Learn and Practice Chinese

Learn and Practice Chinese is a resource aiming to help learners of Chinese.

We update the site with new content regularily, so please check in again soon to see more useful Chinese.

If you are a English speaker and wanting to learn and practice some beginner Chinese, then this site is for you.

If you are a Chinese person and wanting to practice some easy English, then this site is also for you.
如果您是中国人并且想练习一些简单的英语，那么这个网站也适合您。(Above in Chinese)

Essential Chinese Words List

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The following a list of words that we consider essential, and useful. This is the first words list that we suggest you learn. It is designed to help you form your first sentences easily and express yourself.
On this site, and in the following table, the English is shown, the Chinese, as well as the pronounciation of the Chinese, which is called the Pinyin.

I	我	wǒ
you	你	nǐ
we	我们	wǒmen
he	他	tā
she	她	tā
they	他们	tāmen
yes	是的	shì de
no	不	bù
is	是	shì
want (need)	要	yào
friend	朋友	péngyǒu
like	喜欢	xǐhuān
love	爱	ài
eat	吃	chī
drink	喝	hē
go	去	qù
that	那	nà
this	这	zhè
your	你的	nǐ de
my	我的	wǒ de
today	今天	jīntiān
tomorrow	明天	míngtiān
good	好	hǎo
bad	坏	huài
home	家	jiā
shop / store	商店	shāngdiàn
school	学校	xuéxiào
park	公园	gōngyuán
hospital	医院	yīyuàn
hotel	酒店	jiǔdiàn
toilet	厕所	cèsuǒ
very	很	hěn
hungry	饿了	èle
thirsty	渴	kě
tired	累	lèi
cold	冷	lěng
hot	热	rè
warm	温暖	wēnnuǎn
happy	快乐	kuàilè
glad	高兴	gāoxìng

beautiful	美丽	měilì
pretty	漂亮	piàoliang
big	大	dà
small	小	xiǎo
many	多	duō
few	少	shǎo
man	男人	nánrén
women	女人	nǚrén
child	孩子	háizi
person	人	rén
thing	东西	dōngxī
animal	动物	dòngwù
car	汽车	qìchē
taxi	出租车	chūzū chē
morning	早	zǎo
evening	晚上	wǎnshàng
run	跑步	pǎobù
walk	走	zǒu
rest	休息	xiūxí
weather	天气	tiānqì
rain	下雨	xià yǔ
water	水	shuǐ
food	食物	shíwù
tree	树	shù
fire	火	huǒ
bread	面包	miànbāo
a cup of	一杯	yībēi
coffee	咖啡	kāfēi
tea	茶	chá
a bowl of	一碗	yī wǎn
rice	米饭	mǐfàn
want (would like)	想	xiǎng
have	有	yǒu

Practice Essential Chinese Words

Useful Chinese Greetings and Questions

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Do you speak Chinese?
你会说中文吗？
Nǐ huì shuō zhōngwén ma?

Do you speak English?
你会说英语吗？
Nǐ huì shuō yīngyǔ ma?

What is your name?
你叫什么名字？
Nǐ jiào shénme míngzì?

My name is ...
我叫。。。
Wǒ jiào...

Goodbye.
再见。
Zàijiàn.

Long time no see.
好久不见了。
Hǎojiǔ bùjiànle.

Good morning.
早上好。
Zǎoshang hǎo.

Good evening.
晚上好。
Wǎnshàng hǎo.

Good night.
晚安。
Wǎn'ān.

I'm leaving.
我走啦。
Wǒ zǒu la.

Walk slowly / Take it easy.
慢走。
Màn zǒu.

Where are you going?
你去哪里?
Nǐ qù nǎlǐ?

I am a teacher.
我是老师。
Wǒ shì lǎoshī.

I am a student.
我是学生。
Wǒ shì xuéshēng.

I study here.
我在这里学习。
Wǒ zài zhèlǐ xuéxí.

Relationships and Introductions

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They are my classmates.
他们是我的同学。
Tāmen shì wǒ de tóngxué.

They are my friends.
他们是我的朋友。
Tāmen shì wǒ de péngyǒu.

We work together.
我们一起工作。
Wǒmen yīqǐ gōngzuò.

She is a my girlfriend.
她是我的女朋友。
Tā shì wǒ de nǚ péngyǒu.

My girlfriend is a teacher.
我的女朋友是一名老师。
Wǒ de nǚ péngyǒu shì yī míng lǎoshī.

She is my roommate. 她是我的室友。 Tā shì wǒ de shìyǒu.

He is my boyfriend.
他是我的男朋友。
Tā shì wǒ de nán péngyǒu.

She is my roommate.
她是我的室友。
Tā shì wǒ de shìyǒu.

Meet my friend.
见见我的朋友。
Jiàn jiàn wǒ de péngyǒu.

Nice to meet you.
很高兴认识你。
Hěn gāoxìng rènshí nǐ.

Going Places

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Where are you going?
你去哪里?
Nǐ qù nǎlǐ?

I'm going to the store.
我要去商店。
Wǒ yào qù shāngdiàn.

I'm going out to eat.
我要出去吃饭。
Wǒ yào chūqù chīfàn.

I'm going back to my apartment.
我要回我的公寓了。
Wǒ yào huí wǒ de gōngyùle.

I'm going to see my friend.
我要去看我的朋友。
Wǒ yào qù kàn wǒ de péngyǒu.

I'm going to the park.
我要去公园。
Wǒ yào qù gōngyuán.

I'm going to the movies.
我要去看电影。
Wǒ yào qù kàn diànyǐng.

I'm going dancing.
我要去跳舞。
Wǒ yào qù tiàowǔ.

I'm going to the beach.
我要去海滩。
Wǒ yào qù hǎitān.

I'm going to the club.
我要去俱乐部。
Wǒ yào qù jùlèbù.

I'm going to the gym.
我要去健身房。
Wǒ yào qù jiànshēnfáng.

I'm going to the supermarket.
我要去超市。
Wǒ yào qù chāoshì.

I'm going to the mall.
我要去商场。
Wǒ yào qù shāngchǎng.

I'm going to the forest.
我要去森林。
Wǒ yào qù sēnlín.

I'm going to visit my parents.
我要去看望我的父母。
Wǒ yào qù kànwàng wǒ de fùmǔ.

I'm going to the river.
我要去河边。
Wǒ yào qù hé biān.

I'm going to the meditate.
我要去冥想。
Wǒ yào qù míngxiǎng.

I'm going to do yoga.
我要去做瑜伽。
Wǒ yào qù zuò yújiā.

I'm going to do martial arts training.
我要去进行武术训练。
Wǒ yào qù jìnxíng wǔshù xùnliàn.

Where is the airport?
机场在哪里？
Jīchǎng zài nǎlǐ?

Where is the mall?
商场在哪里？
Shāngchǎng zài nǎlǐ?

Where is the hotel?
酒店在哪里？
Jiǔdiàn zài nǎlǐ?

Where is the nearest hospital?
最近的医院在哪儿？
Zuìjìn de yīyuàn zài nǎ'er?

Where is the nearest movie theater?
最近的电影院在哪里？
Zuìjìn de diànyǐngyuàn zài nǎlǐ?

Where is the nearest hotel?
最近的酒店在哪里？
Zuìjìn de jiǔdiàn zài nǎlǐ?

Which country are are you from?

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Which country are you from?
你来自哪个国家？
Nǐ láizì nǎge guójiā?

I am an American.
我是美国人。
Wǒ shì měiguó rén.

I am Chinese.
我是中国人。
Wǒ shì zhōngguó rén.

I am English.
我是英国人。
Wǒ shì yīngguó rén.

Is she Chinese?
她是中国人吗？
Tā shì zhōngguó rén ma?

Is he Chinese?
他是中国人吗？
Tā shì zhōngguó rén ma?

Studies

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Are you a student?
你是学生吗？
Nǐ shì xuéshēng ma?

I'm a student.
我是学生。
Wǒ shì xuéshēng.

Is he a student?
他是学生吗？
Tā shì xuéshēng ma?

I'm a teacher.
我是老师。
Wǒ shì lǎoshī.

He is my classmate.
他是我的同学。
Tā shì wǒ de tóngxué.

They are my classmates.
他们是我的同学。
Tāmen shì wǒ de tóngxué.

Where do you study?
你在哪里学习？
Nǐ zài nǎlǐ xuéxí?

I study at New York University.
我在纽约大学学习。
Wǒ zài niǔyuē dàxué xuéxí.

I study here.
我在这里学习。
Wǒ zài zhèlǐ xuéxí.

What subjects are you studying?
你在学习什么科目？
Nǐ zài xuéxí shénme kēmù?

What is your favorite subject?
你最喜欢的科目是什么？
Nǐ zuì xǐhuān de kēmù shì shénme?

I'm studying biology.
我正在学习生物学。
Wǒ zhèngzài xuéxí shēngwù xué.

I'm studying science.
我正在学习科学。
Wǒ zhèngzài xuéxí kēxué.

I'm studying medicine.
我正在学习医学。
Wǒ zhèngzài xuéxí yīxué.

I'm studying history.
我正在学习历史。
Wǒ zhèngzài xuéxí lìshǐ.

I'm studying drama.
我正在学习戏剧。
Wǒ zhèngzài xuéxí xìjù.

I'm studying art.
我正在学习艺术。
Wǒ zhèngzài xuéxí yìshù.

I'm studying archaeology.
我正在学习考古学。
Wǒ zhèngzài xuéxí kǎogǔ xué.

I'm studying astronomy.
我正在学习天文学。
Wǒ zhèngzài xuéxí tiānwénxué.

I'm studying mathematics.
我正在学习数学。
Wǒ zhèngzài xuéxí shùxué.

I'm studying statistics.
我正在学习统计学。
Wǒ zhèngzài xuéxí tǒngjì xué.

Other

How often

I never go there.
我从来不去那儿。
Wǒ cónglái bu qù nà'er.

I often see them.
我经常看到他们。
Wǒ jīngcháng kàn dào tāmen.

I go there often.
我经常去那儿。
Wǒ jīngcháng qù nà'er.

I seldom go there.
我很少去那儿。
Wǒ hěn shǎo qù nà'er.

I should go there.
我应该去那儿。
Wǒ yīnggāi qù nà'er.

I seldom see them.
我很少见到他们。
Wǒ hěn shǎo jiàn dào tāmen.

Let's meet

Let's meet tomorrow?
我们明天见面吧？
Wǒmen míngtiān jiànmiàn ba?

Can we meet tomorrow?
我们明天见面好吗？
Wǒmen míngtiān jiànmiàn hǎo ma?

I would like

I would like a bottle of water.
我想要一瓶水。
Wǒ xiǎng yào yī píng shuǐ.

I'd like a cup of coffee.
我想要一杯咖啡。
Wǒ xiǎng yào yībēi kāfēi.

I'd like a loaf of bread.
我想要一条面包。
Wǒ xiǎng yào yītiáo miànbāo.

I'd like a bowl of noodles.
我想要一碗面条。
Wǒ xiǎng yào yī wǎn miàntiáo.

I'd like a loaf of bread.
我想要一条面包。
Wǒ xiǎng yào yītiáo miànbāo.

I'd like a bowl of noodles.
我想要一碗面条。
Wǒ xiǎng yào yī wǎn miàntiáo.

She's very kind.
她很善良。
Tā hěn shànliáng.

She's very thoughtful.
她很体贴。
Tā hěn tǐtiē.

Can you help me?
你能帮我吗？
Nǐ néng bāng wǒ ma?

Hobbies

What is your favorite hobby?
你最喜欢的爱好是什么？
Nǐ zuì xǐhuān de àihào shì shénme?

I like gardening.
我喜欢做园艺。
Wǒ xǐhuān zuò yuányì.

I like dancing.
我喜欢跳舞。
Wǒ xǐhuān tiàowǔ.

I like to play guitar.
我喜欢弹吉他。
Wǒ xǐhuān dàn jítā.

I like playing the flute.
我喜欢吹笛子。
Wǒ xǐhuān chuī dízǐ.

I like to play the tin whistle.
我喜欢吹锡笛。
Wǒ xǐhuān chuī xī dí.

I like running.
我喜欢跑步。
Wǒ xǐhuān pǎobù.

I like drawing.
我喜欢画画。
Wǒ xǐhuān huà huà.

Every Day Chinese

We have added the above sentences (all sections) into a everyday sentences practice list.

Numbers

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A useful thing to learn is the Chinese numbers, they're easy to learn, and very logical.

Why learn Chinese Numbers

Learning Chinese numbers could allow you to ask Chinese people about the costs of things and understand their replies in Chinese. You could learn to write them also, and after eating at a Chinese restaurant, you could write them on final a bill with tip (gratuity) for the full amount. You might even write thank you in Chinese also, or "That was delicious!".

Chinese Numbers 1-10

一 yī one
二 èr two
三 sān three
四 sì four
五 wǔ five
六 liù six
七 qī seven
八 bā eight
九 jiǔ nine
十 shí ten

Chinese numbers 11-20

十一 shíyī eleven
十二 shíèr twelve
十三 shísān thirteen
十四 shísì fourteen
十五 shíwǔ fifteen
十六 shíliù sixteen
十七 shíqī seventeen
十八 shíbā eighteen
十九 shíjiǔ nineteen
二十 èrshí twenty

Chinese numbers 21-30

二十一 èrshíyī twenty one
二十二 èrshíèr twenty two
二十三 èrshísān twenty three
二十四 èrshísì twenty four
二十五 èrshíwǔ twenty five
二十六 èrshíliù twenty six
二十七 èrshíqī twenty seven
二十八 èrshíbā twenty eight
二十九 èrshíjiǔ twenty nine
三十 sānshí thirty

Zero

零 líng zero

零 - Zero is often used to show zeros in amounts, and in other places where a zero would normally be used.

hundred 百 bǎi
thousand 千 qiān
ten thousand 万 wàn

Currency

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Learn more about writing currency in dollars and RMB.

One US dollar
一美元
Yī měiyuán
$1

OR

One unit of currency (eg. one dollar).
一块钱
Yīkuài qián

Nineteen US dollars
十九美元
Shíjiǔ měiyuán

One Chinese yuan
一元人民币
Yīyuán rénmínbì
RMB 1

Eighteen Chinese yuan
十八元人民币
Shíbā yuán rénmínbì
Also can be written as 18 RMB