Noun
Information, examples, and exercises related to nouns, which are words that denote a person, place, thing, or idea.
小号 (xiǎo hào)
trumpet
The word '小号' is used to refer to a musical instrument known as the trumpet. It can be used in various contexts such as musical performances and band practice. It might also be used metaphorically, relating its loud sound to a strong voice or call for attention.
小提琴 (xiǎo tí qín)
violin
The Chinese word for violin is '小提琴', often used in the context of music and performance. It's one of the primary instruments in a orchestra and is played with a bow.
小时 (xiǎoshí)
hour
The Chinese word '小时' is used in much the same way as the English word 'hour'. It can signify a specific point in time or a duration. For example, it can be used to tell the time, like '3 小时 (three hours)' or it can be used to express the duration of an activity, like '我学习了一个小时 (I studied for an hour)'.
小说 (xiǎoshuō)
novel
The Chinese word for 'novel' is '小说.' This term is commonly used to refer to written works of fiction that are typically longer in length. Unlike short stories, which are '短篇小说', '小说' can encompass a broad range of genres, from romance to science fiction.
小费 (xiǎo fèi)
tip
In Chinese, '小费' is usually given to the service workers such as waiters, bellboys, taxi drivers, etc as a token of appreciation for their good service. This is similar to the culture in the Western countries where it is common to leave a small amount of money, called 'tip', according to the quality of service.
Example sentences with 小费 →少 (shǎo)
few
The Chinese word '少' has the same meaning as 'few' in English. It is most commonly used in the context of quantity to describe a small number of items or people. In Chinese, it is usually placed before a noun to indicate that there is a small amount of something.
尝试 (chángshì)
attempt
The Chinese word '尝试' translates directly to 'attempt' in English. It is typically used in contexts where one is trying to do or achieve something, often something new or challenging.
Example sentences with 尝试 →就业 (jiù yè)
employment
The Chinese word '就业' is used to describe the act of getting a job or finding work, similar to the English term 'employment'. It is often used in situations related to job seeking, work situations, or labor markets. Like 'employment' in English, it can be used in various contexts including economics, social studies, and everyday conversation.
Example sentences with 就业 →尺寸 (chǐ cùn)
size
The Chinese word '尺寸' is used to denote the size or dimension of objects. It can refer to both physical dimensions like height, width or length and non-physical ones like the size of a group or team. Just like in English, the word '尺寸' can be used as a noun in most contexts.
层 (ceng)
layer
In Chinese, '层' (ceng) is used much in the same way as 'layer' in English. It can be used to refer to a layer of a cake, a story of a building, a layer of clothing, a level of bureaucracy, a degree of subtlety, etc. As with English, it can be used both in a literal and metaphorical sense.
Example sentences with 层 →居民 (jū mín)
resident
The Chinese word '居民' is used to refer to a person who lives somewhere permanently or on a long-term basis. It is similar to the English word 'resident'. It can be used in various contexts, such as in the phrase 'local residents' (当地居民), or 'apartment residents' (公寓居民).
Example sentences with 居民 →屋顶 (wū dǐng)
roof
The Chinese word for roof, '屋顶', is used in a similar context as in English. It is commonly used when talking about different parts of a house or building. In addition, it can also be used metaphorically to express the highest level or limit of something.
Example sentences with 屋顶 →屏幕 (píng mù)
screen
In Chinese, '屏幕' is used to refer to any type of screen, be it a computer screen, a TV screen, or a movie screen. It can be used in various contexts, similarly to the English usage of 'screen'. For example, you can say 我的电脑屏幕坏了 which translates to 'My computer screen is broken'.
Example sentences with 屏幕 →展示 (zhǎn shì)
show
In Mandarin, '展示' is used in similar contexts as the English word 'show'. It refers to displaying or presenting something to be seen, or to prove or explain something. It is often used in both formal and informal contexts. For instance, you can '展示' a project in a business meeting or '展示' your cooking skills to your friends.
山 (Shān)
mountain
The Chinese word for 'mountain' is '山' (Shān). It refers to any large, naturally occurring, elevation of earth's surface. It is a commonly used word in describing geographical topographies and can be found in names of places in China.
岛 (dǎo)
island
The Chinese word for 'island' is '岛' (dǎo). It is used similar to the English word 'island', to refer to any piece of sub-continental land that is surrounded by water. '岛' (dao) is used in compound words to convey the concept of an island, such as '热带岛屿' (rèdài dǎoyǔ), meaning 'tropical island'.
岩石 (yánshí)
rock
岩石 (yánshí) is the Chinese word for 'rock'. It can be used in almost every context where the English term 'rock' is used - from geological studies to popular culture themes and even in proverbs and idioms. However, linguistic and cultural nuances might mean that direct translations between individual idioms or sayings may not always be accurate.
工人 (gōng rén)
worker
The Chinese word '工人' is used to refer to a worker or laborer in general. It can be used in a variety of contexts, but is most commonly used to refer to someone who does a particular type of job, especially a job involving hard physical work. For example, a construction worker would be referred to as '建筑工人'.
工作 (gōngzuò)
job
In Chinese, '工作' is commonly used to refer to one's occupation or employment. It could be used to express the action of performing duties for a job too. For example, '我正在工作' means 'I am working'. It is a noun that covers a broad range of work related concepts.
工作室 (gōng zuò shì)
studio
The Chinese word '工作室' is used in similar contexts as the word 'studio' in English. It can refer to a place where an artist, photographer, sculptor, etc. works. It can also refer to a place specially designed for recording TV and radio programs, films, music, etc.
Example sentences with 工作室 →工具 (gōng jù)
tool
In Chinese, 'tool' translates to '工具' and it can be used in the same way as in English. It refers to a device or implement, especially one held in the hand, used to carry out a particular function. For example, 'hammer' in Chinese is '锤子' which is also viewed as a '工具'.
Example sentences with 工具 →工程 (gōng chéng)
engineering
In Chinese, the word '工程' is used to broadly refer to the discipline, art, skill and profession of acquiring and applying scientific, mathematical, economic, social, and practical knowledge to design and implement materials, structures, machines, devices, systems, and processes that safely realize a desired objective or inventions.
Example sentences with 工程 →工程师 (gōng chéng shī)
engineer
工程师 is the Chinese translation for 'engineer', and it can be used in virtually the same contexts as in English. This term is used to refer to professionals who design, build, or maintain engines, machines, structures or public works. It spans multiple disciplines such as civil, mechanical, electrical, computer science and more.
巧克力 (qiǎokèlì)
chocolate
巧克力 is used in Chinese in the same way as 'chocolate' is used in English. It is a popular sweet treat made from cacao seeds, often enjoyed in solid form or as a hot or cold drink. The term can refer to both the flavor and the physical product.
Example sentences with 巧克力 →差异 (chā yì)
difference
The Chinese word '差异' translates to 'difference' in English. It is often used in Mandarin to denote diversity or discrepancy between two or more things, or states. It can be widely used in various contexts such as culture, opinions, or physical attributes similarly to its English counterpart.
差距 (chājù)
gap
In Chinese, the word 'gap' is translated to '差距'. It is used in the same context as in English, referring to a break or hole in between two or things or the distance between different points. It can be used in various scenarios including, but not limited to describing differences in statistics, skill levels, or understanding.
Example sentences with 差距 →市中心 (shì zhōng xīn)
downtown
The Chinese word '市中心' (shì zhōng xīn) literally translates to 'city center'. It is used to refer to an urban district, often the commercial, historical, or geographic heart of a city. It has a similar connotation to the English 'downtown', and is used in similar contexts.
市场 (shì chǎng)
market
The Chinese word '市场' is used similarly to 'market' in English, referring to a physical place where goods are bought and sold, or generally referring to the commercial world where trade happens. It can also be used in wider economic contexts referring to demand (e.g., '市场需求' = 'market demand').
师傅 (shī fù)
master
In Chinese, master is translated as '师傅' or 'shīfù'. It is often used to address highly skilled individuals, particularly in a certain field, or someone who teaches a craft. It could be a teacher, a martial arts instructor, a master of some other craft, a craftsman, or a trainer.
希望 (xī wàng)
hope
The Chinese word '希望' is used much like the English word 'hope'. It can be used to express a desire for a particular thing or situation to happen. It's usually followed by a verb phrase or sentence that outlines what the speaker hopes will happen.