As a language-learner, it’s important to ask yourself: “Why am I even learning this language?”
Many people learn a new language to interact with people from a different cultural background, in hopes of having a meaningful conversation. And questions are a fantastic tool for learning more about someone and their culture!
“Question” in Chinese is 问题 (wèn tí). Remember that you should never be afraid to ask a 问题 (wèn tí), even if you can’t ask it perfectly. Not being able to speak your mother tongue may be tough, but as long as you try your best to keep a conversation flowing with genuine questions and a smile on your face, most people will be friendly enough to lend you their ears and open their hearts to talk with you.
All in all, being able to ask questions is a huge help when you run out of words. It gives others the opportunity to talk about themselves, and it shows them that you’re curious and want to know more about them.
There are two ways to form this question. The first one is the general way of speaking, and the second one is more polite and appropriate when speaking to an elder. In China, significant respect should be shown in your conversations with elders.
Question #1
In Chinese: 你叫什么名字？
Pinyin: Nǐ jiào shén me míng zi? In English: “What is your name called?”
Additional Notes: Sometimes, people shorten it to 你叫什么 (Nǐ jiào shén me), meaning “What are you called?”
Question #2
In Chinese: 怎么称呼您？
Pinyin: Zěn me chēng hū nín? In English: “How should I address you?”
Answer Pattern #1
In Chinese: 我的名字是[杰克]。
Pinyin: Wǒ de míng zì shì [Jié kè]. In English: “My name is [Jack].”
Answer Pattern #2
In Chinese: 我叫[贝拉]。
Pinyin: Wǒ jiào [Bèi lā]. In English: “I am called [Bella].”
In Chinese: 学了有[三](个)月 / 年 / 周 / 天了。
Pinyin: Xué le yǒu [sān] (gè) yuè / nián / zhōu / tiān le. In English: “It’s been [three] months / years / weeks / days.”
Additional Notes: 个 (gè) is a quantifier for “months” in this case. Without it, the sentence would sound weird in Chinese. There’s an abundance of quantifiers that play a huge role in the Chinese language.
The Typical Answer
In Chinese: 我刚刚开始学习。
Pinyin: Wǒ gāng gāng kāi shǐ xué xí. In English: “I just got started.”
5. Have you been to China?
The Question
In Chinese: 你去过[中国]吗？
Pinyin: Nǐ qù guò [Zhōng guó] ma? In English: “Have you been to [China]?”
Typical Answer #1
In Chinese: 我去[中国]旅游过。
Pinyin: Wǒ qù [Zhōng guó] lǚ yóu guò. In English: “I went to [China] on a trip.”
Typical Answer #2
In Chinese: 我曾在[美国]留过学。
Pinyin: Wǒ céng zài [Měi guó] liú guò xué. In English: “I once studied in [the United States] for a while.”
Typical Answer #3
In Chinese: 我在那里呆过一阵。
Pinyin: Wǒ zài nà lǐ dāi guò yī zhèn. In English: “I visited there for a while.”
6. How is ___?
If you enjoy something, you’d better give it a big thumbs-up!
You can create several simple Chinese questions and answers using the patterns below. Learning this versatile phrase is a good idea!
The Question
In Chinese: [中国]怎么样？
Pinyin: [Zhōng guó] zěn me yàng? In English: “How is [China]?”
Typical Answer #1
In Chinese: 特别好。
Pinyin: Tè bié hǎo. In English: “Very good.”
Typical Answer #2
In Chinese: 还不错。
Pinyin: Hái bú cuò. In English: “Not bad.”
Typical Answer #3
In Chinese: 不怎么样。
Pinyin: Bù zěn me yàng. In English: “Not that great.”
7. Do you like [the country’s] food?
The Question
In Chinese: 你喜欢[中国]菜吗？
Pinyin: Nǐ xǐ huān [Zhōng guó] cài ma? In English: “Do you like [Chinese] food?”
Typical Answer #1
In Chinese: 我特别爱吃[中国]菜。
Pinyin: Wǒ tè bié ài chī [Zhōng guó] cài. In English: “I love [Chinese] food very much.”
Typical Answer #2
In Chinese: 我不是很喜欢[中国]菜。
Pinyin: Wǒ bú shì hěn xǐ huān [Zhōng guó] cài. In English: “I don’t enjoy [Chinese] food all that much.”
Typical Answer #3
In Chinese: 还好。
Pinyin: Hái hǎo. In English: “It’s not bad.”
8. What are you doing?
These basic questions and answers in Chinese can be very useful, especially if you’ve made a new friend and want to know what they’re up to.
Question #1
In Chinese: 你在干嘛呢？
Pinyin: Nǐ zài gàn ma ne? In English: “What are you doing?”
Question #2
In Chinese: 你在忙些什么呢？
Pinyin: Nǐ zài máng xiē shén me ne? In English: “What are you busy with?”
The Typical Answer Pattern
In Chinese: 我（最近）在（忙）……
Pinyin: Wǒ (zuì jìn) zài (máng) … In English: “(Recently,) I am (busy with)…”
Additional Notes: The words in parentheses can be omitted depending on the situation.
9. What’s wrong?
Do you wonder what’s wrong with this adorable kid? Learn how to ask in Chinese!
The Question
In Chinese: 有什么不对吗？
Pinyin: Yǒu shén me bú duì ma? In English: “What’s wrong?”
Typical Answer #1
In Chinese: 没什么大不了的。
Pinyin: Méi shén me dà bù liǎo de. In English: “Nothing important.”
Typical Answer #2
In Chinese: 我心情不太好。
Pinyin: Wǒ xīn qíng bú tài hǎo. In English: “I am not in a good mood.”
Always think twice: is the stuff you’re going to buy worth it?
The Question
In Chinese: 这个多少钱？
Pinyin: Zhè gè duō shǎo qián? In English: “How much is it?”
In Chinese: 这个怎么卖？
Pinyin: Zhè gè zěn me mài? In English: “How do you sell this?”
The Typical Answer
In Chinese: 三十五元一个。
Pinyin: Sān shí wǔ yuán yī gè. In English: “35 yuan each.”
Additional Notes: The answer to this question is usually the direct number of the cost.
11. Conclusion
After studying these useful formulas and sets of Chinese questions and answers, you must be starting to get the hang of both asking and answering questions in Chinese. Of course, there’s no fixed recipe for any language as it’s more of an expressive artform. Try to customize your own answers based on the sentence structures we provided you. We also recommend that you practice in front of the mirror.
Before you go, why not start practicing what you’ve learned today in the comments section? Write out and answer a few of the questions from this article, or let us know if there are any questions and answers in Chinese you still want to know! We look forward to hearing from you.
Devote some time and effort to practicing conversations about these topics. Effective communication not only requires proper content and decent sentence structures, but also the right facial expressions, tones, emotions, and so much more. A well-developed conversation can go so much deeper than you think!
Now, have some unshakable faith in yourself, just as much as we do: you can become a master of Chinese conversation! We have tons of free resources in Chinese for you, no matter your current level. Explore our website to make the most of your Chinese studies.
Let’s spread our wings and soar together at ChineseClass101.com, your happiest language-learning paradise!
HSK stands for 汉语水平考试 (Hànyǔ Shuǐpíng Kǎoshì), which means “Mandarin Proficiency Test.” It’s a standardized test for non-native Chinese-speakers to assess their language abilities in daily, academic, and professional life.
The test has six levels, with Level I being the most basic and Level VI being the most advanced.
There’s a listening section and a reading section in levels I and II. From Level III and up, there’s an additional writing section; in addition, the Chinese characters will not be marked with Pinyin, as they are in levels I and II. All of the Chinese characters are in simplified Chinese.
The HSK exam does not test on speaking. If you’re interested in testing your Chinese speaking skills, there’s a separate test for that: HSKK.
2- Why should I consider taking the HSK 2.0 exam?
Taking the HSK Chinese proficiency test and getting the certificate can benefit you as a Chinese-learner in a few ways, by:
1. Providing a more tangible way to monitor your learning progress and performance (this is especially true for self-taught Chinese-learners).
2. Opening doors to study at Chinese universities. Many colleges in China require that foreign student applicants pass the HSK IV.
3. Offering an advantage over other candidates when seeking employment in China. Even though not every employer in China requires their foreign employees to have an HSK certificate, having one will definitely work in your favor.
3- Who is eligible to take the HSK 2.0 exam, and how much does it cost?
Any non-native speakers, such as foreign students or overseas Chinese, are eligible to take the test.
Thereare fees to take the HSK exam. Level 1 costs 150 RMB, which is about twenty American dollars, and it’s 100 RMB more for each level higher.
4- When and where can I take the HSK 2.0 exam?
You can take the HSK exam any time throughout the year. There are usually one or two tests every month. Check out the HSK exam dates in 2020 here.
The test can be paper-based or Internet-based. There are many HSK test centers inside and outside of China, where you can choose to take the paper-based test or Internet test. To find a test center near you, click here.
Once you’re ready for the test, register by following the steps on this chart.
Step 2: Understanding the Six Levels and Finding Your Own Level
Level I
HSK Level I requires test-takers to know 150 Chinese words and very basic grammar patterns. At this level, there’s a listening section and a reading section. There will be both multiple choice and true-or-false questions. The test lasts about 40 minutes.
Basic vocabulary and daily expressions are used in the questions. For example, the reading section of HSK Level I tests one’s understanding of simple sentences, such as:
她很喜欢这本书。 Tā hěn xǐhuān zhè běn shū.
他在睡觉吗？ Tā zài shuìjiào ma?
我们明天坐火车去。 Wǒmen míngtiān zuò huǒchē qù.
(Translations: “She likes this book very much.” “Is he sleeping?” “We’re taking a train there tomorrow.”)
Level II
HSK Level II requires test-takers to know 300 words and related grammar patterns. The test also has a listening and reading part. The duration is about 55 minutes.
At this level, you should have the ability to conduct daily communications such as giving self-introductions, describing weather and moods, making comparisons, etc.
Below is an example of a dialogue in the listening section of Level II:
– 小王，你女朋友呢？ Xiǎo Wáng , nǐ nǚpéngyou ne?
– 她没来。她下午要考试。 Tā méilái . Tā xiàwǔ yào kǎoshì.
Question:
小王的女朋友为什么没来？ Xiǎo Wáng de nǚpéngyou wèishénme méilái?
On the answer sheet, you’re provided with three possible answers in multiple choice format:
A. 要上班 yào shàngbān B. 要考试 yào kǎoshì C. 要开会 yào kāihuì
(The correct answer is B.)
Level III
To be able to pass HSK Level III, test-takers are expected to know 600 words and related grammar patterns.
From this level up, there’s an additional writing section. For the writing section, you’ll be writing in Chinese characters on paper, or typing Chinese characters with Pinyin on a computer, depending on which form of the test you choose. In addition, Chinese characters will not be marked with Pinyin. The duration of a Level III test is about 90 minutes.
Language skills tested at this level include asking other people for suggestions, using conjunction words to express opinions, using specific measure words, being able to express present/past/future events, etc.
Here’s an example of a writing task:
Put the words and phrases below in the correct sentence order.
妹妹, 最, 吃, 我, 苹果, 爱.
Note that there’s no Pinyin on any of the Chinese characters.
(The correct sentence order is: 我妹妹最爱吃苹果。[Wǒ mèimei zuì ài chī píngguǒ.], meaning “My younger sister loves to eat apples the most.”)
Level IV
For HSK Level IV, test-takers are expected to master 1200 words. With a listening section, a reading section, and a writing section, the test will be about 105 minutes.
In the listening section, each sentence and dialogue will only be read one time. The materials used in the reading section are more in-depth than those for previous levels.
If you have the ability to read Chinese newspapers and magazines, and carry out conversations on a wide variety of topics with native Chinese speakers, you should consider taking this level.
It’s also worth pointing out that passing HSK Level IV is one of the requirements for non-native Chinese-speakers to study in Chinese universities.
Here’s an example of a passage used in the reading section:
And your understanding of the passage will be tested by the questions:
1. 根据这段话，朋友可以帮你: A. 获得爱情 B. 照顾家人 C. 解决难题 D. 走出贫穷
2. 这段话主要介绍的是: A. 困难 B. 亲情 C.爱情 D. 友情
(The correct answers are 1. C and 2. D.)
Level V
Anyone wanting to take this level should have at least 2500 Chinese words in their word bank. With the questions being more complicated, it takes about 125 minutes in total to finish the test.
Below is an example question from the Level V listening section.
On your answer sheet, you’ll see:
A: 男的手机坏了 B: 男的下载了一个没有声音的视频 C. 男的下载了一个新软件 D. 男的没有开电脑的声音
In addition to the 5000 Chinese words that test-takers need to know to consider taking this level, how difficult is the highest level of the Mandarin proficiency test?
Let’s find out by looking at the writing section of HSK Level VI.
First, you have 10 minutes to read a story with 600 to 1000 words. While reading the story, you’re not allowed to take notes.
When the 10 minutes are up, this story will be taken away from you, leaving you 35 minutes to paraphrase the story in about 400 words.
You’re only supposed to paraphrase the story, not give your own opinions.
As intimidating as Level VI seems, once you’ve passed and earned the certificate of HSK Level VI, your Chinese is officially as good, or even better, than that of average Chinese native speakers!
Step 3: Drilling for the HSK 2.0 Exam
After you find your own level and register for the exam, follow the steps below to make the most of your HSK test preparation and drills:
1. Go to the HSK official website chinesetest.cn and study the outlines of the six levels very closely. In the outlines, you’ll find information about what language skills are required at each level, which vocabulary words and grammar points will be tested, plus a complete mock test with answers.
2. Once you have all the language skills listed in the outlines, take the mock tests. It’s very important to treat them like real exams. Find a place where you won’t be interrupted and take the exams within the time limit.
3. The next thing to do, which is also a great learning method, is to collect the questions you got wrong. Put them in categories and find out where your weaknesses are. Is it a certain sentence pattern or grammar point? Or do you need to work on your reading speed? Can you improve your listening scores by doing more listening practice?
4. When you’re done with one mock test, search for more mock tests and do at least two tests every week until your test date.
Step 4: Using ChineseClass101.com to Help You Prepare for and Pass the HSK 2.0 Exam
Preparing for the HSK exam on your own takes a lot of planning, research, hard work, and discipline. Don’t forget that ChineseClass101.com has abundant learning resources that can make preparing for the HSK exam at any level twice as efficient.
1- Vocabulary
In addition to our frequently updated vocabulary lists that cover a wide range of topics, our lists of the 100 and 2000 core words will gradually bring you up to speed on vocabulary as high as HSK Level V.
2- Listening
Can’t find listening materials that are appropriate for your level? Look no further! ChineseClass101.com has hundreds of lessons with audio for you, from the absolute beginner level to the advanced level. You’ll find dialogues recorded by native speakers, with scripts, lesson notes, vocabulary lists, and grammar points. You’ll never run out of listening practice materials!
3- Reading
The fact that Chinese has a non-romanized writing system makes reading even more challenging than it is in other languages. We have special lessons designed to improve your reading skills and prepare you for reading in daily life. Check out this reading comprehension lesson for intermediate-level students here.
4- Writing
The downside of studying on your own is that you don’t have constant guidance on your learning path. Having personalized advice is especially important when it comes to writing. The good news is that with a Premium PLUS subscription, you can get one-on-one interaction with an assessment from our certified teachers. They’ll answer all your questions, develop personalized learning programs based on your needs, and of course, correct anything you write in Chinese. Try it out and submit your Chinese self-introduction in writing now.
5- Speaking and More…
The HSK doesn’t have a speaking section, unless you take the separate HSKK to get credentials just for your Chinese-speaking skills. Whether you’re taking the speaking test or not, ChineseClass101.com offers you the tools you need to master everyday communication.
With a Premium subscription, you’ll be able to record your own speech to compare with that of a native speaker, so you can work on your accent and pronunciation. With a Premium PLUS subscription, you’ll get feedback on your speaking assignments from your personal teacher right away. The best part? You can do it anywhere, any time, at an affordable price!
5. Conclusion
Everyone can pass the HSK exam when they’re well-prepared. If you have more questions about the HSK exam, or you’d like to know how our site can help you with it, don’t hesitate to visit us at ChineseClass101.com and leave us a message!
Happy Chinese learning, and good luck on your test!
Language is an art, and learning one can become frustrating due to their complicated and flexible nature. We totally understand your pain as a new Chinese language learner!
How about simplifying it a little bit, and applying some formulas like we do in math?
We’ve prepared these ten most basic and useful Chinese sentence patterns for you. Once you master them, you’ll be able to generate hundreds of natural sentences and converse with ease and confidence in any situation.
In English: “I need to calm down and think about what I can do next.”
Example 4
In Chinese: 狗狗是人类最好的朋友，他们需要我们的陪伴与关爱。
Pinyin: Gǒu gou shì rén lèi zuì hǎo de péng you, tā men xū yào wǒ men de péi bàn yǔ guān ài.
In English: “Dogs are man’s best friend; they need our companionship and love.”
Gotta have some fun if it’s your birthday!
Example 5
In Chinese: 明天是我的生日，我得穿件漂亮的衣服。
Pinyin: Míng tiān shì wǒ de shēng rì, wǒ děi chuān jiàn piāo liang de yī fu.
In English: “Tomorrow is my birthday; I will have to wear something nice.”
5. Expressing “Like”
This is one of the most important Chinese sentence structures for beginners who want to hold basic conversations with native speakers. Let’s see how it works.
Sentence pattern:
In Chinese: 我喜欢……
Pinyin: Wǒ xǐ huan…
In English: “I like (to)…”
Example 1
In Chinese: 我非常喜欢下厨。
Pinyin: Wǒ fēi cháng xǐ huan xià chú.
In English: “I like to cook very much.”
Example 2
In Chinese: 我喜欢在海边看日落。
Pinyin: Wǒ xǐ huan zài hǎi biān kàn rì luò.
In English: “I like to watch the sunset at the beach.”
Example 3
In Chinese: 爸爸喜欢每天早上八点准时叫我起床。
Pinyin: Bà ba xǐ huan měi tiān zǎo shàng bā diǎn zhǔn shí jiào wǒ qǐ chuáng.
In English: “My dad likes to wake me up exactly at 8:00 a.m. every day.”
Example 4
In Chinese: 孩子们都很喜欢万圣节，因为他们可以得到很多糖果。
Pinyin: Hái zi men dōu hěn xǐ huan wàn shèng jié, yīn wèi tā men kě yǐ dé dào hěn duō táng guǒ.
In English: “Children all like Halloween because they can get lots of candy.”
Example 5
Tell me the truth: isn’t fast food a guilty pleasure of yours sometimes?
In Chinese: 他很喜欢吃快餐。
Pinyin: Tā hěn xǐ huan chī kuài cān.
In English: “He likes to eat fast food a lot.”
6. Politely Asking Someone to Do Something
Sentence pattern:
In Chinese: 请……
Pinyin: Qǐng…
In English: “Please…”
Example 1
Let’s try to be polite when it’s needed and use the word “please.”
Weren’t those some incredibly convenient Chinese sentence patterns? Now that you know the “formulas,” I’m sure that soon enough you’ll be able to apply them and create sentences of your own for any situation! Of course, only knowing the basic Chinese grammar and sentence patterns isn’t enough to grasp the complex and artistic Chinese language.
I’m sure your ambition as a language-learner goes beyond this, right? If you’re ready to expand your horizon in Chinese, just visit ChineseClass101.com for the most professional, unlimited Chinese resources. You can start learning Chinese in the next thirty seconds with a free lifetime account; we promise that you won’t regret it!
Have you ever wondered why your speech or writing is so dry? Maybe you just need a little guide on using different parts of speech, such as adverbs. Adverbs are very useful in creating an interesting and well-structured sentence. As a Chinese learner, I’m certain that you can’t wait to know more about Chinese adverbs.
Adverbs describe verbs, adjectives, and even other adverbs. Without their beautiful polish for your sentences, conversations can become raw and lifeless. Fortunately, you’re in the right place to learn some of the most useful Chinese adverbs to avoid this problem. In this article, we’ll talk about what an adverb is and how to use them, and provide you with a comprehensive Chinese adverbs list. Take good advantage of the words in this list, because they’ll greatly help your conversational skills!
Let’s spice up your conversations with some proper Chinese adverbs!
1. What is an Adverb?
Adverbs in Chinese are called 副词 (fù cí), and like in most other languages, the adverbs modify verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs.
So how do you use an adverb in Chinese, and where does it go in a sentence?
Chinese adverbs are usually placed before the main verb of a sentence, which is after the subject. However, in some cases, they do come at the very beginning of a sentence (or after the main verb) due to the flexibility of the Chinese language.
When an adverb is used to modify a verb, you can usually spot the adverb by the particle 地 (de), which is very similar to the suffix “ly” in English.
A typical structure for a sentence containing a Chinese adverb is “Subject + Adjective + 地 + Verb.” For example:
In Chinese: 我认真地做了笔记。
Pinyin: Wǒ rèn zhēn de zuò le bǐ jì.
In English: “I took notes carefully.”
Of course, there’s so much more to explore. In the following sections, we’ll provide examples of how Chinese adverbs work in real-life situations.
2. Chinese Adverbs of Time
Time is something that ties into our daily life, so we surely need to master some Chinese time adverbs!
1. Today – 今天 (jīn tiān)
In Chinese: 我今天没有去学校。
Pinyin: Wǒ jīn tiān méi yǒu qù xué xiào.
In English: “I didn’t go to school today.”
2. Yesterday – 昨天 (zuó tiān)
In Chinese: 我昨天去看望了奶奶。
Pinyin: Wǒ zuó tiān qù kàn wàng le nǎi nai.
In English: “I visited my grandmother yesterday.”
3. Tomorrow – 明天 (míng tiān)
In Chinese: 医生说妈妈明天就会痊愈了。
Pinyin: Yī shēng shuō mā ma míng tiān jiù huì quán yù le.
In English: “The doctor said mom will be well tomorrow.”
4. The day before yesterday – 前天 (qián tiān)
In Chinese: 前天我们家刚刚领养了一只小猫。
Pinyin: Qián tiān wǒ men jiā gāng gāng lǐng yǎng le yī zhī xiǎo māo.
In English: “The day before yesterday, our family adopted a little kitten.”
5. The day after tomorrow – 后天 (hòu tiān)
In Chinese: 我们后天就要开学了。
Pinyin: Wǒ men hòu tiān jiù yào kāi xué le.
In English: “Our school will start the day after tomorrow.”
6. Last year – 去年 (qù nián)
In Chinese: 去年我去法国旅游了。
Pinyin: Qù nián wǒ qù fǎ guó lǚ yóu le.
In English: “I went on a trip to France last year.”
In English: I like to eat watermelon during summer the most.
100. More and more – 越发 (yuè fā)
In Chinese: 太阳变得越发灼热了。
Pinyin: Tài yáng biàn de yuè fā zhuó rè le.
In English: “The sun is becoming more and more hot.”
7. How ChineseClass101 Can Help You Learn More Chinese
Now, after thoroughly reading our Chinese adverb lists, I hope you’ve enjoyed a pleasant Chinese-learning journey. From Chinese grammar rules for adverbs to those practical example sentences for daily life, we’ve covered everything you need to know about Chinese adverbs for now.
Are there any Chinese adverbs we didn’t cover that you want to know? Drop us a comment and we’ll do our best to help you out!
If this isn’t enough, don’t worry. We have over 1,000,000,000 lessons ready for you, including everything from basics, grammar, reading, writing, and so much more. Why not start learning Chinese in the next 30 seconds with a free lifetime account on ChineseClass101.com right now? We promise to take you to one of the most amazing language-learning wonderlands on Earth!
Verbs are an essential component of a sentence, and they’re at the core of our conversations as they provide key information. Everyone knows that a sentence isn’t complete without a verb! It’s not difficult to master the basic rules of common Chinese verbs as they don’t have any conjugation. However, there are additional phrases you can add to the sentence in order to indicate a certain time frame and make the sentence sound more natural. Now, let’s dive right into this simple introduction to common Chinese verbs!
Some of the most useful Chinese verbs are action verbs, and like in English, there are two kinds of action verbs: physical and mental. We have a list for each one!
1- Physical verbs
To go – 去 (qù)
In Chinese: 我明天去阿姨家给她过生日。
Pinyin: Wǒ míng tiān qù ā yí jiā gěi tā guò shēng rì.
In English: “I am going to my aunt’s house to celebrate her birthday.”
To come – 来 (lái)
In Chinese: 我很期待你来我家做客。
Pinyin: Wǒ hěn qī dài nǐ lái wǒ jiā zuò kè.
In English: “I look forward to having you as a guest to come to my house.”
To look – 看 (kàn)
In Chinese: 快看！这里的景色多美啊。
Pinyin: Kuài kàn! Zhè lǐ de jǐng sè duō měi a.
In English: “Look! How beautiful the landscape is here.”
To tell – 告诉 (gào sù)
In Chinese: 老师告诉我们要学会培养自己独立思考的能力。
Pinyin: Lǎo shī gào sù wǒ men yào xué huì péi yǎng zì jǐ dú lì sī kǎo de néng lì.
In English: “The teacher told us to learn to think independently.”
To ask – 问 (wèn)
In Chinese: 没有方向感的我经常向别人问路。
Pinyin: Méi yǒu fāng xiàng gǎn de wǒ jīng cháng xiàng bié rén wèn lù.
In English: “I have no sense of direction, so I always ask others for directions.”
In English: “I won’t allow this kind of thing to happen again.”
2. Linking Verbs
More Chinese language verbs you should know are the linking verbs. These are verbs that allow you to connect two ideas through a type of action. Read the Chinese verbs list below and the accompanying examples to get a better idea of how they work.
To see – 看 (kàn)
In Chinese: 我只相信我的双眼所看到的真相。
Pinyin: Wǒ zhǐ xiāng xìn wǒ de shuāng yǎn suǒ kàn dào de zhēn xiàng.
In English: “I only believe in the truth that I see with my own eyes.”
To smell – 闻 (wén)
In Chinese: 我妈妈做的饭闻起来可香了。
Pinyin: wǒ mā mā zuò de fàn wén qǐ lái kě xiāng le.
In English: “My mom’s cooking smells really good.”
In English: “This song sounds very cheerful with these beats.”
To feel – 感觉 (gǎn jué)
In Chinese: 我感觉不太舒服。
Pinyin: wǒ gǎn jué bú tài shū fu.
In English: “I don’t feel very well.”
To appear – 显得 (xiǎn de)
In Chinese: 她总是显得自己很有钱。
Pinyin: Tā zǒng shì xiǎn de zì jǐ hěn yǒu qián.
In English: “She always makes herself appear to be like a rich person.”
To turn/open – 打开 (dǎ kāi)
In Chinese: 能不能帮我把风扇打开？
Pinyin: Néng bu néng bāng wǒ bǎ fēng shàn dǎ kāi.
In English: “Can you turn on the fan for me?”
Additional notes: In Chinese, we use the same word for “turn” and “open.”
To become – 成为 (chéng wéi)
In Chinese: 我希望长大之后成为一个对社会有用的人。
Pinyin: Wǒ xī wàng zhǎng dà zhī hòu chéng wéi yī gè duì shè huì yǒu yòng de rén.
In English: “I hope I will become someone who is helpful to our society after I grow up.”
To seem – 似乎 (sì hū)
In Chinese: 他似乎不想和我们一起出去吃饭。
Pinyin: Tā sì hū bù xiǎng hé wǒ men yī qǐ chū qù chī fàn.
In English: “He doesn’t seem like he wants to eat out with us.”
3. Helping Verbs
Now we’ll talk about Chinese helping verbs because these are words you’ll need to use all the time. There are two types of helping verbs: modal and auxiliary.
In English: “Do you have a stapler that I can borrow?”
To need – 需要 (xū yào)
In Chinese: 我需要你的帮助。
Pinyin: Wǒ xū yào nǐ de bāng zhù.
In English: “I need your help.”
4. Chinese Verbs and Essentials of Grammar
So, how do Chinese verbs work?
As we mentioned before, there’s no conjugation in Chinese verbs, and common Chinese verbs placement is just as simple as it is in most other languages: Subject + Verb Phrase + Object.
However, since no conjugation is required for common verbs in Chinese, we usually use aspect particles to modify verbs so that they specify the time and make a sentence sound more natural. For example, 了 (le), 着 (zhe), and 过 (guò) are the most common ones that can be added after a verb. 了 (le) and 过 (guò) are used to indicate past tense, while 着 (zhe) is used to indicate the current time.
Here are some examples to help you better understand this Chinese verbs grammar point:
In Chinese: 我在看着你的孩子呢。
Pinyin: Wǒ zài kān zhe nǐ de hái zi ne.
In English: “I am babysitting your child right now.”
When you want to use an adverb to modify a verb, you can use this formula: Verb + 得 (de) + Adverb.
In Chinese: 他跑得快。
Pinyin: Tā pǎo de kuài.
In English: “He runs fast.”
Lastly, if you ever want to negate verbs in your sentence, the adverbs 不 (bù) and 没 (méi) are commonly used to negate a verb. In general, the difference between these two words is that 不 (bù) is used more for the future tense or a habitual action, while 没 (méi) is used to refer to the past tense.
In Chinese: 我昨天忙得都没来得及吃午饭。
Pinyin: Wǒ zuó tiān máng de dōu méi lái de jí chī wǔ fàn.
In English: “I was too busy to eat lunch yesterday.”
In Chinese: 我不想今天去购物。
Pinyin: Wǒ bù xiǎng jīn tiān qù gòu wù.
In English: “I don’t want to go shopping today.”
5. Conclusion
Don’t get overwhelmed by these Chinese verbs and essentials of grammar just yet. As long as you keep practicing, they’ll become a piece of cake before you know it. Chinese language is an art that you can never learn enough of because there’s so much diversity. Go to ChineseClass101.com, and as you continue learning there, you’ll master these common verbs in Chinese and many more beautiful words to enrich your sentences.
Before you go, let us know in the comments how you feel about Chinese verbs now. Are there any essential Chinese verbs that you still want to know? We look forward to hearing from you!
Quiz: Can you list all the pronouns you know? They don’t have to be Chinese pronouns; they can be in English or your native language.
Now, what would be the first five pronouns on your list?
Naturally, most of us first think of pronouns like “I,” “me,” “you,” “he,” and “they,” which are all personal pronouns. We sometimes forget that the list of pronouns goes on.
There are possessive pronouns like “his” or “her,” demonstrative pronouns like “this” or “that,” interrogative pronouns like “what” or “where,” and so on.
Before we move on to this big, extensive, and complete list of all pronouns in Chinese, get a sneak peek at the essential list of the most useful pronouns on ChineseClass101.com to see how many you already know!
Personal pronouns are the most frequently used type of pronouns. Imagine how you would invite your friend to your party without using personal pronouns: “Adam wants to invite Nick to Adam’s party this weekend. Would Nick like to come?” That’s amusingly wordy.
Personal pronouns can be further broken down into smaller categories.
1- Singular Personal Pronouns
Let’s first sum up all the singular forms of Chinese personal pronouns.
Keep in mind that all Chinese pronouns can be used as a subject or an object in a sentence. There’s no different forms for different parts of the sentence, like the difference between “he” and “him” in English.
1. First Person Singular
In Chinese: 我 Pinyin: wǒ In English: “I” or “me”
Example sentences:
In Chinese: 我是玛丽。 Pinyin:Wǒ shì Mǎlì. In English: “I’m Mary.” (我 as a subject)
In Chinese: 你是在笑我吗？ Pinyin:Nǐ shì zài xiào wǒ ma? In English: “Are you laughing at me?” (你 as an object)
2. Second Person Singular
In Chinese: 你 Pinyin:nǐ In English: “you”
Example sentences:
In Chinese: 你是谁？ Pinyin:Nǐ shì shéi? In English: “Who are you?” (你 as a subject)
In Chinese: 我爱你。 Pinyin:Wǒ ài nǐ. In English: “I love you.” (你 as an object)
When speaking with people who are senior in age or social status, such as teachers, supervisors, customers, or even strangers, it’s more polite and respectful to use the other form of 你, which is:
In Chinese: 您 Pinyin:nín In English: (honorific/formal) “you”
Example sentence:
In Chinese: 谢谢您的建议。 Pinyin:Xièxie nín de jiànyì. In English: “Thank you for your advice.”
3. Third Person Singular
In Chinese: 他 Pinyin: tā In English: “he” or “him”
Example sentences:
In Chinese: 他在找你。 Pinyin: Tā zài zhǎo nǐ. In English: “He is looking for you.”
In Chinese: 你认识他吗？ Pinyin: Nǐ rènshi tā ma? In English: “Do you know him?”
In Chinese: 她 Pinyin: tā In English: “she” or “her”
Example sentences:
In Chinese: 她不会来。 Pinyin: Tā búhuì lái. In English: “She won’t be here.”
In Chinese: 我记得她，但是她不记得我。 Pinyin: Wǒ jìde tā , dànshì tā bú jìde wǒ. In English: “I remember her, but she doesn’t remember me.”
In Chinese: 它 Pinyin: tā In English: “it” (animal or object) 它 (tā) is often used to refer to an animal or an object that’s been mentioned, regardless of gender.
Example sentences:
In Chinese: 这是大白。它是一个机器人。 Pinyin:Zhè shì Dàbái. Tā shì yí ge jīqìrén. In English: “This is Baymax. It is a robot.”
In Chinese: 大家都很喜欢它。 Pinyin:Dàjiā dōu hěn xǐhuan tā. In English: “Everybody likes it very much.”
You may have noticed that Chinese has three different words for the third personal pronoun. 他 (tā) is for men, 她 (tā)is for women, and 它 (tā)is for non-humans. However, they’re all pronounced the same way, which could make listening a little tricky. Make sure you check the context in case of confusion.
Also be careful with the 他 (tā) for“he” and the 她 (tā) for “her” in Chinese characters. The right side of these two characters is the same. What you need to pay attention to is the radicals on the left side. 他 has the radical 亻which is often used to indicate “person” or “man,” whereas 她has the radical 女 (nǚ) which means “woman.”
If you’re interested in learning more about Chinese characters, check out this video lesson on ChineseClass101.com that shows you the common way to decipher Chinese characters.
As for the non-human “it,” 它 (tā)can’t be used as an impersonal pronoun to serve as a subject in a sentence. For example, in English, we can say “It’s raining,” or “It’s difficult.” In Chinese, the “it” doesn’t translate to 它. In fact, the “it” in these two sentences is often omitted in Chinese translation.
2- Plural Personal Pronouns
Making plural personal pronouns in Chinese is simple and convenient. You only need to stick the word 们 (men) after each singular pronoun.
1. First Person Plural
In Chinese: 我们 Pinyin: wǒmen In English: “we” or “us” Reminder: The pinyin for “we” (wǒmen) may look the same as “women” in English, but they’re not the same! Don’t forget that Pinyin is not English.
Example sentence:
In Chinese: 你看见我们了吗？ Pinyin: Nǐ kànjiàn wǒmen le ma? In English: “Do you see us now?”
2. Second Person Plural
In Chinese: 你们 Pinyin: nǐmen In English: “you” (plural)
Example sentence:
In Chinese: 你们去哪？ Pinyin:Nǐmen qù nǎ? In English: “Where are you going?”
The plural form of the honorific 您 (nín) is still 你们 (nǐmen), not 您们 (nínmen). You might have seen the word 您们, but it’s an incorrect word! Yep, even native speakers make mistakes when speaking Chinese. In order to be more polite when addressing a group of people, use phrases like 您二位 (nín èr wèi) and 您几位 (nín jǐ wèi), which are the more courteous ways to say “you two” and “you guys.”
Example sentence:
In Chinese: 抱歉让您几位久等了。 Pinyin: Bàoqiàn ràng nín jǐ wèi jiǔ děng le. In English: “Sorry to have kept you guys waiting.”
3. Third Person Plural
In Chinese: 他们 Pinyin: tāmen In English: “they” or “them”
This word is often used to refer to more than one male, or a mixed group of males and females.
Example sentence:
In Chinese: 他们终于到了。 Pinyin: Tāmen zhōngyú dàole . In English: “They are finally here.”
In Chinese: 她们 Pinyin: tāmen In English: “they” or “them” (female)
Example sentence:
In Chinese: 我低估了她们。 Pinyin: Wǒ dīgū le tāmen. In English: “I underestimated them.”
In Chinese: 它们 Pinyin: tāmen In English: “they” or “them” (animals or objects)
Example sentence:
In Chinese: 你给它们洗澡了吗？ Pinyin: Nǐ gěi tāmen xǐzǎo le ma? In English: “Did you give them a bath yet?”
3- Possessive Personal Pronouns
Making Chinese possessive pronouns from the personal pronouns is also quite easy. In this case, you need the possessive particle 的(de) after all of the personal pronouns.
“Personal pronoun + 的 (de)” can be used the same way as an adjective before a noun, or they can be used as a noun by themselves.
Here’s an example of the possessive form of the second singular pronoun:
In Chinese: 你的 Pinyin: nǐde In English: “your” or “yours”
Example sentences:
In Chinese: 你的新衬衫很好看。 Pinyin: Nǐ de xīn chènshān hěn hǎokàn. In English: “Your new shirt looks great.”
In Chinese: 这个新衬衫是你的。 Pinyin: Zhège xīn chènshān shì nǐ de. In English: “This new shirt is yours.”
An example of first plural possessive:
In Chinese: 我们的 Pinyin: wǒmen de In English: “our” or “ours”
Example sentences:
In Chinese: 她是我们的老师。 Pinyin: Tā shì wǒmen de lǎoshī. In English: “She is our teacher.”
In Chinese: 这排位子都是我们的。 Pinyin: Zhè pái wèizi dōu shì wǒmen de. In English: “This row of seats is all ours.”
In some circumstances, the particle 的 can be omitted. A very common situation for 的 to be dropped is in colloquial speech, when possessive pronouns are used before close relationships, such as one’s family members, friends, home, or office. For example, it’s grammatically correct to say:
In Chinese: 我的妈妈回来了。 Pinyin: Wǒde māma huílai le. In English: “My mom is back.”
But it sounds a bit formal. In everyday conversations, people are more likely to say:
In Chinese: 我妈回来了。 Pinyin: Wǒ mā huílai le. In English: “My mom is back.”
In this sentence, not only is the word 妈妈 (māma), or “mom,” shortened and casualized to 妈 (mā), or “ma,” but the possessive pronoun 我的 (wǒde), meaning “my,” is also shortened to 我 (wǒ).
Here’s another example of when 的 is dropped in a possessive pronoun in everyday language:
In Chinese: 他公司离这里不远。 Pinyin: Tā gōngsī lí zhèli bù yuǎn. In English: “His company is not far from here.”
Instead of using 他的公司 for “his company,” 他公司 is more often used in casual situations.
4- Reflexive Personal Pronouns
Somehow in conversations, we always end up talking about ourselves. The pronouns that end with “-self” or “-selves” in English are called reflexive personal pronouns.
In Chinese, we can also use a suffix after personal pronouns to make them reflexive and intensified. In this case, we add the word 自己 (zìjǐ), meaning “self.”
For example:
In Chinese: 我自己 Pinyin: wǒ zìjǐ In English: “myself”
Example sentence:
In Chinese: 我自己看到的。 Pinyin: Wǒ zìjǐ kàn dào de. In English: “I saw it myself.”
In Chinese: 你们自己 Pinyin: nǐmen zìjǐ In English: “yourselves”
Example sentence:
In Chinese: 照顾好你们自己。 Pinyin: Zhàogu hǎo nǐmen zìjǐ. In English: “Take care of yourselves.”
Here’s a Chinese pronoun chart that sums up all the Chinese personal pronouns in different forms:
1st person
2nd person
3rd person (men)
3rd person (women)
3rd person (non-human)
singular
我 wǒ “I,” “we”
你 nǐ “you”
他 tā “he,” “him”
她 tā “she,” “her”
它 tā “it”
plural
我们 wǒmen “we,” “us”
你们 nǐmen “you”
他们 tāmen “they,” “them”
她们 tāmen “they,” “them”
它们 tāmen “they,” “them”
singular possessive
我的 wǒde “my,” “mine”
你的 nǐde “your,” “yours”
他的 tāde “his”
她的 tāde “her,” “hers”
它的 tāde “its”
plural possessive
我们的 wǒmen de “our,” “ours”
你们的 nǐmen de “your,” “yours”
他们的 tāmen de “their,” “theirs”
她们的 tāmen de “their,” “theirs”
它们的 tāmen de “their,” “theirs”
singular reflexive
我自己 wǒ zìjǐ “myself”
你自己 nǐ zìjǐ “yourself”
他自己 tā zìjǐ “himself”
她自己 tā zìjǐ “herself”
它自己 tā zìjǐ “itself”
plural reflexive
我们自己 wǒmen zìjǐ “ourselves”
你们自己 nǐmen zìjǐ “yourselves”
他们自己 tāmen zìjǐ “themselves”
她们自己 tāmen zìjǐ “themselves”
它们自己 tāmen zìjǐ “themselves”
2. Chinese Demonstrative Pronouns
The next most commonly used type of pronoun in Chinese is the demonstrative pronoun. This includes words such as “this,” “that,” “these,” and “those.” The usage of Chinese demonstrative pronouns is very similar to that in English.
1- This & That
In Chinese: 这 Pinyin: zhè In English: “this”
Example sentence:
In Chinese: 这是你们的房间。 Pinyin: Zhè shì nǐmen de fángjiān. In English: “This is your room.”
In Chinese: 那 Pinyin: nà In English: “that”
Example sentence:
In Chinese: 那是不可能的。 Pinyin: Nà shì bù kěnéng de. In English: “That is impossible.”
2- This & That + Measure Word + Noun
这 (zhè), meaning“this,” and 那 (nà), meaning“that,” can also be used before nouns to demonstrate the subject that one is talking about. However, in Chinese, 这 and 那 can’t be put directly before nouns. Instead, we need the help of 量词(liàngcí), meaning “measure words,” or otherwise known as counters or classifiers. The most universal measure word is 个 (gè). It’s a safe word to go to for beginners. Here are some examples:
In Chinese: 这个女孩很漂亮。 Pinyin: Zhègè nǚhái hěn piàoliang. In English: “This girl is very pretty.”
In Chinese: 这个网站很有用。 Pinyin: Zhègè wǎngzhàn hěn yǒuyòng. In English: “This website is very useful.”
In Chinese: 我爸去过那个国家。 Pinyin: Wǒ bà qù guo nàgè guójiā. In English: “My dad has been to that country.”
In Chinese: 请给我看一下那个钱包。 Pinyin: Qǐng gěi wǒ kàn yíxià nàgè qiánbāo. In English: “Please let me take a look at that wallet.”
这 (zhè)and 那 (nà)are sometimes pronounced as zhèi and nèi in colloquial speech. Both pronunciations are correct. It’s only a matter of personal preference.
Also, in everyday language, 这个 (zhèige) and 那个 (nèige)are used as filler sounds, or so-called vocalized pauses, like “uh” and “um” in English. You’ll be surprised how often you hear Chinese people stutter with 这个 (zhèige) and 那个 (nèige)in conversations!
Once you’re more confident with your Chinese, use 这 or 那 with specific measure words that go with specific nouns. For example:
In Chinese: 这辆车超酷。 Pinyin: Zhè liàng chē chāokù. In English: “This car is super-cool.”
The measure word in this sentence, 辆 (liàng),is used for vehicles, such as 车 (chē), meaning “car.”
In Chinese: 我看过那本书。 Pinyin: Wǒ kàn guo nà běn shū. In English: “I’ve read that book.”
The measure word here, 本 (běn) is used for books, or 书 (shū) in Chinese.
3- These & Those
When demonstrating something with a quantity of more than one, we use 这 (zhè) and 那 (nà) plus the word 些 (xiē).
In Chinese: 这些 Pinyin: zhèxiē In English: “these”
Example sentence:
In Chinese: 这些孩子玩得很开心。 Pinyin: Zhèxiē háizi wán de hěn kāixīn. In English: “These kids are having a great time.”
In Chinese: 那些 Pinyin: nàxiē In English: “those”
Example sentence:
In Chinese: 不用担心那些事。 Pinyin: Bú yòng dānxīn nàxiē shì. In English: “Don’t worry about those things.”
4- Here & There
The Chinese words for “here” and “there” also use 这 (zhè)and 那 (nà), plus the suffix 里 (lǐ)or 儿 (ér).
In Chinese: 这里 / 这儿 Pinyin: zhèlǐ / zhèr In English: “here”
Example sentence:
In Chinese: 我来过这里 / 这儿。 Pinyin: Wǒ lái guo zhèlǐ / zhèr. In English: “I’ve been here.”
In Chinese: 那里 / 那儿 Pinyin: nàlǐ / nàr In English: “there”
Example sentence:
In Chinese: 那里 / 那儿有一个医院。 Pinyin: Nàli / Nàr yǒu yí ge yīyuàn. In English: “There is a hospital over there.”
In general, 这里 (zhèlǐ), meaning “here,” and 那里 (nàlǐ), meaning “there,” are used more often in the southern part of China. In the northern part of China, people tend to use a lot of 儿化音(ér huà yīn), which in this case are 这儿 (zhèr) and 那儿 (nàr).
5- This Way & That Way
To say “this way” or “that way,” we need to put the word 边 (biān) after 这 (zhè) and 那 (nà).
In Chinese: 这边 Pinyin: zhèbiān In English: “this way”
Example sentence:
In Chinese: 这边请。 Pinyin: Zhèbiān qǐng. In English: “This way, please.”
In Chinese: 那边 Pinyin: nàbiān In English: “that way”
Example sentence:
In Chinese: 厕所在那边。 Pinyin: Cèsuǒ zài nàbiān. In English: “The restroom is over there.”
3. Chinese Interrogative Pronouns
Humans are curious creatures. We like to ask questions. The words that we use to ask questions are called interrogative pronouns.
In English, they often appear at the beginning of a question, with a reconstructed word order from a declarative sentence (or any other sentence that makes a statement).
In Chinese, the word order in a question remains the same as in a declarative sentence. Therefore, asking questions in Chinese is easy.
First, think about how you would answer the question in a declarative sentence, then replace the word or phrase that answers the question with an interrogative pronoun.
The table below summarizes the most commonly used Chinese interrogative pronouns. Example sentences are given with both a literal translation and a natural English translation, so you can get a better idea of where interrogative pronouns go and what the word order is like in Chinese questions.
In Chinese
Pinyin
In English
Example Sentence
Literal Translation
Natural English Translation
什么
shénme
“what”
你叫什么名字？ Nǐ jiào shénme míngzi?
“You’re called what name?”
“What is your name?”
什么时候
shénme shíhòu
“when”
我们什么时候见面？ Wǒmen shénme shíhòu jiànmiàn?
“We when meet?”
“When shall we meet?”
哪里/哪儿
nǎlǐ / nǎr?
“where”
电梯在哪里/哪儿？ Diàntī zài nǎlǐ / nǎr?
“Elevator/escalator at where?”
“Where is the elevator/escalator?”
哪个/哪些
nǎge / nǎxiē
“which” (s) / “which” (p)
哪个是你的手机？ Nǎge shì nǐ de shǒujī?
你喜欢哪些运动？ Nǐ xǐhuān nǎxiē yùndòng?
“Which is your cell phone?”
“You like which sports?”
“Which one is your phone?”
“Which sports do you like?”
谁
shéi
“who”
她是谁？ Tā shì shéi?
“She is who?”
“Who is she?”
多少
duōshǎo
“how many” / “how much”
这个多少钱？ Zhège duōshǎo qián?
“This how much money?”
“How much money is this?”
为什么
wèishénme
“why”
他们为什么这么生气？ Tāmen wèishénme zhème shēngqì?
“They why so angry?”
“Why are they so mad?”
怎么
zěnme
“how”
请问，人民广场怎么走？ Qǐngwèn, rénmín guǎngchǎng zěnme zǒu?
“May I please ask, People’s Square how to walk?”
“Excuse me, how do I get to People’s Square?”
4. Conclusion
Now if you were asked to take the quiz at the beginning of this article again, how many Chinese pronouns would you be able to put down?
You should have at least forty-six words on your list! Learning new words in groups like we did in this Chinese pronouns list has proven to be a great language-learning method to increase vocabulary. ChineseClass101.com has hundreds of vocabulary lists for you to add to your word bank. Sign up for a free lifetime account today so you can enjoy more Chinese learning fun with us!
“I heard Chinese grammar is very difficult. Is it true?”
We often get this question from people who are attempting to learn Chinese.
Well, the answer is yes and no. Take Chinese sentence structure and word order for example. Making basic sentences with a subject, verb, and object is super-easy, just like in English. But when there are more elements involved, such as adverbs and time phrases, things get a little more complicated.
If you’re an absolute beginner who would like to experience the joy of forming a perfect Chinese sentence on your own, or if you’ve ever been frustrated with the placement of words in sentences, this article is for you!
Chinese is an SVO language, like English and many other Romance languages.
Not sure what SVO is? Don’t worry. We’ll explain with a sample sentence.
S (Subject)
V (Verb)
O (Object)
我
喜欢
这个。
Wǒ
xǐhuan
zhège.
I
like
this.
S is for the subject. V is for the verb. O is for the object. The basic word order in Chinese is Subject + Verb + Object.
Let’s look at another SVO-structured sentence:
S (Subject)
V (Verb)
O (Object)
我
在学
中文。
Wǒ
zài xué
Zhōngwén.
I
at (am) study(ing)
Chinese.
Note: Since Chinese verbs don’t conjugate, some “aid words” will be added to indicate tense. For example, to express an action that’s in progress, as in the example above, we use the word 在 (zài), meaning “at,” plus a verb. We can view 在学 (zài xué), or “at study,” as the verb phrase “to be studying.”
1.1.1 Exceptions
Granted that the Chinese language is pretty flexible, there are cases—especially in colloquial language—where we can bend the SVO rule a little.
For example, when the object or subject is clear to the audience, they can be omitted. The subject in the following sentence is omitted.
V
O
是
我。
shì
wǒ.
(It) is
me.
The object in the following sentence is omitted.
S
V
我
喜欢。
Wǒ
xǐhuan.
I
like (it).
When special attention needs to be brought to the object, it can even be put at the beginning of a sentence.
O
S
V
这个
我
xǐhuan.
Zhège
wǒ
xǐhuan.
This
I
like.
2. Advanced Sentence Structures
Don’t you wish the world was as simple as an SVO sentence? Well, even sentences get sophisticated with packed information, like “where,” “when,” “how,” and so on.
One common mistake that beginners make concerning the word order of Chinese sentences is that they tend to put the phrases with extra information at the end. However, this is often not the correct way of forming the sentence.
2.1 S + Place + V + O
Phrases suggesting the location should go BEFORE the verb.
1)
S
Place
V
O
我
在家
学
中文。
Wǒ
zài jiā
xué
Zhōngwén.
I
at home
study
Chinese.
2)
S
Place
V
他们
在门外
聊天。
Tāmen
zài ménwài
liáotiān.
They
outside the door
chat.
Note: Sample sentence 2) doesn’t have an object. Verbs like 聊天 (liáotiān) are composed of an action verb and a complement which can be considered the object. In this case, 聊 is the action verb and 天 is the complement.
2.1.1 Exceptions
However, location phrases are used AFTER a verb in some rare cases with certain verbs. These special verbs include:
坐(zuò), “to sit”
站 (zhàn), “to stand”
走 (zǒu), “to walk”
住 (zhù), “to live”
留 (liú), “to stay”
停(tíng), “to park”
放 (fàng),“to put”
These verbs usually indicate motion towards something. The location phrases serve as a complement explaining where the action leads to.
With these special verbs, the order is S + Special Verb + Place.
English Meaning
S + Special Verb + Place
Note
“Put the suitcase on top.”
行李箱放上面。✓ Xínglǐ xiāng fàng shàngmian.
Literal translation: “Suitcase (should be) put on top.”
行李箱上面放。x Xínglǐ xiāng shàngmian fàng.
The location phrase 上面 (shàngmian), or “on top,” is where the action 放 (fàng), meaning “to put,” is supposed to happen next. So 上面 (shàngmian) is used after 放 (fàng).
“You walk on the left side.”
你走左边。✓ Nǐ zǒu zuǒbiān.
Literal translation: “You walk left side.”
你左边走。x Nǐ zuǒbiān zǒu.
左边 (zuǒbiān), or “on the left side,” is where the speaker wants the listener to walk. Therefore, it’s 走左边 (zǒu zuǒbiān), or “walk on the left side,” rather than 左边走, or “left side walk.”
“I live in Beijing.”
我住北京。✓ Wǒ zhù Běijīng.
Literal translation: “I live Beijing.”
我北京住。x Wǒ Běijīng zhù.
Other than 我住北京 (Wǒ zhù Běijīng), you can also say 我住在北京。(Wǒ zhù zài Běijīng.)Literally, it means “I live in Beijing.
2.2 S +Time + V + O
Just like place phrases, time phrases also go BEFORE the verb.
As we learned a little earlier, 在 (zài), meaning “at,” is used to indicate the progressive tense. Besides that, time phrases can also be used to make a sentence more explicit. For example, 现在 (xiànzài), meaning“now,” is often used when something is happening at the moment.
S
Time
V (at + V = V-ing)
O
我
现在
在学
中文。
Wǒ
xiànzài
zài xué
Zhōngwén.
I
now
at (am) study(ing)
Chinese.
For things that happened in the past, we can use the “aid word” 了 (le) to indicate the past tense. There are many other time phrases you can include, such as:
昨天 (zuótiān), “yesterday”
上个礼拜(shàngge lǐbài), “last week”
去年 (qùnián), “last year”
S
Time
V ( V + 了 = V-ed)
O
我
昨天
学了
中文。
Wǒ
zuótiān
xué le
Zhōngwén.
I
yesterday
studied
Chinese.
Note that the time phrases we talk about here refer to a specific point in time, answering the question “When?” They do not refer to a “time period,” which would answer “For how long?” When the duration of time is involved, it’s another long story.
Also, if special attention needs to be brought to the time, these time phrases can be placed at the beginning of a sentence. For example, we can say 现在我在学中文 (Xiànzài wǒ zài xué Zhōngwén) to tell someone “Right now, I’m learning Chinese.”
2.3 S+ Manner +V+O
Manner is often described using adverbs that tell “how” the action happens. Like time and place words, they also go BEFORE the verb.
1)
S
Manner
V
O
我
非常
喜欢
这个。
Wǒ
fēicháng
xǐhuan
zhège.
I
extremely
like
this.
2)
S
Manner
V
O
我
开心地
学
中文。
Wǒ
kāixīn de
xué
Zhōngwén.
I
happily
study
Chinese.
2.4 S + Instrument + V + O
Instrument here is the equivalent of “by…” or “with…” in English, describing the tool or method used for the action. As you may have guessed, they also go BEFORE the verb.
S
Instrument
V
O
我
用手机
学
中文。
Wǒ
yòng shǒujī
xué
Zhōngwén.
I
by using my phone
study
Chinese.
Here comes a question: When there’s more than one “BEFORE the verb” element in a sentence, what are the Chinese word order rules? For example, when there’s time, place, manner, and instrument at the same time, how should you arrange them?
Here’s an example:
我昨天开心地在家用手机学中文。
Wǒ zuótiān kāixīn de zàijiā yòng shǒujī xué Zhōngwén.
Word-by-word translation: “I yesterday happily at home by using the phone studied Chinese.”
As you can see, the word order in this sentence is:
S + Time + Manner + Place + Instrument + V + O
This is the most common and natural order of words. Of course, when certain things need to be emphasized, they could be brought to the front of the sentence. Even though it’s very rare to use all of the above elements in one sentence in a real-life conversation, it’s good for a Chinese learner to know the proper way to arrange them.
At this point, a pattern in Chinese sentence structure seems to be getting more clear. The descriptive part always goes first, such as 开心地学中文 (kāixīn de xué Zhōngwén), meaning“happily study Chinese,” 用手机学中文 (yòngshǒujī xué Zhōngwén), meaning “using the phone to study Chinese,” and 在家学中文(zài jiā xué Zhōngwén), meaning “at home study Chinese.”
Even though there are a handful of exceptions, as we mentioned earlier, as a general rule:
Not only does the golden rule apply to verbs, but also to nouns.
For example, 红色的行李箱 (hóngsè de xínglǐ xiāng)means “red suitcase.” 红色 (hóngsè), or“red,” modifies 行李箱 (xínglǐ xiāng), meaning “suitcase.” So 红色 (hóngsè) goes before 行李箱 (xínglǐ xiāng).
放在上面的行李箱 (fàngzài shàngmiàn de xínglǐ xiāng)translates as “the suitcase that’s put on top.” The noun 行李箱 (xínglǐ xiāng), or “suitcase,” still comes after the modifying phrase 放在上面 (fàngzài shàngmiàn), or “to put on top.”
4. Transforming a Sentence into a Question
Finally, we’ll be looking into how to form questions in Chinese. You may be surprised how easy it is!
Questions that are answered with a “yes” or “no” can be referred to as yes-or-no questions. So, what’s the word order in Chinese sentences after transforming them into such a question?
To form a yes-or-no question, all you need is the particle 吗 (ma), which turns a sentence into a question.
Examples:
Sentence
+ 吗
⇒Question
你喜欢这个。 Nǐ xǐhuan zhège. “You like this.”
+吗？
你喜欢这个吗？ Nǐ xǐhuan zhège ma? “Do you like this?”
他在学中文。 Tā zài xué Zhōngwén. “He’s studying Chinese.”
+吗？
他在学中文吗？ Tā zài xué Zhōngwén ma? “Is he studying Chinese?”
她不住北京。 Tā bú zhù Běijīng. “She doesn’t live in Beijing.”
+吗？
她不住北京吗？ Tā bú zhù Běijīng ma? “Doesn’t she live in Beijing?”
4.2 Forming Other Questions
To form other types of questions, it only takes three steps.
Step 1: Think about how you would answer the question in a complete sentence.
Now it’s time for some Chinese word order practice! Try out the new Chinese grammar skills you’ve just gained from reading this article.
Here are your building blocks:
Subject: 你 (nǐ), “you”
Verb: 喝 (hē), “to drink”
Object: 水 (shuǐ), “water”
Place: 在教室 (zài jiàoshì),“in the classroom”
Time: 五点 (wǔdiǎn), “five o’clock”
Manner: 偷偷地 (tōutōude), “secretly”
Instrument: 用碗 (yòng wǎn),“with a bowl”
Modifier: 冰 (bīng), “ice-cold”
Question Word: 什么 (shénme), “what”
Your building task is to make Chinese sentences from the English translations on the left side. If you like, use the hint in the middle. Put your answers on the right side.
Now, if I ask YOU the question from the beginning of this article, what would your answer be?
“Is Chinese grammar difficult?”
中文的语法难吗？
Zhōngwén de yǔfǎ nán ma?
Whether your answer is yes or no, I hope this article will at least provide you with a better understanding of Chinese syntax and gives you more confidence when interacting with native Chinese speakers. This is what ChineseClass101.com was designed for. If you haven’t subscribed to our weekly updated lessons created by our experienced Chinese teachers, you’re missing out on a lot of great Chinese learning resources! Go to ChineseClass101.com and get a free lifetime account today!
As a Chinese language-learner, one of the things you likely wonder about often is how to tell time in Chinese. Everything we do is seamlessly associated with time. We consume time every day and are always in a running competition with it. We care about time, and time has become one of the most important topics in our everyday lives. It’s important to stay on track with what you do, no matter where you are; further, you should do your best to be on time for certain events. This is why time in Chinese culture plays a big role.
“Time” in Chinese is 时间 (shí jiān). The rules for telling the time in Mandarin Chinese are all straightforward and simple to follow, so let go of your fears and proceed with confidence.
With ChineseClass101.com, learning time in Chinese is fun and effective at the same time!
Feel free to replace the event in the brackets with any other event.
2. The Hours in Chinese
Can you express the time in Chinese precisely?
In China, people are used to the twenty-four-hour clock. In order to master telling the time in Mandarin Chinese, let’s get to know these two important vocabulary words first:
小时 (xiǎo shí) — hour
点钟 (diǎn zhōng) — o’clock
As we mentioned above, “hour” in Chinese is 小时 (xiǎo shí), and 钟头 (zhōng tóu) is another way to say “hours” in daily conversation; it’s less formal than 小时 (xiǎo shí).
However, to make it more convenient for speech, we usually just say the simplified version of 点钟 (diǎn zhōng), which is 点 (diǎn).
Now, how do you say the time in Chinese exactly? Easy.
To express any hour, all you need to do is say the number first and add 点 (diǎn) / 点钟 (diǎn zhōng) right after. For example, four o’clock would be 四点 (sì diǎn) / 四点钟 (sì diǎn zhōng).
Here’s a list of time words in Chinese that will help you understand how the twenty-four-hour clock works:
一点钟 (yī diǎn zhōng) — 1 o’clock
两点钟 (liǎng diǎn zhōng) — 2 o’clock
三点钟 (sān diǎn zhōng) — 3 o’clock
四点钟 (sì diǎn zhōng) — 4 o’clock
五点钟 (wǔ diǎn zhōng) — 5 o’clock
六点钟 (liù diǎn zhōng) — 6 o’clock
七点钟 (qī diǎn zhōng) — 7 o’clock
八点钟 (bā diǎn zhōng) — 8 o’clock
九点钟 (jiǔ diǎn zhōng) — 9 o’clock
十点钟 (shí diǎn zhōng) — 10 o’clock
十一点钟 (shí yī diǎn zhōng) — 11 o’clock
十二点钟 (shí èr diǎn zhōng) — 12 o’clock
十三点钟 (shí sān diǎn zhōng) — 13 o’clock
十四点钟 (shí sì diǎn zhōng) — 14 o’clock
十五点钟 (shí wǔ diǎn zhōng) — 15 o’clock
十六点钟 (shí liù diǎn zhōng) — 16 o’clock
十七点钟 (shí qī diǎn zhōng) — 17 o’clock
十八点钟 (shí bā diǎn zhōng) — 18 o’clock
十九点钟 (shí jiǔ diǎn zhōng) — 19 o’clock
二十点钟 (èr shí diǎn zhōng) — 20 o’clock
二十一点钟 (èr shí yī diǎn zhōng) — 21 o’clock
二十二点钟 (èr shí èr diǎn zhōng) — 22 o’clock
二十三点钟 (èr shí sān diǎn zhōng) — 23 o’clock
二十四点钟 (èr shí sì diǎn zhōng) — 24 o’clock
零点 (líng diǎn) — 0 o’clock
Usage in a sentence:
In Chinese: 现在是16点钟。
Pinyin: Xiàn zài shì shí liù diǎn zhōng.
In English: It’s 4 PM.
Additional Notes:
Remember that when referring to time and currency, 两 (liǎng) is used for “two” instead of 二 (èr), which is used more commonly for counting.
3. The Minutes in Chinese
分钟 (fēn zhōng) is one of the most important time words in Chinese, meaning “minute.” Usually, people simplify it and just say 分 (fēn), which means the same thing. To express any specific minute at any hour, you just need to follow this formula: [number] “点 (diǎn) / 点钟 (diǎn zhōng)” + [number] “分 (fēn).”
Usage in a sentence:
In Chinese: 现在是三点十八分。
Pinyin: Xiàn zài shì sān diǎn shí bā fēn.
In English: It’s 3:18 right now.
4. Hours Divided into Minutes
点半 (diǎn bàn) – half
Structure:
In Chinese: 现在的时间是[点钟数字] 点 + 分钟
In English: It’s [number of the clock] o’clock + minutes
Usage in a sentence:
In Chinese: 现在的时间是三点半。
Pinyin: Xiàn zài de shí jiān shì sān diǎn bàn.
In English: It’s half past three now.
一刻 (yī kè) – quarter
Usage in a sentence:
In Chinese: 现在的时间是五点一刻。
Pinyin: Xiàn zài de shí jiān shì wǔ diǎn yī kè.
In English: It’s a quarter past five right now.
5. General Time References of the Day
What if you just want to give an approximate time in Chinese? Here are some words you can use to tell someone a general time of day.
早晨 (zǎo chén) — early morning
日出 (rì chū) — sunrise
下午 (xià wǔ) — afternoon
晚上 (wǎn shàng) — evening
中午 (zhōng wǔ) — noon
日落 (rì luò) — sunset
夜里 (yè lǐ) — at night
半夜 (bàn yè) — midnight
凌晨 (líng chén) — before dawn
Usage in a sentence:
In Chinese: 我喜欢在[下午]的时候吃水果。
Pinyin: Wǒ xǐ huan zài [xià wǔ] de shí hou chī shuǐ guǒ.
In English: I like to eat fruit in the afternoon.
Additional Notes:
Feel free to replace the example time reference in the brackets with any of the other time words in Chinese above. You can also check out our article regarding dates in Chinese here.
6. Chinese Time Adverbs
Remember to arrange your time wisely.
Time adverbs in Chinese can help you communicate with more-detailed and complete sentences. Here are the most common ones.
Usually, adverbs are added to the beginning of a sentence, after the subject.
7. Common Phrases Regarding Time
It can be tough to catch up with time sometimes!
时间 (shí jiān), which is “time” in Chinese, can be tight and precious, or hard to manage. Time in Chinese culture is always an important topic to discuss as our everyday arrangements depend on it. Sometimes we have to apologize for being late, and sometimes we just want to ask other people to be on time. Here are some of the most common phrases for talking about time in Chinese that will certainly help you communicate with others.
In Chinese: 赶紧的！
Pinyin: Gǎn jǐn de!
In English: Hurry up!
In Chinese: 抱歉，我迟到了。
Pinyin: Bào qiàn, wǒ chí dào le.
In English: Sorry that I’m late.
In Chinese: 我现在就出发。
Pinyin: Wǒ xiàn zài jiù chū fā.
In English: I will be going right now.
In Chinese: 以防堵车，我打算提前半小时出发。
Pinyin: Yǐ fáng dǔ chē, wǒ dǎ suàn tí qián bàn xiǎo shí chū fā.
In English: Just in case there’s traffic, I plan to leave thirty minutes early.
In English: An inch of gold will not buy an inch of time, and you can’t buy an inch of time with an inch of gold.
In Chinese: 时间会治愈一切。
Pinyin: Shí jiān huì zhì yù yī qiē.
In English: Time heals all wounds.
In Chinese: 时光飞逝。
Pinyin: Shí guāng fēi shì.
In English: Time flies.
9. Conclusion
Now, I hope you’ve mastered the art of how to tell time in Chinese. If you’re a Chinese language-learner who’s full of curiosity and a desire to learn more, then our online lessons will be just perfect for a diligent individual like you. Visit ChineseClass101.com today to acquire a once-in-your-lifetime Chinese learning experience!
Before you go, let us know in the comments how you feel about telling the time in Chinese now. To practice, tell us what time it is where you are, in Chinese! 🙂 We look forward to hearing from you.
Being able to ask for and give directions is one of the practical skills we need to learn in life. It’s also one of the survival skills we need to equip ourselves with before visiting a new place.
If you don’t want to get lost in China, have a stressful time on your trip, or miss an excellent chance to communicate with locals and try out your Chinese speaking skills, you must read this survival guide on how to ask for and give directions in Chinese.
Don’t have time to read all the details in this article? Not a problem. Check out the comprehensive vocabulary list on positions and directions on ChineseClass101.com!
Table of Contents
Before going to a place that you’ve never been to before, it’s always a good idea to check where things are on a map, which requires us to have the basic vocabulary for reading maps, such as north and west in Chinese.
1- Cardinal Directions in Chinese
The four basic cardinal directions, otherwise known as compass directions, in Chinese are:
In Chinese: 东
Pinyin: dōng In English: east
In Chinese: 南
Pinyin: nán In English: south
In Chinese: 西
Pinyin: xī In English: west
In Chinese: 北
Pinyin: běi In English: north
2- Intercardinal Directions in Chinese
The directions between the four basic cardinal directions are called intercardinal directions. The four most commonly used ones are:
In Chinese: 东南
Pinyin: dōngnán In English: southeast
In Chinese: 东北
Pinyin: dōngběi In English: northeast
In Chinese: 西南
Pinyin: xīnán In English: southwest
In Chinese: 西北
Pinyin: xīběi In English: northwest
In everyday Chinese, we often add 边 (biān) meaning “edge” or “side,” 方 (fāng) meaning “direction,” or 面 (miàn) meaning “side” after the cardinal directions. This makes phrases like 南边 (nánbiān) meaning “south side,” 北方 (běifāng) meaning “north part,” and 东面 (dōngmiàn) meaning “east side.”
Here are some example sentences.
In Chinese: 北京在中国的北方。
Pinyin: Běijīng zài Zhōngguó de běifāng. Literal Translation: Beijing at China’s north part.
In English: Beijing is in the north part of China.
In Chinese: 中国在俄罗斯的南边。
Pinyin: Zhōngguó zài Éluósī de nánbiān. Literal Translation: China at Russia’s south side.
In English: China is to the south of Russia.
In Chinese: 兵马俑在西安的东面。
Pinyin: Bīngmǎyǒng zài Xī’ān de dōngmiàn. Literal Translation: Terracotta Warriors on Xi’an’s east side.
In English: The Terracotta Warriors are on the east side of Xi’an.
2. On the Road
1- Position Words
When it’s time to finally hit the road, we’ll need to know more position and location words, such as left in Chinese, right in Chinese, front and back in Chinese, and more, in order to navigate and communicate.
Here are four pairs of opposites that describe position.
In Chinese: 前 Pinyin: qián In English: front
In Chinese: 后 Pinyin: hòu In English: back
In Chinese: 上 Pinyin: shàng In English: up
In Chinese: 下 Pinyin: xià In English: down
In Chinese: 左 Pinyin: zuǒ In English: left
In Chinese: 右 Pinyin: yòu In English: right
In Chinese: 里 Pinyin: lǐ In English: inside
In Chinese: 外 Pinyin: wài In English: outside
Language Learning Tips: Memorizing opposites is a great way to expand your vocabulary, and it makes learning faster and easier.
Just like when we’re describing cardinal directions, we also add words like “side,” or 边 (biān), and 面 (miàn) after position words in everyday Chinese. This makes phrases like 前面 (qiánmian) meaning “front,” 上面 (shàngmian) meaning “up,” and 左边 (zuǒbiān) meaning “left side.”
Here are some example sentences:
In Chinese: 故宫里面有商店。
Pinyin: Gùgōng lǐmian yǒu shāngdiàn. Literal Translation: Forbidden City inside has store.
In English: There are stores inside the Forbidden City.
In Chinese: 售票处在大门的右边。
Pinyin: Shòupiàochù zài dàmén de yòubiān. Literal Translation: Ticket place at gate’s right side.
In English: The ticket office is on the right side of the gate.
In Chinese: 出租车的前面有一辆公交车。
Pinyin: Chūzūchē de qiánmian yǒu yí liàng gōngjiāochē. Literal Translation: Taxi’s front has a city bus.
In English: There’s a city bus in front of the taxi.
2- Direction Phrases with References
In order to pinpoint a location, we often use other locations as references. For example: “the ice cream store is next to the park,” or “the convenience store is across the street from the subway station.”
The following is a comprehensive list of direction phrases with references in Chinese:
In Chinese: 在……(的) 左/右边
Pinyin: zài …(de) zuǒ / yòubiān In English: on the left/right side of…
In Chinese: 在……(的) 前/后面
Pinyin: zài …(de) qián / hòumian In English: in front of/behind…
In Chinese: 在……(的) 里/外面
Pinyin: zài …(de) lǐ / wàimian In English: in the inside/outside of…
In Chinese: 在……(的) 上/下面
Pinyin: zài …(de) shàng / xiàmian In English: under/on top of …
In Chinese: 在……(的) 旁边
Pinyin: zài …(de) pángbiān In English: next to…
In Chinese: 在……(的) 对面
Pinyin: zài …(de) duìmiàn In English: across the road from…
In Chinese: 在……之间
Pinyin: zài … zhījiān In English: between…
In Chinese: 离这里……米
Pinyin: lí zhèli …mǐ In English: …meters away from here
In Chinese: 离这里……分钟车程
Pinyin: lí zhèli …fēnzhōng chē chéng In English: …minutes’ ride away from here
Here are some example sentences to show how to use direction phrases with references:
In Chinese: 麦当劳在必胜客的上面。
Pinyin: Màidāngláo zài Bìshèngkè de shàngmian. Literal Translation: McDonald’s at Pizza Hut up.
In English: McDonald’s is located above Pizza Hut.
In Chinese: 洗手间在电梯和收款处之间。
Pinyin: Xǐshǒujiān zài diàntī hé shōukuǎnchù zhījiān. Literal Translation: Washroom at elevator and cashier in between.
In English: The restroom is between the elevator and cashier.”
In Chinese: 外滩离这里十分钟车程。
Pinyin: Wàitān lí zhèli shí fēnzhōng chē chéng. Literal Translation: Bund away from here ten minutes car distance.
In English: It takes ten minutes to drive to The Bund from here.
3. Landmarks
When it comes to finding out and describing where certain places are located in Chinese, we should know the basic vocabulary for landmarks. In particular, this may come in handy when giving or receiving driving directions in Chinese.
In Chinese: 机场
Pinyin: jīchǎng In English: airport
In Chinese: 火车站
Pinyin: huǒchē zhàn In English: railway station
In Chinese: 地铁站
Pinyin: dìtiě zhàn In English: subway station
In Chinese: 公交车站
Pinyin: gōngjiāochē zhàn In English: bus stop
In Chinese: 市中心
Pinyin: shì zhōngxīn In English: downtown
In Chinese: 公园
Pinyin: gōngyuán In English: park
In Chinese: 医院
Pinyin: yīyuàn In English: hospital
In Chinese: 银行
Pinyin: yínháng In English: hotel
In Chinese: 商场
Pinyin: shāngchǎng In English: mall
In Chinese: 博物馆
Pinyin: bówùguǎn In English: museum
2- On the Road
In Chinese: 红绿灯
Pinyin: hónglǜdēng In English: traffic light
In Chinese: 路口
Pinyin: lùkǒu In English: intersection
In Chinese: 拐角
Pinyin: guǎijiǎo In English: corner
In Chinese: 斑马线
Pinyin: bānmǎ xiàn In English: crosswalk
In Chinese: 天桥
Pinyin: tiānqiáo In English: overpass
In Chinese: 指示牌
Pinyin: zhǐshì pái In English: sign
In Chinese: 停车位
Pinyin: tíngchē wèi In English: parking spot
In Chinese: 报刊亭
Pinyin: bàokān tíng In English: newspaper stand
3- In a Building
In Chinese: 大门
Pinyin: dàmén In English: main gate
In Chinese: 电梯
Pinyin: diàntī In English: elevator/escalator
In Chinese: 楼梯
Pinyin: lóutī In English: stairs
In Chinese: 洗手间
Pinyin: xǐshǒujiān In English: restroom
In Chinese: 问询处
Pinyin: wènxún chù In English: information desk
In Chinese: 安全出口
Pinyin: ānquán chūkǒu In English: emergency exit
4. Must-know Phrases for Asking for Directions
1- Question Patterns
Now we’re only one step away from asking directions in Chinese with complete questions.
Here are three commonly used question patterns used in this situation:
1- ……在哪？(…zài nǎ?) meaning “Where is…?”
Example:
In Chinese: 洗手间在哪？
Pinyin: Xǐshǒujiān zài nǎ? Literal Translation: Restroom at where?
In English: Where is the restroom?
2- 去……怎么走？(Qù … zěnme zǒu?) meaning “How do I get to …?”
Example:
In Chinese: 去天安门怎么走？
Pinyin: Qù Tiānānmén zěnme zǒu? Literal Translation: To Tian’anmen Square how to go?
In English: How do I get to Tian’anmen Square?
3- ……离这儿有多远？(…lí zhèr yǒu duō yuǎn?) meaning “How far is … from here?”
Example:
In Chinese: 广州离这儿有多远？
Pinyin: Guǎngzhōu lí zhèr yǒu duōyuǎn? Literal Translation: Guangzhou from here has how far?
In English: How far is Guangzhou from here?
In Chinese: 请问地铁站在哪？
Pinyin: Qǐngwèn dìtiě zhàn zài nǎ?
Literal Translation: May I please ask subway station at where?
In English: Excuse me, where is the subway?
Or to politely ask how to get to the closest convenience store, say:
In Chinese: 请问最近的便利店怎么走？
Pinyin: Qǐngwèn zuìjìn de biànlì diàn zěnme zǒu? Literal Translation: May I please ask the closest convenience store how to go?
In English: “Excuse me, how do I get to the closest convenience store?”
After you get the directions, don’t forget to thank the person who helped you for their kindness. Here are some common thank-you phrases to use in this situation.
In Chinese: 谢谢你。
Pinyin: Xièxie nǐ. In English: Thank you.
Note: Putting a 你 (nǐ) after 谢谢 (xièxie) makes your thank-you sound more sincere.
In Chinese: 好。我知道了。太谢谢了！
Pinyin: Hǎo. Wǒ zhīdào le. Tài xièxiè le! In English: OK. I got it. Thank you so much!
In Chinese: 我看见了。谢谢。
Pinyin: Wǒ kànjiàn le. Xièxie. In English: I can see it now. Thanks.
5. Must-know Phrases for Giving Directions
Being able to understand directions in Chinese when people give them to you is as important as knowing how to ask for directions. Here’s a list of phrases used when giving directions in Chinese:
In Chinese: 在……
Pinyin: zài In English: at…
In Chinese: 先……再……
Pinyin: xiān…zài In English: first…then…
In Chinese: 沿着……走
Pinyin: yánzhe …zǒu In English: go along…
In Chinese: 直走 Pinyin: zhí zǒu In English: go straight
In Chinese: 左转 / 左拐
Pinyin: zuǒzhuǎn / zuǒguǎi In English: turn left
In Chinese: 右转 / 右拐
Pinyin: yòuzhuǎn / yòuguǎi In English: turn right
In Chinese: 往……走 Pinyin: wǎng …zǒu In English: go toward …
In Chinese: 掉头
Pinyin: diàotóu In English: make a U-turn
In Chinese: 上 / 下楼
Pinyin: shàng / xià lóu In English: go upstairs / downstairs
In Chinese: 很近
Pinyin: hěnjìn In English: very close
In Chinese: 挺远的
Pinyin: tǐng yuǎn de In English: pretty far
Here are some example sentences combining direction phrases with landmarks.
In Chinese: 沿着这条路直走，在红绿灯左拐。
Pinyin: Yánzhe zhè tiáo lù zhí zǒu , zài hónglǜdēng zuǒguǎi. Literal Translation: Along this road straight walk, at red green light left turn.
In English:Go straight along this road, and make a left at the traffic light.
In Chinese: 先出地铁站，再右转，走两个路口。
Pinyin: Xiān chū dì tiě zhàn, zài yòu zhuǎn, zǒu liǎng ge lùkǒu. Literal Translation: “First get out subway station, then right turn, walk two intersections.
In English: First get out of the subway station, then take a right for two intersections.
In Chinese: 上楼之后有个问询处，问询处的对面就是洗手间。
Pinyin: Shàng lóu zhīhòu yǒu ge wèn xún chù , wèn xún chù de duìmiàn jiùshì xǐshǒujiān. Literal Translation: Go upstairs afterwards have an information place, information place’s opposite side is restroom.
In English: After you go upstairs, there’s an information desk; the bathroom is right across from the information desk.
In addition to the direction phrases listed above, you should know the following phrases for taking a taxi in China.
In Chinese: 去这里。
Pinyin: Qù zhèli. In English: To here.
In Chinese: 请快一点。
Pinyin: Qǐng kuài yì diǎn. In English: Please hurry up a bit.
In Chinese: 请慢一点。
Pinyin: Qǐng màn yì diǎn. In English: Please slow down a bit.
In Chinese: 就在这儿停。
Pinyin: Jiù zài zhèr tíng. In English: Please stop right here.
7. Conclusion
Now you’ve learned all the words and phrases you need to talk about directions and locations in Chinese. Are you more confident in touring and getting around in China on your own now? With this guide, and the help of modern technology such as GPS and navigation applications, you don’t have to stress about finding the right places in China.
Just remember: While enjoying your time touring around China, don’t be shy to try out the phrases and expressions you’ve learned from ChineseClass101.com!
Happy Chinese learning!
Talking about nouns, everyone is familiar with them, because we talk about them every single day. It’s just such an active participant in our daily conversations that we can’t ignore them, especially as a diligent language learner. As a Chinese beginner, you’ve probably struggled with nouns in Chinese sentences and how to use them in Chinese grammar.
The word “noun” in Chinese language is 名词 (míng cí). Nouns in Chinese grammar structures aren’t difficult to master, and they follow exactly the same rules as nouns do in English. As subjects, they’re placed before verbs; as objects, they’re placed after verbs.
We’ve prepared a variety of Chinese nouns lists for you to enjoy, and each of these basic Chinese nouns is accompanied by example sentences. You’ll also be able to see these examples and nouns in Chinese pinyin for your learning convenience. Let’s start!
Table of Contents
In today’s world, some of the top Chinese nouns you should know are those related to appliances. Keep these words handy, and try using them in your next conversation to practice!
1. Television – 电视 (diàn shì)
In Chinese: 看电视是一件很放松的事。
Pinyin: Kàn diàn shì shì yí jiàn hěn fàng sōng de shì. In English: Watching television is a very relaxing thing to do.
2. Refrigerator – 冰箱 (bīng xiāng)
In Chinese: 记得把吃不完的食物即时放回冰箱里。
Pinyin: Jì de bǎ chī bu wán de shí wù jí shí fàng huí bīng xiāng li. In English: Remember to put the leftovers in the refrigerator.
3. Air Conditioner – 空调 (kōng tiáo)
In Chinese: 夏天真是个需要空调的季节。
Pinyin: Xià tiān zhēn shì gè xū yào kōng tiáo de jì jié. In English: Summer is an air-conditioner-essential season.
4. Washer – 洗衣机 (xǐ yī jī)
In Chinese: 在原来没有洗衣机的年代， 大家都习惯用手洗衣服。
Pinyin: Zài yuán lái méi yǒu xǐ yī jī de nián dài, dà jiā dōu xí guàn yòng shǒu xǐ yī fu. In English: Back when there was no washer, people were used to washing clothes by hand.
5. Microwave – 微波炉 (wēi bō lú)
In Chinese: 微波炉真是个方便的发明，能快速把食物加热。
Pinyin: Wēi bō lú zhēn shì gè fāng biàn de fā míng, néng kuài sù bǎ shí wù jiā rè. In English: Microwaves are such a convenient invention; they can heat up food so fast.
6. Fan – 风扇 (fēng shàn)
In Chinese: 比起空调，我还是更喜欢风扇的自然风。
Pinyin: Bǐ qǐ kōng tiáo, wǒ hái shì gèng xǐ huan fēng shàn de zì rán fēng. In English: Instead of the air conditioner, I prefer the natural wind that a fan produces.
7. Hair Dryer – 吹风机 (chuī fēng jī)
In Chinese: 比起让头发自然干，我更喜欢用吹风机。
Pinyin: Bǐ qǐ ràng tóu fa zì rán gān, wǒ gèng xǐ huān yòng chuī fēng jī. In English: I prefer to use a hair dryer instead of letting my hair dry naturally.
8. Toothbrush – 牙刷 (yá shuā)
In Chinese: 牙刷上容易产生细菌，所以需要经常更换。
Pinyin: Yá shuā shang róng yì chǎn shēng xì jūn, suǒ yǐ xū yào jīng cháng gèng huàn. In English: It’s easy to produce bacteria on a toothbrush, so it’s necessary to get new ones regularly.
2. Technology
As you learn Chinese nouns, this is a category you really can’t skip! Here are the most common Chinese nouns associated with technology.
In Chinese: 电脑真是一个伟大的发明，为人们提供了不少便利。
Pinyin: Diàn nǎo zhēn shì yí gè wěi dà de fā míng, wèi rén men tí gòng le bù shǎo biàn lì. In English: Computers are a spectacular invention that provide so much convenience for humans.
2. Laptop – 笔记本电脑 (bǐ jì běn diàn nǎo)
In Chinese: 我有随身携带笔记本电脑的习惯。
Pinyin: Wǒ yǒu suí shēn xié dài bǐ jì běn diàn nǎo de xí guàn. In English: I have a habit of taking my laptop everywhere with me.
3. Tablet – 平板电脑 (píng bǎn diàn nǎo)
In Chinese: 在上课时，我一般用平板电脑记笔记。
Pinyin: Zài shàng kè shí, wǒ yī bān yòng píng bǎn diàn nǎo jì bǐ jì. In English: When I am in a class, I usually use a tablet to take notes.
In Chinese: 现代人的生活都离不开手机。
Pinyin: Xiàn dài rén de shēng huó dōu lí bu kāi shǒu jī. In English: In modern society, it’s hard to live without our phones.
5. Headphones – 耳机 (ěr jī)
In Chinese: 戴上耳机听音乐的时候，我彷佛在另一个世界。
Pinyin: Dài shang ěr jī tīng yīn yuè de shí hou, wǒ fǎng fú zài lìng yí gè shì jiè. In English: When I wear my headphones to listen to music, I feel like I’m in a whole different world.
6. Charger – 充电器 (chōng diàn qì)
In Chinese: 我每天出门都会带上手机充电器，以防万一。
Pinyin: Wǒ měi tiān chū mén dōu huì dài shang shǒu jī chōng diàn qì, yǐ fáng wàn yī. In English: Every time I leave the house, I take my phone charger with me just in case.
7. Wifi – Wifi (Wifi)
In Chinese: 我喜欢在有Wifi的咖啡馆写作业。
Pinyin: Wǒ xǐ huān zài yǒu Wifi de kā fēi guǎn xiě zuò yè. In English: I like to go to coffee shops that provide wifi and do my homework there.
8. Application – 软件 (ruǎn jiàn)
In Chinese: 我喜欢在手机上下载很多不同的软件。
Pinyin: Wǒ xǐ huān zài shǒu jī shang xià zǎi hěn duō bù tóng de ruǎn jiàn. In English: I like to download many different types of applications on my phone.
9. Website – 网站 (wǎng zhàn)
In Chinese: 我最近在学习网站设计。
Pinyin: Wǒ zuì jìn zài xué xí wǎng zhàn shè jì. In English: Recently, I have been learning about website design.
10. Photo – 照片 (zhào piàn)
In Chinese: 我很喜欢看老照片怀念过去。
Pinyin: Wǒ hěn xǐ huān kàn lǎo zhào piàn huái niàn guò qù. In English: I enjoy looking at old pictures to reminisce.
11. Account – 账号 (zhàng hào)
In Chinese: 很多网站要求用户注册账号之后才能进行购物。
Pinyin: Hěn duō wǎng zhàn yāo qiú yòng hù zhù cè zhàng hào zhī hòu cái néng jìn xíng gòu wù. In English: Many websites require users to have an account in order to make a purchase there.
12. Password – 密码 (mì mǎ)
In Chinese: 我经常忘记自己设置的密码。
Pinyin: Wǒ jīng cháng wàng jì zì jǐ shè zhì de mì mǎ. In English: I often forget about the password I set up for myself.
In Chinese: 我仍然记得自己小时候第一次坐飞机有多么兴奋。
Pinyin: Wǒ réng rán jì de zì jǐ xiǎo shí hou dì yī cì zuò fēi jī yǒu duō me xīng fèn. In English: I still remember how excited I was, at a young age, when I was on an airplane for the first time.
2. Train – 火车 (huǒ chē)
In Chinese: 我喜欢坐火车去旅游。
Pinyin: Wǒ xǐ huan zuò huǒ chē qù lǚ yóu. In English: I like to take a train for traveling.
3. Subway – 地铁 (dì tiě)
In Chinese: 我觉得地铁是最方便的交通工具之一。
Pinyin: Wǒ jué de dì tiě shì zuì fāng biàn de jiāo tōng gōng jù zhī yī. In English: I think the subway is one of the most convenient transportation methods.
In Chinese: 我之所以会迟到，是因为没有赶上公交车。
Pinyin: Wǒ zhī suǒ yǐ huì chí dào, shì yīn wèi méi yǒu gǎn shang gōng jiāo chē. In English: The reason why I was late is because I missed the bus.
5. Taxi – 出租车 (chū zū chē)
In Chinese: 我很喜欢跟出租车司机聊天。
Pinyin: Wǒ hěn xǐ huan gēn chū zū chē sī jī liáo tiān. In English: I like talking to taxi drivers.
6. Bike – 自行车 (zì xíng chē)
In Chinese: 我非常喜欢骑自行车，因为骑车的时候可以看到街头的景色。
Pinyin: Wǒ fēi cháng xǐ huan qí zì xíng chē, yīn wèi qí chē de shí hou kě yǐ kàn dào jiē tóu de jǐng sè. In English: I enjoy riding a bike because I get to see beautiful scenery on the streets.
7. Airport – 机场 (jī chǎng)
In Chinese: 每天在机场都有很多人依依不舍地分别。
Pinyin: Měi tiān zài jī chǎng dōu yǒu hěn duō rén yī yī bù shě de fēn bié. In English: At the airport, each day there are so many people who are saying goodbyes though they don’t want to.
8. Train Station – 火车站 (huǒ chē zhàn)
In Chinese: 有很多人在火车站过夜。
Pinyin: Yǒu hěn duō rén zài huǒ chē zhàn guò yè. In English: Many people are spending the night at the train station.
9. Bus Stop – 公交车站 (gōng jiāo chē zhàn)
In Chinese: 过了马路你就会看到公交车站。
Pinyin: Guò le mǎ lù nǐ jiù huì kàn dao gōng jiāo chē zhàn. In English: You will see the bus stop once you go across the road.
10. Traffic Light – 红绿灯 (hóng lǜ dēng)
In Chinese: 开车等红绿灯时千万不能看手机。
Pinyin: Kāi chē děng hóng lǜ dēng shí qiān wàn bù néng kàn shǒu jī. In English: Don’t ever look at your phone while waiting for a traffic light in the car.
11. Intersection – 十字路口 (shí zì lù kǒu)
In Chinese: 等你过了十字路口，往右转就可以看见我们了。
Pinyin: Děng nǐ guò le shí zì lù kǒu, wǎng yòu zhuǎn jiù kě yǐ kàn jiàn wǒ men le. In English: After you pass the intersection, just turn right and you will see us immediately.
In Chinese: 麻烦您给我们一下账单。
Pinyin: Má fan nín gěi wǒ men yí xià zhàng dān. In English: Please give us the bill.
5. Spoon – 勺子 (sháo zi)
In Chinese: 比起筷子，我喜欢用勺子吃米饭。
Pinyin: Bǐ qǐ kuài zi, wǒ xǐ huan yòng sháo zi chī mǐ fàn. In English: I like to eat rice with a spoon instead of chopsticks.
6. Chopsticks – 筷子 (kuài zi)
In Chinese: 很多西方国家的人不会用筷子。
Pinyin: Hěn duō xī fāng guó jiā de rén bú huì yòng kuài zi. In English: Many western people don’t know how to use chopsticks.
7. Plate – 盘子 (pán zi)
In Chinese: 在家里，妈妈负责做饭，我负责洗盘子。
Pinyin: Zài jiā li, mā ma fù zé zuò fàn, wǒ fù zé xǐ pán zi. In English: Mom is in charge of cooking, and I am in charge of washing dishes in the house.
8. Bowl – 碗 (wǎn)
In Chinese: 请给我来一碗面。
Pinyin: Qǐng gěi wǒ lái yì wǎn miàn. In English: Please give me a bowl of noodles.
9. Water – 水 (shuǐ)
In Chinese: 夏天非常干燥，我们更应该多喝水。
Pinyin: Xià tiān fēi cháng gàn zào, wǒ men gèng yīng gāi duō hē shuǐ. In English: Summer is a dry season; we should drink even more water.
10. Tea – 茶 (chá)
In Chinese: 茶是中国很重要的一个文化之一。
Pinyin: Chá shì zhōng guó hěn zhòng yào de yí gè wén huà zhī yī. In English: Tea is one of the most important cultural aspects in China.
11. Vegetables – 蔬菜 (shū cài)
In Chinese: 多吃蔬菜对身体有好处。
Pinyin: Duō chī shū cài duì shēn tǐ yǒu hǎo chù. In English: Eating vegetables is good for your health.
12. Seafood – 海鲜 (hǎi xiān)
In Chinese: 海鲜自助是我的最爱之一。
Pinyin: Hǎi xiān zì zhù shì wǒ de zuì ài zhī yī. In English: The seafood buffet is one of my favorite places.
In Chinese: 我很期待大学的生活。
Pinyin: Wǒ hěn qī dài dà xué de shēng huó. In English: I am looking forward to my college life.
2. High School – 高中 (gāo zhōng)
In Chinese: 在过去的高中三年时间里，我们都成长了许多。
Pinyin: Zài guò qù de gāo zhōng sān nián shí jiān li, wǒ men dōu chéng zhǎng le xǔ duō. In English: In the past three years at high school, we all grew up a lot.
3. Middle School – 初中 (chū zhōng)
In Chinese: 我很想念我初中结识的朋友。
Pinyin: Wǒ hěn xiǎng niàn wǒ chū zhōng jié shí de péng you. In English: I miss my friends from middle school very much.
In Chinese: 小学是我最无忧无虑的日子。
Pinyin: Xiǎo xué shì wǒ zuì wú yōu wú lǜ de rì zi. In English: The days at elementary school were the happiest time ever.
5. Class – 班级 (bān jí)
In Chinese: 我觉得我们班级是最优秀的。
Pinyin: Wǒ jué de wǒ men bān jí shì zuì yōu xiù de. In English: I think my class is the best one of all.
6. Book – 书 (shū)
In Chinese: 请把你的书打开到第90页。
Pinyin: Qǐng bǎ nǐ de shū dǎ kāi dào dì jiǔ shí yè. In English: Please open your book to the 90th page.
7. Teacher – 老师 (lǎo shī)
In Chinese: 我的老师是一位值得敬佩的人。
Pinyin: Wǒ de lǎo shī shì yí wèi zhí dé jìng pèi de rén. In English: My teacher is someone that deserves respect and admiration.
8. Student – 学生 (xué shēng)
In Chinese: 学生时期的我很听父母的话。
Pinyin: Xué shēng shí qī de wǒ hěn tīng fù mǔ de huà. In English: When I was a student, I used to be very obedient to my parents.
9. Classmate – 同班同学 (tóng bān tóng xué)
In Chinese: 我的同班同学们都十分友好。
Pinyin: Wǒ de tóng bān tóng xué men dōu shí fēn yǒu hǎo. In English: All my classmates are very friendly.
10. Major – 专业 (zhuān yè)
In Chinese: 我很开心选择的专业是自己所热爱的。
Pinyin: Wǒ hěn kāi xīn xuǎn zé de zhuān yè shì zì jǐ suǒ rè ài de. In English: I am very happy that the major I chose for myself is something I am passionate about.
11. Exam – 考试 (kǎo shì)
In Chinese: 我觉得自己在这次的考试中发挥得很好。
Pinyin: Wǒ jué de zì jǐ zài zhè cì de kǎo shì zhōng fā huī de hěn hǎo. In English: I think I did very well on this exam.
12. Homework – 作业 (zuò yè)
In Chinese: 很多学生都会拖到快交作业了才开始写。
Pinyin: Hěn duō xué shēng dōu huì tuō dào kuài jiāo zuò yè le cái kāi shǐ xiě. In English: Many students procrastinate until the homework is due.
In Chinese: 医生是一个神圣的职业。
Pinyin: Yī shēng shì yí gè shén shèng de zhí yè. In English: Being a doctor is a divine occupation.
2. Lawyer – 律师 (lǜ shī)
In Chinese: 作为一名律师，你需要拥有出色的口才。
Pinyin: Zuò wéi yì míng lǜ shī, nǐ xū yào yōng yǒu chū sè de kǒu cái. In English: As a lawyer, you need to have excellent eloquence.
3. Nurse – 护士 (hù shi)
In Chinese: 昨天给我打针的护士很友善。
Pinyin: Zuó tiān gěi wǒ dǎ zhēn de hù shi hěn yǒu shàn. In English: The nurse who gave me a shot yesterday was very nice.
4. Chef – 厨师 (chú shī)
In Chinese: 一名好厨师会把自己对下厨的全部热情注入到食物中。
Pinyin: Yì míng hǎo chú shī huì bǎ zì jǐ duì xià chú de quán bù rè qíng zhù rù dào shí wù zhōng. In English: An excellent chef will devote all his passion into the food he cooks.
5. Police – 警察 (jǐng chá)
In Chinese: 想成为一名警察，一定要敢于奉献。
Pinyin: Xiǎng chéng wéi yì míng jǐng chá, yí dìng yào gǎn yú fèng xiàn. In English: You have to be brave enough to dedicate your life in order to become a police officer.
In Chinese: 家庭是无法被取代的。
Pinyin: Jiā tíng shì wú fǎ bèi qǔ dài de. In English: Nothing can replace a family.
2. Mom / Dad – 妈妈 / 爸爸 (mā ma / bà ba)
In Chinese: 妈妈 / 爸爸很宠爱弟弟。
Pinyin: Mā ma / Bà ba hěn chǒng ài dì di. In English: Mom / Dad spoils my younger brother a lot.
3. Parents – 父母 (fù mǔ)
In Chinese: 我和父母就像朋友一般亲近。
Pinyin: Wǒ hé fù mǔ jiù xiàng péng you yì bān qīn jìn. In English: My parents and I are as close as friends.
4. Husband / Wife – 丈夫 / 妻子 (zhàng fu / qī zǐ)
In Chinese: 她/他与自己的丈夫/妻子十分恩爱。
Pinyin: Tā / Tā yǔ zì jǐ de zhàng fu / qī zǐ shí fēn ēn ài. In English: She / He is very loving with her / his husband / wife.
5. Daughter / Son – 女儿 / 儿子 (nǚ ér / ér zi)
In Chinese: 即使离得很远，他的女儿 / 儿子还是会经常去看他。
Pinyin: Jí shǐ lí de hěn yuǎn, tā de nǚ ér / ér zi hái shì huì jīng cháng qù kàn tā. In English: His daughter / son visits him a lot even though they are far away from each other.
In Chinese: 我最后悔的事情就是奶奶 / 爷爷去世的时候我没来得及去送行。
Pinyin: Wǒ zuì hòu huǐ de shì qing jiù shì nǎi nai / yé ye qù shì de shí hou wǒ méi lái de jí qù sòng xíng. In English: The thing that I regret the most was not being able to be with my grandmother / grandfather when she / he was gone.
In Chinese: 姥姥 / 姥爷经常给我做好吃的。
Pinyin: Lǎo lao / Lǎo ye jīng cháng gěi wǒ zuò hǎo chī de. In English: My grandmother / grandfather always cooks delicious food for me.
8. Body Parts
1. Body – 身体 (shēn tǐ)
In Chinese: 因为昨天爬了一整天的山，导致我现在身体酸疼。
Pinyin: Yīn wèi zuó tiān pá le yì zhěng tiān de shān, dǎo zhì wǒ xiàn zài shēn tǐ suān téng. In English: Since I was hiking all day yesterday, my body is now feeling sore all over the place.
2. Head – 头 (tóu)
In Chinese: 我刚才一不小心磕到了头。
Pinyin: Wǒ gāng cái yí bù xiǎo xīn kē dào le tóu. In English: I hit my head by accident just now.
3. Arm – 胳膊 (gē bo)
In Chinese: 爸爸的胳膊力气很大，我记得小时候经常被他举起来。
Pinyin: Bà ba de gē bo lì qi hěn dà, wǒ jì de xiǎo shí hòu jīng cháng bèi tā jǔ qǐ lái. In English: My dad’s arms are very strong; I remember I used to be lifted up by him when I was little.
4. Leg – 腿 (tuǐ)
In Chinese: 那位舞蹈演员的腿可真柔韧。
Pinyin: Nà wèi wǔ dǎo yǎn yuán de tuǐ kě zhēn róu rèn. In English: That dancer’s legs are really flexible.
5. Eye – 眼睛 (yǎn jīng)
In Chinese: 虽然她的眼睛是盲的，但是她心灵的眼睛一直是明亮的。
Pinyin: Suī rán tā de yǎn jīng shì máng de, dàn shì tā xīn líng de yǎn jīng yì zhí shì míng liàng de. In English: Her eyes are blind, but the eyes of her heart will always stay bright.
6. Nose – 鼻子 (bí zi)
In Chinese: 狗的鼻子嗅觉十分灵敏。
Pinyin: Gǒu de bí zi xiù jué shí fēn líng mǐn. In English: A dog’s nose possesses strong olfaction.
7. Mouth – 嘴 (zuǐ)
In Chinese: 弟弟经常在吃饭的时候用嘴吸溜面条。
Pinyin: Dì di jīng cháng zài chī fàn de shí hou yòng zuǐ xī liu miàn tiáo. In English: My younger brother always slurps noodles with his mouth while eating.
8. Face – 脸 (liǎn)
In Chinese: 你的脸上有东西。
Pinyin: Nǐ de liǎn shang yǒu dōng xi. In English: There is something on your face.
9. Hand – 手 (shǒu)
In Chinese: 初次见面时握手是一种礼貌的行为。
Pinyin: Chū cì jiàn miàn shí wò shǒu shì yì zhǒng lǐ mào de xíng wéi. In English: Shaking hands the first time you meet someone is a polite gesture.
10. Foot – 脚 (jiǎo)
In Chinese: 昨天在跑步时，我一不小心扭伤了脚。
Pinyin: Zuó tiān zài pǎo bù shí, wǒ yí bù xiǎo xīn niǔ shāng le jiǎo. In English: When I was running yesterday, I injured my foot by accident.
9. Time
Here are the most important Chinese time nouns for you to study! Knowing these words will greatly benefit you in day-to-day life.
1. Today – 今天 (jīn tiān)
2. Tomorrow – 明天 (míng tiān)
3. The Day Before Yesterday – 前天 (qián tiān)
4. The Day After Tomorrow – 后天 (hòu tiān)
In Chinese: 今天 / 明天 / 前天 / 后天是我最好的朋友的生日。
Pinyin: Jīn tiān / míng tiān / qián tiān / hòu tiān shì wǒ zuì hǎo de péng you de shēng rì. In English: Today / Tomorrow / The day before yesterday / The day after tomorrow is my best friend’s birthday.
In Chinese: 周六是我一周中最喜欢的日子。
Pinyin: Zhōu liù shì wǒ yì zhōu zhōng zuì xǐ huān de rì zi. In English: Saturday is my favorite day of the week.
6. Day – 天 (tiān)
In Chinese: 再过十天就是我的生日了，这让我感到非常激动。
Pinyin: Zài guò shí tiān jiù shì wǒ de shēng rì le, zhè ràng wǒ gǎn dào fēi cháng jī dòng. In English: My birthday is in ten days and this makes me very excited.
7. Month – 月 (yuè)
In Chinese: 每年的二月份是中国的春节。
Pinyin: Měi nián de èr yuè fèn shì zhōng guó de chūn jié. In English: Every year in February is the Chinese New Year.
8. Year – 年 (nián)
In Chinese: 不管多少年过去，我们的友谊还是没有变。
Pinyin: Bù guǎn duō shǎo nián guò qu, wǒ men de yǒu yì hái shì méi yǒu biàn. In English: No matter how many years have passed by, there is not a single thing that’s changed in our friendship.
In Chinese: 马是人类最原始的交通工具之一。
Pinyin: Mǎ shì rén lèi zuì yuán shǐ de jiāo tōng gōng jù zhī yī. In English: Horses are one of the most primary transportation methods for humans.
7. Deer – 鹿 (lù)
In Chinese: 我从没有在森林中见到过鹿。
Pinyin: Wǒ cóng méi yǒu zài sēn lín zhōng jiàn dao guo lù. In English: I’ve never seen a deer in the woods.
8. Fish – 鱼 (yú)
In Chinese: 鱼儿们自由自在地在水中嬉戏着。
Pinyin: Yú er men zì yóu zì zài de zài shuǐ zhōng xī xì zhe. In English: Fish are swimming freely and playfully in the water.
9. Pig – 猪 (zhū)
In Chinese: 猪看起来很笨，实际上很聪明。
Pinyin: Zhū kàn qǐ lái hěn bèn, shí jì shang hěn cōng míng. In English: Although pigs seem to be dumb, they are actually very smart.
10. Cow – 牛 (niú)
In Chinese: 牛的力气很大。
Pinyin: Niú de lì qì hěn dà. In English: Cows have great strength.
11. Conclusion
Remember that “noun” in Chinese is 名词 (míng cí), and we’re sure that after this long journey of studying these Chinese nouns lists, your brain must have absorbed some of the common Chinese nouns. Even if you haven’t memorized all 100+ Chinese nouns, know that you’ve taken a great step toward getting there, and practice is your best friend!
Of course, there’s a lot more to talk about when it comes to nouns in the Chinese language; these treasures are all waiting for you at ChineseClass101.com. Whether you’re looking for nouns in Chinese grammar structures or nouns in the Chinese language in general, we have everything ready for you there! Click on the link to collect your treasure right now!
And before you go, let us know in the comments what new nouns in Chinese you learned! Are there any Chinese nouns you still want to know? We look forward to hearing from you!
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