Learn Chinese: Interjections
Comprehensive guide to understand and use Chinese interjections. Ideal for beginners in Chinese language.
上帝 (Shàngdì)
god
The Chinese term for 'god' is '上帝' (Shàngdì). It is used across different religions to refer to a supreme deity or divine power. It is often used in Christianity to refer to God. As with English, the use of the term can vary greatly depending on religious and cultural context.
以后 (yǐ hòu)
later
The Chinese word '以后' is used to refer to a period of time in the future. It is somewhat analogous to the English term 'later'. You could use it in sentences like 'we will do it later' which translates to '我们以后再做'.
优秀 (yōu xiù)
excellent
The term '优秀' (yōu xiù) is used in the Chinese language to express the English term 'excellent'. It refers to something or someone of high quality, very good, or superior in character or performance. It is commonly used to compliment people on their achievements or qualities as well.
Example sentences with 优秀 →停 (tíng)
stop
The Chinese word for 'stop' is '停'. It is used in similar contexts as the English word 'stop', often to command someone or something to cease movement or action. This word is used both verbally and in written form across a range of circumstances.
字 (zì)
word
In Chinese, the term '字' (zì) is used to refer to a word. As in English, it can be used to refer to a single character or a combination of characters that together express a singular idea. One key difference in Chinese is the absence of spaces between words, which can make identifying individual '字' more challenging for beginners.
帮助 (bāng zhù)
help
In Chinese, '帮助' is frequently used in both formal and informal contexts. It can be used as a verb to indicate the act of helping others, it can also be used as a noun to suggest help or assistance. The appropriate usage is largely context-dependent.
无所谓 (wú suǒ wèi)
whatever
The Chinese word '无所谓' (wúsuǒwèi) is commonly used in conversation similar to 'whatever'. It implies a certain level of indifference or lack of preference. For instance, in making decisions, if someone says '无所谓', they mean that they don't have a strong preference and are fine with any option.
是的 (shì de)
yeah
'是的' is the Chinese word for 'yeah'. It is commonly used in conversations to agree with or affirm something, similar to how 'yeah' is used in English. However, formal Mandarin often requires more explicit agreement or disagreement, so '是的' is more commonly used in casual or colloquial speech.
消极 (xiāo jí)
negative
In Chinese, '消极' is used to describe a pessimistic or gloomy attitude towards a certain situation. It is used in similar contexts as the English word 'negative'. For example, it's used to describe someone's negative outlook, poor work performance, or reluctance to participate. It can be used in both formal and informal settings.
Example sentences with 消极 →相当 (xiāng dāng)
quite
The English word 'quite' can be translated into Chinese as '相当'. It is an adverb that's used similar to English to intensify adjectives, or to indicate agreement. It can variably mean 'very', 'really', or 'quite' in different contexts. For instance, '我相当喜欢它' would translate to 'I quite like it.'
结婚 (jié hūn)
marry
The Chinese word for 'marry' is '结婚.' It is commonly used in many expressions regarding marriage, such as proposing marriage, marriage ceremonies, etc. It is important to note that the word is used as a verb, similar to English usage.
绝对 (jué duì)
absolutely
In Chinese, '绝对' is a commonly used word that means 'absolutely'. It is largely used to express agreement or to emphasize a statement. It could be placed before adjectives, adverbs or verbs to enhance its level. It's also used as an interjection to show strong affirmation.
美丽 (měi lì)
beautiful
美丽 is a commonly used word in Mandarin Chinese which is used to describe something or someone that is beautiful pleasing to the senses or mind aesthetically. It's a positive adjective often used in compliments, and can apply to both physical and abstract beauty.
足够 (zú gòu)
enough
The Chinese word '足够' is used in many of the same contexts as the English word 'enough'. It can be used to express sufficiency in terms of quantity or quality. For example, you can say '我有足够的食物' to mean 'I have enough food.'