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HSK 4 Vocabulary List: All 600 New Words with Example Sentences
HSK 4 adds 600 new words to the 600 you learn for HSK 1 to 3, making 1,200 in total. That's level 4 of the HSK 2.0 exam, the six-level version of China's official Chinese test that has been sat since 2010, and the level where many learners move from beginner to intermediate. All 600 new words are below, sorted into 26 topics, each with its pinyin, its meaning and a short example sentence. The page assumes you know the first 600 words. If you don't yet, work through the HSK 3 vocabulary list first.
The example sentences come from Mandarin Mosaic's sentence library, and almost all of them have been checked by a native speaker. The exceptions are the sentences for 肚子 (dùzi, stomach), 放暑假 (fàng shǔjià, to break up for the summer) and 马虎 (mǎhu, careless), which come from our database but haven't been checked yet, and the sentences for 干杯 (gānbēi, cheers), 填空 (tiánkòng, to fill in the blanks), 性别 (xìngbié, sex), 预习 (yùxí, to prepare a lesson) and 占线 (zhànxiàn, engaged), which we wrote for this page. We looked for short, everyday sentences that use each word in its HSK 4 sense. Many still include a word from a later level, because sentences built only from HSK 1–4 words soon sound forced. A few words are shown inside a longer word they usually appear in, such as 笨 (bèn, clumsy) in 笨手笨脚 (bènshǒubènjiǎo, all fingers and thumbs) and 之 in 之后 (zhīhòu, after).
Which HSK 4? 1,200, 2,000 or 3,245 Words
The size of "HSK 4" depends on which version of the test you mean. These are the level 4 figures from Wikipedia's HSK article. The totals include the words from levels 1 to 3:
| Version | Levels | HSK 4 words in total | New at level 4 | Status in 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HSK 2.0 (from 2010) | 6 | 1,200 | 600 | The exam for levels 1–6 that people have sat until now |
| 2021 standard | 9 | 3,245 | 1,000 | A framework for teaching and textbooks. Only its HSK 7–9 exam launched (in 2022) |
| 2025 exam syllabus ("HSK 3.0") | 9 | 2,000 | 1,000 | Published in November 2025. First official exam worldwide on 13 December 2026 |
The date of the first official sitting comes from the Shanghai Municipal Education Commission. If you're booking a test, ask your test centre which version your sitting uses. Our post on whether to take the HSK covers what each level tests, and HSK vs CEFR explains why HSK 4 is officially called B2 but closer to A2 in practice.
For learning rather than exams, the version matters less. These 600 words take you from everyday basics to opinions, plans, work, feelings and the linking words that hold longer sentences together, so they're worth learning whichever list you move on to. Mandarin Mosaic has lesson packs for the HSK 2.0 levels and for the new HSK 3.0 levels.
The HSK 4 Word List
Each row gives the simplified characters, with the traditional form in brackets where it's different. The pinyin next to the word has its dictionary tones. The pinyin under each sentence writes 一 and 不 the way they're spoken, so 一个 is yí ge and 不要 is bú yào, but it doesn't mark third-tone changes. Both rules are explained in our guide to tone sandhi. To hear any syllable, use the pinyin chart, and if the tone marks are new to you, start with the four tones.
People, Family and Relationships
父亲 (fùqīn) and 母亲 (mǔqīn) are the formal words for father and mother. You'll see them in writing and hear them in speeches, but at home people still say 爸爸 and 妈妈.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Example sentence |
|---|---|---|---|
| 爱情(愛情) | àiqíng | love (romantic) | 他们的爱情很美好。tāmen de àiqíng hěn měihǎo.Their love is beautiful. |
| 博士 | bóshì | PhD; doctor (academic title) | 我的邻居是一位博士，他在大学担任教授。wǒ de línjū shì yí wèi bóshì, tā zài dàxué dānrèn jiàoshòu.My neighbour has a PhD and is a professor at a university. |
| 出生 | chūshēng | to be born | 我出生在中国南方。wǒ chūshēng zài zhōngguó nánfāng.I was born in southern China. |
| 儿童(兒童) | értóng | child, children | 儿童是社会的未来。értóng shì shèhuì de wèilái.Children are the future of society. |
| 父亲(父親) | fùqīn | father | 我非常爱我的父亲。wǒ fēicháng ài wǒ de fùqīn.I love my father very much. |
| 记者(記者) | jìzhě | journalist, reporter | 面对记者，他总是保持礼貌的微笑。miànduì jìzhě, tā zǒngshì bǎochí lǐmào de wēixiào.He always kept a polite smile in the face of reporters. |
| 教授 | jiàoshòu | professor | 他是位历史学教授。tā shì wèi lìshǐxué jiàoshòu.He is a professor of history. |
| 警察 | jǐngchá | police, police officer | 警察认为，64岁的司机当时睡着了。jǐngchá rènwéi, liùshísì suì de sījī dāngshí shuìzháo le.Police believe the 64-year-old driver was asleep at the time. |
| 浪漫 | làngmàn | romantic | 他为她准备了一顿浪漫的晚餐。tā wèi tā zhǔnbèi le yí dùn làngmàn de wǎncān.He prepared a romantic dinner for her. |
| 律师(律師) | lǜshī | lawyer | 律师向我们解释了新法律。lǜshī xiàng wǒmen jiěshì le xīn fǎlǜ.The lawyer explained the new law to us. |
| 母亲(母親) | mǔqīn | mother | 我母亲已经五十岁了。wǒ mǔqīn yǐjīng wǔshí suì le.My mother is fifty years old. |
| 年龄(年齡) | niánlíng | age | 我可以问你的年龄吗？wǒ kěyǐ wèn nǐ de niánlíng ma?Can I ask your age? |
| 陪 | péi | to keep someone company, to go with | 他说，我没时间陪人看电影、吃饭、喝咖啡。tā shuō, wǒ méi shíjiān péi rén kàn diànyǐng, chīfàn, hē kāfēi.He said, "I don't have time to go to the cinema, eat or have coffee with people." |
| 亲戚(親戚) | qīnqi | relative | 他跟你是亲戚吗？tā gēn nǐ shì qīnqi ma?Is he any relation to you? |
| 师傅(師傅) | shīfu | master (skilled worker); polite term for a driver, mechanic etc. | 我请了一位师傅来修理我的车。wǒ qǐng le yí wèi shīfu lái xiūlǐ wǒ de chē.I asked a mechanic to come and fix my car. |
| 孙子(孫子) | sūnzi | grandson | 母亲决定和他呆在一起，帮助照顾她的孙子。mǔqīn juédìng hé tā dāi zài yìqǐ, bāngzhù zhàogù tā de sūnzi.The mother decided to stay with him and help take care of her grandson. |
| 小伙子 | xiǎohuǒzi | young man, lad | 那个小伙子正在买一本小说。nàge xiǎohuǒzi zhèngzài mǎi yì běn xiǎoshuō.The young man was buying a novel. |
| 性别(性別) | xìngbié | sex, gender | 请写下你的姓名、年龄和性别。qǐng xiěxià nǐ de xìngmíng, niánlíng hé xìngbié.Please write down your name, age and sex. |
| 友谊(友誼) | yǒuyì | friendship | 我珍惜你的友谊。wǒ zhēnxī nǐ de yǒuyì.I treasure your friendship. |
| 约会(約會) | yuēhuì | date, appointment | 你的约会怎么样？nǐ de yuēhuì zěnmeyàng?How was your date? |
| 作家 | zuòjiā | writer | 我喜欢学习，梦想有天能成为作家。wǒ xǐhuan xuéxí, mèngxiǎng yǒu tiān néng chéngwéi zuòjiā.I love learning and dream of becoming a writer one day. |
| 作者 | zuòzhě | author | 这本书的作者是一位著名的作家。zhè běn shū de zuòzhě shì yí wèi zhùmíng de zuòjiā.The author of this book is a famous writer. |
Feelings
感动 (gǎndòng) is being moved or touched by something, 激动 (jīdòng) is being excited or worked up, and 兴奋 (xīngfèn) is excitement or elation, often about something you're looking forward to. 抱歉 (bàoqiàn) says you're sorry, while 道歉 (dàoqiàn, in the talking verbs below) is the act of apologising: 向你道歉 (xiàng nǐ dàoqiàn), "to apologise to you".
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Example sentence |
|---|---|---|---|
| 抱歉 | bàoqiàn | sorry, apologetic | 我对此非常抱歉。wǒ duì cǐ fēicháng bàoqiàn.I'm terribly sorry about that. |
| 吃惊(吃驚) | chījīng | surprised, shocked | 发现她在那里，我很吃惊。fāxiàn tā zài nàli, wǒ hěn chījīng.I was amazed to find her there. |
| 得意 | déyì | pleased with oneself, proud | 他在比赛中获得了第一名，看起来很得意。tā zài bǐsài zhōng huòdé le dìyī míng, kànqǐlai hěn déyì.He finished first in the competition and looked proud. |
| 烦恼(煩惱) | fánnǎo | worried, upset; worries | 尽量不要过于为此烦恼。jǐnliàng bú yào guòyú wèi cǐ fánnǎo.Try not to worry too much about it. |
| 感动(感動) | gǎndòng | moved, touched; to move | 她的故事使我很感动。tā de gùshi shǐ wǒ hěn gǎndòng.I was very moved by her story. |
| 感觉(感覺) | gǎnjué | to feel; feeling | 我感觉不舒服。wǒ gǎnjué bù shūfu.I'm not feeling well. |
| 感情 | gǎnqíng | feelings, affection | 他对她的感情很深。tā duì tā de gǎnqíng hěn shēn.He had a deep affection for her. |
| 后悔(後悔) | hòuhuǐ | to regret | 我现在后悔没早点开始。wǒ xiànzài hòuhuǐ méi zǎodiǎn kāishǐ.Now I regret not starting sooner. |
| 激动(激動) | jīdòng | excited, worked up | 我看到雪激动得连寒冷都不在乎了。wǒ kàndào xuě jīdòng de lián hánlěng dōu búzàihu le.I was so excited to see the snow that I didn't even care about the cold. |
| 骄傲(驕傲) | jiāo'ào | proud; arrogant | 我很为你骄傲。wǒ hěn wèi nǐ jiāo'ào.I'm very proud of you. |
| 紧张(緊張) | jǐnzhāng | nervous; tense | 我说话有点紧张。wǒ shuōhuà yǒudiǎn jǐnzhāng.I get a bit nervous when I speak. |
| 开心(開心) | kāixīn | happy | 今天是我的生日，我非常开心！jīntiān shì wǒ de shēngrì, wǒ fēicháng kāixīn!It's my birthday and I'm so happy! |
| 可怜(可憐) | kělián | poor, pitiful; to pity | 你应该可怜他。nǐ yīnggāi kělián tā.You should take pity on him. |
| 可惜 | kěxī | it's a pity, unfortunately | 这本书很好，可惜我已经读过了。zhè běn shū hěn hǎo, kěxī wǒ yǐjīng dú guo le.The book is good, but it's a pity I've already read it. |
| 轻松(輕鬆) | qīngsōng | relaxed, easy | 我在假日愿意轻松一些。wǒ zài jiàrì yuànyì qīngsōng yìxiē.I like to take things easy when I'm on holiday. |
| 伤心(傷心) | shāngxīn | sad, heartbroken | 我听到这个消息感到很伤心。wǒ tīngdào zhège xiāoxi gǎndào hěn shāngxīn.I was saddened to hear this. |
| 失望 | shīwàng | disappointed | 我非常失望。wǒ fēicháng shīwàng.I'm very disappointed. |
| 受不了 | shòubuliǎo | can't stand, can't bear | 终于我实在受不了，自己搬出来住。zhōngyú wǒ shízài shòubuliǎo, zìjǐ bān chūlai zhù.In the end I really couldn't stand it any more and moved out on my own. |
| 讨厌(討厭) | tǎoyàn | to dislike, to hate; annoying | 我讨厌西餐。wǒ tǎoyàn xīcān.I dislike western food. |
| 同情 | tóngqíng | to sympathise with; sympathy | 她同情他的困苦。tā tóngqíng tā de kùnkǔ.She sympathised with his hardship. |
| 无聊(無聊) | wúliáo | boring; bored | 我们的假日过得好无聊，每天都下雨。wǒmen de jiàrì guò de hǎo wúliáo, měitiān dōu xiàyǔ.We had a boring holiday - it rained every day. |
| 羡慕(羨慕) | xiànmù | to envy, to admire | 我对他的成绩非常羡慕。wǒ duì tā de chéngjì fēicháng xiànmù.I am very envious of his achievements. |
| 心情 | xīnqíng | mood | 我今天的心情不好。wǒ jīntiān de xīnqíng bù hǎo.I'm not in a good mood today. |
| 辛苦 | xīnkǔ | hard, tiring; to work hard | 辛苦你了。xīnkǔ nǐ le.You've worked hard (I appreciate it). |
| 兴奋(興奮) | xīngfèn | excited | 我对参加明天的比赛感到非常兴奋。wǒ duì cānjiā míngtiān de bǐsài gǎndào fēicháng xīngfèn.I'm very excited to play in the match tomorrow. |
| 幸福 | xìngfú | happiness; happy | 金钱买不来幸福。jīnqián mǎi bu lái xìngfú.Money can't buy happiness. |
| 愉快 | yúkuài | pleasant, happy | 祝您旅途愉快。zhù nín lǚtú yúkuài.I wish you a pleasant journey. |
Personality and Character
粗心 (cūxīn) and 马虎 (mǎhu) both mean careless. 马虎 is more colloquial, and its doubled form 马马虎虎 (mǎmahūhū) also means "so-so".
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Example sentence |
|---|---|---|---|
| 笨 | bèn | stupid, slow; clumsy | 他笨手笨脚的漏接了球。tā bènshǒubènjiǎo de lòu jiē le qiú.He was clumsy and missed the catch. |
| 诚实(誠實) | chéngshí | honest | 我可以证明她是诚实的。wǒ kěyǐ zhèngmíng tā shì chéngshí de.I can vouch for her honesty. |
| 粗心 | cūxīn | careless | 你没锁门，太粗心了。nǐ méi suǒmén, tài cūxīn le.It was careless of you to leave the door unlocked. |
| 害羞 | hàixiū | shy | 她很害羞，不敢和其他旅行者交谈。tā hěn hàixiū, bù gǎn hé qítā lǚxíngzhě jiāotán.She was so shy that she didn't dare talk to the other travellers. |
| 活泼(活潑) | huópo | lively | 她非常活泼。tā fēicháng huópo.She is very lively. |
| 积极(積極) | jījí | positive, active, keen | 他对学校课外活动一点也不积极。tā duì xuéxiào kèwài huódòng yìdiǎn yě bù jījí.He isn't at all keen on extracurricular activities. |
| 懒(懶) | lǎn | lazy | 我感觉自己有点懒，不太想做任何事情。wǒ gǎnjué zìjǐ yǒudiǎn lǎn, bú tài xiǎng zuò rènhé shìqing.I felt a little lazy and didn't really want to do anything. |
| 冷静(冷靜) | lěngjìng | calm | 最好保持冷静。zuìhǎo bǎochí lěngjìng.The best thing is to keep calm. |
| 礼貌(禮貌) | lǐmào | manners, politeness; polite | 我相信礼貌对大家都很重要。wǒ xiāngxìn lǐmào duì dàjiā dōu hěn zhòngyào.It is my belief that good manners are very important to everybody. |
| 马虎(馬虎) | mǎhu | careless, sloppy | 他父亲提醒他不要马虎。tā fùqīn tíxǐng tā bú yào mǎhu.His father reminds him not to be careless. |
| 耐心 | nàixīn | patience; patient | 我必须告诉你，他的耐心是有限的。wǒ bìxū gàosu nǐ, tā de nàixīn shì yǒuxiàn de.I must tell you that his patience has its limits. |
| 脾气(脾氣) | píqi | temper, temperament | 她经常大发脾气。tā jīngcháng dàfā píqi.She often loses her temper. |
| 缺点(缺點) | quēdiǎn | shortcoming, fault | 没有人没有缺点。méiyǒu rén méiyǒu quēdiǎn.No one is without faults. |
| 态度(態度) | tàidu | attitude | 他的态度非常积极。tā de tàidu fēicháng jījí.His attitude is very positive. |
| 信心 | xìnxīn | confidence | 一个人一定要对自己有信心。yí ge rén yídìng yào duì zìjǐ yǒu xìnxīn.You have to have confidence in yourself. |
| 性格 | xìnggé | personality, character | 成功和财富改变了他的性格。chénggōng hé cáifù gǎibiàn le tā de xìnggé.Success and wealth transformed his character. |
| 严格(嚴格) | yángé | strict | 老师对他的学生非常严格。lǎoshī duì tā de xuésheng fēicháng yángé.The teacher is very strict with his students. |
| 勇敢 | yǒnggǎn | brave | 他是一位勇敢的男子。tā shì yí wèi yǒnggǎn de nánzǐ.He was a brave man. |
| 优点(優點) | yōudiǎn | strength, good point | 她的优点是勤奋和聪明。tā de yōudiǎn shì qínfèn hé cōngming.Her strengths are diligence and intelligence. |
| 优秀(優秀) | yōuxiù | excellent, outstanding | 你是很优秀的语伴。nǐ shì hěn yōuxiù de yǔbàn.You are an excellent language partner. |
| 幽默 | yōumò | humour; humorous | 我喜欢听幽默的笑话。wǒ xǐhuan tīng yōumò de xiàohua.I love to listen to humorous jokes. |
| 友好 | yǒuhǎo | friendly | 我租的房子有一个友好的房东。wǒ zū de fángzi yǒu yí ge yǒuhǎo de fángdōng.The house I rented had a friendly landlord. |
| 自信 | zìxìn | confident | 她显得很自信。tā xiǎnde hěn zìxìn.She seemed very confident. |
The Body and Health
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Example sentence |
|---|---|---|---|
| 抽烟(抽煙) | chōuyān | to smoke | 他一方面想戒烟，一方面又忍不住抽烟。tā yìfāngmiàn xiǎng jièyān, yìfāngmiàn yòu rěnbuzhù chōuyān.On the one hand he wants to give up smoking; on the other, he can't help smoking. |
| 打针(打針) | dǎzhēn | to give or have an injection | 医生明天要给我打针。yīshēng míngtiān yào gěi wǒ dǎzhēn.The doctor is going to give me an injection tomorrow. |
| 大夫 | dàifu | doctor | 大夫治好了他的胃病。dàifu zhìhǎo le tā de wèibìng.The doctor cured him of his stomach trouble. |
| 肚子 | dùzi | belly, stomach | 我肚子疼。wǒ dùzi téng.I have a stomachache. |
| 胳膊 | gēbo | arm | 我还不会游泳，但我试着用胳膊划了几下。wǒ hái bú huì yóuyǒng, dàn wǒ shìzhe yòng gēbo huá le jǐ xià.I can't swim yet, but I tried a few strokes with my arms. |
| 汗 | hàn | sweat | 她用一张面巾纸擦掉脸上的汗水。tā yòng yì zhāng miànjīnzhǐ cādiào liǎn shang de hànshuǐ.She wiped off the sweat from her face with a piece of facial tissue. |
| 护士(護士) | hùshi | nurse | 护士量了我的体温。hùshi liáng le wǒ de tǐwēn.The nurse took my temperature. |
| 减肥(減肥) | jiǎnféi | to lose weight, to diet | 我的目标就是一边减肥一边强壮起来。wǒ de mùbiāo jiùshì yìbiān jiǎnféi yìbiān qiángzhuàng qǐlai.My goal is to lose weight and get stronger at the same time. |
| 咳嗽 | késou | to cough | 请医生开点咳嗽药。qǐng yīshēng kāi diǎn késou yào.Ask the doctor to prescribe something for that cough. |
| 困(睏) | kùn | sleepy | 我有点困，想要休息一会儿。wǒ yǒudiǎn kùn, xiǎngyào xiūxi yíhuìr.I'm a little sleepy and want to rest for a while. |
| 力气(力氣) | lìqi | strength | 他和我力气一样大。tā hé wǒ lìqi yíyàng dà.He's as strong as I am. |
| 难受(難受) | nánshòu | unwell, uncomfortable; upset | 我觉得难受极了。wǒ juéde nánshòu jíle.I feel awful. |
| 皮肤(皮膚) | pífū | skin | 皮肤晒得多了就容易长皱纹。pífū shài de duō le jiù róngyì zhǎng zhòuwén.Too much sunbathing will wrinkle your skin. |
| 压力(壓力) | yālì | pressure, stress | 我感到头很疼，可能是因为压力太大了。wǒ gǎndào tóu hěn téng, kěnéng shì yīnwèi yālì tài dà le.My head was hurting, probably because of too much stress. |
At Home
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Example sentence |
|---|---|---|---|
| 厕所(廁所) | cèsuǒ | toilet | 我要上厕所。wǒ yào shàng cèsuǒ.I need to go to the toilet. |
| 厨房(廚房) | chúfáng | kitchen | 保险丝盒子在厨房里。bǎoxiǎnsī hézi zài chúfáng li.The fuse-box is in the kitchen. |
| 窗户(窗戶) | chuānghu | window | 你知道是谁打破了窗户吗？nǐ zhīdao shì shéi dǎpò le chuānghu ma?Do you know who broke the window? |
| 刀 | dāo | knife | 请把刀放在安全的地方。qǐng bǎ dāo fàng zài ānquán de dìfang.Please keep the knife in a safe place. |
| 房东(房東) | fángdōng | landlord | 我的房东让我月底搬走。wǒ de fángdōng ràng wǒ yuèdǐ bānzǒu.My landlord has told me to move out at the end of the month. |
| 挂(掛) | guà | to hang; to hang up (the phone) | 你可以把外套挂在钩子上。nǐ kěyǐ bǎ wàitào guà zài gōuzi shang.You may hang your coat on the hook. |
| 盒子 | hézi | box | 我把一个长方形的盒子放在桌子上。wǒ bǎ yí ge chángfāngxíng de hézi fàng zài zhuōzi shang.I put a rectangular box on the table. |
| 家具 | jiājù | furniture | 我们得给我们的新房子买些家具。wǒmen děi gěi wǒmen de xīn fángzi mǎi xiē jiājù.We need to buy some furniture for our new house. |
| 镜子(鏡子) | jìngzi | mirror | 她在镜子前转了一圈。tā zài jìngzi qián zhuàn le yì quān.She did a twirl in front of the mirror. |
| 客厅(客廳) | kètīng | living room | 我的客厅里有两个扶手椅。wǒ de kètīng li yǒu liǎng ge fúshǒuyǐ.In my living room there are two armchairs. |
| 垃圾桶 | lājītǒng | bin, rubbish bin | 请把垃圾桶放在厨房里。qǐng bǎ lājītǒng fàng zài chúfáng li.Please put the bin in the kitchen. |
| 毛巾 | máojīn | towel | 请给我一条毛巾。qǐng gěi wǒ yì tiáo máojīn.Please give me a towel. |
| 沙发(沙發) | shāfā | sofa | 沙发旁边有一只猫。shāfā pángbiān yǒu yì zhī māo.There is a cat near the sofa. |
| 勺子 | sháozi | spoon | 她把糖放进咖啡里，用勺子把它们混合起来。tā bǎ táng fàngjìn kāfēi li, yòng sháozi bǎ tāmen hùnhé qǐlai.She put the sugar into the coffee and mixed it up with a spoon. |
| 收拾 | shōushi | to tidy up, to pack | 我会在明天晚上收拾房间。wǒ huì zài míngtiān wǎnshang shōushi fángjiān.I'll tidy my room tomorrow evening. |
| 卫生间(衛生間) | wèishēngjiān | bathroom, toilet | 她去了卫生间。tā qù le wèishēngjiān.She went to the bathroom. |
| 牙膏 | yágāo | toothpaste | 但是，为什么要牙膏呢？我接着问他。dànshì, wèishénme yào yágāo ne? wǒ jiēzhe wèn tā."But why toothpaste?" I then asked him. |
| 钥匙(鑰匙) | yàoshi | key | 她把钥匙放在了左边口袋里。tā bǎ yàoshi fàng zài le zuǒbian kǒudài li.She put the key in her left pocket. |
| 整理 | zhěnglǐ | to sort out, to tidy | 我需要整理一下我的书架。wǒ xūyào zhěnglǐ yíxià wǒ de shūjià.I need to tidy up my bookshelf. |
| 租 | zū | to rent, to hire | 这里有没有可以租车的地方？zhèli yǒu méiyǒu kěyǐ zū chē de dìfang?Is there a place here where I can rent a car? |
Food and Drink
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Example sentence |
|---|---|---|---|
| 包子 | bāozi | steamed stuffed bun | 我昨天早上吃了两个包子。wǒ zuótiān zǎoshang chī le liǎng ge bāozi.I ate two steamed buns yesterday morning. |
| 饼干(餅乾) | bǐnggān | biscuit | 英国人喜欢用饼干蘸茶。yīngguórén xǐhuan yòng bǐnggān zhàn chá.The British like to dip biscuits in tea. |
| 餐厅(餐廳) | cāntīng | restaurant, dining hall | 我们一起去餐厅吃晚饭吧。wǒmen yìqǐ qù cāntīng chī wǎnfàn ba.Let's go to the restaurant for dinner. |
| 尝(嘗) | cháng | to taste, to try | 尝一点儿这种乳酪吧！cháng yìdiǎnr zhèzhǒng rǔlào ba!Just have a taste of this cheese! |
| 倒 | dào | to pour; to turn upside down | 再给你倒杯茶好吗？zài gěi nǐ dào bēi chá hǎo ma?Can I pour you another cup of tea? |
| 干杯(乾杯) | gānbēi | cheers!; to drink a toast | 为我们的友谊干杯！wèi wǒmen de yǒuyì gānbēi!To our friendship! Cheers! |
| 果汁 | guǒzhī | fruit juice | 我正在喝一杯新鲜的果汁。wǒ zhèngzài hē yì bēi xīnxiān de guǒzhī.I'm drinking a glass of fresh juice. |
| 饺子(餃子) | jiǎozi | dumpling | 我很想吃饺子。wǒ hěn xiǎng chī jiǎozi.I feel like having some dumplings. |
| 烤鸭(烤鴨) | kǎoyā | roast duck | 他最喜欢吃的菜是烤鸭。tā zuì xǐhuan chī de cài shì kǎoyā.His favourite dish is roast duck. |
| 苦 | kǔ | bitter; hard | 虽然汤药很苦，我还是不得不喝了。suīrán tāngyào hěn kǔ, wǒ háishi bùdébù hē le.Although the herbal medicine was bitter, I still had to drink it. |
| 矿泉水(礦泉水) | kuàngquánshuǐ | mineral water | 我每天都喝矿泉水保持身体健康。wǒ měitiān dōu hē kuàngquánshuǐ bǎochí shēntǐ jiànkāng.I drink mineral water every day to keep my body healthy. |
| 辣 | là | spicy, hot | 今天晚上的火锅真的太辣了！jīntiān wǎnshang de huǒguō zhēn de tài là le!Tonight's hot pot is really spicy! |
| 葡萄 | pútao | grape | 我喜欢吃葡萄。wǒ xǐhuan chī pútao.I love eating grapes. |
| 巧克力 | qiǎokèlì | chocolate | 我喜欢吃巧克力。wǒ xǐhuan chī qiǎokèlì.I love to eat chocolate. |
| 酸 | suān | sour | 这个苹果很酸。zhège píngguǒ hěn suān.This apple is sour. |
| 汤(湯) | tāng | soup | 这汤里有鸡肉的味道。zhè tāng li yǒu jīròu de wèidao.This soup tastes of chicken. |
| 糖 | táng | sugar; sweets | 你有糖吗？nǐ yǒu táng ma?Do you have any sugar? |
| 味道 | wèidao | taste, flavour; smell | 这个汤的味道非常好。zhège tāng de wèidao fēicháng hǎo.The taste of this soup is very good. |
| 西红柿(西紅柿) | xīhóngshì | tomato | 我今天吃了一碗西红柿鸡蛋汤。wǒ jīntiān chī le yì wǎn xīhóngshì jīdàn tāng.I had a bowl of tomato egg soup today. |
| 咸(鹹) | xián | salty | 这个汤有点咸了。zhège tāng yǒudiǎn xián le.This soup is a bit salty. |
| 香 | xiāng | fragrant, nice-smelling; tasty | 有些花是香的。yǒuxiē huā shì xiāng de.Some flowers are fragrant. |
| 小吃 | xiǎochī | snack | 我们时间很紧，只好胡乱吃了顿小吃。wǒmen shíjiān hěn jǐn, zhǐhǎo húluàn chī le dùn xiǎochī.We were in a hurry so we had to make do with a quick snack. |
| 盐(鹽) | yán | salt | 盐对你的健康有害。yán duì nǐ de jiànkāng yǒuhài.Salt is bad for your health. |
Shopping, Money and Clothes
Chinese uses two verbs for "wear": 穿 (chuān) for clothes and shoes, and 戴 (dài) for things you put on, such as a hat, glasses or a watch. 脱 (tuō) is "take off" for both.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Example sentence |
|---|---|---|---|
| 存 | cún | to save (money), to deposit, to store | 我需要存一些钱。wǒ xūyào cún yìxiē qián.I need to save some money. |
| 打扮 | dǎban | to dress up | 她讨厌打扮自己。tā tǎoyàn dǎban zìjǐ.She hates dressing up. |
| 打折 | dǎzhé | to give a discount | 如果它打折的话，我会买下。rúguǒ tā dǎzhé dehuà, wǒ huì mǎi xià.If it's on sale, I'll buy it. |
| 戴 | dài | to wear (a hat, glasses, a watch) | 上课时不准戴帽子。shàngkè shí bù zhǔn dài màozi.Don't keep your hat on in class. |
| 付款 | fùkuǎn | to pay | 我可以用信用卡付款吗？wǒ kěyǐ yòng xìnyòngkǎ fùkuǎn ma?May I pay by credit card? |
| 购物(購物) | gòuwù | to shop; shopping | 我喜欢周末去购物。wǒ xǐhuan zhōumò qù gòuwù.I love going shopping at weekends. |
| 顾客(顧客) | gùkè | customer | 这家新开的商店里挤满了顾客。zhè jiā xīn kāi de shāngdiàn li jǐmǎn le gùkè.The new shop is packed with customers. |
| 逛 | guàng | to stroll, to go round (the shops) | 我喜欢逛商店购物。wǒ xǐhuan guàng shāngdiàn gòuwù.I like going round the shops. |
| 价格(價格) | jiàgé | price | 这条裙子的价格太不合理了。zhè tiáo qúnzi de jiàgé tài bùhélǐ le.The price of this dress is unreasonable. |
| 零钱(零錢) | língqián | small change | 我没有零钱。wǒ méiyǒu língqián.I haven't got any change. |
| 流行 | liúxíng | popular, fashionable | 这条裙子很流行，很多人都喜欢穿。zhè tiáo qúnzi hěn liúxíng, hěn duō rén dōu xǐhuan chuān.This dress is very popular and many people like to wear it. |
| 免费(免費) | miǎnfèi | free (of charge) | 即使是免费的，我也不要。jíshǐ shì miǎnfèi de, wǒ yě bú yào.Even if it's free, I don't want it. |
| 排队(排隊) | páiduì | to queue | 请排队上车。qǐng páiduì shàngchē.Please queue to get on the bus. |
| 取 | qǔ | to take out, to collect, to withdraw | 我明天要去银行取一百美元。wǒ míngtiān yào qù yínháng qǔ yìbǎi měiyuán.I'm going to the bank tomorrow to withdraw a hundred dollars. |
| 省 | shěng | to save; province | 我在省钱买一台电冰箱。wǒ zài shěngqián mǎi yì tái diànbīngxiāng.I'm saving up for a refrigerator. |
| 收入 | shōurù | income | 我每月的收入是200多磅。wǒ měiyuè de shōurù shì liǎngbǎi duō bàng.My monthly income is a little over 200 pounds. |
| 售货员(售貨員) | shòuhuòyuán | shop assistant | 我今天去商店买衣服，遇到了一个非常友好的售货员。wǒ jīntiān qù shāngdiàn mǎi yīfu, yùdào le yí ge fēicháng yǒuhǎo de shòuhuòyuán.I went to a shop today to buy clothes and met a very friendly shop assistant. |
| 塑料袋 | sùliàodài | plastic bag | 我去超市买东西，拿了几个塑料袋。wǒ qù chāoshì mǎi dōngxi, ná le jǐ ge sùliàodài.I went to the supermarket to buy something and took a few plastic bags. |
| 脱(脫) | tuō | to take off (clothes) | 天气很暖和，我就把大衣脱了。tiānqì hěn nuǎnhuo, wǒ jiù bǎ dàyī tuō le.I took off my overcoat since it was warm. |
| 袜子(襪子) | wàzi | socks | 我把袜子穿破了。wǒ bǎ wàzi chuānpò le.I've worn holes in my socks. |
| 现金(現金) | xiànjīn | cash | 如果他们拒绝收支票，我们将不得不付现金。rúguǒ tāmen jùjué shōu zhīpiào, wǒmen jiāng bùdébú fù xiànjīn.If they refuse to accept a cheque, we'll have to pay in cash. |
| 眼镜(眼鏡) | yǎnjìng | glasses | 你没拿我的眼镜吧？nǐ méi ná wǒ de yǎnjìng ba?You haven't taken my glasses, have you? |
| 质量(質量) | zhìliàng | quality | 这些货物质量不好。zhèxiē huòwù zhìliàng bù hǎo.The goods are of poor quality. |
| 赚(賺) | zhuàn | to earn | 你能告诉我你一个月赚多少吗？nǐ néng gàosu wǒ nǐ yí ge yuè zhuàn duōshao ma?Can you tell me how much you earn a month? |
Travel, Places and Directions
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Example sentence |
|---|---|---|---|
| 参观(參觀) | cānguān | to visit (a place), to look round | 伦敦是值得参观的城市。lúndūn shì zhíde cānguān de chéngshì.London is a city worth visiting. |
| 长城(長城) | chángchéng | the Great Wall | 我计划明天去参观长城。wǒ jìhuà míngtiān qù cānguān chángchéng.I plan to visit the Great Wall tomorrow. |
| 长江(長江) | chángjiāng | the Yangtze River | 长江是世界上最长的河流之一。chángjiāng shì shìjiè shang zuì cháng de héliú zhīyī.The Yangtze is one of the longest rivers in the world. |
| 乘坐 | chéngzuò | to ride, to travel by | 我今天要乘坐火车去上班。wǒ jīntiān yào chéngzuò huǒchē qù shàngbān.I'm going to take the train to work today. |
| 出发(出發) | chūfā | to set off, to set out | 我明天一早就出发。wǒ míngtiān yìzǎo jiù chūfā.I'm setting off first thing tomorrow morning. |
| 大使馆(大使館) | dàshǐguǎn | embassy | 我希望能在大使馆找到我的护照。wǒ xīwàng néng zài dàshǐguǎn zhǎodào wǒ de hùzhào.I hope to find my passport at the embassy. |
| 导游(導遊) | dǎoyóu | tour guide | 这个导游知道很多关于这座城市的历史和文化的故事。zhège dǎoyóu zhīdao hěn duō guānyú zhè zuò chéngshì de lìshǐ hé wénhuà de gùshi.This tour guide knows lots of stories about the city's history and culture. |
| 到处(到處) | dàochù | everywhere | 我到处找了一下，最后还是没找到我的手机。wǒ dàochù zhǎo le yíxià, zuìhòu háishi méi zhǎodào wǒ de shǒujī.I looked everywhere, but I still couldn't find my phone. |
| 登机牌(登機牌) | dēngjīpái | boarding pass | 我忘记拿我的登机牌了。wǒ wàngjì ná wǒ de dēngjīpái le.I forgot to get my boarding pass. |
| 底 | dǐ | bottom, base; underneath | 她在树底下静静地坐着。tā zài shù dǐxia jìngjìng de zuò zhe.She sat very still under the tree. |
| 地点(地點) | dìdiǎn | place, venue | 咱们定好下次会议的时间和地点吧。zánmen dìng hǎo xiàcì huìyì de shíjiān hé dìdiǎn ba.Let's arrange a time and place for our next meeting. |
| 堵车(堵車) | dǔchē | traffic jam | 因为路上堵车所以我迟到了。yīnwèi lùshang dǔchē suǒyǐ wǒ chídào le.I was late because of traffic jams on the road. |
| 对面(對面) | duìmiàn | opposite, across from | 银行在超级市场对面。yínháng zài chāojíshìchǎng duìmiàn.The bank is opposite the supermarket. |
| 方向 | fāngxiàng | direction | 你的房间面向哪个方向？nǐ de fángjiān miànxiàng nǎge fāngxiàng?Which direction does your room face? |
| 赶(趕) | gǎn | to hurry to catch, to rush | 我们几乎来不及赶火车。wǒmen jīhū láibují gǎn huǒchē.We barely had time to catch the train. |
| 高速公路 | gāosù gōnglù | motorway, expressway | 这条高速公路建于1985年。zhè tiáo gāosù gōnglù jiàn yú yījiǔbāwǔ nián.This motorway was built in 1985. |
| 国籍(國籍) | guójí | nationality | 他的父母来自不同的国家，所以他有双重国籍。tā de fùmǔ láizì bùtóng de guójiā, suǒyǐ tā yǒu shuāngchóng guójí.His parents are from different countries, so he has dual nationality. |
| 航班 | hángbān | flight | 我的航班将在明天早上起飞。wǒ de hángbān jiāng zài míngtiān zǎoshang qǐfēi.My flight will depart tomorrow morning. |
| 加油站 | jiāyóuzhàn | petrol station | 我在路上看到了一个加油站。wǒ zài lùshang kàndào le yí ge jiāyóuzhàn.I saw a petrol station on the way. |
| 降落 | jiàngluò | to land (of a plane) | 飞机正在准备降落在机场。fēijī zhèngzài zhǔnbèi jiàngluò zài jīchǎng.The plane is preparing to land at the airport. |
| 交通 | jiāotōng | traffic, transport | 我明天要去参加交通安全教育活动。wǒ míngtiān yào qù cānjiā jiāotōng ānquán jiàoyù huódòng.I'm going to a traffic safety education event tomorrow. |
| 郊区(郊區) | jiāoqū | suburbs, outskirts | 他住在郊区，每天坐地铁上班。tā zhù zài jiāoqū, měitiān zuò dìtiě shàngbān.He lives in the suburbs and takes the metro to work every day. |
| 距离(距離) | jùlí | distance | 我跑过的最长的距离是十英里。wǒ pǎo guo de zuì cháng de jùlí shì shí yīnglǐ.The farthest distance I've run is ten miles. |
| 来自(來自) | láizì | to come from | 学生中许多人来自其他国家。xuésheng zhōng xǔduō rén láizì qítā guójiā.Many of the students come from other countries. |
| 旅行 | lǚxíng | to travel; trip | 我喜欢旅行。wǒ xǐhuan lǚxíng.I love to travel. |
| 迷路 | mílù | to get lost | 我在这座陌生的城市迷路了。wǒ zài zhè zuò mòshēng de chéngshì mílù le.I got lost in the strange city. |
| 内(內) | nèi | inside, within | 房间内有一只猫。fángjiān nèi yǒu yì zhī māo.There was a cat in the room. |
| 签证(簽證) | qiānzhèng | visa | 你的签证准备好了吗？nǐ de qiānzhèng zhǔnbèi hǎo le ma?Is your visa ready? |
| 桥(橋) | qiáo | bridge | 这座桥现在可以通行。zhè zuò qiáo xiànzài kěyǐ tōngxíng.The bridge is now open to traffic. |
| 入口 | rùkǒu | entrance | 我找了很久都没有找到公园的入口。wǒ zhǎo le hěn jiǔ dōu méiyǒu zhǎodào gōngyuán de rùkǒu.I searched for a long time but did not find the entrance to the park. |
| 首都 | shǒudū | capital (city) | 伦敦是英国的首都。lúndūn shì yīngguó de shǒudū.London is the capital of Britain. |
| 亚洲(亞洲) | yàzhōu | Asia | 日本在亚洲的东部。rìběn zài yàzhōu de dōngbù.Japan is in the east of Asia. |
| 邮局(郵局) | yóujú | post office | 在你的右边能看到那个邮局。zài nǐ de yòubian néng kàndào nàge yóujú.You'll see the post office on your right. |
| 周围(周圍) | zhōuwéi | around, surroundings | 一群人很快便聚集在他的周围。yì qún rén hěn kuài biàn jùjí zài tā de zhōuwéi.A crowd soon gathered round him. |
| 座位 | zuòwèi | seat | 那个座位有人吗？nàge zuòwèi yǒurén ma?Is that seat occupied? |
Time and Dates
Three of these look alike. 按时 (ànshí) is "on time, as scheduled", 准时 (zhǔnshí) is "punctual", and 及时 (jíshí) is "in time" or "promptly", before it's too late. 来得及 (láidejí) and 来不及 (láibují) say whether there's still time to do something.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Example sentence |
|---|---|---|---|
| 按时(按時) | ànshí | on time, on schedule | 我保证会按时完成这个任务。wǒ bǎozhèng huì ànshí wánchéng zhège rènwu.I promise to complete this task on time. |
| 当时(當時) | dāngshí | at that time, then | 当时，我正在做饭。dāngshí, wǒ zhèngzài zuòfàn.At the time, I was cooking. |
| 刚(剛) | gāng | just (a moment ago) | 水刚烧好。shuǐ gāng shāo hǎo.The water has just boiled. |
| 及时(及時) | jíshí | in time, promptly | 他没有及时回答我的问题。tā méiyǒu jíshí huídá wǒ de wèntí.He didn't answer my questions in a timely manner. |
| 将来(將來) | jiānglái | the future; in future | 你真的一点也不关心你的将来？nǐ zhēn de yìdiǎn yě bù guānxīn nǐ de jiānglái?Do you really care nothing about your future? |
| 来不及(來不及) | láibují | there isn't time, too late to | 我已来不及做准备了。wǒ yǐ láibují zuò zhǔnbèi le.It's too late for me to prepare now. |
| 来得及(來得及) | láidejí | there's still time, can make it | 我想去机场送你，但是时间太晚了，我们来得及吗？wǒ xiǎng qù jīchǎng sòng nǐ, dànshì shíjiān tài wǎn le, wǒmen láidejí ma?I want to see you off at the airport, but it's getting late. Will we make it in time? |
| 礼拜天(禮拜天) | lǐbàitiān | Sunday | 礼拜天洗车怎么样？lǐbàitiān xǐ chē zěnmeyàng?What about washing the car on Sunday? |
| 平时(平時) | píngshí | usually, normally | 我平时喜欢运动和读书。wǒ píngshí xǐhuan yùndòng hé dúshū.I usually like to play sports and read. |
| 世纪(世紀) | shìjì | century | 我们生活在21世纪。wǒmen shēnghuó zài èrshíyī shìjì.We are living in the 21st century. |
| 提前 | tíqián | in advance, ahead of time | 你必须提前两小时到达机场。nǐ bìxū tíqián liǎng xiǎoshí dàodá jīchǎng.You must arrive at the airport two hours early. |
| 同时(同時) | tóngshí | at the same time | 大家别同时说。dàjiā bié tóngshí shuō.Don't all speak at the same time. |
| 推迟(推遲) | tuīchí | to postpone, to put off | 晚会推迟到8点举行。wǎnhuì tuīchí dào bā diǎn jǔxíng.The party was postponed until 8 o'clock. |
| 暂时(暫時) | zànshí | for the moment, temporary | 暂时还用不着，谢谢你。zànshí hái yòngbuzháo, xièxie nǐ.Not at the moment, thank you. |
| 准时(準時) | zhǔnshí | on time, punctual | 火车准时到达了。huǒchē zhǔnshí dàodá le.The train arrived on time. |
Weather and Nature
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Example sentence |
|---|---|---|---|
| 地球 | dìqiú | the Earth | 地球是我们生活的家园。dìqiú shì wǒmen shēnghuó de jiāyuán.The Earth is our home. |
| 海洋 | hǎiyáng | ocean, sea | 江河大多流入海洋。jiānghé dàduō liúrù hǎiyáng.Most rivers flow into the sea. |
| 火 | huǒ | fire | 我往火里扔了一根木炭。wǒ wǎng huǒ li rēng le yì gēn mùtàn.I threw a stick of charcoal in the fire. |
| 景色 | jǐngsè | scenery, view | 这是我从来没有见过的景色。zhè shì wǒ cónglái méiyǒu jiàn guo de jǐngsè.It's a view I've never seen before. |
| 空气(空氣) | kōngqì | air | 打开窗户，让新鲜的空气进来。dǎkāi chuānghu, ràng xīnxiān de kōngqì jìnlai.Open the window and let in some fresh air. |
| 老虎 | lǎohǔ | tiger | 我非常害怕老虎。wǒ fēicháng hàipà lǎohǔ.I am very afraid of tigers. |
| 凉快(涼快) | liángkuai | nice and cool | 今天天气很凉快，适合出门散步。jīntiān tiānqì hěn liángkuai, shìhé chūmén sànbù.The weather was cool today and good for a walk. |
| 毛 | máo | hair, fur | 我的衣服上总是有猫毛，因为我有一只猫。wǒ de yīfu shang zǒngshì yǒu māo máo, yīnwèi wǒ yǒu yì zhī māo.I always have cat hair on my clothes, because I own a cat. |
| 暖和 | nuǎnhuo | warm | 今天不如昨天暖和。jīntiān bùrú zuótiān nuǎnhuo.Today is not as warm as yesterday. |
| 气候(氣候) | qìhòu | climate | 你会很快习惯这里的气候的。nǐ huì hěn kuài xíguàn zhèli de qìhòu de.You will soon get accustomed to the climate here. |
| 森林 | sēnlín | forest | 我爱在森林中散步。wǒ ài zài sēnlín zhōng sànbù.I love walking in the forest. |
| 温度(溫度) | wēndù | temperature | 房间里的温度已经降到零度。fángjiān li de wēndù yǐjīng jiàng dào língdù.The temperature in the room has dropped to freezing. |
| 污染 | wūrǎn | pollution; to pollute | 汽车放出的废气在污染我们城市的空气。qìchē fàngchū de fèiqì zài wūrǎn wǒmen chéngshì de kōngqì.Exhaust fumes from cars are polluting the air in our city. |
| 阳光(陽光) | yángguāng | sunshine | 我喜欢在阳光下散步。wǒ xǐhuan zài yángguāng xià sànbù.I love walking in the sun. |
| 叶子(葉子) | yèzi | leaf | 很多树的叶子冬天时都会掉光。hěn duō shù de yèzi dōngtiān shí dōu huì diàoguāng.Many trees lose all their leaves in winter. |
| 云(雲) | yún | cloud | 天上有云彩。tiānshàng yǒu yúncai.There are clouds in the sky. |
| 植物 | zhíwù | plant | 所有的植物都需要水和阳光。suǒyǒu de zhíwù dōu xūyào shuǐ hé yángguāng.All plants need water and sunlight. |
| 自然 | zìrán | nature; natural | 虽然我不喜欢虫子但我知道它们对自然很重要。suīrán wǒ bù xǐhuan chóngzi dàn wǒ zhīdao tāmen duì zìrán hěn zhòngyào.Although I don't like insects, I know they are important to nature. |
School, Study and Language
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Example sentence |
|---|---|---|---|
| 报名(報名) | bàomíng | to sign up, to register | 我想报名参加这个活动。wǒ xiǎng bàomíng cānjiā zhège huódòng.I would like to sign up for this event. |
| 毕业(畢業) | bìyè | to graduate | 毕业后在中国好找工作吗？bìyè hòu zài zhōngguó hǎo zhǎo gōngzuò ma?Is it easy to find a job in China after graduation? |
| 词语(詞語) | cíyǔ | word, expression | 我喜欢学习新的词语。wǒ xǐhuan xuéxí xīn de cíyǔ.I love learning new words. |
| 答案 | dá'àn | answer | 他的答案非常准确。tā de dá'àn fēicháng zhǔnquè.His answer is very accurate. |
| 翻译(翻譯) | fānyì | to translate, to interpret; translator | 我不太满意他对这个句子的翻译。wǒ bú tài mǎnyì tā duì zhège jùzi de fānyì.I'm not happy with his translation of this sentence. |
| 放暑假 | fàng shǔjià | to break up for the summer holidays | 还有一周就放暑假了。háiyǒu yìzhōu jiù fàng shǔjià le.The summer holidays are only a week away. |
| 寒假 | hánjià | winter holidays | 我计划在寒假期间去旅游。wǒ jìhuà zài hánjià qījiān qù lǚyóu.I plan to travel during the winter holidays. |
| 合格 | hégé | qualified, up to standard | 他成功地通过了考试，成为了一名合格的律师。tā chénggōng de tōngguò le kǎoshì, chéngwéi le yì míng hégé de lǜshī.He successfully passed the exam and became a qualified lawyer. |
| 基础(基礎) | jīchǔ | foundation, basis | 数学是学习科学的基础。shùxué shì xuéxí kēxué de jīchǔ.Mathematics is the foundation of learning science. |
| 教育 | jiàoyù | education; to educate | 这是本有教育意义的书。zhè shì běn yǒu jiàoyù yìyì de shū.This is an instructive book. |
| 科学(科學) | kēxué | science; scientific | 我们都支持他的科学研究。wǒmen dōu zhīchí tā de kēxué yánjiū.We all support his scientific research. |
| 流利 | liúlì | fluent | 他说一口流利的德语。tā shuō yìkǒu liúlì de déyǔ.He speaks fluent German. |
| 能力 | nénglì | ability, skill | 我需要提高我的英语口语能力。wǒ xūyào tígāo wǒ de yīngyǔ kǒuyǔ nénglì.I need to improve my English speaking skills. |
| 普通话(普通話) | pǔtōnghuà | Mandarin, standard Chinese | 我正在学习普通话。wǒ zhèngzài xuéxí pǔtōnghuà.I am learning Mandarin. |
| 硕士(碩士) | shuòshì | master's degree | 他是理科硕士。tā shì lǐkē shuòshì.He is a Master of Science. |
| 填空 | tiánkòng | to fill in the blanks | 请用这些词填空。qǐng yòng zhèxiē cí tiánkòng.Please fill in the blanks with these words. |
| 通过(通過) | tōngguò | to pass (an exam); through, by means of | 大多数学生通过了考试。dàduōshù xuésheng tōngguò le kǎoshì.Most students passed the examination. |
| 文章 | wénzhāng | article, essay | 我正在写一篇文章。wǒ zhèngzài xiě yì piān wénzhāng.I'm writing an article. |
| 橡皮 | xiàngpí | rubber, eraser | 我需要买一个新的橡皮。wǒ xūyào mǎi yí ge xīn de xiàngpí.I need to buy a new rubber. |
| 学期(學期) | xuéqī | term, semester | 这个学期三月一日开始。zhège xuéqī sānyuè yī rì kāishǐ.This term begins on 1 March. |
| 研究 | yánjiū | research; to study | 我对这个话题做了很多研究。wǒ duì zhège huàtí zuò le hěn duō yánjiū.I did a lot of research on this topic. |
| 语法(語法) | yǔfǎ | grammar | 中文的语法和英文的语法不一样。zhōngwén de yǔfǎ hé yīngwén de yǔfǎ bù yíyàng.Chinese grammar is not the same as English grammar. |
| 语言(語言) | yǔyán | language | 你会说什么语言？nǐ huì shuō shénme yǔyán?What languages can you speak? |
| 预习(預習) | yùxí | to prepare (a lesson) in advance | 我要预习明天的课文。wǒ yào yùxí míngtiān de kèwén.I'm going to prepare tomorrow's text. |
| 阅读(閱讀) | yuèdú | to read; reading | 我喜欢在周末阅读杂志。wǒ xǐhuan zài zhōumò yuèdú zázhì.I like reading magazines at the weekend. |
| 知识(知識) | zhīshi | knowledge | 书是通向知识的道路。shū shì tōngxiàng zhīshi de dàolù.Books are avenues to knowledge. |
| 专业(專業) | zhuānyè | subject (at university), major; professional | 他非常专业地完成了他的工作。tā fēicháng zhuānyè de wánchéng le tā de gōngzuò.He did his job very professionally. |
Work and Jobs
当 (dāng) before a job means "to work as" or "to be": 当老师 (dāng lǎoshī) is "to be a teacher".
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Example sentence |
|---|---|---|---|
| 安排 | ānpái | to arrange, to plan; arrangements | 我需要重新安排我的行程。wǒ xūyào chóngxīn ānpái wǒ de xíngchéng.I need to reschedule my trip. |
| 表格 | biǎogé | form, table | 请你把这份表格贴在墙上。qǐng nǐ bǎ zhè fèn biǎogé tiē zài qiáng shang.Please post this form on the wall. |
| 材料 | cáiliào | material(s) | 我需要准备一些材料来开始我的研究。wǒ xūyào zhǔnbèi yìxiē cáiliào lái kāishǐ wǒ de yánjiū.I need to prepare some materials to start my research. |
| 出差 | chūchāi | to go on a business trip | 我最近要去北京出差一周。wǒ zuìjìn yào qù běijīng chūchāi yìzhōu.I'm going to Beijing on a business trip for a week soon. |
| 当(當) | dāng | to work as, to be | 他当了五年的足球队长。tā dāng le wǔ nián de zúqiú duìzhǎng.He was the captain of the football team for five years. |
| 负责(負責) | fùzé | to be in charge of, to be responsible for | 这里谁负责？zhèli shéi fùzé?Who is in charge here? |
| 工资(工資) | gōngzī | pay, salary, wages | 你税后的工资是多少？nǐ shuìhòu de gōngzī shì duōshao?What are your earnings after tax? |
| 管理 | guǎnlǐ | to manage; management | 他负责公司的管理工作。tā fùzé gōngsī de guǎnlǐ gōngzuò.He is responsible for the management of the company. |
| 计划(計劃) | jìhuà | plan; to plan | 你有计划去中国吗？nǐ yǒu jìhuà qù zhōngguó ma?Do you have plans to visit China? |
| 技术(技術) | jìshù | skill, technique; technology | 他打篮球的技术很好。tā dǎ lánqiú de jìshù hěn hǎo.He plays basketball very well. |
| 加班 | jiābān | to work overtime | 每天晚上，我都不得不加班来完成我的工作。měitiān wǎnshang, wǒ dōu bùdébù jiābān lái wánchéng wǒ de gōngzuò.Every night, I had to work overtime to get my work done. |
| 奖金(獎金) | jiǎngjīn | bonus, prize money | 他努力工作，为了获得更多的奖金。tā nǔlì gōngzuò, wèile huòdé gèng duō de jiǎngjīn.He works hard to earn bigger bonuses. |
| 经验(經驗) | jīngyàn | experience (skill, know-how) | 他以前是一名老师，在教学生方面很有经验。tā yǐqián shì yì míng lǎoshī, zài jiāo xuésheng fāngmiàn hěn yǒu jīngyàn.He used to be a teacher and was very experienced in teaching students. |
| 任务(任務) | rènwu | task | 我需要你帮忙完成这个任务。wǒ xūyào nǐ bāngmáng wánchéng zhège rènwu.I need your help with this task. |
| 申请(申請) | shēnqǐng | to apply (for) | 我申请了升职。wǒ shēnqǐng le shēngzhí.I applied for a promotion. |
| 生意 | shēngyi | business | 他们一起做过生意。tāmen yìqǐ zuò guo shēngyi.They've done some business together. |
| 提供 | tígōng | to provide, to offer | 我可以给你提供一些帮助。wǒ kěyǐ gěi nǐ tígōng yìxiē bāngzhù.I can offer you some help. |
| 应聘(應聘) | yìngpìn | to apply for a job | 我今天去公司应聘。wǒ jīntiān qù gōngsī yìngpìn.I'm going to the company today to apply for a job. |
| 招聘 | zhāopìn | to recruit | 我们公司正在进行招聘活动。wǒmen gōngsī zhèngzài jìnxíng zhāopìn huódòng.Our company is currently recruiting. |
| 职业(職業) | zhíyè | occupation, career | 我从来没有想过这可以成为我的职业。wǒ cónglái méiyǒu xiǎng guo zhè kěyǐ chéngwéi wǒ de zhíyè.I never thought this could be my career. |
| 总结(總結) | zǒngjié | to sum up; summary | 请你总结一下我们的会议内容。qǐng nǐ zǒngjié yíxià wǒmen de huìyì nèiróng.Please summarise our meeting. |
Phones, Post, the Internet and the Media
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Example sentence |
|---|---|---|---|
| 传真(傳真) | chuánzhēn | fax | 我会给你发一份传真。wǒ huì gěi nǐ fā yí fèn chuánzhēn.I'll send you a fax. |
| 打印 | dǎyìn | to print | 请帮我打印这张照片。qǐng bāng wǒ dǎyìn zhè zhāng zhàopiàn.Please print this photo for me. |
| 地址 | dìzhǐ | address | 要是我知道他的地址就好了。yàoshi wǒ zhīdao tā de dìzhǐ jiù hǎo le.I wish I knew his address. |
| 短信 | duǎnxìn | text message | 我刚刚收到一条来自朋友的短信。wǒ gānggang shōudào yì tiáo láizì péngyou de duǎnxìn.I just received a text message from a friend. |
| 复印(複印) | fùyìn | to photocopy | 请你把这封信复印一份好吗？qǐng nǐ bǎ zhè fēng xìn fùyìn yí fèn hǎo ma?Could you photocopy this letter, please? |
| 广播(廣播) | guǎngbō | radio; to broadcast | 我喜欢听广播。wǒ xǐhuan tīng guǎngbō.I love listening to the radio. |
| 广告(廣告) | guǎnggào | advert, advertisement | 我们决定为我们的新产品做广告。wǒmen juédìng wèi wǒmen de xīn chǎnpǐn zuò guǎnggào.We decided to advertise our new product. |
| 号码(號碼) | hàomǎ | number | 请告诉我您的手机号码。qǐng gàosu wǒ nín de shǒujī hàomǎ.Please tell me your mobile number. |
| 互联网(互聯網) | hùliánwǎng | the internet | 我通过互联网与朋友们保持联系。wǒ tōngguò hùliánwǎng yǔ péngyoumen bǎochí liánxì.I keep in touch with my friends through the internet. |
| 寄 | jì | to send (by post) | 我要把信寄给我的朋友。wǒ yào bǎ xìn jì gěi wǒ de péngyou.I'm going to send the letter to my friend. |
| 交流 | jiāoliú | to communicate, to exchange (ideas) | 我经常与我的网友们聊天交流。wǒ jīngcháng yǔ wǒ de wǎngyǒumen liáotiān jiāoliú.I often chat and swap ideas with my online friends. |
| 联系(聯繫) | liánxì | to contact, to get in touch | 我们很快会跟你们联系，告诉你们我们要什么。wǒmen hěn kuài huì gēn nǐmen liánxì, gàosu nǐmen wǒmen yào shénme.We will contact you soon to tell you what we want. |
| 密码(密碼) | mìmǎ | password, PIN | 我忘记了我的密码。wǒ wàngjì le wǒ de mìmǎ.I've forgotten my password. |
| 网站(網站) | wǎngzhàn | website | 我昨天创建了一个新的网站。wǒ zuótiān chuàngjiàn le yí ge xīn de wǎngzhàn.I created a new website yesterday. |
| 响(響) | xiǎng | to ring, to make a sound; loud | 电话响了。diànhuà xiǎng le.The telephone is ringing. |
| 消息 | xiāoxi | news, message | 我没什么好消息告诉你。wǒ méi shénme hǎo xiāoxi gàosu nǐ.I don't have any good news for you. |
| 信封 | xìnfēng | envelope | 我把信放在信封里寄给了她。wǒ bǎ xìn fàng zài xìnfēng li jì gěi le tā.I put the letter in an envelope and posted it to her. |
| 信息 | xìnxī | information | 我在网站上找到了很多有用的信息。wǒ zài wǎngzhàn shang zhǎodào le hěn duō yǒuyòng de xìnxī.I found a lot of useful information on the website. |
| 占线(佔線) | zhànxiàn | (of a phone line) engaged, busy | 他的电话一直占线。tā de diànhuà yìzhí zhànxiàn.His line has been engaged the whole time. |
Free Time, Sport and the Arts
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Example sentence |
|---|---|---|---|
| 表演 | biǎoyǎn | performance; to perform | 他的表演非常动人。tā de biǎoyǎn fēicháng dòngrén.His performance was very moving. |
| 动作(動作) | dòngzuò | movement, action | 这个芭蕾舞女演员的每一个动作都很优美。zhège bālěiwǔ nǚ yǎnyuán de měi yí ge dòngzuò dōu hěn yōuměi.All the moves of the ballerina were graceful. |
| 放松(放鬆) | fàngsōng | to relax | 游完泳后你愿意放松一下吗？yóu wán yǒng hòu nǐ yuànyì fàngsōng yíxià ma?Would you like to relax after swimming? |
| 功夫 | gōngfu | kung fu; skill, effort | 他练习功夫已经有十年了。tā liànxí gōngfu yǐjīng yǒu shí nián le.He has been practising kung fu for ten years. |
| 观众(觀眾) | guānzhòng | audience, viewers | 观众们都希望看到一场精彩的演出。guānzhòngmen dōu xīwàng kàndào yì chǎng jīngcǎi de yǎnchū.The audience wants to see a great show. |
| 活动(活動) | huódòng | activity, event | 孩子们喜欢户外活动。háizimen xǐhuan hùwài huódòng.Children like outdoor activities. |
| 京剧(京劇) | jīngjù | Beijing opera | 我很喜欢京剧的表演艺术。wǒ hěn xǐhuan jīngjù de biǎoyǎn yìshù.I love the performing arts of Beijing Opera. |
| 精彩 | jīngcǎi | brilliant, wonderful | 明天晚上的演出一定会是精彩的。míngtiān wǎnshang de yǎnchū yídìng huì shì jīngcǎi de.Tomorrow night's show is sure to be wonderful. |
| 聚会(聚會) | jùhuì | party, get-together | 我们得找个借口不去参加聚会。wǒmen děi zhǎo ge jièkǒu bú qù cānjiā jùhuì.We'll have to find a pretext for not going to the party. |
| 乒乓球 | pīngpāngqiú | table tennis | 他爱好打乒乓球。tā àihào dǎ pīngpāngqiú.He's keen on table tennis. |
| 散步 | sànbù | to go for a walk | 我喜欢晚饭以后散步。wǒ xǐhuan wǎnfàn yǐhòu sànbù.I like to walk after dinner. |
| 输(輸) | shū | to lose (a game) | 我今天在游戏中输了。wǒ jīntiān zài yóuxì zhōng shū le.I lost in the game today. |
| 弹钢琴(彈鋼琴) | tán gāngqín | to play the piano | 我的妹妹有很多爱好，她喜欢画画、弹钢琴和读书。wǒ de mèimei yǒu hěn duō àihào, tā xǐhuan huàhuà, tán gāngqín hé dúshū.My sister has lots of hobbies: she likes drawing, playing the piano and reading. |
| 网球(網球) | wǎngqiú | tennis | 我最喜欢的运动是网球。wǒ zuì xǐhuan de yùndòng shì wǎngqiú.My favourite sport is tennis. |
| 小说(小說) | xiǎoshuō | novel | 这本小说非常好看。zhè běn xiǎoshuō fēicháng hǎokàn.This novel is very good. |
| 笑话(笑話) | xiàohua | joke; to laugh at | 我听了一个很搞笑的笑话。wǒ tīng le yí ge hěn gǎoxiào de xiàohua.I heard a very funny joke. |
| 演出 | yǎnchū | performance, show; to perform | 演出极为成功。yǎnchū jíwéi chénggōng.The performance was a huge success. |
| 演员(演員) | yǎnyuán | actor, actress | 他是一个成功的演员。tā shì yí ge chénggōng de yǎnyuán.He is a successful actor. |
| 艺术(藝術) | yìshù | art | 我希望自己的艺术作品能让所有人高兴。wǒ xīwàng zìjǐ de yìshù zuòpǐn néng ràng suǒyǒu rén gāoxìng.I want my art to delight everyone. |
| 赢(贏) | yíng | to win | 我赢了比赛。wǒ yíng le bǐsài.I won the competition. |
| 羽毛球 | yǔmáoqiú | badminton | 我喜欢打羽毛球。wǒ xǐhuan dǎ yǔmáoqiú.I love playing badminton. |
| 杂志(雜誌) | zázhì | magazine | 我要去买第一期的杂志。wǒ yào qù mǎi dìyī qī de zázhì.I'm going to buy the first issue of the magazine. |
| 照 | zhào | to take (a photo); to shine; to look in (a mirror) | 我要照一张照片。wǒ yào zhào yì zhāng zhàopiàn.I'm going to take a picture. |
Society, Rules and the Wider World
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Example sentence |
|---|---|---|---|
| 标准(標準) | biāozhǔn | standard, criterion; standard (correct) | 这个考试的标准非常严格。zhège kǎoshì de biāozhǔn fēicháng yángé.The standards for this exam are very rigorous. |
| 调查(調查) | diàochá | to investigate; survey | 警方开始调查事故的原因。jǐngfāng kāishǐ diàochá shìgù de yuányīn.The police began investigating the cause of the accident. |
| 发展(發展) | fāzhǎn | development; to develop | 这项发展对我们的生活有深远的影响。zhè xiàng fāzhǎn duì wǒmen de shēnghuó yǒu shēnyuǎn de yǐngxiǎng.This development has a profound effect on our lives. |
| 法律 | fǎlǜ | law | 不懂法律不是借口。bù dǒng fǎlǜ bú shì jièkǒu.Ignorance of the law is no excuse. |
| 规定(規定) | guīdìng | rule, regulation; to stipulate | 法律规定只有十八岁以上的人才可以开车。fǎlǜ guīdìng zhǐyǒu shíbā suì yǐshàng de rén cái kěyǐ kāichē.The law stipulates that only people over the age of eighteen can drive. |
| 国际(國際) | guójì | international | 我参加了一个国际会议。wǒ cānjiā le yí ge guójì huìyì.I attended an international conference. |
| 禁止 | jìnzhǐ | to forbid, to ban | 在考试中禁止使用手机。zài kǎoshì zhōng jìnzhǐ shǐyòng shǒujī.Mobile phones are prohibited during the test. |
| 经济(經濟) | jīngjì | economy; economic | 你知道今年的经济政策吗？nǐ zhīdao jīnnián de jīngjì zhèngcè ma?Do you know this year's economic policy? |
| 竞争(競爭) | jìngzhēng | competition; to compete | 美国是一个充满竞争的社会。měiguó shì yí ge chōngmǎn jìngzhēng de shèhuì.America is a competitive society. |
| 浪费(浪費) | làngfèi | to waste | 那是浪费时间和精力。nà shì làngfèi shíjiān hé jīnglì.It's a waste of time and energy. |
| 民族 | mínzú | ethnic group, nation | 中国有56个民族。zhōngguó yǒu wǔshíliù ge mínzú.There are 56 ethnic groups in China. |
| 社会(社會) | shèhuì | society | 我们每个人都生活在一个社会中。wǒmen měi ge rén dōu shēnghuó zài yí ge shèhuì zhōng.Each of us lives in a society. |
| 生命 | shēngmìng | life (being alive) | 写作是他的生命。xiězuò shì tā de shēngmìng.Writing is his life. |
| 允许(允許) | yǔnxǔ | to allow | 警察是不允许接受酬金的。jǐngchá shì bù yǔnxǔ jiēshòu chóujīn de.The police are not allowed to accept rewards. |
| 责任(責任) | zérèn | responsibility, duty | 让学生学习是老师的责任。ràng xuésheng xuéxí shì lǎoshī de zérèn.It's a teacher's responsibility to make students learn. |
Ideas, Reasons and Results
经历 (jīnglì) is an experience you've lived through, and 经验 (jīngyàn) is the experience that makes you good at something, as in 很有经验 (hěn yǒu jīngyàn), "very experienced".
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Example sentence |
|---|---|---|---|
| 部分 | bùfen | part, section | 你可以在这本书的第一部分找到你要的资料。nǐ kěyǐ zài zhè běn shū de dìyī bùfen zhǎodào nǐ yào de zīliào.You may find the information you need in the first part of the book. |
| 错误(錯誤) | cuòwù | mistake, error; wrong | 她犯了一个错误，但是没关系。tā fàn le yí ge cuòwù, dànshì méiguānxi.She made a mistake, but it didn't matter. |
| 方法 | fāngfǎ | method, way | 这个方法既简单又有用。zhège fāngfǎ jì jiǎndān yòu yǒuyòng.This method is both simple and useful. |
| 方面 | fāngmiàn | aspect, respect, field | 我们在音乐方面爱好相似。wǒmen zài yīnyuè fāngmiàn àihào xiāngsì.We have similar tastes in music. |
| 关键(關鍵) | guānjiàn | key, crucial point | 这就是问题的关键所在。zhè jiù shì wèntí de guānjiàn suǒzài.Therein lies the crux of the matter. |
| 过程(過程) | guòchéng | process | 这个过程需要一段时间来完成。zhège guòchéng xūyào yí duàn shíjiān lái wánchéng.This process takes a while to complete. |
| 好处(好處) | hǎochu | benefit, advantage | 休息一下对你会有好处的。xiūxi yíxià duì nǐ huì yǒu hǎochu de.It'll do you good to have a rest. |
| 经历(經歷) | jīnglì | experience (something lived through); to go through | 我学英语的时候有一样的经历。wǒ xué yīngyǔ de shíhou yǒu yíyàng de jīnglì.I had the same experience when I was learning English. |
| 理想 | lǐxiǎng | ideal; dream | 我认为我已找到理想的爱人了。wǒ rènwéi wǒ yǐ zhǎodào lǐxiǎng de àiren le.I think I've found my ideal partner. |
| 梦(夢) | mèng | dream | 我女儿喜欢给我讲她那些奇怪的梦。wǒ nǚ'ér xǐhuan gěi wǒ jiǎng tā nàxiē qíguài de mèng.My daughter likes telling me about her strange dreams. |
| 目的 | mùdì | aim, purpose | 你应该永远以搞好你的工作为目的。nǐ yīnggāi yǒngyuǎn yǐ gǎohǎo nǐ de gōngzuò wéi mùdì.You should always aim to do your job well. |
| 内容(內容) | nèiróng | content(s) | 这本书的内容非常丰富。zhè běn shū de nèiróng fēicháng fēngfù.The book is very informative. |
| 情况(情況) | qíngkuàng | situation, circumstances | 请告诉我最新的情况。qǐng gàosu wǒ zuìxīn de qíngkuàng.Please tell me the latest situation. |
| 区别(區別) | qūbié | difference; to distinguish | 请注意这两个词之间的区别。qǐng zhùyì zhè liǎng ge cí zhījiān de qūbié.Please pay attention to the difference between the two words. |
| 实际(實際) | shíjì | actual, real; practical | 实际成本比我们预料的高得多。shíjì chéngběn bǐ wǒmen yùliào de gāo de duō.The actual cost was much higher than we had expected. |
| 顺序(順序) | shùnxù | order, sequence | 请大家按座位顺序依次上车。qǐng dàjiā àn zuòwèi shùnxù yīcì shàngchē.Please board the bus in order of seating. |
| 速度 | sùdù | speed | 他的跑步速度非常快。tā de pǎobù sùdù fēicháng kuài.He runs very fast. |
| 特点(特點) | tèdiǎn | feature, characteristic | 这座城市有很多吸引人的特点。zhè zuò chéngshì yǒu hěn duō xīyǐn rén de tèdiǎn.The city has a lot of attractive features. |
| 条件(條件) | tiáojiàn | condition, requirement | 他们在恶劣的天气条件下登上了山的顶峰。tāmen zài èliè de tiānqì tiáojiàn xià dēngshàng le shān de dǐngfēng.They reached the top of the mountain in terrible weather conditions. |
| 相反 | xiāngfǎn | opposite; on the contrary | 他不穷，相反，他是个百万富翁。tā bù qióng, xiāngfǎn, tā shì ge bǎiwàn fùwēng.He is not poor; on the contrary, he is a millionaire. |
| 效果 | xiàoguǒ | effect, result | 惩罚对这孩子似乎没什么效果。chéngfá duì zhè háizi sìhū méi shénme xiàoguǒ.Punishment didn't seem to have any effect on the child. |
| 样子(樣子) | yàngzi | appearance, look; way | 他看起来很累的样子。tā kànqǐlai hěn lèi de yàngzi.He looked tired. |
| 印象 | yìnxiàng | impression | 你对北京的第一印象如何？nǐ duì běijīng de dìyī yìnxiàng rúhé?What were your first impressions of Beijing? |
| 原因 | yuányīn | reason, cause | 这就是我们的学生来学中文的原因。zhè jiù shì wǒmen de xuésheng lái xué zhōngwén de yuányīn.This is why our students come to learn Chinese. |
| 重点(重點) | zhòngdiǎn | main point, focus | 我们需要把重点放在解决这个问题上面。wǒmen xūyào bǎ zhòngdiǎn fàng zài jiějué zhège wèntí shàngmiàn.We need to focus on solving this problem. |
| 主意 | zhǔyi | idea, plan | 我有一个好主意，我们可以去看电影。wǒ yǒu yí ge hǎo zhǔyi, wǒmen kěyǐ qù kàn diànyǐng.I've got a good idea: we could go to the cinema. |
| 作用 | zuòyòng | effect, role, function | 音乐在改善心情上有很大的作用。yīnyuè zài gǎishàn xīnqíng shang yǒu hěn dà de zuòyòng.Music has a great effect on improving mood. |
Adjectives: Good, Bad, Easy and Hard
合适 (héshì) is an adjective, "suitable": 这双鞋子很合适 (these shoes fit well). 适合 (shìhé) is a verb and takes an object: 这太适合我了 (that suits me perfectly).
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Example sentence |
|---|---|---|---|
| 安全 | ānquán | safe; safety | 这个地方非常安全。zhège dìfang fēicháng ānquán.This place is very safe. |
| 棒 | bàng | great, excellent | 这个电影太棒了，我超喜欢！zhège diànyǐng tài bàng le, wǒ chāo xǐhuan!This film is great, I really love it! |
| 复杂(複雜) | fùzá | complicated | 他不喜欢复杂的事情，总是追求简单。tā bù xǐhuan fùzá de shìqing, zǒngshì zhuīqiú jiǎndān.He doesn't like complicated things and always strives for simplicity. |
| 共同 | gòngtóng | common, shared; together | 我们正在为达到共同的目标而努力。wǒmen zhèngzài wèi dádào gòngtóng de mùbiāo ér nǔlì.We're working towards common objectives. |
| 合适(合適) | héshì | suitable, the right size | 这双鞋子很合适，穿起来非常舒服。zhè shuāng xiézi hěn héshì, chuān qǐlai fēicháng shūfu.The shoes fit well and are very comfortable to wear. |
| 困难(困難) | kùnnan | difficult; difficulty | 这个问题是不是很困难？zhège wèntí shì bu shì hěn kùnnan?Is this question difficult? |
| 厉害(厲害) | lìhai | terrible, severe; amazing | 我今早头痛得厉害。wǒ jīnzǎo tóutòng de lìhai.I've got a terrible headache this morning. |
| 麻烦(麻煩) | máfan | trouble; troublesome; to bother | 没有人想碰到麻烦。méiyǒu rén xiǎng pèngdào máfan.No one wants to run into trouble. |
| 普遍 | pǔbiàn | widespread, general | 人们普遍都认为健康是幸福的关键。rénmen pǔbiàn dōu rènwéi jiànkāng shì xìngfú de guānjiàn.It is widely accepted that health is the key to happiness. |
| 适合(適合) | shìhé | to suit, to be suitable for | 这太适合我了。zhè tài shìhé wǒ le.This really suits me. |
| 顺利(順利) | shùnlì | smoothly, without a hitch | 祝愿你来年一切顺利。zhùyuàn nǐ láinián yíqiè shùnlì.Here's wishing you all the best in the coming year. |
| 危险(危險) | wēixiǎn | dangerous; danger | 在这河里游泳危险。zài zhè hé li yóuyǒng wēixiǎn.This river is dangerous to swim in. |
| 相同 | xiāngtóng | the same, identical | 他对这个问题的看法与我完全相同。tā duì zhège wèntí de kànfǎ yǔ wǒ wánquán xiāngtóng.He has exactly the same opinion on this issue as I do. |
| 详细(詳細) | xiángxì | detailed | 如果你感兴趣，你来后我把详细情况告诉你。rúguǒ nǐ gǎnxìngqù, nǐ lái hòu wǒ bǎ xiángxì qíngkuàng gàosu nǐ.If you're interested, I'll tell you all the details when you get here. |
| 行 | xíng | OK, all right; capable | 什么都行。shénme dōu xíng.Anything will do. |
| 严重(嚴重) | yánzhòng | serious, severe | 我和她之间发生了一场严重的误会。wǒ hé tā zhījiān fāshēng le yì chǎng yánzhòng de wùhuì.There was a serious misunderstanding between me and her. |
| 有趣 | yǒuqù | interesting, fun | 这本书很有趣。zhè běn shū hěn yǒuqù.This book is interesting. |
| 真正 | zhēnzhèng | real, true | 真正的友谊比金钱更宝贵。zhēnzhèng de yǒuyì bǐ jīnqián gèng bǎoguì.Real friendship is more valuable than money. |
| 正常 | zhèngcháng | normal | 他也清楚，生活恢复正常还需要一段时间。tā yě qīngchu, shēnghuó huīfù zhèngcháng hái xūyào yí duàn shíjiān.He also knows that it will take some time for life to return to normal. |
| 正确(正確) | zhèngquè | correct, right | 你做出了正确的选择。nǐ zuòchū le zhèngquè de xuǎnzé.You've made the right choice. |
| 正式 | zhèngshì | formal, official | 今天我参加了一场正式的会议。jīntiān wǒ cānjiā le yì chǎng zhèngshì de huìyì.Today I attended a formal meeting. |
| 值得 | zhíde | to be worth | 这本书非常好，值得一读。zhè běn shū fēicháng hǎo, zhíde yì dú.The book is very good and worth reading. |
| 专门(專門) | zhuānmén | special, specially; specialised | 这个商店专门出售巧克力。zhège shāngdiàn zhuānmén chūshòu qiǎokèlì.This shop specialises in chocolate. |
| 准确(準確) | zhǔnquè | accurate | 我的手表走时准确。wǒ de shǒubiǎo zǒushí zhǔnquè.My watch keeps good time. |
Adjectives: Describing People and Things
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Example sentence |
|---|---|---|---|
| 低 | dī | low | 北方的气温比南方更低。běifāng de qìwēn bǐ nánfāng gèng dī.Temperatures are lower in the north than in the south. |
| 丰富(豐富) | fēngfù | rich, plentiful | 他词汇很丰富。tā cíhuì hěn fēngfù.He has an extensive vocabulary. |
| 富 | fù | rich, wealthy | 这个人非常富。zhège rén fēicháng fù.This man is very rich. |
| 够(夠) | gòu | enough | 我已经吃得够多了，不需要再吃了。wǒ yǐjīng chī de gòu duō le, bù xūyào zài chī le.I've eaten enough and don't need to eat anymore. |
| 厚 | hòu | thick | 早晨很冷，他穿上了一件厚毛衣。zǎochén hěn lěng, tā chuānshang le yí jiàn hòu máoyī.He put on a thick sweater since it was cold in the morning. |
| 假 | jiǎ | false, fake | 这张钞票是假的，那张是真的。zhè zhāng chāopiào shì jiǎ de, nà zhāng shì zhēn de.This note is fake, but that one's real. |
| 空 | kōng | empty; (kòng) free time | 我在房间里看着空的书架。wǒ zài fángjiān li kàn zhe kōng de shūjià.I looked at the empty bookshelves in my room. |
| 乱(亂) | luàn | messy, in a mess; at random | 他的头发很乱，像一团乌云。tā de tóufa hěn luàn, xiàng yì tuán wūyún.His hair was messy, like a dark cloud. |
| 满(滿) | mǎn | full | 我的杯子已经满了，不能再倒水了。wǒ de bēizi yǐjīng mǎn le, bùnéng zài dào shuǐ le.My glass is full and I can't pour any more water. |
| 美丽(美麗) | měilì | beautiful | 这个地方非常美丽。zhège dìfang fēicháng měilì.The place is very beautiful. |
| 破 | pò | broken, torn; to break | 我的袖子破了一大块。wǒ de xiùzi pò le yí dà kuài.There's a big rip in my sleeve. |
| 轻(輕) | qīng | light (not heavy); gentle | 有轻轻的敲门声。yǒu qīngqīng de qiāomén shēng.There is a light knock at the door. |
| 穷(窮) | qióng | poor | 不管穷还是富，他都快活。bùguǎn qióng háishi fù, tā dōu kuàihuo.Rich or poor, he is always happy. |
| 热闹(熱鬧) | rènao | lively, bustling | 这个地方真的很热闹，有很多人在街上跳舞。zhège dìfang zhēn de hěn rènao, yǒu hěn duō rén zài jiēshang tiàowǔ.The place is really lively and there are a lot of people dancing in the street. |
| 深 | shēn | deep | 我和朋友之间有很深的情谊。wǒ hé péngyou zhījiān yǒu hěn shēn de qíngyì.I have a deep bond with my friends. |
| 帅(帥) | shuài | handsome | 他是一个帅气的男生。tā shì yí ge shuàiqi de nánshēng.He's a handsome boy. |
| 脏(髒) | zāng | dirty | 这条裙子太脏了，需要洗一洗。zhè tiáo qúnzi tài zāng le, xūyào xǐ yi xǐ.The dress is too dirty and needs to be washed. |
| 重 | zhòng | heavy; serious | 他病得很重。tā bìng de hěn zhòng.He was very ill. |
| 著名 | zhùmíng | famous | 他是一位著名的演员。tā shì yí wèi zhùmíng de yǎnyuán.He is a famous actor. |
Verbs: Everyday Actions
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Example sentence |
|---|---|---|---|
| 抱 | bào | to hold in one's arms, to hug | 她把孩子抱在怀里。tā bǎ háizi bào zài huáili.She nestled the baby in her arms. |
| 擦 | cā | to wipe, to rub out | 请你帮我擦一下黑板上的字。qǐng nǐ bāng wǒ cā yíxià hēibǎn shang de zì.Please help me erase the words on the board. |
| 掉 | diào | to fall, to drop; (after a verb) away, off | 他的鞋子掉到了桌子下边。tā de xiézi diào dào le zhuōzi xiàbian.His shoes fell under the table. |
| 丢(丟) | diū | to lose | 那个学生昨天丢了书。nàge xuésheng zuótiān diū le shū.That student lost his book yesterday. |
| 干(幹) | gàn | to do, to work | 你今天干了什么？nǐ jīntiān gàn le shénme?What did you do today? |
| 交 | jiāo | to hand in, to pay; to make (friends) | 考卷答完后请交给老师。kǎojuàn dá wán hòu qǐng jiāo gěi lǎoshī.Please hand your exam papers to the teacher when you've finished. |
| 举(舉) | jǔ | to lift, to raise | 人举不起这样的重量。rén jǔ bu qǐ zhèyàng de zhòngliàng.No one can lift a weight like this. |
| 拉 | lā | to pull, to draw | 天黑了，我把窗帘拉上。tiānhēi le, wǒ bǎ chuānglián lāshang.I drew the curtain as it was getting dark. |
| 理发(理髮) | lǐfà | to have a haircut | 我到那里去理发。wǒ dào nàli qù lǐfà.I go there for a haircut. |
| 留 | liú | to stay; to leave (a message), to keep | 我决定留在家里工作，而不是去办公室。wǒ juédìng liú zài jiā li gōngzuò, ér bú shì qù bàngōngshì.I decided to stay at home and work instead of going to the office. |
| 弄 | nòng | to do, to make, to get | 请把窗子弄干净，我几乎看不到外面。qǐng bǎ chuāngzi nòng gānjìng, wǒ jīhū kàn bu dào wàimiàn.Please clean the window as I can hardly see out. |
| 排列 | páiliè | to arrange, to put in order | 把这些字按字母表顺序排列起来。bǎ zhèxiē zì àn zìmǔbiǎo shùnxù páiliè qǐlai.Put these words in alphabetical order. |
| 敲 | qiāo | to knock | 他敲了一下门。tā qiāo le yíxià mén.He knocked on the door. |
| 扔 | rēng | to throw; to throw away | 他扔了一个苹果给我。tā rēng le yí ge píngguǒ gěi wǒ.He threw me an apple. |
| 日记(日記) | rìjì | diary | 我每天写一篇日记。wǒ měitiān xiě yì piān rìjì.I write a diary entry every day. |
| 生活 | shēnghuó | life; to live | 在实际生活中，健康是最重要的事情。zài shíjì shēnghuó zhōng, jiànkāng shì zuì zhòngyào de shìqing.In real life, health is the most important thing. |
| 使用 | shǐyòng | to use | 我正在使用电脑写这个句子。wǒ zhèngzài shǐyòng diànnǎo xiě zhège jùzi.I'm using a computer to write this sentence. |
| 收 | shōu | to receive, to accept; to put away | 这顿饭我请客，你把钱收起来吧。zhè dùn fàn wǒ qǐngkè, nǐ bǎ qián shōu qǐlai ba.This meal is my treat, so put your money away. |
| 抬 | tái | to lift, to carry | 修汽车前，你得用千斤顶把汽车抬起来。xiū qìchē qián, nǐ děi yòng qiānjīndǐng bǎ qìchē tái qǐlai.You need a jack to lift the car before repairing it. |
| 躺 | tǎng | to lie (down) | 他躺在沙发上看电视。tā tǎng zài shāfā shang kàn diànshì.He was lying on the sofa watching TV. |
| 停 | tíng | to stop; to park | 等到雨停了再说吧。děngdào yǔ tíng le zàishuō ba.Let's wait until the rain stops. |
| 推 | tuī | to push | 我推着自行车去上班。wǒ tuī zhe zìxíngchē qù shàngbān.I pushed my bike to work. |
| 醒 | xǐng | to wake up | 他直到上午十一点才醒。tā zhídào shàngwǔ shíyī diǎn cái xǐng.He didn't wake up until 11 o'clock in the morning. |
| 修理 | xiūlǐ | to repair | 我需要修理我的汽车。wǒ xūyào xiūlǐ wǒ de qìchē.I need to get my car repaired. |
| 转(轉) | zhuǎn | to turn; to pass on, to forward | 请把我的信件转到我的新地址。qǐng bǎ wǒ de xìnjiàn zhuǎn dào wǒ de xīn dìzhǐ.Please forward my post to my new address. |
Verbs: Doing, Changing and Achieving
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Example sentence |
|---|---|---|---|
| 保护(保護) | bǎohù | to protect | 我们需要减少使用塑料袋来保护环境。wǒmen xūyào jiǎnshǎo shǐyòng sùliàodài lái bǎohù huánjìng.We need to reduce the use of plastic bags to protect the environment. |
| 超过(超過) | chāoguò | to exceed, to be more than | 这个国家的人口超过一亿。zhège guójiā de rénkǒu chāoguò yí yì.The population of this country is more than 100 million. |
| 成功 | chénggōng | to succeed; success | 没有人能够不努力就成功。méiyǒu rén nénggòu bù nǔlì jiù chénggōng.No one can succeed without working hard. |
| 成为(成為) | chéngwéi | to become | 他说，现在自己可以成为更好的父亲。tā shuō, xiànzài zìjǐ kěyǐ chéngwéi gèng hǎo de fùqīn.He said he could now be a better father. |
| 出现(出現) | chūxiàn | to appear, to show up | 我已经等了你半个小时了，你还是没有出现。wǒ yǐjīng děng le nǐ bàn ge xiǎoshí le, nǐ háishi méiyǒu chūxiàn.I've been waiting for you for half an hour, and you still haven't shown up. |
| 发生(發生) | fāshēng | to happen | 我知道发生了什么事。wǒ zhīdao fāshēng le shénme shì.I know what happened. |
| 放弃(放棄) | fàngqì | to give up | 尽管中文很难，可是他一直没有放弃。jǐnguǎn zhōngwén hěn nán, kěshì tā yìzhí méiyǒu fàngqì.Although Chinese is hard, he has never given up. |
| 符合 | fúhé | to meet (requirements), to fit | 这个计划符合我们的要求。zhège jìhuà fúhé wǒmen de yāoqiú.This plan meets our requirements. |
| 改变(改變) | gǎibiàn | to change | 我希望能够改变自己的学习习惯。wǒ xīwàng nénggòu gǎibiàn zìjǐ de xuéxí xíguàn.I want to be able to change my study habits. |
| 光 | guāng | used up, nothing left; light; only | 把你的青菜吃光。bǎ nǐ de qīngcài chī guāng.Eat up all your greens. |
| 获得(獲得) | huòdé | to obtain, to win | 她为获得额外收入决定租出一个房间。tā wèi huòdé éwài shōurù juédìng zūchū yí ge fángjiān.She decided to rent out a room to get extra income. |
| 积累(積累) | jīlěi | to build up, to accumulate | 我需要积累更多的经验。wǒ xūyào jīlěi gèng duō de jīngyàn.I need to gain more experience. |
| 继续(繼續) | jìxù | to continue | 他们仍然在继续工作。tāmen réngrán zài jìxù gōngzuò.They are still working. |
| 坚持(堅持) | jiānchí | to keep at it, to persist; to insist | 我很累，但我还是想坚持做一点儿运动。wǒ hěn lèi, dàn wǒ háishi xiǎng jiānchí zuò yìdiǎnr yùndòng.I'm tired, but I still want to keep exercising. |
| 减少(減少) | jiǎnshǎo | to reduce, to decrease | 对这类事情的兴趣慢慢减少了。duì zhèlèi shìqing de xìngqù mànmàn jiǎnshǎo le.Interest in this kind of thing has slowly decreased. |
| 降低 | jiàngdī | to lower, to reduce | 我打算降低房子的温度，因为天气太热了。wǒ dǎsuàn jiàngdī fángzi de wēndù, yīnwèi tiānqì tài rè le.I'm going to turn the temperature down in the house because it's too hot. |
| 节约(節約) | jiéyuē | to save, to economise | 我们应该节约用水。wǒmen yīnggāi jiéyuē yòng shuǐ.We should conserve water. |
| 进行(進行) | jìnxíng | to carry out, to do | 老师要求我们进行听写练习。lǎoshī yāoqiú wǒmen jìnxíng tīngxiě liànxí.The teacher asked us to do dictation exercises. |
| 举办(舉辦) | jǔbàn | to hold, to host (an event) | 明天我们将举办一场重要的会议。míngtiān wǒmen jiāng jǔbàn yì chǎng zhòngyào de huìyì.Tomorrow we will hold an important meeting. |
| 举行(舉行) | jǔxíng | to hold (a meeting, ceremony) | 会议每年举行一次。huìyì měinián jǔxíng yí cì.The meeting is held yearly. |
| 缺少 | quēshǎo | to lack, to be short of | 她总是抱怨伦敦缺少体育设施。tā zǒngshì bàoyuàn lúndūn quēshǎo tǐyù shèshī.She's always complaining that London lacks sports facilities. |
| 剩 | shèng | to be left over | 只剩下一听肉了。zhǐ shèngxià yì tīng ròu le.There's only one tin of meat left. |
| 失败(失敗) | shībài | to fail; failure | 如果失败，我还有另一个机会。rúguǒ shībài, wǒ háiyǒu lìng yí ge jīhuì.If I fail, I'll still have another chance. |
| 适应(適應) | shìyìng | to adapt, to get used to | 我需要一些时间来适应这个新的工作环境。wǒ xūyào yìxiē shíjiān lái shìyìng zhège xīn de gōngzuò huánjìng.I need some time to adjust to this new work environment. |
| 死 | sǐ | to die; (after an adjective) extremely | 植物因缺水而枯死了。zhíwù yīn quēshuǐ ér kūsǐ le.The plant died because of lack of water. |
| 养成(養成) | yǎngchéng | to form (a habit) | 我养成了每天早上都锻炼的习惯。wǒ yǎngchéng le měitiān zǎoshang dōu duànliàn de xíguàn.I got into the habit of exercising every morning. |
| 邀请(邀請) | yāoqǐng | to invite; invitation | 他邀请我们参加晚会。tā yāoqǐng wǒmen cānjiā wǎnhuì.He invited us to the party. |
| 引起 | yǐnqǐ | to cause, to attract (attention) | 他的话引起了大家的注意。tā de huà yǐnqǐ le dàjiā de zhùyì.His words caught everyone's attention. |
| 增加 | zēngjiā | to increase | 到了2030年，这个数字可能增加一倍。dào le èrlíngsānlíng nián, zhège shùzì kěnéng zēngjiā yí bèi.By 2030, that number could double. |
Verbs: Talking and Dealing with People
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Example sentence |
|---|---|---|---|
| 保证(保證) | bǎozhèng | to guarantee, to promise | 我可以向你保证，你儿子在这里会很快乐的。wǒ kěyǐ xiàng nǐ bǎozhèng, nǐ érzi zài zhèli huì hěn kuàilè de.I can assure you that your son will be happy here. |
| 表示 | biǎoshì | to express, to show | 我要向你表示祝贺。wǒ yào xiàng nǐ biǎoshì zhùhè.I would like to congratulate you. |
| 表扬(表揚) | biǎoyáng | to praise | 老师表扬了我在考试中取得的优秀成绩。lǎoshī biǎoyáng le wǒ zài kǎoshì zhōng qǔdé de yōuxiù chéngjì.The teacher praised me for my excellent results in the exam. |
| 打扰(打擾) | dǎrǎo | to disturb, to bother | 他老是打扰我。tā lǎoshi dǎrǎo wǒ.He's constantly disturbing me. |
| 打招呼 | dǎ zhāohu | to greet, to say hello | 他愉快地跟我们打招呼。tā yúkuài de gēn wǒmen dǎ zhāohu.He gave us a cheery greeting. |
| 道歉 | dàoqiàn | to apologise | 我接受了她的道歉。wǒ jiēshòu le tā de dàoqiàn.I accepted her apology. |
| 对话(對話) | duìhuà | conversation, dialogue | 他们坐下来开始一场深入的对话。tāmen zuò xiàlai kāishǐ yì chǎng shēnrù de duìhuà.They sat down and began an in-depth conversation. |
| 感谢(感謝) | gǎnxiè | to thank; thanks | 我不知道该怎样来感谢你才好。wǒ bù zhīdao gāi zěnyàng lái gǎnxiè nǐ cái hǎo.I don't know how I can possibly thank you enough. |
| 鼓励(鼓勵) | gǔlì | to encourage; encouragement | 你决不会知道你的鼓励对我多么有意义。nǐ juébú huì zhīdao nǐ de gǔlì duì wǒ duōme yǒuyìyì.You will never know how much your encouragement means to me. |
| 建议(建議) | jiànyì | to suggest; suggestion, advice | 关于这件事，你能给我一些建议吗？guānyú zhè jiàn shì, nǐ néng gěi wǒ yìxiē jiànyì ma?Can you give me some advice about this? |
| 解释(解釋) | jiěshì | to explain; explanation | 我不太明白，你能再解释一下吗？wǒ bú tài míngbai, nǐ néng zài jiěshì yíxià ma?I didn't quite follow; could you explain it again? |
| 拒绝(拒絕) | jùjué | to refuse, to turn down | 他向我求婚，但我拒绝了。tā xiàng wǒ qiúhūn, dàn wǒ jùjué le.He asked me to marry him but I refused. |
| 开玩笑(開玩笑) | kāi wánxiào | to joke | 他喜欢拿他的同学开玩笑。tā xǐhuan ná tā de tóngxué kāi wánxiào.He likes making fun of his classmates. |
| 批评(批評) | pīpíng | to criticise; criticism | 他对批评太敏感。tā duì pīpíng tài mǐngǎn.He is too sensitive to criticism. |
| 骗(騙) | piàn | to cheat, to trick | 他骗我把自行车借给了他。tā piàn wǒ bǎ zìxíngchē jiègěi le tā.He deceived me into lending him my bicycle. |
| 商量 | shāngliang | to discuss, to talk over | 我有点私事和你商量。wǒ yǒudiǎn sīshì hé nǐ shāngliang.I have something personal to discuss with you. |
| 说明(說明) | shuōmíng | to explain, to show; instructions | 那就说明了她不在这里的原因。nà jiù shuōmíng le tā búzài zhèli de yuányīn.That explains why she is not here. |
| 谈(談) | tán | to talk, to discuss | 我们需要再谈一谈这个问题。wǒmen xūyào zài tán yi tán zhège wèntí.We need to discuss this problem again. |
| 讨论(討論) | tǎolùn | to discuss; discussion | 他说现在是讨论这个问题的时候了。tā shuō xiànzài shì tǎolùn zhège wèntí de shíhou le.He said now is the time to discuss the issue. |
| 提 | tí | to raise, to mention; to carry | 他向我提了几个有关新项目的问题。tā xiàng wǒ tí le jǐ ge yǒuguān xīn xiàngmù de wèntí.He asked me a few questions about the new project. |
| 提醒 | tíxǐng | to remind | 万一我忘记，请提醒我。wànyī wǒ wàngjì, qǐng tíxǐng wǒ.In case I forget, please remind me. |
| 通知 | tōngzhī | to notify, to let someone know; notice | 地址如有变动，请通知我们。dìzhǐ rú yǒu biàndòng, qǐng tōngzhī wǒmen.Please notify us of any change of address. |
| 原谅(原諒) | yuánliàng | to forgive, to excuse | 请原谅我的字写得不好。qǐng yuánliàng wǒ de zì xiě de bù hǎo.Please excuse my bad handwriting. |
| 支持 | zhīchí | to support | 你支持哪个足球队？nǐ zhīchí nǎge zúqiúduì?Which football team do you support? |
| 指 | zhǐ | to point at, to mean, to refer to | 你刚才指的是什么？nǐ gāngcái zhǐ de shì shénme?What were you referring to just now? |
| 祝贺(祝賀) | zhùhè | to congratulate | 请让我们向你表示祝贺。qǐng ràng wǒmen xiàng nǐ biǎoshì zhùhè.May we offer you our congratulations? |
Verbs: Thinking, Knowing and Judging
以为 (yǐwéi) and 认为 (rènwéi, HSK 3) both mean "think", but 以为 usually means you thought something that turned out to be wrong: 我以为他要请客 (I thought he was going to pay). For an opinion you still hold, use 认为.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Example sentence |
|---|---|---|---|
| 猜 | cāi | to guess | 你猜我今天碰见谁了？nǐ cāi wǒ jīntiān pèngjiàn shéi le?Guess who I bumped into today? |
| 反对(反對) | fǎnduì | to oppose, to be against | 就我而言，我并不反对你的计划。jiù wǒ éryán, wǒ bìngbù fǎnduì nǐ de jìhuà.As far as I am concerned, I'm not against your plan. |
| 敢 | gǎn | to dare | 那小猫爬到树上却不敢下来。nà xiǎomāo pá dào shù shang què bù gǎn xiàlai.The kitten climbed up the tree but didn't dare to come down. |
| 估计(估計) | gūjì | to estimate, to reckon | 我估计大约要100英镑。wǒ gūjì dàyuē yào yìbǎi yīngbàng.I reckon it will cost about 100 pounds. |
| 怀疑(懷疑) | huáiyí | to doubt, to suspect | 我从未怀疑过他的诚实。wǒ cóngwèi huáiyí guo tā de chéngshí.I have never doubted his honesty. |
| 回忆(回憶) | huíyì | to recall; memories | 你能回忆起多久以前的事情？nǐ néng huíyì qǐ duōjiǔ yǐqián de shìqing?How far does your memory go back? |
| 接受 | jiēshòu | to accept | 不过，并不是所有的人都接受改变。búguò, bìng bú shì suǒyǒu de rén dōu jiēshòu gǎibiàn.However, not everyone accepts change. |
| 看法 | kànfǎ | view, opinion | 这是我个人的看法。zhè shì wǒ gèrén de kànfǎ.This is my personal opinion. |
| 考虑(考慮) | kǎolǜ | to consider, to think over | 我们考虑是否要告诉她。wǒmen kǎolǜ shìfǒu yào gàosu tā.We're considering whether to tell her. |
| 理解 | lǐjiě | to understand | 我不完全理解他离开的理由。wǒ bù wánquán lǐjiě tā líkāi de lǐyóu.I don't fully understand his reasons for leaving. |
| 判断(判斷) | pànduàn | to judge; judgement | 从他的口音判断，他一定是南方人。cóng tā de kǒuyīn pànduàn, tā yídìng shì nánfāng rén.Judging by his accent, he must be from the south. |
| 熟悉 | shúxī | to know well, to be familiar with | 这里已经不再是我熟悉的地方了。zhèli yǐjīng búzài shì wǒ shúxī de dìfang le.This is no longer a familiar place to me. |
| 误会(誤會) | wùhuì | misunderstanding; to misunderstand | 这一定有一些误会！zhè yídìng yǒu yìxiē wùhuì!There must be some misunderstanding! |
| 吸引 | xīyǐn | to attract | 学生们都被他的思想吸引住了。xuéshengmen dōu bèi tā de sīxiǎng xīyǐn zhù le.The students were fascinated by his ideas. |
| 以为(以為) | yǐwéi | to think (wrongly), to assume | 我以为他要请客，但结果是各付各的。wǒ yǐwéi tā yào qǐngkè, dàn jiéguǒ shì gè fù gè de.I thought he was paying for us, but it turned out we were splitting the bill. |
| 意见(意見) | yìjiàn | opinion, suggestion; complaint | 他向我提了一些很好的意见。tā xiàng wǒ tí le yìxiē hěn hǎo de yìjiàn.He gave me some good advice. |
| 证明(證明) | zhèngmíng | to prove; certificate | 只有时间才能证明你是否正确。zhǐyǒu shíjiān cáinéng zhèngmíng nǐ shìfǒu zhèngquè.Only time will tell if you are right. |
| 重视(重視) | zhòngshì | to value, to attach importance to | 我非常重视家庭。wǒ fēicháng zhòngshì jiātíng.I attach great importance to family. |
| 尊重 | zūnzhòng | to respect | 我非常尊重他的工作。wǒ fēicháng zūnzhòng tā de gōngzuò.I respect his work highly. |
Adverbs
A few of these add attitude rather than facts:
- 竟然 (jìngrán) shows surprise: 他竟然拒绝了！ (tā jìngrán jùjué le!) is "he actually refused!"
- 究竟 (jiūjìng) and 到底 (dàodǐ) in a question mean "on earth": 他到底在哪里？ is "where on earth is he?"
- 甚至 (shènzhì) is "even", for something more extreme than expected.
- 难道 (nándào) starts a rhetorical question that expects the answer "of course": 你难道不想…吗？ is "surely you want to…?"
- 只好 (zhǐhǎo) and 不得不 (bùdébù) both mean "to have no choice but to".
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Example sentence |
|---|---|---|---|
| 本来(本來) | běnlái | originally, was supposed to | 他昨天本来要来的，却因为生病没有来。tā zuótiān běnlái yào lái de, què yīnwèi shēngbìng méiyǒu lái.He was supposed to come yesterday, but he didn't come because he was ill. |
| 不得不 | bùdébù | to have no choice but to | 冬天的时候，我们不得不穿上厚的衣服。dōngtiān de shíhou, wǒmen bùdébù chuānshang hòu de yīfu.We have to put on warm clothing in winter. |
| 差不多 | chàbuduō | almost, about the same | 我学了差不多三个月中文了。wǒ xué le chàbuduō sān ge yuè zhōngwén le.I have been studying Chinese for almost three months. |
| 重新 | chóngxīn | again, re-, anew | 我希望英国政府重新考虑自己的决定。wǒ xīwàng yīngguó zhèngfǔ chóngxīn kǎolǜ zìjǐ de juédìng.I hope the UK government reconsiders its decision. |
| 从来(從來) | cónglái | always; (with a negative) never | 我从来都没有去过那个地方。wǒ cónglái dōu méiyǒu qù guo nàge dìfang.I've never been to that place. |
| 大概 | dàgài | probably; roughly | 这大概正是我要做的。zhè dàgài zhèngshì wǒ yào zuò de.That's probably exactly what I want to do. |
| 到底 | dàodǐ | (in questions) on earth; in the end | 他到底在哪里？tā dàodǐ zài nǎli?Where on earth is he? |
| 故意 | gùyì | deliberately, on purpose | 他故意不去参加这个聚会。tā gùyì bú qù cānjiā zhège jùhuì.He deliberately did not go to this party. |
| 好像 | hǎoxiàng | to seem, as if | 好像快要下雨了。hǎoxiàng kuàiyào xiàyǔ le.It seems like it's about to rain. |
| 互相 | hùxiāng | each other | 如果邻居们发生了什么事，我们会互相帮忙。rúguǒ línjūmen fāshēng le shénme shì, wǒmen huì hùxiāng bāngmáng.If something happens to any of our neighbours, we help each other. |
| 竟然 | jìngrán | actually, to one's surprise | 他竟然拒绝了！tā jìngrán jùjué le!He actually refused! |
| 究竟 | jiūjìng | (in questions) on earth, exactly | 我们现在究竟到哪里了？wǒmen xiànzài jiūjìng dào nǎli le?Where on earth have we ended up now? |
| 肯定 | kěndìng | definitely, certainly; to confirm | 是的，肯定的。shì de, kěndìng de.Yes, definitely. |
| 恐怕 | kǒngpà | I'm afraid (that), probably | 恐怕我们要遇上暴风雨了。kǒngpà wǒmen yào yùshàng bàofēngyǔ le.I'm afraid we're in for a storm. |
| 难道(難道) | nándào | (in questions) surely… don't tell me… | 你难道不想夸夸我的新帽子吗？nǐ nándào bù xiǎng kuākua wǒ de xīn màozi ma?Aren't you going to admire my new hat? |
| 偶尔(偶爾) | ǒu'ěr | occasionally | 他偶尔会去跳舞。tā ǒu'ěr huì qù tiàowǔ.He occasionally goes dancing. |
| 千万(千萬) | qiānwàn | be sure to, whatever you do (with a negative) | 千万不要忘记明天的重要会议。qiānwàn bú yào wàngjì míngtiān de zhòngyào huìyì.Whatever you do, don't forget tomorrow's important meeting. |
| 确实(確實) | quèshí | really, indeed | 有自己的房子确实很好。yǒu zìjǐ de fángzi quèshí hěn hǎo.It is indeed nice to have your own house. |
| 仍然 | réngrán | still | 妈妈知道我原谅了她，我也仍然爱她。māma zhīdao wǒ yuánliàng le tā, wǒ yě réngrán ài tā.Mum knew I had forgiven her, and that I still loved her. |
| 稍微 | shāowēi | a little, slightly | 他稍微会一点儿日语。tā shāowēi huì yìdiǎnr rìyǔ.He speaks a little Japanese. |
| 甚至 | shènzhì | even | 我甚至不能打电话找人帮忙想想办法。wǒ shènzhì bù néng dǎ diànhuà zhǎo rén bāngmáng xiǎngxiang bànfǎ.I can't even call someone to help figure it out. |
| 十分 | shífēn | very, extremely | 节省能源十分重要。jiéshěng néngyuán shífēn zhòngyào.It is very important to conserve energy. |
| 实在(實在) | shízài | really, honestly | 我实在讨厌让我等着。wǒ shízài tǎoyàn ràng wǒ děng zhe.I really hate being kept waiting. |
| 顺便(順便) | shùnbiàn | on the way, while you're at it | 到伦敦时顺便来看我们。dào lúndūn shí shùnbiàn lái kàn wǒmen.Drop in and see us when you're next in London. |
| 随便(隨便) | suíbiàn | as you like, any; casual | 你可以随便选择一家餐厅。nǐ kěyǐ suíbiàn xuǎnzé yì jiā cāntīng.You can choose any restaurant. |
| 挺 | tǐng | quite, rather | 这听上去挺不错的。zhè tīng shàngqu tǐng búcuò de.That sounds pretty good. |
| 完全 | wánquán | completely | 这完全是你的过错。zhè wánquán shì nǐ de guòcuò.It's your fault entirely. |
| 往往 | wǎngwǎng | often, tends to | 他往往会迟到。tā wǎngwǎng huì chídào.He tends to be late. |
| 也许(也許) | yěxǔ | perhaps, maybe | 也许下一次吧。yěxǔ xià yí cì ba.Maybe next time. |
| 永远(永遠) | yǒngyuǎn | forever, always | 他说他会爱她到永远。tā shuō tā huì ài tā dào yǒngyuǎn.He said he'd love her to the end of time. |
| 尤其 | yóuqí | especially | 他喜欢各种动物，尤其喜欢狗。tā xǐhuan gèzhǒng dòngwù, yóuqí xǐhuan gǒu.He loves all kinds of animals, especially dogs. |
| 原来(原來) | yuánlái | it turns out; originally | 他原来是一名医生。tā yuánlái shì yì míng yīshēng.He turned out to be a doctor. |
| 正好 | zhènghǎo | exactly, just right; as it happens | 这两种政体正好相反。zhè liǎng zhǒng zhèngtǐ zhènghǎo xiāngfǎn.The two systems of government are polar opposites. |
| 直接 | zhíjiē | direct, directly | 请你直接回答我的问题。qǐng nǐ zhíjiē huídá wǒ de wèntí.Please answer my question directly. |
| 只好 | zhǐhǎo | to have no choice but to | 我们只好放弃汽车。wǒmen zhǐhǎo fàngqì qìchē.We were forced to abandon the car. |
| 至少 | zhìshǎo | at least | 那至少需要一个月、很可能两个月。nà zhìshǎo xūyào yí ge yuè, hěn kěnéng liǎng ge yuè.That would take at least a month, probably two months. |
| 仔细(仔細) | zǐxì | careful, carefully | 请你仔细看这个问题的要求。qǐng nǐ zǐxì kàn zhège wèntí de yāoqiú.Please read the requirements of this question carefully. |
| 最好 | zuìhǎo | had better; best | 你最好听听我要说些什么。nǐ zuìhǎo tīngting wǒ yào shuō xiē shénme.You'd better listen to what I have to say. |
Connecting Words: Although, Even If, No Matter and So
Most of these work in pairs, with a second word in the next part of the sentence:
- 不仅…还/也/而且 (bùjǐn… hái/yě/érqiě): not only… but also.
- 即使…也 (jíshǐ… yě): even if. 即使下雨我们也要去 is "we'll go even if it rains".
- 无论/不管…都 (wúlùn/bùguǎn… dōu): no matter what, whatever. 无论 is a little more formal than 不管.
- 尽管…可是/但是 (jǐnguǎn… kěshì/dànshì): although.
- 由于…因此 (yóuyú… yīncǐ): because of… so. Both are more formal than 因为…所以.
- 既然…就 (jìrán… jiù): since (given that)… then.
- 只要…就 (zhǐyào… jiù): as long as.
- 并且 (bìngqiě) joins two verbs or clauses, "and also". 否则 (fǒuzé) is "otherwise".
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Example sentence |
|---|---|---|---|
| 比如 | bǐrú | for example, such as | 我喜欢吃各种水果，比如苹果、香蕉和葡萄。wǒ xǐhuan chī gèzhǒng shuǐguǒ, bǐrú píngguǒ, xiāngjiāo hé pútao.I like to eat all kinds of fruit, such as apples, bananas and grapes. |
| 并且(並且) | bìngqiě | and, moreover | 我们需要政府的帮助，并且我们现在就需要。wǒmen xūyào zhèngfǔ de bāngzhù, bìngqiě wǒmen xiànzài jiù xūyào.We need the government's help, and we need it now. |
| 不管 | bùguǎn | no matter, regardless of | 不管她生不生病，她总是开开心心的。bùguǎn tā shēng bu shēngbìng, tā zǒngshì kāikāixīnxīn de.Whether she's ill or not, she's always cheerful. |
| 不过(不過) | bùguò | but, however; only | 不过，别担心，千千万万的人都跟你一样。búguò, bié dānxīn, qiānqiānwànwàn de rén dōu gēn nǐ yíyàng.But don't worry, countless people are just like you. |
| 不仅(不僅) | bùjǐn | not only | 我不仅喜欢唱歌，还喜欢跳舞。wǒ bùjǐn xǐhuan chànggē, hái xǐhuan tiàowǔ.I not only like to sing, but I also like to dance. |
| 而 | ér | and, but, while (formal) | 我喜欢喜剧而不喜欢悲剧。wǒ xǐhuan xǐjù ér bù xǐhuan bēijù.I prefer comedy to tragedy. |
| 否则(否則) | fǒuzé | otherwise, or else | 快，否则你就要来不及了。kuài, fǒuzé nǐ jiùyào láibují le.Hurry up or else you'll be late. |
| 即使 | jíshǐ | even if | 即使下雨我们也要去。jíshǐ xiàyǔ wǒmen yě yào qù.We'll go even if it rains. |
| 既然 | jìrán | since, now that | 既然你不能来，那为什么不早说？jìrán nǐ bùnéng lái, nà wèishénme bù zǎo shuō?Since you can't come, why didn't you tell me earlier? |
| 接着(接著) | jiēzhe | then, next; to carry on | 接着怎么样了？jiēzhe zěnmeyàng le?What happened next? |
| 结果(結果) | jiéguǒ | result; as a result, in the end | 他的努力得到了可喜的结果。tā de nǔlì dédào le kěxǐ de jiéguǒ.His efforts have produced gratifying results. |
| 尽管(儘管) | jǐnguǎn | although, even though | 尽管他才十岁，可是他已经会说四种语言了。jǐnguǎn tā cái shí suì, kěshì tā yǐjīng huì shuō sì zhǒng yǔyán le.Although he is only ten years old, he can already speak four languages. |
| 可是 | kěshì | but | 我很想去旅行，可是我没有时间。wǒ hěn xiǎng qù lǚxíng, kěshì wǒ méiyǒu shíjiān.I'd really like to travel, but I don't have the time. |
| 例如 | lìrú | for example | 拉丁语系，例如法语，意大利语，都起源于拉丁语。lādīngyǔ xì, lìrú fǎyǔ, yìdàlìyǔ, dōu qǐyuán yú lādīngyǔ.Romance languages such as French and Italian all come from Latin. |
| 另外 | lìngwài | in addition, besides; other | 我另外想感谢自己的家人，感谢我的父母。wǒ lìngwài xiǎng gǎnxiè zìjǐ de jiārén, gǎnxiè wǒ de fùmǔ.I also want to thank my own family and thank my parents. |
| 其次 | qícì | secondly, next | 我首先是一个教师，其次才是一个作家。wǒ shǒuxiān shì yí ge jiàoshī, qícì cái shì yí ge zuòjiā.I'm a teacher first and a writer second. |
| 却(卻) | què | but, yet | 人们吃得比以前多，动得却比以前少。rénmen chī de bǐ yǐqián duō, dòng de què bǐ yǐqián shǎo.People are eating more than before but moving less. |
| 然而 | rán'ér | however | 她给他写了封长信，然而他一直没有回信。tā gěi tā xiě le fēng cháng xìn, rán'ér tā yìzhí méiyǒu huíxìn.She wrote him a long letter, but he never wrote back. |
| 首先 | shǒuxiān | first (of all) | 首先，画一条水平线。shǒuxiān, huà yì tiáo shuǐpíngxiàn.First, draw a horizontal line. |
| 无论(無論) | wúlùn | no matter (what, how) | 无论别人说什么，我都会坚持我的梦想。wúlùn biéren shuō shénme, wǒ dōu huì jiānchí wǒ de mèngxiǎng.No matter what others say, I will stick to my dreams. |
| 要是 | yàoshi | if | 要是我有另一次机会就好了。yàoshi wǒ yǒu lìng yí cì jīhuì jiù hǎo le.If only I had another chance. |
| 因此 | yīncǐ | so, therefore | 他努力学习，因此通过了考试。tā nǔlì xuéxí, yīncǐ tōngguò le kǎoshì.He studied hard, so he passed the exam. |
| 由于(由於) | yóuyú | because of, due to | 由于下雨，这个比赛被取消了。yóuyú xiàyǔ, zhège bǐsài bèi qǔxiāo le.Owing to the rain, the match was cancelled. |
| 于是(於是) | yúshì | so, and then | 马感觉到了危险，于是停了下来。mǎ gǎnjuédào le wēixiǎn, yúshì tíng le xiàlai.The horse sensed danger and stopped. |
| 只要 | zhǐyào | as long as | 只要你努力学习，就能取得好成绩。zhǐyào nǐ nǔlì xuéxí, jiù néng qǔdé hǎo chéngjì.As long as you study hard, you can get good grades. |
Numbers and Measure Words
俩 (liǎ) already means 两个 (two of something), so don't add 个 after it: 我们俩 (wǒmen liǎ) is "the two of us". 趟 (tàng) counts trips, and 遍 (biàn) counts times you do something from start to finish, such as reading a book twice.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Example sentence |
|---|---|---|---|
| 百分之 | bǎifēnzhī | per cent | 这个国家百分之九十的地方都是温带。zhège guójiā bǎifēnzhī jiǔshí de dìfang dōu shì wēndài.Ninety per cent of the country lies in the temperate zone. |
| 倍 | bèi | times (as much), -fold | 这条线是那条线的四倍长。zhè tiáo xiàn shì nà tiáo xiàn de sì bèi cháng.This line is four times as long as that one. |
| 遍 | biàn | time (from start to finish); all over | 他重复了几遍直到记住为止。tā chóngfù le jǐ biàn zhídào jìzhù wéizhǐ.He repeated it several times until he had memorised it. |
| 场(場) | chǎng | measure word for events (rain, games, films) | 昨天下了一场大雨。zuótiān xià le yì chǎng dàyǔ.Yesterday there was a lot of rain. |
| 大约(大約) | dàyuē | about, approximately | 我大约6点半来接你。wǒ dàyuē liù diǎn bàn lái jiē nǐ.I'll pick you up at about half past six. |
| 份 | fèn | measure word for gifts, jobs, newspapers, portions | 我会送你一份惊喜礼物。wǒ huì sòng nǐ yí fèn jīngxǐ lǐwù.I'll give you a surprise gift. |
| 各 | gè | each, every, all | 运动对于各年龄段都很有利。yùndòng duìyú gè niánlíng duàn dōu hěn yǒulì.Exercise benefits all ages. |
| 公里 | gōnglǐ | kilometre | 我跑了五公里。wǒ pǎo le wǔ gōnglǐ.I ran five kilometres. |
| 节(節) | jié | measure word for lessons, sections | 我们一星期有三节化学课。wǒmen yì xīngqī yǒu sān jié huàxué kè.We have three chemistry lessons a week. |
| 棵 | kē | measure word for trees and plants | 我在后院种了一棵树。wǒ zài hòuyuàn zhòng le yì kē shù.I planted a tree in my back garden. |
| 俩(倆) | liǎ | two, the two of (them, us) | 这兄弟俩决定去美国碰碰运气。zhè xiōngdì liǎ juédìng qù měiguó pèngpeng yùnqi.These two brothers decided to go to America to try their luck. |
| 秒 | miǎo | second (of time) | 我刚才完成了这个任务，只用了几秒。wǒ gāngcái wánchéng le zhège rènwu, zhǐ yòng le jǐ miǎo.I've just finished this task; it only took a few seconds. |
| 篇 | piān | measure word for articles, essays | 我昨天读了一篇有趣的文章。wǒ zuótiān dú le yì piān yǒuqù de wénzhāng.I read an interesting article yesterday. |
| 其中 | qízhōng | among them, of which | 其中一只猫跳过了围墙。qízhōng yì zhī māo tiàoguò le wéiqiáng.One of the cats jumped over the fence. |
| 全部 | quánbù | all, whole | 我把全部的作业都完成了。wǒ bǎ quánbù de zuòyè dōu wánchéng le.I finished all my homework. |
| 数量(數量) | shùliàng | number, quantity | 沿海鱼的数量已减少了。yánhǎi yú de shùliàng yǐ jiǎnshǎo le.The number of fish in coastal waters has decreased. |
| 数字(數字) | shùzì | number, figure, digit | 当然了，数字并不能说明全部问题。dāngrán le, shùzì bìngbù néng shuōmíng quánbù wèntí.Of course, numbers don't tell the whole story. |
| 所有 | suǒyǒu | all | 除了他以外，所有人都来了。chúle tā yǐwài, suǒyǒu rén dōu lái le.Everyone but him came. |
| 台(臺) | tái | measure word for machines (TVs, computers) | 我今天要去买一台新的电视。wǒ jīntiān yào qù mǎi yì tái xīn de diànshì.I'm going to buy a new TV today. |
| 趟 | tàng | measure word for trips | 我那趟航班晚了一小时。wǒ nà tàng hángbān wǎn le yì xiǎoshí.My flight was an hour late. |
| 许多(許多) | xǔduō | many, a lot of | 湖里有许多鸭子在游泳。hú li yǒu xǔduō yāzi zài yóuyǒng.There are many ducks swimming in the lake. |
| 页(頁) | yè | page | 这本书有100页。zhè běn shū yǒu yìbǎi yè.The book has 100 pages. |
| 一切 | yīqiè | everything, all | 一切都会好的。yíqiè dōu huì hǎo de.Everything will be OK. |
| 左右 | zuǒyòu | about, or so | 我4点钟左右找你。wǒ sì diǎnzhōng zuǒyòu zhǎo nǐ.I'll come and find you at about four o'clock. |
| 座 | zuò | measure word for buildings, mountains, cities, bridges | 杭州是一座有悠久历史的城市。hángzhōu shì yí zuò yǒu yōujiǔ lìshǐ de chéngshì.Hangzhou is a city with a long history. |
Grammar Words and Prepositions
- 得 (děi) before a verb means "have to", a spoken alternative to 必须. It's the same character as the 得 (de) of 说得很好, with a different reading.
- 连…都/也 (lián… dōu/yě) means "even": 连吃饭的时间都没有 is "not even time to eat".
- 咱们 (zánmen) is "we" including the person you're talking to. 我们 can include them or not.
- 等 (děng) at the end of a list means "and so on". It's often doubled, as 等等.
- 之 (zhī) is the written, classical 的. You'll meet it in set words such as 之后 (after), 之前 (before) and 之一 (one of).
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Example sentence |
|---|---|---|---|
| 按照 | ànzhào | according to, following | 请按照老师的要求完成作业。qǐng ànzhào lǎoshī de yāoqiú wánchéng zuòyè.Please complete the assignment as requested by the teacher. |
| 得 | děi | to have to, must | 我确实得走了。wǒ quèshí děi zǒu le.I really have to be going. |
| 等 | děng | and so on, etc. | 我喜欢吃水果，比如苹果、梨子、香蕉等等。wǒ xǐhuan chī shuǐguǒ, bǐrú píngguǒ, lízi, xiāngjiāo děngděng.I like fruit, such as apples, pears, bananas and so on. |
| 对于(對於) | duìyú | regarding, towards, for | 老师对于我的迟到并不在意。lǎoshī duìyú wǒ de chídào bìngbú zàiyì.Our teacher didn't mind my coming in late. |
| 连(連) | lián | even (连…都/也) | 我太忙了，连吃饭的时间都没有。wǒ tài máng le, lián chīfàn de shíjiān dōu méiyǒu.I am so busy that I don't even have time to eat. |
| 任何 | rènhé | any | 只要不吃得太多，你可以吃任何东西。zhǐyào bù chī de tài duō, nǐ kěyǐ chī rènhé dōngxi.You may eat anything, so long as you don't eat too much. |
| 使 | shǐ | to make, to cause | 这消息使他们大为吃惊。zhè xiāoxi shǐ tāmen dàwéi chījīng.The news greatly surprised them. |
| 是否 | shìfǒu | whether (or not) | 我不知道他是否愿意来。wǒ bù zhīdao tā shìfǒu yuànyì lái.I don't know whether he is willing to come. |
| 受到 | shòudào | to receive, to be (praised, criticised…) | 他的讲话受到热烈的欢迎。tā de jiǎnghuà shòudào rèliè de huānyíng.His talk was given a warm reception. |
| 随着(隨著) | suízhe | along with, as, following | 她喜欢随着音乐跳舞。tā xǐhuan suízhe yīnyuè tiàowǔ.She loves to dance to music. |
| 无(無) | wú | no, without (formal) | 他们无处可去。tāmen wúchù kě qù.They've got nowhere to go. |
| 呀 | ya | (particle, like 啊 after a vowel) | 他是一位多么能干的经理呀！tā shì yí wèi duōme nénggàn de jīnglǐ ya!What a capable manager he is! |
| 以 | yǐ | in order to; with, by means of | 他哈哈大笑以遮掩紧张的心情。tā hāhādàxiào yǐ zhēyǎn jǐnzhāng de xīnqíng.He laughed to cover his nervousness. |
| 由 | yóu | by; from | 这本书是由我写的。zhè běn shū shì yóu wǒ xiě de.This book was written by me. |
| 与(與) | yǔ | and; with | 那与我无关。nà yǔ wǒ wúguān.I have nothing to do with it. |
| 咱们(咱們) | zánmen | we, us (including the listener) | 咱们一起复习你的英语练习好吗？zánmen yìqǐ fùxí nǐ de yīngyǔ liànxí hǎo ma?Shall we go over your English exercises together? |
| 之 | zhī | (written) of; used in 之后, 之前, 之一 | 聚会之后我们回到各自的房间。jùhuì zhīhòu wǒmen huídào gèzì de fángjiān.After the party we all went off to our respective rooms. |
How to Learn the 600 HSK 4 Words
A table like this is for checking and looking things up. To make the words stick, practise them this way:
- Learn each word in a sentence, not on its own. Words like 竟然, 以为 and 即使 only make sense in context, and pairs like 由于…因此 need a whole sentence to show how they work. Learning from sentences with one new word in each is the idea behind sentence mining.
- Use spaced repetition. Review each word just before you'd forget it, with gaps that grow from a day to a week to a month. With 600 new words on top of 600 old ones, reviews are what stop HSK 1–3 slipping while you add HSK 4.
- Recall, don't just reread. Cover the Chinese and try to produce it from the English, or fill in a missing word. It feels harder than reading the list again, and that's why it works.
At 5 to 10 new words a day, the 600 words take two to four months, plus 10 to 20 minutes of reviews each day. If you're not sure what pace suits you, see how many characters to learn per day. Our Chinese study plan covers HSK 4 in its third stage, alongside graded reading and podcasts.
Mandarin Mosaic's HSK 4 lessons take you through these words in sentences, with one new word per sentence where possible. You fill in the missing word, tap any word for its meaning and audio, and spaced repetition brings each word back in Review Lessons when it's due. The app is on iPhone and Android. At the time of writing, Premium's first month is free, and there's a limited free plan. Get it on iOS or Android.
Not sure whether you're ready for HSK 4? The free Chinese level test estimates your HSK level in about five minutes, so you know which list to start from.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Many Words Are in HSK 4?
1,200 on the HSK 2.0 exam: the 600 words of HSK 1 to 3 plus the 600 new words on this page. The 2021 standard puts 3,245 words at level 4, and the exam syllabus published in November 2025 puts 2,000 words at level 4, with 1,000 new at that level in both. All three totals include the earlier levels. Earlier levels are on our HSK 1, HSK 2 and HSK 3 lists.
How Long Does It Take to Learn HSK 4?
If you already know the 600 words of HSK 1–3, about two to four months for the 600 new ones, at 5 to 10 a day with daily reviews. Starting from zero, add the time for the earlier levels and for learning pinyin and tones. Being ready for the exam takes longer than learning the list: HSK 4 has longer reading passages, listening at a natural pace and a writing section where you put words in order to make sentences and write a sentence about a picture using a given word.
Is HSK 4 Enough to Study or Work in China?
For many bachelor's degrees taught in Chinese, HSK 4 is the minimum. Shanghai's education authorities say Chinese-taught undergraduate programmes require HSK 4 or above, and that requirements vary by university. Some ask for more: East China Normal University, for example, accepts HSK 4 (180 or above) for a few programmes and asks for HSK 5 for its other bachelor's degrees. Postgraduate study taught in Chinese usually needs HSK 5 or 6, and degrees taught in English often need no HSK at all. Check the exact level and score with the programme you're applying to.
Meeting the requirement isn't the same as being comfortable. 1,200 words covers everyday topics, but lectures and textbooks in Chinese will be hard work at first. For jobs, HSK 4 shows you can handle everyday topics; roles that use Chinese every day tend to look for HSK 5 or above, and employers usually test your Chinese in the interview too.
Is HSK 4 Hard? What Level Is HSK 4?
HSK 4 is intermediate. It's a big step from HSK 3: the vocabulary doubles, the words get more abstract (opinions, reasons, results, rules), and the reading and listening texts are longer. The HSK's 2010 documents called level 4 B2 on the European CEFR scale, but European teachers of Chinese put it at about A2, as our HSK vs CEFR post explains. In practice, at HSK 4 you can talk about a wide range of familiar topics and follow slow, clear speech, but native-speed conversation and news are still a stretch.
Want to learn these 600 words in sentences, with audio and spaced repetition built in? Mandarin Mosaic has HSK 4 lessons made of short sentences with one new word at a time. It's on iPhone and Android, and at the time of writing Premium's first month is free, and there's a limited free plan. Get it on iOS or Android.