80+ Most Common Chinese Words for Beginners

If you can concentrate on mastering basic Chinese words, you will be able to build a solid foundation for improving your language skills. On top of this, you will not only expand your vocabulary, but also improve your ability to form sentences and have a fluent conversation.

Learning basic Mandarin words is crucial for anyone wanting to improve their Chinese language skills. This guide is designed to help beginners build a foundation of Chinese characters. We have collected over 80 of the most common Chinese words and phrases with simple English translations and example sentences.

Each new Chinese word you learn piles up until your vocabulary builds stronger and stronger. This approach is perfect for beginners to get started learning Chinese language quickly!

Basic Greetings in Chinese Words

Basic greetings in Chinese are essential for anyone looking to communicate effectively in the language. In China, simple phrases can make a significant difference in daily interactions. For instance, the word “你好” (nǐ hǎo), which means “hello,” is a fundamental greeting that everyone learns in school.

Chinese characters can seem daunting at first, but once you learn a few key greetings, you’ll find it easier to recognize and use them. These basic greetings form the foundation of the language, allowing you to speak with confidence and make meaningful connections in China.

Most Common Nouns in Chinese Words

Learning Chinese nouns in Mandarin is a fundamental step in mastering any new language, and Chinese is no exception. We will focus on the three basic categories of “food”, “time”, and “family members”, and explore the most common Chinese nouns.

Food in Chinese Words

Cooking or ordering food is an important part of everyday life. So how about learning Chinese food names that are widely used in English? Only by mastering basic food in Chinese vocabulary can you have an enjoyable experience and a better understanding of Chinese general words. Here we’d like to introduce basic Chinese words and phrases which you may need in social situation.

Here are some essential food Chinese nouns:

1. 米饭 (mǐfàn) rice 我想吃米饭。 (I want to eat rice.)
2. 面条 (miàntiáo) noodles 她喜欢吃面条。 (She likes to eat noodles.)
3. 水果 (shuǐguǒ) fruit 他每天吃水果。 (He eats fruit every day.)
4. 蔬菜 (shūcài) vegetables 中国人习惯用筷子夹菜。 (Chinese people are accustomed to using chopsticks to pick up vegetables.)
5. 牛肉 (niúròu) beef 我喜欢吃牛肉。 (I like to eat beef.)
6. 鸡肉 (jīròu) chicken 我今天要做鸡肉。 (I am going to cook chicken today.)
7. 鱼 (yú) fish 她喜欢吃鱼。 (She likes to eat fish.)
8. 蛋 (dàn) egg 我早餐吃了两个蛋。 (I had two eggs for breakfast.)
9. 面包 (miànbāo) bread 他每天吃面包。 (He eats bread every day.)
10. 豆腐 (dòufu) tofu 我喜欢吃豆腐。 (I like to eat tofu.)

Time in Mandarin Chinese

Whether you are traveling to China, or hanging out with Chinese people, it’s necessary to know some essential basic Chinese phrases to help you survive.

In everyday life, time is mentioned in many situations, so understanding time in Chinese is essential for effective daily communication.

11. 上午 (shàngwǔ) morning 我上午有一个会议。 (I have a meeting in the morning.)
12. 下午 (xiàwǔ) afternoon 她下午要去购物。 (She is going shopping in the afternoon.)
13. 晚上 (wǎnshàng) evening 我们晚上一起吃晚餐。 (We will have dinner together in the evening.)
14. 星期一 (xīngqī yī) Monday 我星期一有一场会议。 (I have a meeting on Monday.)
15. 星期二 (xīngqī èr) Tuesday 她星期二去见中文老师。 (She went to meet her Chinese teachers on Tuesday.)
16. 星期三 (xīngqī sān) Wednesday 我星期三和朋友一起吃饭。 (I am having dinner with a friend on Wednesday.)
17. 星期四 (xīngqī sì) Thursday 我星期四要去看电影。 (I will go to see a movie on Thursday.)
18. 星期五 (xīngqī wǔ) Friday 星期五是我最喜欢的一天。 (Friday is my favorite day.)
19. 星期六 (xīngqī liù) Saturday 我星期六去购物。 (I am going shopping on Saturday.)
20. 星期日 (xīngqī rì) Sunday 星期日我喜欢休息(I like to relax on Sunday.)

Understanding time in Chinese is essential for effective communication. Mastering essential basic Chinese phrases related to time allows learners to schedule activities and engage in conversations about their plans.

Family Members in Chinese

If you have learned Chinese, then you should know how to address your family in Chinese, which is a very respectful and fun thing to do.

21. 爸爸 (bàba) father 我的爸爸很忙。 (My father is very busy.)
22. 妈妈 (māma) mother 她的妈妈很好。 (Her mother is very kind.)
23. 兄弟 (xiōngdì) brother 我有一个兄弟。 (I have a brother.)
24. 姐妹 (jiěmèi) sister 她有两个姐妹。 (She has two sisters.)
25. 祖父 (zǔfù) grandfather 我的祖父喜欢讲故事。 (My grandfather likes to tell stories.)
26. 祖母 (zǔmǔ) grandmother 我的祖母会做很多美食。 (My grandmother can cook a lot of delicious food.)

Classic Chinese Verbs

Everyone knows that a sentence will be incomplete without verbs! Verbs are at the core of our conversations because they provide key information. Mastering classic Chinese verbs is essential for effective language learning and communication in Chinese words. Here are the most commonly used Chinese verbs in Mandarin.

27. 走 (zǒu) to walk 我每天早上走路上班。(I walk to work every morning.)
28. 吃 (chī) to eat 我喜欢吃水果。 (I like to eat fruit.)
29. 看 (kàn) to see/watch 我们晚上看电影。 (We will watch a movie tonight.)
30. 学习 (xuéxí) to study 她正在学习中文。 (She is studying Chinese.)
31. 说 (shuō) to speak 你会说流利的中文吗？ (Can you speak fluent Chinese?)
32. 写 (xiě) to write 我每天写日记。 (I write in my diary every day.)
33. 游泳 (yóuyǒng) to swim 夏天我喜欢游泳。 (I like to swim in the summer.)
34. 读 (dú) to read 她每天读书。 (She reads books every day.)
35. 买 (mǎi) to buy 我想买一件新衣服。 (I want to buy a new piece of clothing.)
36. 玩 (wán) to play 孩子们在公园里玩。 (The children are playing in the park.)

Classic Chinese verbs are essential for mastering the language, as they convey fundamental actions and states. Understanding these classic Chinese verbs enables learners to construct meaningful phrases and express themselves effectively. By practicing these verbs in different contexts, you can greatly enhance your communication skills and deepen your appreciation for Chinese culture and literature.

Basic Adjectives in Chinese

Adjectives make our lives more colorful. They help us express emotions, characterize things, and communicate our thoughts and feelings. By using adjectives, we are able to make our language more vivid and specific so that we can better communicate with others. So, here is a list of basic phrases that describe common things.

37. 美丽 (měilì) beautiful 这个花园真美丽。 (This garden is really beautiful.)
38. 快乐 (kuàilè) happy 她总是很快乐。 (She is always very happy.)
39. 聪明 (cōngmíng) smart 他是一个聪明的学生。 (He is a smart student.)
40. 有趣 (yǒuqù) interesting 这本书非常有趣。 (This book is very interesting.)
41. 快 (kuài) fast 这辆车开得很快。 (This car drives very fast.)
42. 安静 (ānjìng) quiet 这个地方很安静。 (This place is very quiet.)
43. 热 (rè) hot 夏天的天气很热。 (The weather is very hot in summer.)
44. 冷 (lěng) cold 冬天的早晨很冷。 (The mornings are very cold in winter.)
45. 新 (xīn) new 我买了一辆新车。(I bought a new car.)
46. 旧 (jiù) old 这是我祖父的旧书 (This is my grandfather’s old book.)

Basic adjectives in Chinese language play a crucial role in everyday communication. Understanding these basic adjectives in Chinese language allows learners to express thoughts more clearly and enhance their conversations.

By incorporating these adjectives into your vocabulary, you can describe your surroundings and feelings more vividly, making your interaction with Chinese speakers more engaging and meaningful.

Basic Mandarin Chinese Pronouns

Pronouns are essential components of Chinese language that help us avoid repetition and make our sentences clearer. In this guide, we will explore three important types of pronouns in Mandarin Chinese: personal pronouns, possessive pronouns, and relative pronouns.

Personal Pronouns in Mandarin Chinese

Personal pronouns are used to substitute for names to prevent repetition and to indicate a person’s role in a conversation or their relationship with others. Understanding personal pronouns in Mandarin Chinese is essential, as they help clarify the actual pronunciation and meaning of sentences in everyday conversations.

47. I (我) I like China. (我喜欢中国。)
48. You (你) You are my best friend. (你是我最好的朋友。)
49. He (他) He is studying Chinese text. (他正在研究中文文本。)
50. She (她) She likes to speak Chinese. (她喜欢讲中文。)
51. It (它)It is raining outside. (外面在下雨。)
52. We (我们) We are going to the park. (我们要去公园。)
53. You (你们)You are all invited to the party. (你们都被邀请参加聚会。)
54. They (他们) They are studying for the exam. (他们在为考试复习。)
55. Me (我) Can you help me? (你能帮我吗？)
56. Us (我们) Please join us for dinner. (请和我们一起吃晚餐。)

Possessive Pronouns in Chinese

Unlike English, which employs separate words to indicate possession, a Chinese native speaker simplifies this by using 的 (de) after a pronoun. Here are some helpful examples to better understand how to use 的 (de) effectively in various contexts. By mastering this structure, you can enhance your communication skills and express relationships more clearly in Chinese.

57. My (我的) This is my book. (这是我的书。)
58. Your (你的) Is this your pen? (这是你的笔吗？)
59. His (他的) That is his car. (那是他的车。)
60. Her (她的) I like her dress. (我喜欢她的裙子。)
61. Its (它的) The cat is playing with its toy. (猫在玩它的玩具。)
62. Our (我们的) This is our house. (这是我们的家。)
63. Your (你们的) Is this your project? (这是你们的项目吗？)
64. Their (他们的) I visited their school. (我参观了他们的学校。)
65. Mine (我的) The red one is mine. (红色的是我的。)
66. Yours (你的) This book is yours. (这本书是你的。)

Relative Pronouns in Chinese

Mastering the relative pronouns in Chinese is an essential step in language learning. Relative pronouns connect clauses or sentences. They allow us to provide additional information about a noun without starting a new sentence. Once you have memorized a few pronouns and question words, you can have a conversation in Mandarin Chinese with the help of the following list of conversational words. Here are some Chinese question words with examples.

67. Who (谁) The teacher who taught me is very kind. (教过我的老师很和蔼。)
68. Whom (谁) She is the person whom I admire the most. (她是我最钦佩的人。)
69. Which (哪个) I have a book which explains the topic in detail. (我有一本详细讲解这个主题的书。)
70. That (那) This is the movie that I recommended. (这就是我推荐的电影。)
71. Whose (谁的) He is the author whose work inspired me. (他是那个激励我的作者。)
72. Who (谁) The students who study hard will succeed. (努力学习的学生会成功。)
73. Which (哪个) The park which we visited was beautiful. (我们去过的公园很美。)
74. That (那) She has a friend that speaks three languages. (她有一个会说三种语言的朋友。)
75. Whose (谁的) This is the house whose roof was damaged. (这是屋顶受损的房子。)
76. Whom (谁) The artist whom you met yesterday is very talented. (你昨天见的艺术家很有才华。)

Conjunctions in Chinese

Conjunctions help connect words, phrases, or clauses, enabling us to create more complex and fluid sentences. They allow for the expression of relationships between ideas, such as contrast, addition, or cause and effect.

77. And (和) Example: I like tea and coffee. (我喜欢喝茶和咖啡。)
78. But (但是) Example: She is talented, but she is very modest. (她很有才华，但她很谦虚。)
79. Or (或者) Example: Would you like pizza or pasta? (你想要比萨还是意大利面？)
80. So (所以) Example: It was raining, so we stayed indoors. (下雨了，所以我们待在室内。)
81. Because (因为) Example: I am happy because it is my birthday. (我很开心，因为今天是我的生日。)
82. Although (虽然) Example: Although it was cold, we went for a walk. (虽然很冷，我们还是去散步。)
83. If (如果) Example: I will go if you come with me. (如果你和我一起去，我就去。)
84. When (当) Example: Call me when you arrive. (你到的时候给我打电话。)
85. Unless (除非) Example: I won’t go unless you invite me. (除非你邀请我，否则我不去。)
86. While (当…的时候) Example: I listened to music while I worked. (我工作的时候听音乐。)

Summary

This beginner-friendly overview of over 80 basic Chinese words covers basic nouns, food terms, time expressions, family members, verbs, adjectives, and pronouns. By learning these basic Chinese words, beginners can have simple conversations, ask for directions, order food, and understand basic instructions for communication.

Additionally, knowing these basic Chinese words makes it easier and faster to learn new Chinese vocabulary, as they can be connected to what you already know. What’s more, this practical approach to language learning is likely to be widely adopted.

Therefore, if you are eager to significantly improve your Chinese languages skills in a short period of time, we sincerely recommend you join our Chinese lessons. Our courses are designed to help you master essential Chinese word!

FAQs

1. What are Chinese sayings called?

Chinese sayings are commonly referred to as 成语 (chéngyǔ). These are idiomatic expressions, often consisting of four characters, that convey a specific meaning or moral lesson. Additionally, there are also 谚语 (yànyǔ), which are proverbs that express common wisdom or truths in everyday life.

2. How many Chinese words exist?

The exact number of Chinese words is hard to determine due to the language’s complexity and evolving Chinese vocabulary. Estimates suggest there are over 100,000 Chinese words, including various forms and technical terms. A well-educated speaker typically uses around 5,000 to 10,000 Chinese words. The Hanyu Da Cidian (汉语大词典) contains over 370,000 entries, highlighting the languages’ richness.

3. How many hours a day to learn Chinese?

The number of hours to learn Chinese words varies by individual. Beginners should aim for about 1 to 2 hours a day, while intermediate learners can increase this to 2 to 3 hours. Advanced learners might benefit from 3 to 5 hours daily. Consistency and quality of study are more important than the total hours. Regular practice and engaging in conversations will yield the best results.