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200+ Commonly Used Chinese Words for Beginners

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If you’ve just started learning Chinese from scratch, you’re probably still adjusting to the learning curve. At this point in your studies, memorizing basic vocabulary should be one of your top priorities. 

You may have already sniffed out some basic Chinese words for beginners from other sources, but some of the words you’ve come across may not be that helpful in real life.

In this guide, we’ve collected over 200 important Chinese words for beginners tailored for your needs. Look no further, and start mastering these basic Chinese words right away!

Log in to Download Your Free Cheat Sheet - Beginner Vocabulary in Chinese Table of Contents
  1. Pronouns
  2. Numbers 1-10
  3. Nouns
  4. Verbs
  5. Adjectives
  6. Conjunctions
  7. Classifier
  8. Conclusion

1. Pronouns

Pronouns are an essential component of Chinese vocabulary, so learning them early on is a great idea. Here are the personal, interrogative, and demonstrative Chinese pronouns you should know: 

1 – Personal Subject Pronouns

In ChineseRomanizationIn English
1st person singular“I”
2nd person singular你 / 您 (casual / formal)nǐ / nín“You”
3rd person singular¹他 / 她 / 它“He” / “She” / “It”
1st person plural²我们 / 咱们wǒ men / zán men“We”
2nd person plural你们nǐ men“You”
3rd person plural他们 / 她们 / 它们tā men“They” (He / She / It)

¹ Note that the third person singular pronouns all have the same pronunciation.
² 咱们 is a little different from 我们 as it specifies that the listener is a part of “we” as well.

2 – Interrogative Pronouns

A Woman Thinking with Question Marks above Her Head

If you have a question, you gotta ask!

In Chinese: 哪个
Pinyin: nǎ gè 
In English: “Which”

In Chinese: 谁的
Pinyin: shuí de 
In English: “Whose”

In Chinese: 什么时候 / 何时 (casual / formal)
Pinyin: shén me shí hòu / hé shí
In English: “When”

In Chinese: 怎样 / 如何 (casual / formal)
Pinyin: zěn yàng / rú hé
In English: “How”

In Chinese: 哪里
Pinyin: nǎ lǐ 
In English: “Where”

In Chinese: 谁
Pinyin: shuí 
In English: “Who”

In Chinese: 什么
Pinyin: shén me 
In English: “What”

3 – Demonstrative Pronouns

In Chinese: 这个
Pinyin: zhè gè 
In English: “This”

In Chinese: 那个
Pinyin: nèi gè / nà gè (casual / formal)
In English: “That”
Additional notes: The official pronunciation in dictionaries is nà gè, but for easier pronunciation in daily life, native Chinese speakers tend to pronounce it as nèi gè.

In Chinese: 这些
Pinyin: zhè xiē 
In English: “These”

In Chinese: 那些
Pinyin: nèi xiē / nà xiē (casual / formal)
In English: “Those”

2. Numbers 1-10

Painted Wooden Blocks Representing Numbers and Mathematical Signs

Numbers are essential in many daily-life conversations.

In Chinese: 一
Pinyin: yī 
In English: “One”

In Chinese: 二 / 两
Pinyin: èr / liǎng 
In English: “Two”
Additional notes: 二 is used more for numbers, while 两 is generally used for specifying quantities (such as “two of something”).

In Chinese: 三
Pinyin: sān 
In English: “Three”

In Chinese: 四
Pinyin: sì 
In English: “Four”

In Chinese: 五
Pinyin: wǔ 
In English: “Five”

In Chinese: 六
Pinyin: liù 
In English: “Six”

In Chinese: 七
Pinyin: qī 
In English: “Seven”

In Chinese: 八
Pinyin: bā 
In English: “Eight”

In Chinese: 九
Pinyin: jiǔ 
In English: “Nine”

In Chinese: 十
Pinyin: shí 
In English: “Ten”

3. Nouns

Nouns are perhaps the most important part of speech to learn as a beginner. A noun can represent a person, a place, a thing, or even an idea. You need nouns in order to make a complete sentence, and in a pinch, you can communicate an immediate need using nouns alone! Following are several simple Chinese nouns in different categories.

A Clock Using Roman Numerals and a Calendar

Time is precious.

1 – Time

In Chinese: 时间
Pinyin: shí jiān 
In English: “Time”

In Chinese: 小时
Pinyin: xiǎo shí 
In English: “Hour”

In Chinese: 分钟
Pinyin: fēn zhōng 
In English: “Minute”

In Chinese: 早晨 / 上午
Pinyin: zǎo chén / shàng wǔ 
In English: “Morning”

In Chinese: 中午
Pinyin: zhōng wǔ 
In English: “Noon”

In Chinese: 下午
Pinyin: xià wǔ 
In English: “Afternoon”

In Chinese: 天
Pinyin: tiān 
In English: “Day”

In Chinese: 月
Pinyin: yuè 
In English: “Month”

In Chinese: 年
Pinyin: nián
In English: “Year”

In Chinese: 周一 / 星期一 (formal / casual)
Pinyin: zhōu yī / xīng qī yī 
In English: “Monday”

In Chinese: 周二 / 星期二
Pinyin: zhōu èr / xīng qī èr
In English: “Tuesday”

In Chinese: 周三 / 星期三
Pinyin: zhōu sān / xīng qī sān 
In English: “Wednesday”

In Chinese: 周四 / 星期四
Pinyin: zhōu sì / xīng qī sì 
In English: “Thursday”

In Chinese: 周五 / 星期五
Pinyin: zhōu wǔ / xīng qī wǔ
In English: “Friday”

In Chinese: 周六 / 星期六
Pinyin: zhōu liù / xīng qī liù
In English: “Saturday”

In Chinese: 周日 / 星期日
Pinyin: zhōu rì / xīng qī rì 
In English: “Sunday”

In Chinese: 周末
Pinyin: zhōu mò 
In English: “Weekend”

In Chinese: 工作日
Pinyin: gōng zuò rì 
In English: “Workday”

2 – People 

In Chinese: 先生
Pinyin: xiān sheng 
In English: “Mr.”

In Chinese: 女士
Pinyin: nǚ shì 
In English: “Ms.”

In Chinese: 爸爸 / 父亲
Pinyin: bà ba / fù qin 
In English: “Dad” / “Father”

In Chinese: 妈妈 / 母亲
Pinyin: mā ma / mǔ qin 
In English: “Mom” / “Mother”

In Chinese: 阿姨
Pinyin: ā yí
In English: “Aunt”
Additional notes: In China, young people often have to call their elders “Aunt” / “Uncle” even if they’re not related. Thus, these are important people-related words to learn.

In Chinese: 叔叔
Pinyin: shū shu
In English: “Uncle”

In Chinese: 家人
Pinyin: jiā rén 
In English: “Family”

3 – Places

Several Locations Pinpointed on a Map

What is your destination in life?

In Chinese: 地点
Pinyin: dì diǎn 
In English: “Place”

In Chinese: 医院
Pinyin: yī yuàn 
In English: “Hospital”

In Chinese: 学校
Pinyin: xué xiào 
In English: “School”

In Chinese: 市中心
Pinyin: shì zhōng xīn 
In English: “Downtown”

In Chinese: 厕所
Pinyin: cè suǒ 
In English: “Bathroom”

In Chinese: 餐厅
Pinyin: cān tīng 
In English: “Restaurant”

In Chinese: 宾馆
Pinyin: bīn guǎn 
In English: “Hotel”

4 – School/Office Essentials

In Chinese: 办公室
Pinyin: bàn gōng shì
In English: “Office”

In Chinese: 钢笔
Pinyin: gāng bǐ 
In English: “Pen”

In Chinese: 笔记本
Pinyin: bǐ jì běn 
In English: “Notebook”

In Chinese: 电脑
Pinyin: diàn nǎo 
In English: “Computer”

In Chinese: 书桌
Pinyin: shū zhuō 
In English: “Desk”

5 – Body Parts

In Chinese: 身体
Pinyin: shēn tǐ 
In English: “Body”

In Chinese: 眼睛
Pinyin: yǎn jīng 
In English: “Eyes”

In Chinese: 鼻子
Pinyin: bí zi
In English: “Nose”

In Chinese: 脸
Pinyin: liǎn 
In English: “Face”

In Chinese: 手臂
Pinyin: shǒu bì 
In English: “Arm”

In Chinese: 耳朵
Pinyin: ěr duo 
In English: “Ear”

In Chinese: 手
Pinyin: shǒu
In English: “Hand”

In Chinese: 腿
Pinyin: tuǐ 
In English: “Leg”

In Chinese: 脚
Pinyin: jiǎo
In English: “Foot”

In Chinese: 手指
Pinyin: shǒu zhǐ 
In English: “Finger”

6 – Food

In Chinese: 食物
Pinyin: shí wù 
In English: “Food”

In Chinese: 果汁
Pinyin: guǒ zhī 
In English: “Juice”

In Chinese: 鸡蛋
Pinyin: jī dàn 
In English: “Egg”

In Chinese: 牛奶
Pinyin: niú nǎi 
In English: “Milk”

In Chinese: 肉
Pinyin: ròu 
In English: “Meat”

In Chinese: 水果
Pinyin: shuǐ guǒ 
In English: “Fruit”

In Chinese: 蔬菜
Pinyin: shū cài
In English: “Vegetable”

In Chinese: 米饭
Pinyin: mǐ fàn 
In English: “Rice”

In Chinese: 面条
Pinyin: miàn tiáo 
In English: “Noodles”

In Chinese: 蛋糕
Pinyin: dàn gāo 
In English: “Cake”

In Chinese: 超市
Pinyin: chāo shì
In English: “Supermarket”

In Chinese: 快餐
Pinyin: kuài cān 
In English: “Fast food”

In Chinese: 汉堡
Pinyin: hàn bǎo 
In English: “Hamburger”

In Chinese: 薯条
Pinyin: shǔ tiáo 
In English: “French fries”

In Chinese: 勺子
Pinyin: sháo zi
In English: “Spoon”

In Chinese: 筷子
Pinyin: kuài zi
In English: “Chopstick”

In Chinese: 碗
Pinyin: wǎn
In English: “Bowl”

In Chinese: 盘子
Pinyin: pán zi
In English: “Plate”

In Chinese: 零食
Pinyin: líng shí 
In English: “Snack”

In Chinese: 海鮮
Pinyin: hǎi xiān 
In English: “Seafood”

In Chinese: 面包
Pinyin: miàn bāo
In English: “Bread”

4. Verbs

Another set of essential beginner words in Chinese are verbs. Used together with nouns, they allow you to form complete sentences and better express yourself. To give you a headstart, here are the most commonly used verbs in Chinese

1 – Daily Routine Verbs:

In Chinese: 起床
Pinyin: qǐ chuáng 
In English: “Get up”

In Chinese: 吃
Pinyin: chī 
In English: “Eat”

In Chinese: 喝
Pinyin: hē 
In English: “Drink”

In Chinese: 去
Pinyin: qù 
In English: “Go”

In Chinese: 工作
Pinyin: gōng zuò 
In English: “Work”

In Chinese: 学习
Pinyin: xué xí 
In English: “Study”

In Chinese: 驾驶
Pinyin: jià shǐ 
In English: “Drive”

In Chinese: 骑
Pinyin: qí 
In English: “Ride”

In Chinese: 睡觉
Pinyin: shuì jiào 
In English: “Sleep”

In Chinese: 休息
Pinyin: xiū xī
In English: “Rest”

In Chinese: 做饭
Pinyin: zuò fàn 
In English: “Cook”

2 – Other Commonly Used Verbs

In Chinese: 给
Pinyin: gěi 
In English: “Give”

In Chinese: 获得
Pinyin: huò dé 
In English: “Get”

In Chinese: 制作
Pinyin: zhì zuò 
In English: “Make”

In Chinese: 做
Pinyin: zuò 
In English: “Do”

In Chinese: 让
Pinyin: ràng 
In English: “Let”

In Chinese: 问
Pinyin: wèn 
In English: “Ask”

In Chinese: 笑
Pinyin: xiào 
In English: “Smile”

In Chinese: 找
Pinyin: zhǎo
In English: “Find”

In Chinese: 哭
Pinyin: kū 
In English: “Cry”

In Chinese: 坐
Pinyin: zuò
In English: “Sit”

In Chinese: 站
Pinyin: zhàn 
In English: “Stand”

In Chinese: 喜欢
Pinyin: xǐ huān 
In English: “Like”

In Chinese: 爱
Pinyin: ài 
In English: “Love”

In Chinese: 告诉
Pinyin: gào sù 
In English: “Tell”

In Chinese: 希望
Pinyin: xī wàng 
In English: “Hope”

In Chinese: 看
Pinyin: kàn 
In English: “Look”

In Chinese: 忘记
Pinyin: wàng jì 
In English: “Forget”

In Chinese: 失去 / 丢失 (something / someone)
Pinyin: shī qù / diū shī 
In English: “Lose” / “Lost”

In Chinese: 记住
Pinyin: jì zhù 
In English: “Remember”

In Chinese: 离开
Pinyin: lí kāi 
In English: “Leave”

In Chinese: 发生
Pinyin: fā shēng 
In English: “Happen”

In Chinese: 认为 / 思考
Pinyin: fā shēng 
In English: “Think”

In Chinese: 完成
Pinyin: wán chéng 
In English: “Finish”

In Chinese: 变化
Pinyin: biàn huà 
In English: “Change”

In Chinese: 感激
Pinyin: gǎn jī 
In English: “Thank”

In Chinese: 走
Pinyin: zǒu 
In English: “Walk”

In Chinese: 跳舞
Pinyin: tiào wǔ 
In English: “Dance”

In Chinese: 唱歌
Pinyin: chàng gē 
In English: “Sing”

In Chinese: 走
Pinyin: zǒu 
In English: “Walk”

In Chinese: 跑
Pinyin: pǎo 
In English: “Run”

In Chinese: 读
Pinyin: dú 
In English: “Read”

In Chinese: 听
Pinyin: tīng 
In English: “Listen”

In Chinese: 写
Pinyin: xiě 
In English: “Write”

In Chinese: 回答
Pinyin: huí dá 
In English: “Answer”

In Chinese: 问
Pinyin: wèn 
In English: “Ask”

In Chinese: 说
Pinyin: shuō 
In English: “Speak”

In Chinese: 买
Pinyin: mǎi 
In English: “Buy”

In Chinese: 卖
Pinyin: mài
In English: “Sell”

In Chinese: 观察
Pinyin: guān chá 
In English: “Observe”

5. Adjectives

Our list below is a great place to start, but make sure to visit our list of 100 Chinese adjectives for even more vocabulary! 

1 – Describing Objects

In Chinese: 大的
Pinyin: dà de 
In English: “Big”

In Chinese: 小的
Pinyin: xiǎo de 
In English: “Small”

In Chinese: 长的
Pinyin: cháng de
In English: “Long”

In Chinese: 短的
Pinyin: duǎn de 
In English: “Short”

In Chinese: 苗条的
Pinyin: miáo tiáo de
In English: “Skinny”

In Chinese: 强壮的
Pinyin: qiáng zhuàng de 
In English: “Strong”

2 – Describing People

In Chinese: 好看的
Pinyin: hǎo kàn de 
In English: “Pretty”

In Chinese: 英俊的
Pinyin: yīng jùn de
In English: “Handsome”

In Chinese: 高的
Pinyin: gāo de 
In English: “Tall”

In Chinese: 矮的
Pinyin: ǎi de 
In English: “Short”

In Chinese: 疑惑的
Pinyin: yí huò de
In English: “Confused”

3 – Describing Emotions

In Chinese: 开心的
Pinyin: kāi xīn de
In English: “Happy”

In Chinese: 难过的
Pinyin: nán guò de
In English: “Sad”

In Chinese: 害怕的
Pinyin: hài pà de
In English: “Scared”

In Chinese: 感动的
Pinyin: gǎn dòng de
In English: “Touched”

In Chinese: 惊喜的
Pinyin: jīng xǐ de
In English: “Surprised”

In Chinese: 激动的
Pinyin: jī dòng de
In English: “Excited”

In Chinese: 失望的
Pinyin: shī wàng de
In English: “Disappointed”

In Chinese: 骄傲的
Pinyin: jiāo ào de
In English: “Proud”

In Chinese: 轻松的
Pinyin: qīng sōng de
In English: “Relaxed”

In Chinese: 生气的
Pinyin: shēng qì de
In English: “Angry”

In Chinese: 沮丧的
Pinyin: jǔ sàng de
In English: “Upset”

In Chinese: 忧伤的
Pinyin: yōu shāng de
In English: “Depressed”

In Chinese: 冷静的
Pinyin: lěng jìng de
In English: “Calm”

In Chinese: 释然的
Pinyin: shì rán de
In English: “Relieved”

In Chinese: 乐观的
Pinyin: lè guān de
In English: “Optimistic”

In Chinese: 悲观的
Pinyin: bēi guān de
In English: “Pessimistic”

4 – Describing the Weather

1.
In Chinese: 下雨的
Pinyin: xià yǔ de
In English: “Rainy”

2.
In Chinese: 多云的
Pinyin: duō yún de
In English: “Cloudy”

3.
In Chinese: 多风的
Pinyin: duō fēng de
In English: “Windy”

4.
In Chinese: 晴朗的
Pinyin: qíng lǎng de
In English: “Sunny”

5.
In Chinese: 下雪的
Pinyin: xià xuě de
In English: “Snowy”

6. Conjunctions

In Chinese: 并且
Pinyin: bìng qiě
In English: “And”

In Chinese: 但是
Pinyin: dàn shì
In English: “But”

In Chinese: 然后
Pinyin: rán hòu
In English: “Then”

In Chinese: 因为
Pinyin: yīn wèi
In English: “Because”

In Chinese: 所以
Pinyin: suǒ yǐ
In English: “So”

In Chinese: 因此
Pinyin: yīn cǐ
In English: “Thus”

In Chinese: 还有
Pinyin: hái yǒu
In English: “Also”

In Chinese: 之前
Pinyin: zhī qián
In English: “Before”

In Chinese: 之后
Pinyin: zhī hòu
In English: “After”

In Chinese: 从此
Pinyin: cóng cǐ
In English: “Since”

7. Classifier

In Chinese: 只
Pinyin: zhī
Example objects to use for: Cats

In Chinese: 头
Pinyin: tóu
Example objects to use for: Cows

In Chinese: 个
Pinyin:
Example objects to use for: People

In Chinese: 条
Pinyin: tiáo
Example objects to use for: Fish

In Chinese: 支
Pinyin: zhī
Example objects to use for: Pens

8. Conclusion

Now that you’ve learned over 200 Chinese words for beginners, the vocabulary may seem overwhelming at first. However, as long as you keep practicing them every day, everything will fall into place. Using these basic Chinese words will eventually become second nature. 

You’ll soon find yourself passing the beginner stage and moving forward to the intermediate and advanced stages. If you feel like there aren’t enough learning resources available to you, ChineseClass101 is always here to be your greatest helper.

ChineseClass101 has professional, entertaining materials for Chinese learners at every stage of their language learning journey, and you’ll definitely find what you’re looking for here. Become a member today and experience all that our website has to offer! 

What other basic Chinese words do you want to know? Are there any you’re confused about? Comment below to let us know!

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