi 椅子
Mirror jìng zi 镜子
Carpet dìtǎn 地毯
Fireplace bì lú 壁炉
Blinds bǎi yè chuāng 百叶窗
Table lamp tái dēng 台灯
Wallpaper qiáng zhǐ 墙纸

7. Chinese Words For A House – Know the vocabulary for the house and its spaces:

English Words Chinese Translation
House jiā
Bedroom wòshì 卧室
Basement dìxià shì 地下室
Kitchen chúfáng 厨房
Bathroom xǐshou jiān 洗手间
Toilet wèishēng jiān 卫生间
Dining Room cāntīng 餐厅
Office bàngōngshì 办公室
Downstairs lóuxià 楼下
Upstairs lóushang 楼上

8. Chinese Words For Instruments – Before you learn to play instruments, know their Chinese pronunciation:

English Words Chinese Translation
Cello dàtíqín 大提琴
Trumpet lǎbā 喇叭
Guitar jítā 吉他
Violin xiǎotíqín 小提琴
Harp shùqín 竖琴
Piano gāngqín 钢琴
Xylophone mùqín 木琴
Drums
Flute chángdí 长笛
Trombone cháng hào 长号

9. Chinese Words For Jewelry – Get to add more jewelry in your collection by using these Chinese words for the following at the shop:

English Words Chinese Translation
Necklace xiàngliàn 项链
Ring jièzhi 戒指
Bracelet shǒuliàn 手链
Earrings ěrhuán 耳环
Nose ring bíhuán 鼻环
Tiffany & Co dìfúní 蒂芙尼
Pandora pānduōlā 潘多拉
Diamond zuànshí 钻石
Gold huángjīn 黄金
Silver yín

10. Chinese Words For Money – Your purchase needs to have clear language and communication and following Chinese words will make it easy to handle the money task:

English Words Chinese Translation
bank yín háng 银行
coin yìngbì 硬币
money qián
debt zhài wù 债务
credit card xìn yòng kǎ 信用卡
price jià qian 价钱
to pay
give change líng qián 零钱
exchange rate huì lǜ 汇率
ATM zì dòng qǔ kuǎn jī 自动取款机

11. Chinese Words For Makeup – Enhance your beauty with makeup products and know their pronunciation in Chinese language.

English Words Chinese Translation
Foundation fěndǐ 粉底
Forehead é’tóu 额头
Eyebrows méimáo 眉毛
Face liǎn
Bronzing powder gǔ tóng fěn 古铜粉
Highlighter gāoguāng 高光
Blush sāihóng 腮红
Eye shadow yǎnyǐng 眼影
Contour xiū róng 修容
Concealer zhēxiá gāo 遮瑕膏

12. Chinese Words For Occupation – Get to know about the job and their pronunciation in Chinese language:

English Words Chinese Translation
Job gōngzuò 工作
Teacher lǎo shī 老师
Designer shè jì shī 设计师
Accountant kuài jì 会计
Artist yì shù jiā 艺术家
Lawyer lǜ shī 律师
Farmer nóngmín 农民
Beautician měi róng shī 美容师
Doctor yī shēng 医生
Hairdresser lǐ fà shī 理发师

13. Chinese Words For Opposites – Get to know the words and their opposites in the Chinese language:

English Words Chinese Translation
Big
Small xiǎo
Sick shēng bìng 生病
Healthy jiàn kāng 健康
Rich fù yǒu 富有
Poor pín qióng 贫穷
Happy kuài lè 快乐
Sad shāngxīn 伤心
Fast kuài
Slow màn

14. Chinese Words For Places – Chinese is the top most spoken language in the world and know how to take names of the top places in the world in the Chinese language:

English Words Chinese Translation
India yìn dù 印度
America měi guó 美国
France fà guó 法国
Brazil bā xī 巴西
Phuket pǔ jí dǎo 普吉岛
South Africa nán fēi 南非
Japan rì běn 日本
Egypt āi jí 埃及
New York niǔ yuē 纽约
London lún dūn 伦敦

15. Chinese Words For Clothes – Make your purchasing more easy by using Chinese words for shopping:

English Words Chinese Translation
Trousers kù zi 裤子
Jeans niú zǎi kù 牛仔裤
Shorts duǎn kù 短裤
Suit xī zhuāng 西装
Dress liányīqún 连衣裙
T-shirt T xù T恤
Skirt qún zi 裙子
Jumper máo yī 毛衣
Gown Páo

 

 

Socks wàzi 袜子

16. Chinese Words For Questions – Don’t hesitate and use these words to ask question in Chinese language:

English Words Chinese Translation
What shén me 什么
Who shéi
Where nǎ lǐ 哪里
Why wèi shén me 为什么
Which nǎ ge 哪个
When shén me shí hou 什么时候
How zěn me 怎么
Do you like China? nín xǐ huan zhōng guó ma? 您喜欢中国吗?
What’s your name? nín jiào shénme míngzi? 您叫什么名字
Where do you live? nín zhù zài nǎ lǐ? 您住在哪里?

17. Chinese Words For Days – Understand how Chinese people pronounce the days of the week:

English Words Chinese Translation
Sunday xīng qī tiān 星期天
Monday xīng qī yī 星期一
Tuesday Zhōu’èr 周二
Wednesday Zhōusān 周三
Thursday Zhōu sì 周四
Friday Xīngqíwǔ 星期五
Saturday Zhōu liù 周六
Morning zǎo chén 早晨
Afternoon

 

Xiàwǔ 下午
Night yè wǎn 夜晚

18. Chinese Words For Shopping – Make it easy for you to know the right words to buy following for yourself:

English Words Chinese Translation
Cars qìchē 汽车
Home jūjiā 居家
Appliances jiādiàn 家电
Digital shùmǎ 数码
Toys wánjù 玩具
Entertainment yúlè 娱乐
Furniture jiājù 家具
Beauty měi zhuāng 美妆
Personal care gè hù 个护
Jewellery shìpǐn 饰品

19. Chinese Words For Shower – Know the Chinese pronunciation for the shower and its essentials:

English Words Chinese Translation
To shower línyù 淋浴
To bathe xǐzǎo 洗澡
Body Wash mùyùlù 沐浴露
Shampoo xǐfàshuǐ 洗发水
Conditioner hùfàsù 护发素
Moisturizer hùfūshuāng 护肤霜
Soap féizào 肥皂
Face wash xǐmiànnǎi 洗面奶
Hair dryer chuīfēngjī 吹风机
Towel máojīn 毛巾

20. Chinese Words For Vegetables – Understand how Chinese people pronounce your favorite vegetables:

English Words Chinese Translation
Cabbage juǎnxīncài 卷心菜
Eggplant qié zi 茄子
Asparagus lú sǔn 芦笋
Broccoli xī lán hu 西兰花
Cauliflower cài huā 菜花
Carrot hú luó bo 胡萝卜
Celery qín cài 芹菜
Cucumber huáng guā 黄瓜
Mushrooms mó gu 蘑菇
Garlic dà suàn 大蒜

21. Chinese Words For Transport – Make your travel easier by using these Chinese words:

English Words Chinese Translation
Ambulance jiùhù chē 救护车
Helicopter zhíshēng jī 直升机
Train Huǒchē 火车
Bicycle zìxíng chē 自行车
Taxi chūzū chē 出租车
Bus gōnggòng qìchē 公共汽车
Car chē
Motorbike mótuō chē 摩托车
Tram diànchē 电车
Van miànbāo chē 面包车

22. Chinese Words For Time – Get to know about the right time with time format in Chinese language:

English Words Chinese Translation
Clock shí zhōng 时钟
Hour xiǎo shí 小时
Minute fēn zhōng 分钟
Second miǎo
1 O’Clock yī diǎn 一点
12 O’Clock 12 Diǎn zhōng 12点钟
Morning zǎo shang 早上
Today jīntiān 今天
Yesterday zuótiān 昨天
Tomorrow míngtiān 明天

23. Chinese Words For Sports – Sports are highly preferred in China and look at the games and how they are pronounced in Chinese language:

English Words Chinese Translation
Match qiú sài 球赛
Shooting Shèjí 射击
Table Tennis pīngpāng qiú 乒乓球
Basketball lánqiú 篮球
Cricket bǎn qiú 板球
Boxing quánjí 拳击
Football zúqiú 足球
Run pǎobù 跑步
Swim yóu yǒng 游泳
Skiing huáxuě 滑雪

24. Chinese Words For Olympics – We understand Chinese keep winning medals in Olympics and know how Chinese pronounce Olympic terms:

English Words Chinese Translatio
The Olympic Flag àoyùnhuìhuìqí 奥运会会旗
Olympic Games ào yùn huì 奥运会
Olympic Torch àoyùnhuì de shènghuǒ 奥运会的圣火
Opening Ceremony àoyùnhuì kāimù shì 奥运会开幕式
Athletics tiánjìng 田径
Gold medal jīnpái 金牌
Athlete yùndòngyuán 运动员
Paralympic Games cán ào huì 残奥会
Swimming yóuyǒng 游泳
Cycling zìxíngchē 自行车

25. Chinese Words For Feelings – Don’t repress it but express your feeling in the Chinese words:

English Words Chinese Translation
Grateful gǎnjīde 感激的
Excited xīngfèn 兴奋
Brave yǒnggǎn 勇敢
Carefree wú yōu wú lǜ 无忧无虑
Angry shēngqì 生气
Annoyed nǎo huǒ 恼火
Anxious jiāo lǜ 焦虑
Bored yàn fán 厌烦
Hungry è 饿
Competitive yǒu jìngzhēng lì 有竞争力

26. Chinese Words For Shapes – Learn how to pronounce the shapes in Chinese language:

English Words Chinese Translation
Shape xíng zhuàng 形状
Triangle sān jiǎo xíng 三角形
Square fāng xíng 方形
Circle yuán xíng 圆形
Rectangle jǔ xíng 矩形
Pentagon wǔjiǎoxíng 五角形
Octagon bā jiǎoxíng 八角形
Sphere qiú xíng 球形
Cone zhuī tǐ 锥体
Cube lì fāng tǐ 立方体

27. Chinese Words For Space – Look at how Chinese people pronounce space related terms in their own language:

English Words Chinese Translation
Space tài kōng 太空
Sun tài yáng 太阳
Moon yuè liang 月亮
Mercury shuǐ xīng 水星
Venus jīn xīng 金星
Earth dì qiú 地球
Asteroid xiǎo xíng xīng 小行星
Black Hole hēi dòng 黑洞
Comet huì xīng 彗星
Galaxy yín hé xì 银河系

28. Chinese Words For Mathematics – Get to understand mathematics terms and their pronunciation in Chinese language:

English Words Chinese Translation
Number shù zì 数字
Algebra dài shù 代数
Arithmetic suàn shù 算术
One Half (1/2) èrfēn zhīyī 二分之一
One Third (1/3) sānfēn zhīyī 三分之一
One Quarter (1/4) sìfēn zhīyī 四分之一
Calculus wēi jī fēn 微积分
Odd jī shù de 奇数的
Even ǒu shù de 偶数的
Plus/Add jiā fǎ 加法

29. Chinese Words For Measurements – Learn different measurements terms used in Chinese language:

English Words Chinese Translation
kilogram gōng jīn 公斤
Gram
milligram háo kè 毫克
ton Dūn
length cháng
metre
centimetre lí mǐ 厘米
hectare gōng qǐng 公顷
kilometre gōng lǐ 公里
litre shēng

30. Chinese Words For Stationary – Know these terms before buying any stationary item in Chinese language:

English Words Chinese Translation
School Bag shūbāo 书包
Pencil qiānbǐ 铅笔
Pencil Sharpener zhuànbǐdāo 转笔刀
Pen
Eraser xiàngpí 橡皮
Paperclip qūbiézhēn 曲别针
Stapler dìngshūjī 订书机
Calculator jìsuànqì 计算器
Scissors jiǎndāo 剪刀
Sticky Tape jiāodài 胶带

The Chinese language is one of the best top languages used on the Internet and where you find it challenging to understand things, prefer to get a professional translation.

Conclusion

Learning the Chinese language is not easy language as there is a need to work on the tones, writing, and word formation.  It can be best to learn the basic words but when there is a need for accurate communication, seeking professional translation is essential. Tridindia is here to assist you with top-notch Chinese translation for different industries.

We have a huge team of trained and professional translators who are native language experts to deliver error-free translation.

If you are interested to know more about us, contact us at +91-8527599523 or quickly send us a instant quote.

Leave A Comment