Have you found a Chinese word could have different meanings for different contexts? “这个大学很水，硕士学位含金量很低。” Do you know what meanings of “水” and “含金量” in this sentence? Do they simply just refer to water and gold content?
Just like some words in English, for example, when is your “date” of birth? My favourite fruit is “date”. He has a “date” with his girlfriend. Do you see it? A word with multiple meanings can be incredibly useful!
A word with multiple meanings is called “一词多义” (yī cí duō yì). Here we summarised 8 common Chinese words with multiple meanings. Chinese people use them quite often in their daily life. When using this kind of words, be careful with each particular context and get a feeling of what meaning has been applied.
1. 水 (shuǐ)
Its original meaning is water. You might often hear Chinese people say “开水” (kāi shuǐ) which is boiled water. In groceries, you can find “矿泉水” (kuàng quán shuǐ, spring water). When you want to buy a bottle of water, you can say “我去买瓶水” (wǒ qù mǎi píng shuǐ). When you want to get a cup of water, you can say “我去倒杯水” (wǒ qù dào bēi shuǐ).
Except for its original meaning, nowadays “水” can also be used to describe the functions of something or the abilities of someone is terrible. “这个大学很水” (zhè gè dà xué hěn shuǐ). The translation is this university is awful. Another example can be “我的英文很水，还有很大的进步空间” (wǒ de yīng wén hěn shuǐ, hái yǒu hěn dà de jìn bù kōng jiān). (My English is not good. I have lots of room to improve my English. )
2. 含金量 (hán jīn liàng)
Its original meaning is the percentage of gold in a gold product. For example, “这条项链的含金量高达百分之八十” (zhè tiáo xiàng liàn de hán jīn liàng gāo dá bǎi fēn zhī bā shí). (The gold content of this necklace is 80%.)
But now we can hear lots of Chinese people say that word in a completely different context， which means the actual value of something. For example, “这个大学的硕士学位含金量很低” (zhè gè dà xué de shuò shì xué wèi hán jīn liàng hěn dī). (The actual value of the master’s degree in this university is quite low.) Another example can be “这篇文章不长，但含金量很高，运用广泛” (zhè piān wén zhāng bú zháng, dàn hán jīn liàng hěn gāo, yùn yòng guǎng fàn). (The article is not long but the actual value is huge The method is widely used.)
3. 算账 (suàn zhàng)
Its original meaning is “calculate the bill/budget”. For example, “我正在算账，一会儿告诉你要交多少钱” (wǒ zhèng zài suàn zhàng, yī huìr gào sù nǐ yào jiāo duō shǎo qián). (I am calculating the bill. I will tell you how much you need to pay later.)
But you may often hear Chinese people say that word in another situation, for example, “他都没跟我说，就把我的衣服扔了。等他回来，我要找他算账！” (tā dōu méi gēn wǒ shuō, jiù bǎ wǒ de yī fu rēng le. děng tā huí lái, wǒ yào zhǎo tā suàn zhàng!). (He threw my clothes away. He didn’t even ask me. When he comes back, I will argue with him!) In that case, “算账” means “argue”, since here the wife is mad with his husband.
4. 下台阶 (xià tái jiē)
Its original meaning is “step down/go downstairs”. For example, many hills in China have thousands of stairs, and now we are at the top of a hill. We may say “我们现在要下台阶了” (wǒ men xiàn zài yào xià tái jiē le, let’s step down the hill).
It also has another meaning, for example, “他们俩总吵架。但每次都是阿星给希希台阶下。” (tā men liǎng zǒng chǎo jià. dàn měi cì dōu shì ā xīng gěi xī xī tái jiē xià. The translation is “They always quarrel. But every time Ah Xing find the way to get rid of the embarrassment to keep the relationship with Xixi.”) In that case, “给…台阶下” means “help someone get rid of the embarrassment”. Another example can be “老板当众问小王一个问题，小王没回答出来，让小王下不来台” (lǎo bǎn dāng zhòng wèn xiǎo wáng yī gè wèn tí, xiǎo wáng méi huí dá chū lái, ràng xiǎo wáng xià bú lái tái. The translation is “the boss asks Xiao Wang a question in public, but he doesn’t know how to answer it, which makes him embarrassed”). So here “让…下不来台” means “make someone embarrassed”.
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5. 口 (kǒu)
Its original meaning is “mouth”, which can also be called “嘴” or “嘴巴” (zuǐ or zuǐ ba). But we often use this character “口” in a phrase， like “开口” (kāi kǒu). For example:
– 你倒是开口问他呀！(nǐ dǎo shì kāi kǒu wèn tā ya!)
– 可我开不了口…… (kě wǒ kāi bù le kǒu…)
In this conversation, the first speaker asks, “You need to open your mouth! Ask him!” The second speaker replies, “But I just can’t open my mouth…” Here “开口问” (kāi kǒu wèn) means “ask”, and “开不了口” (kāi bù le kǒu) means “it’s hard to ask” for the second speaker. You can also say “开口唱” (kāi kǒu chàng) which means “sing”. You may also hear someone say the other is “开口跪”, which means the other is good at giving a speech or singing so that this person admires. So “开口跪” (kāi kǒu guì) is used to describe somebody’s voice is charming.
Another meaning of “开口” can be something open or got a broken seal. For example, “生蚝开口了” (shēng háo kāi kǒu le. The oysters have opened already).
Besides, “口” can be used in a phrase like “两口子” (liǎng kǒu zi), which means “married couple”. Another word can be “小两口” (xiǎo liǎng kǒu), which means young married couple. The elders often use “两口子” or “小两口” to call the young married couple, more like witty words.
6. 冷/热 (lěng /rè)
The original meanings of “冷” and “热” are “cold” and “hot”, respectively. But we often extend the meanings and use them with a metaphor.
For example, “冷场” (lěng chǎng) can be used to describe a situation when there is nobody speak up in a meeting or nobody laughing in a talk show. So “冷场” means an awkward silence in a meeting or stage. “他的相声不好玩，总是冷场” (tā de xiàng shēng bù hǎo wán, zǒng shì lěng chǎng). The translation is his talk show is not funny, always has an awkward silent moment. “热” can be used in “热场子” (rè chǎng zi) or “热热场” (rè rè chǎng) as well. It means “icebreaker” to break the silence before a meeting or a show starts.
“热” in English is “hot”. “Hot” can be used to describe someone sexy or spicy food. But it is not applicable in Chinese. You can say “辣” (là) or “性感” (xìng gǎn) to describe someone sexy. You can also express food is “好辣” (hǎo là), which means the food is spicy.
You can use “热” as a verb, which means “heat the leftovers”. So you can say “热饭” (rè fàn) or “热菜” (rè cài). Another example can be “热身” (rè shēn) or “热热身” (rè rè shēn). It means “warm-up”. You can use it when you wanna warm-up before you are going to jogging, so you can say “在我跑步前，我先热热身” (zài wǒ pǎo bù qián, wǒ xiān rè rè shēn). When a teacher leads the students to review the previous contents at the beginning of the class, the teacher may say “正式开始前，先让你们热热身” (zhèng shì kāi shǐ qián, xiān ràng nǐ men rè rè shēn).
“热” can also be used in a word like 热情, 热恋, 热吻, 热搜 or 热帖.
热情 (rè qíng): passionate, is used to describe a hospitable person.
热恋 (rè liàn): is usually the stage for a couple just falling in love with each other and hard to be apart from each other.
热吻 (rè wěn): usually a kiss between a couple when they are “热恋” ing.
热搜 (rè sōu): top tend in Chinese social media “微博” (Weibo).
热帖 (rè tiě): similar to “热搜”, means popular post.
7. 黄色 (huáng sè)
Its original meaning is the colour yellow. Sometimes it also means Pornographic or porn. It can be used in the phrase like “黄色小说” (huáng sè xiǎo shuō, erotic novels).
8. 海 (hǎi)
Its original meaning is sea or ocean. You may also hear the word “人山人海” (rén shān rén hǎi) and “人海茫茫” (rén hǎi máng máng). These four-character Chinese words have a metaphor using “海” to describe large amounts of people. But “人海茫茫” has an additional meaning – a feeling of confusion or disappointment because of the word “茫茫”.
Examples:
春节期间，火车站人山人海。
chūn jiē qī jiān, huǒ chē zhàn rén shān rén hǎi.
During the Spring Festival, there are too many people in the train station.
人海茫茫，我去哪找你啊？
rén hǎi máng máng, wǒ qù nǎ zhǎo nǐ a?
So many people here, how can I find you?
Another example with “海” can be “海量” (hǎi liàng). It is also used to describe the amount of something large like an ocean. Here we gave you two most common examples using “海量”:
在Maayot网站上有海量中文词汇等你来探索！
zài Maayot wǎng zhàn shàng yǒu hǎi liàng zhōng wén cí huì děng nǐ lái tàn suǒ !
The website Maayot has a large number of Chinese vocabularies waiting for your discovery!
张总您是海量啊，不妨多喝几杯！
zhāng zǒng nín shì hǎi liàng a, bú fáng duō hē jǐ bēi !
Mr Zhang, your drinking capacity is huge! Why not drink more!
So you can see “海量” is often used to describe vocabularies, information or someone’s drinking capacity.
Have you memorised all the “一词多义” above? Now let’s “开口” practice with your Chinese friends using these “一词多义”! There are still “海量” Chinese words with multiple meanings and you may find out later!
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Last updated:
January 24, 2023
Serendipity. Ethereal. Limerence.
These are just a handful of the most beautiful words in the English language.
What deems a word beautiful? Is it the way it rolls off your tongue?
What about the word pulchritudinous?
It doesn’t exactly have the same lightness and flow as the first three, and it even sounds like it implies something negative. But in fact, it’s a synonym for lovely and gorgeous.
In this case, the meaning makes the word beautiful.
That’s how beautiful Chinese words work, too.
The beauty in Chinese words can be found in the composition, history, intent and meaning of the characters.
These 13 seemingly simple Chinese words are imbued with beautiful meanings, which can be uncovered by looking closely at their characters.
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The Building Blocks of Chinese Characters
In order to truly understand the most beautiful Chinese words, we first have to understand the Mandarin Chinese writing system.
It’s often believed that Hanzi (the Chinese writing system) is pictographic, but that isn’t entirely true. While some characters have evolved from pictures, most are pictophonetic, with parts that indicate meaning and sound.
Let’s briefly run through all the elements of characters.
Strokes
Chinese characters use a variety of singular and compound strokes (basically a combination of singular strokes drawn in one go). There are eight basic strokes that follow a certain order for writing.
Radicals
Though mostly used as the way to look up words in a dictionary, a radical is a part of a character that may imply a broad category. For instance, 人 (rén), which translates to “person,” is one of the many easy characters that also functions as a radical. When 人 manifests as a radical, it likely pertains to an action or description of a person.
Characters with the radical 人:
坐 (zuò) — to sit
个 (gè) — individual; oneself; general classifier, piece
Phonetic Components
Components have separate functions from radicals. These are parts of characters that offer contextual clues on pronunciation, also known as sound components.
One example would be the character 马 (mǎ), meaning horse. 马 appears in characters like 吗 (ma) and 妈 (mā), and as you can see, both words are pronounced as ma.
Semantic Components
These give hints on the meaning of words. A radical can sometimes double as the semantic component of a character, but that’s not always the case.
Just like 人, another semantic component that also acts as a radical would be 足 (zú) which means foot or leg. Thus, characters including that component would indicate that they’re somehow related to feet, like 跳 (tiào) which means to jump.
Now that the quick lesson on character foundation is over, let’s get on with the beautiful characters in Chinese.
13 Beautiful Chinese Words with Fascinating Hidden Meanings
1. 爱 (ài) — to love; affection
In its traditional form, 爱 includes the character 心 (xīn), the word for heart. The rest of components represent actions, so all the parts together mean to love with your heart and through your actions.
Although 心 doesn’t appear in the simplified version, 爱 does include 友 (yǒu) underneath 冖 (mì), which means bringing a friend into one’s house. In that aspect, the underlying message of affection and bringing a close one to your heart isn’t lost in the simplified character.
2. 串 (chuàn) — to string together
串 is one of those really interesting characters that’s a true visual interpretation of its definition.
What looks like two boxes connected by one stick, it’s no surprise that 串 translates as “to string together” and used as a classifier for things that are either skewered (like barbecue) or strung together (like words).
3. 聪 (cōng) — clever
Intelligence is more than just brains, and this character for “clever” shows just that.
When we take 聪 apart, we have 耳 (ěr) meaning “ear” and 总 (zǒng) meaning “to collect” or “altogether.” 心 also appears in 总, so if you think about it, being smart doesn’t just mean thinking with your head, but it also means that you also have to use your ears and heart.
4. 家 (jiā) — home
The word for home or household can be divided into two sections: 宀 (mián) which represents a roof and 豕 (shǐ) which is the word for “swine.”
It’s weird to think that a pig plays a part somehow in the definition, but in the past, families were considered to be wealthy if they reared pigs. Chinese culture regards the pig as a symbol of good fortune and prosperity, so 家 may represent the objective to have a well-off household.
5. 明 (míng) — bright; to understand
明 is made up of the characters 日 (rì) and 月 (yuè), the “sun” and “moon” respectively. While the moon is only visible when sunlight reflects off of it, the reason why the two characters are put together is because light can’t exist without darkness.
Using that philosophy, 明 can also be related to enlightenment and clarity, included in terms like 明白 (míngbai) which means “to understand” and 说明 (shuōmíng) which is “to explain.”
6. 忍 (rěn) — to endure
When we take the components apart, the top portion 刃 (rèn) is “blade” while the bottom portion is 心 or “heart.”
Put together, 忍 can be perceived as a knife piercing the heart to demonstrate the pain associated when one has to endure or to tolerate.
7. 森林 (sēnlín) — forest
As you can see, 木 (mù) meaning “wood” appears five times in this term, so it’s only natural that characters composed of several 木 would mean a forest or wooded area.
The construction of the character is literal and overall very simple, yet there’s such a beauty in this simplicity.
8. 武 (wǔ) — military
武 can be divided into two parts, the first part being 弋 (yì) which was modeled after an ancient weapon and means “to shoot with a bow” or “to arrest.” The second part of this character is 止 (zhǐ), which means to “to stop” or “to desist.”
Historically, the Chinese military believed that the true power came from subduing the enemy without the use of weapons, and that weapons were only to be seen as the last resort.
9. 五 (wǔ) — five
To the average person, 五 doesn’t seem like it’s anything special considering it consists of five lines, but there’s more than meets the eye with this character.
The two lines at the top and bottom make 二 (èr) or “two,” although it also represents heaven and earth. What used to be a cross in the middle later turned into a cross with an extra stroke, meant to symbolize the elements.
All in all, the lines stands for the five elements of Wuxing—wood, fire, earth, metal and water.
10. 永 (yǒng) — forever; perpetual
Having the same origins as its homonym 泳 (yǒng) which means “to swim,” the earliest manifestation of 永 was actually defined as “to swim with the current.”
To give a little background, the character for “water” or 水 (shuǐ) that makes up the bulk of 永, shares the same pictographic derivative as the word 川 (chuān) or “stream.”
Thus, the modern interpretation of the 永 paints a picture of a stream or river flowing endlessly, a stunning visual for the Chinese word for “forever.”
Semantics aside, the composition itself is also quite elegant, as it consists of the eight basic strokes of the Chinese writing system, balancing out all parts of the character without needing to be symmetrical.
11. 众 (zhòng) — crowd
Without knowing what 众 means or how it’s pronounced, a beginner could figure out the definition just by seeing that it’s made up of three 人 (rén), the character for “person.” Three’s a crowd, after all.
And just like with 森林, the literal nature of the character makes it more visually appealing, not to mention, easier to remember in the long run!
12. 忠 (zhōng) — loyal
The top portion 中 (zhōng) can take on many meanings, but in this case, it’s referring to China or 中国 (zhōngguó).
With 心 at the bottom, loyalty and devotion are depicted with the heart and soul being connected to the Middle Kingdom.
13. 追 (zhuī) — to persistently pursue; to woo
When a character uses the radical 辶 (chuò), the word most likely has something to do with walking. Another component of 追 is 㠯 (yǐ), which is an ancient form of 以 (yǐ) meaning “according to” or “with.”
Putting the pieces together, 追 is almost like walking with a purpose toward a goal, essentially chasing after something with determination.
The act of wooing is already pretty romantic, but seeing how all the parts signify persistence really shows what it takes to be able to pursue someone.
Which one of these characters was your favorite? Hopefully this list has given you a new appreciation for reading and writing Chinese!
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This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you
can take anywhere.
Click here to get a copy. (Download)
Standard Mandarin Chinese is a language of subtlety and beauty. Its structure lends itself to tranquil succinctness; the written script gives meaning to every stroke. This is the language and culture of landscape paintings, lucky red couplets, and pentatonic scales. It’s an impossible task to narrow the breadth of this beautiful language into 32 measly phrases, but I’ve given it my best shot. Here are a few of the words and phrases in Chinese that I find most beautiful.
Natural Beauty
1. 岁月 [sùi yùe] “years, time, passing of time”
岁 [sùi] is used most often to mean “age, years,” as in, 你几岁了？[nǐ jǐ suì le] “How old are you?” The literal translation might be more like “How many years are you?”
月 [yùe] refers to “moon, month.”
Used together, these characters compose a phrase that refers to the—often poetic—passage of time. 岁月 [sùi yùe] brings to mind nostalgic childhood years, hazy memories, distant imaginings … a popular song sung by pop singers Faye Wong and Na Ying sings:
且听岁月像旋律永恒
wǒ tīng shūo suì yùe xiàng xuán lǜ yǒng héng
I’ve heard that the passage of time is as eternal as a melody.
2. 银河 [yín hé] “Milky Way”
One of my favorite things about Chinese is the way it highlights the gorgeous elegance of simplicity. The Milky Way is described exactly as it is, 银河 [yín hé], or “silver river,” because when you look up into a clear night sky far from manmade light, faint night-sounds around you, that’s exactly what you see: a silver river streaming across the sky.
A silver river streaming across the sky.
3. 金秋 [jīn qiū] “fall, autumn”
You might learn in class to speak of the fall season as 秋天 [qiū tiān] or 秋季 [qiū jì]. A more lyrical way to say it might be 金秋 [jīn qiū], which brings to mind crisp weather and brilliant, changing leaves.
金 [jīn], meaning “gold,” might be taken to describe the season, but it actually refers to the metal phase of Chinese philosophy. Each of the five elements is associated with a cardinal direction and a season, so wood 木 [mù] is East and spring, fire 火 [huǒ] is South and summer, metal 金 [jīn] is West and autumn, water 水 [shuǐ] is North and winter, and earth 土 [tǔ] is Center and supports the other elements. Hence, 金秋 [jīn qiū] “golden autumn.”
4. 遥望 [yáo wàng] “to look into the distance”
The unit 遥 [yáo] means “distant, remote” and is used in words like 遥控器 [yáo kòng qì] “remote control” and 遥远 [yáo yuǎn] “distant, remote.” 遥望 [yáo wàng] is used often in poetry and poetic language to speak of distant scenery, like a mountain wreathed in fog or the rising dawn. Cao Zhi, Three Kingdoms poet, wrote:
步登北芒坂 ，遥望洛阳山
bù dēng běi máng bǎn, yáo wàng luò yáng shān
Tread by foot ascending Beimang slope, look into the distance to Luoyang mountain.
5. 苍茫 [cāng máng] “boundless, vast, hazy”
苍 [cāng] is a highly literary word that alludes to the heavens and their colors—ash-gray, deep blue, blue-green. Within other words, it points directly to heaven, as in 苍天 [cāng tiān] and 苍穹 [cāng qióng], both of which mean “heaven, firmament, blue dome of the sky.” Thus, the word 苍茫 [cāng máng] adds celestial flavor to 茫 [máng] “vast, unclear,” giving this new word a heavenly sort of magnitude and beauty.
Humanity
6. 人海 [rěn hǎi] “sea of people”
There’s nothing quite like looking down into a crowd and seeing the motion of the bobbing heads and swishing arms roll like waves. Another similar phrase in Chinese is 人山人海 [rén shān rén hǎi], which quite literally means “people mountain people sea” but conveys a similar meaning to 人海 [rěn hǎi] “sea of people.”
A sea of people.
7. 身旁 [shēn páng] “beside, alongside”
This phrase is evocative, equating emotional and physical accompaniment. In this way, it’s similar to the English phrase “at/by one’s side,” so 在我的身旁 [zài wǒ de shēn páng] would mean “at/by my side, beside me.” 身旁 [shēn páng] differs from the English in its directness, as it literally refers to the side of the body.
8. 彷徨 [páng huáng] “to pace back and forth, be indecisive”
Similar to this is the word 徘徊 [pái huái] “to pace back and forth, dither, linger.” Both of these words express a sort of insecurity—a hesitation.
青春的路上充满了彷徨
qīng chūn de lù shàng chōng mǎn le páng huáng
The road of youth is full of indecision.
9. 控制 [kòng zhì] “to control, contain”
Control is something every language learner has to grapple with. We have to learn to contain time-wasting impulses and to harness productive energies. In the event that a student fails to stop themselves from wasting hours scrolling through social media, they might say:
我控制不住自己
wǒ kòng zhì bu zhù zì jǐ
I can’t control myself.
Love
10. 依偎 [yī wēi] “to nestle against, snuggle up to”
The character 依 [yī] means “to rely on, consent,” while 偎 [wēi] means “to cuddle.” Together, they form a phrase that evokes feelings of love and comfort, of the coziness you inhabit when you snuggle up to someone you trust and adore.
A cuddle.
11. 眼神 [yǎn shén] “expression in one’s eyes, gaze”
This is one of those hard-to-translate phrases that crops up all over Chinese. The closest equivalent in English might be “the look in one’s eyes,” but 眼神 [yǎn shén] also comprises the emotion and feeling behind one’s gaze. As described in my article on Internet slang, a song lyric by pop singer JJ Lin goes:
确认过眼神，我遇上对的
què rèn guò yǎn shén, wǒ yǜ shàng duì de rén
Having ascertained the gaze, I’ve met the right person.
—or, more colloquially, “When I look into your eyes, I know you’re the one.”
12. 宝贝 [bǎo bèi] “darling, baby, treasure”
This term of endearment is seen and used everywhere, from song lyrics to flashing ads, from poetry to everyday conversation. Chinese speakers say it to their babies, their family members, and even their close friends. Like any term of endearment, the word can also be used ironically to refer to someone useless or decidedly not endearing. Apart from this ironic usage, the casual practice of calling 宝贝 is a clear indicator of love and affection.
Yearning
13. 失去 [shī qù] “to lose (something)”
This word does not encompass as many definitions as the English “to lose.” You cannot use it to talk about a misplaced item or a lost competition; the loss described by 失去 [shī qù] is more complex than that. It might be used to describe a lost sense of smell, lost ability, lost time, lost sense of self, or any other abstract ideas. For example, there is a song called 《失去爱的城市》[shī qù ài de chéng shì] “City of Lost Love” or “City Without Love,” and one lyric goes:
我在失去爱的城市里 挨了冻吹了风看透了你
wǒ zài shī qù ài de chéng shì lǐ, ái le dòng chūi le fēng kàn tòu le nǐ
In the city of lost love, I endured frost, the biting wind, and saw through you.
14. 渴望 [kě wàng] “to thirst for, long for”
We saw 望 [wàng] “to look toward, gaze” used earlier in 遥望 [yáo wàng] “to look into the distance.” 望 [wàng] also has a more metaphorical meaning, “to hope,” and this is used extensively in various word formations. 渴 [kě] “thirsty” thus naturally combines with 望 [wàng] to make 渴望 [kě wàng] “to thirst for, long for,” as in to long deeply and desperately—for someone special, for a purpose, for meaning. On the flipside, you have the word 绝望 [júe wàng] “to despair, give up all hope.”
15. 心塞 [xīn sāi] “to feel stifled, feel crushed”
I love the way this word, like many others on this list, directly describes its meaning in a way that is elegant in its straightforwardness. 塞 [sāi] means “to stop up, stuff,” so when you get a cold, 鼻子塞 [bí zi sāi] “stuffy nose” might be one of your symptoms. 心塞 [xīn sāi] literally means that your heart is stopped up, clogged, and stifled, evoking the vivid imagery of a heart’s veins stuffed full of sadness.
A broken heart.
16. 寂寞 [jì mò] “lonely, lonesome, silent”
Any Chinese learner who uses music to learn will undoubtedly come across this word in a song. 寂寞 [jì mò] combines 寂 [jì] “still, silent, quiet, desolate” and 寞 [mò] “still, silent, solitary” to make a word that expresses absolute isolation, both in mind and in body.
Here’s a song lyric of popular band Sodagreen:
偌大的房，寂寞的床
ruò dà de fáng, jì mò de chuáng
Such a big room, a lonely bed.
And another from pop artist Hebe Tian:
我寂寞寂寞就好，你真的不用来我回忆微笑
wǒ jì mò jì mò jiù hǎo, nǐ zhēn de bú yòng lái wǒ huí yì lǐ wēi xiào
I’m fine alone, you really don’t need to come into my memories with your smile.
Abstract
17. 无畏 [wú wèi] “fearless, dauntless”
This straightforward phrase literally means “without fear.” I find most constructions involving 无 [wú] “without, not” to be exceptionally beautiful, as in the following:
无私才能无畏
wú sī cái néng wú wèi
Only without self can you be without fear.
Alternatively, “Only the selfless can be fearless.”
18. 缺乏 [quē fá] “to lack, be short of”
不足 [bù zú] “insufficient, lacking” and 缺少 [quē shǎo] “lack, shortage of” are near-synonyms of this word, but they lack its literary bite. 缺乏 [quē fá] is a little elevated, a little dramatic.
我好像缺乏爱人的能力
wǒ hǎo xiàng quē fá ài rén de néng lì
I seem to lack the ability to love.
19. 是否 [shì fǒu] “whether, it is or isn’t”
Once again, I like this word for its straightforwardness. 是 [shì] “it is” plus 否 [fǒu] “it is not” equals “is it or is it not?” 是否 [shì fǒu] is also often used in an embedded whether-clause. The song 《是否》sung by Su Rui begins almost every line with this questioning word. Another song I love combines 是否 [shì fǒu] with another phrase on this list (see #31):
是否我真的一无所有
shì fǒu wǒ zhēn de yī wú suǒ yǒu
Is it true (or not) that I have absolutely nothing?
20. 曾经 [céng jīng] “formerly, before, once”
I love this word for the way it sounds, every syllable spoken at the tip of the tongue, coming out cleanly and crisply. There is a certain level of formality that sets 曾经 [céng jīng] apart from words like 以前 [yǐ qián] “previous, formerly, before,” as well as a more immense sense of time gone by. 曾经 [céng jīng] will never refer to yesterday or last week. It refers to past lives, lost loves, and other things that once were, before lost to the passage of time.
Doubles
21. 反反复复 [fǎn fǎn fù fù] “over and over again”
There’s something so fun and playful about this alliterative phrase that I had to include it in this list. As with other words that reduplicate in the AABB pattern, the meaning of the original AB word, 反复 [fǎn fù] in this case, is emphasized in the doubled form. Every Mandarin Chinese learner should be able to appreciate the meaning here, since study of grammar and vocabulary requires review many times over, or 反反复复 [fǎn fǎn fù fù].
22. 磨磨蹭蹭 [mó mó cèng cèng] “to dawdle, dillydally”
I like the way the units of this word contrast in sound, 磨 [mó] resonating deeply before the sharp hiss of 蹭 [cèng]. I also feel nostalgic when I think of this word, having heard it used many times in my childhood during a rush out of the house:
别磨磨蹭蹭了！
bié mó mó cèng cèng le
Stop dawdling! Hurry up!
23. 绵绵 [mián mián] “continuous, uninterrupted”
This is another word that I love for the way it sounds. 绵 [mián] sounds gentle and mewling—no wonder it means “soft, weak.” Before the Song dynasty, 绵 [mián] also referred to cotton before the homophonous 棉 [mián] “cotton” took its place. 绵绵 [mián mián] is usually used figuratively:
情绵绵爱无边
qíng mián mián ài wú biàn
unending feeling, love without end
An endless field of cotton.
24. 假惺惺 [jiǎ xīng xīng] “hypocritical, insincerely courteous”
假 [[jiǎ] is a frequently occurring word in Chinese that means “false, falsehood, deception,” as in 假装 [jiǎ zhuāng] “to feign, pretend” and 假发 [jiǎ fā] “fake hair, wig.” The phrase 假惺惺 [jiǎ xīng xīng] is similar to 假心假意 [jiǎ xīn jiǎ yì], which literally translates to “fake heart fake intent,” meaning something like “insincerity, hypocrisy.” (In fact, before I learned how it was written, I incorrectly thought that the phrase was 假心心 [jiǎ xīn xīn].) A child shedding crocodile tears, for example, can be said to be 假惺惺 [jiǎ xīng xīng], as can someone who hypocritically touts beliefs they do not hold.
Three Characters
25. 无所谓 [wú suǒ wèi] “to be indifferent, not to matter, whatever”
This pithy construction escapes the lips in a single exhale. In casual conversation, it means exactly what it means: “I don’t care one way or another.” In more specific situations, the speaker’s tone might indicate that they are not as indifferent as their words would lead you to believe.
我对她无所谓
wǒ duì tā wú suǒ wèi
I don’t care about her.
26. 来不及 [lái bu jí] “no time, can’t make it”
来不及 [lái bu jí] might not be the most beautiful phrase on this list, but it’s certainly useful. The unit 及 [jì] “and, up to, in time for” is used in words like 及时 [jí shí] “promptly, in time,” 及早 [jí zǎo] “as soon as possible,” and the somewhat relevant 等不及 [děng bu jí] “can’t wait.” With 来不及 [lái bu jí], time is of the essence.
A ticking clock.
27. 越来越 [yuè lái yuè] “more and more”
Most beginner Mandarin learners will probably encounter the 越X越Y construction, as in 我越看越喜欢 [wǒ yuè kàn yuè xǐ huān] “The more I look, the more I like (it).” The simpler 越来越 [yuè lái yuè] “more and more” is also, in my personal opinion, also more graceful, as in 我看着越来越喜欢 [wǒ kàn zhe yuè lái yuè xǐ huān] “Looking (at it), I like (it) more and more.”
28. 前半生 [qián bàn shēng] “first half of one’s life”
Here’s another case of Mandarin Chinese showing that it can’t be beat in pithiness. 前半生 [qián bàn shēng] breaks down into 前 [qián] “ahead, first,” 半 [bàn] “half,” and 生 [shēng] “life,” and it means just that: “first half (of) life.” Beautiful simplicity at its finest.
Four Characters
29. 久而久之 [jiǔ ér jiǔ zhī] “over time, as time passes”
久 [jiǔ] refers to a “long (duration of) time,” as in 好久不见 [hǎo jiǔ bu jiàn] “long time no see.” To me, 久而久之 [jiǔ ér jiǔ zhī] speaks of a reverence for the passage of time.
久而久之，老石也风沙化了
jiǔ ér jiǔ zhī, lǎo shí yě fēng shā huà le
Over time, old rocks also eroded into sand.
30. 不厌其烦 [bú yàn qí fán] “to take great pains, show great patience”
A direct translation of the components of this phrase might read, “to not reject this troublesome (thing).” It’s a very socially-minded sentiment that, I think, a beginner Chinese learner might use to describe their language learning efforts, or even the efforts of their teachers.
为什么大自然要不厌其烦地创造蚊子呢？
wèi shén me dà zì rán yào bú yàn qí fán di chuàng zào wén zi ne?
Why did Mother Nature have to take such great pains to create mosquitos?
31. 一无所有 [yī wú suǒ yǒu] “not having anything at all, utterly lacking”
一无所有 [yī wú suǒ yǒu] can refer to a lack of material things as well as abstract concepts like knowledge. This is one of my favorite Chinese phrases of all time, since it takes four words that any beginner first-year Chinese learner would know, and combines them with precision to make a new phrase. Again, the language highlights the gorgeous elegance of simplicity.
32. 浪迹天涯 [làng jì tiān yá] “to roam far and wide, travel the world”
I wanted to end on a hopeful note, so here is a beautiful four-word phrase that brings to mind images of far-off grasslands, roving trains, and travelers without destinations. With greater understanding of different languages and cultures comes a greater capability to explore and comprehend what you see and hear, as well as greater appreciation for beautiful expressions like these.
A traveler without destination.
Start learning with ReDefiners World Languages today and discover the beauty of Mandarin Chinese. ReDefiners offers virtual and in-person courses for all ages. Sign up at www.redefinerswl.org/online or visit our website to find more information.
And it gets better…
Each of the core words you learn will familiarize you with up to 185 words you have never seen before. This means that focusing your efforts on learning the most common Chinese words you will be fluent in Chinese in no time.
How awesome is that?
Why do these words show up so often? Some of these 100 words are constantly used. For example, 了, 过, 的, 呢, etc., appear all the time in Chinese, in the same way that “a”, “the”, “of” are used in most English sentences.
These words are called particles (or function words). Chinese particles are the most popular Chinese words by frequency because they’re used together with all other words to play the grammatical role in a sentence. Without particles, it will be hard to get your meaning across, therefore, they are crucial to learn and understand.
While Chinese particles are good to know, they’re not the focus of this article. Truth is, they are not very helpful as “core words” because they’re more about grammar than the actual content of the sentence, and you have to use them with other words.
Instead, we are going to start you off with the real core words that’ll capture the most value when you get started on Chinese from scratch. These core words are simple Chinese words that are easy to remember, because you’ll see them and hear them everywhere, in all contexts.
Most Common Chinese Words – 101 Core Words
Let me clarify, this is not meant to be the “generic word list for beginners”, or for HSK 1 test-takers, but rather the most common Chinese words to start with if you are studying by the word frequency method. You can combine what you learn in this article with basic Chinese words and phrases (e.g. greetings, survival phrases), and basic Chinese grammar for beginners.
The beginner’s trio will help you make sure you know all the words and phrases you’ll hear most often, all the words you want to say, and how to put together a complete Chinese sentence with them. You would be able to form a proper conversation naturally with this combination!
With that in mind, these 101 core Chinese words are the words you should learn now, whether you’re a beginner or intermediate Mandarin Chinese learner. They include the most common pronouns, nouns, measure words, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, and conjunctions. Once you master these first 101, you can work on building up to 1,000 or even 10,000! 加油 Jia you! (Go! Go! Go!)
One more tip: If you haven’t yet, learn how to read Pinyin (Mandarin romanization) first. It will help you learn how to pronounce Chinese words properly and will make reading easier.
For ambitious learners looking to go beyond the most common 101 Chinese words, we’ve compiled a list of resources you can take advantage of.
The 10 Core Chinese Pronouns
Chinese pronouns are important to know. They don’t change form according to whether they are the subject (doer of the action, e.g. “I”) or object (undergoer of the action, e.g. “me”).
Note while “he”, “she”, “it” (or “him”, “her”, “it”) are represented by different Chinese characters, they are pronounced in exactly the same way.
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
| 我 | wǒ | I or me |
| 你 | nǐ | you |
| 他/她/它 | tā | he/she/it or him/her/it |
| 我们 | wǒmen | we or me |
| 你们 | nǐmen | you (plural) |
| 他们 | tāmen | they or them |
| 这 | zhè | this |
| 那 | nà | that |
| 这里 | zhèli | here |
| 那里 | nàli | there |
The 37 Core Chinese Nouns
What are the most useful Chinese nouns to learn? Obviously everyone has different words they say the most based on daily life. You should definitely take time to create your own list of words you often say, so you can memorize them. But, based on frequency lists, the following are the words you’ll most likely hear or use. Of course, nouns for people, place, and time top the list for usefulness in getting by.
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
| 中国 | Zhōngguó | China |
| 中文 | Zhōngwén | Chinese (language) |
| 人 | rén | person or people |
| 名字 | míngzì | name |
| 妈妈 | māma | mom |
| 爸爸 | bàba | dad |
| 朋友 | péngyǒu | friend |
| 孩子 | háizi | child |
| 地方 | dìfang | place |
| 家 | jiā | home or family |
| 店 | diàn | shop |
| 东西 | dōngxi | thing |
| 钱 | qián | money |
| 工作 | gōngzuò | work |
| 房子 | fángzi | house |
| 房间 | fángjiān | room |
| 车 | chē | car or vehicle |
| 路 | lù | road |
| 水 | shuǐ | water |
| 茶 | chá | tea |
| 饭 | fàn | rice or meal |
| 电 | diàn | electricity |
| 手机 | shǒujī | mobile phone |
| 书 | shū | book |
| 现在 | xiànzài | now |
| 今天 | jīntiān | today |
| 明天 | míngtiān | tomorrow |
| 昨天 | zuótiān | yesterday |
| 时间 | shíjiān | time |
| 小时 | xiǎoshí | hour |
| 分钟 | fēnzhōng | minute |
| 年 | nián | year |
| 月 | yuè | month |
| 日 | rì | day |
| 星期 | xīngqī | week |
| 里面 | lǐmiàn | inside |
| 外面 | wàimiàn | outside |
The 2 Core Chinese Measure Words
The use of measure words is unique to the Chinese language. Simply put, they are the type of words you put between the number and the noun to count or quantify that noun (similar to “a cup of tea”, “two pieces of news”, three slices of bread”).
In Chinese, the system is more developed. Every single noun, regardless of whether it’s countable or uncountable, requires a measure word. This means you can’t simply say “a bank”, “two books” or “five cats”, you have to add a measure word in between.
There are more than one hundred measure words in Chinese used for different kinds of things, according to their shape, feature, or the category to which they belong (e.g. measure words for “bank”, “books”, “cats” are all different).
But don’t be intimidated by this system now. The good news is that you can get by just using the most common, general-purpose measure word 个 (gè). It may not be strictly correct (works about 1/3 of the time), but you’ll be understood.
Another important measure word you need to know now is 元 yuán (or 块 kuài in colloquial Chinese), the Chinese monetary unit, after all, money matters!
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
| 个 | gè | generic measure word |
| 元/块 | yuán/kuài | basic monetary unit of China |
The 24 Core Chinese Verbs
With as little as 24 Chinese verbs, you can get by saying a lot. These most common, core verbs are versatile and super useful. Take the first word 做 (zuò) for example, this verb means “to do” on its own, but you can combine it with nouns like 饭 (fàn) – “meal” to create 做饭 (zuò fàn) – “cook meal”.
And the best part:
Chinese verbs don’t change form in any context. You simply learn the word as it is, without any need for extra memorization, as the notion of “conjugation” doesn’t exist in Chinese. Learn the verb 吃 (chī) – “eat”, and you’ll instantly know how to say “eat” in all contexts for all speakers: I 吃, you 吃, he 吃, she 吃, we 吃, you all 吃, and they 吃.
Do you see how easy this is?
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
| 做 | zuò | to do |
| 是 | shì | to be |
| 在 | zài | to be in |
| 有 | yǒu | to have |
| 来 | lái | to come |
| 去 | qù | to go |
| 回 | huí | to return |
| 想 | xiǎng | to think |
| 要 | yào | to want |
| 吃 | chī | to eat |
| 喝 | hē | to drink |
| 说 | shuō | to speak or to say |
| 看 | kàn | to look or to watch |
| 听 | tīng | to listen |
| 见 | jiàn | to meet |
| 叫 | jiào | to call |
| 给 | gěi | to give |
| 打 | dǎ | to hit or to play (certain sports) |
| 买 | mǎi | to buy |
| 到 | dào | to arrive |
| 等 | děng | to wait |
| 学 | xué | to learn |
| 喜欢 | xǐhuan | to like |
| 爱 | ài | to love |
The 20 Core Chinese Adjectives and Adverbs
Here are the most common Chinese adjectives and adverbs to add more description and color to your Chinese.
Take note of the first word, 好 (hǎo) – “good”. It’s probably the most versatile words you can find in Chinese. You’ll be surprised to find out that there are altogether 11 ways you can use 好 (hǎo) in everyday life, from greeting (you can combine it with the pronoun 你 nǐ – “you” to form 你好 nǐhǎo – “hello”) to describing tasty food (好吃 hǎochī), a melodious song (好听 hǎotīng) or an interesting movie (好看 hǎokàn), etc.
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
| 好 | hǎo | good |
| 坏 | huài | bad |
| 大 | dà | big |
| 小 | xiǎo | small |
| 多 | duō | many |
| 少 | shǎo | few |
| 远 | yuǎn | far |
| 近 | jìn | near |
| 热 | rè | hot |
| 冷 | lěng | cold |
| 男 | nán | male |
| 女 | nǚ | female |
| 漂亮 | piàoliang | pretty |
| 高兴 | gāoxìng | happy |
| 有趣 | yǒuqù | interesting |
| 很 | hěn | very |
| 太 | tài | too… |
| 也 | yě | also |
| 都 | dōu | both or all |
| 不/没 | bù/méi | not |
The 8 Core Chinese Conjunctions
It’s always helpful to know how to connect your words or sentences with conjunctions. Just as in English, there are hundreds of conjunctions and transitional words in Chinese you can use to make your speech flow, but the following eight are the most common.
Don’t be shocked when you hear the last word 那个 (it can be both pronounced “nèige” and “nàge”, but “nèige” is more common). Trust me, this word has nothing to do with racism in Chinese – it’s just the most common filler word native speakers use when they find themselves at a loss for words or needing time to gather their thoughts. You’ll hear it all the time!
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
| 和 | hé | and |
| 但是 | dànshì | but |
| 因为 | yīnwèi | because |
| 所以 | suǒyǐ | so |
| 如果 | rúguǒ | if |
| 比如 | bǐrú | for example |
| 然后 | ránhòu | and then |
| 那个 | nèige/nàge | ummm… or weellll… |
Master the Most Common Chinese Words and Improve Your Vocabulary
Congratulations! With the 101 core Chinese words under your belt, you can now understand about half of all Chinese words! Now you just need to get out there and speak! Force yourself to use these new words with native Chinese speakers and master them!
You could also level up your Chinese by learning about basic Chinese grammar rules, basic phrases and sentences, and Chinese numbers!
There are endless directions you can take for learning Chinese. Now that you’ve got the most common words, you can figure out what’s best for you and start applying it. From here, start learning vocabulary words that are most relevant to your own personal daily speech. Also, don’t forget to check out our Chinese Learning Channel for beginners, where there are tons of resources waiting for you!
In Chinese, many words or phrases actually have more than one meaning. For instance, “加油(jiāyóu)” means “to add fuel,” “come on!” “cheer up,” and so on; “吃醋(chīcù)” literally meaning “eat vinegar,” but often implies “jealousy”; and “二(èr)”, the Chinese version of the Arabic numeral 2, is also used to describe someone who is very stupid, silly or careless. Other than these, there are many more examples of Chinese words that have multiple meanings.
Which of the following is NOT similar to the words or phrases above, meaning it does not take on at least one other meaning?
A. “方便(fāngbiàn)”
B. “感冒(gǎnmào)”
C. “走后门(zǒu hòumén)”
D. “看电影(kàn diànyǐng)”
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Chinese Popular Words (Fun Stuff)
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