Noun
Information, examples, and exercises related to nouns, which are words that denote a person, place, thing, or idea.
电缆 (diàn lǎn)
cable
The Chinese term for cable is '电缆'. It is most commonly used in the context of electricity and technology, referring to a thick wire or bundle of wires inside a plastic or rubber cover, which is used to carry electronic or telephone signals. Example: '可以帮我检查电缆连接吗?' which means 'Can you help me check the cable connection?'
Example sentences with 电缆 →电脑 (diànnǎo)
computer
In Chinese, the word '电脑' is used to refer to a computer. The term is commonly used in everyday language. While it directly translates to 'electric brain', it is used in the same context as 'computer' is used in English.
电话 (diàn huà)
telephone
The Chinese word for telephone, '电话' (diànhuà), is used in the same way as in English. It refers to both the device and the act of making a call. For example, '请接电话' (qǐng jiē diànhuà) means 'please answer the phone'. You can also use it to say '我要打电话给他' (wǒ yào dǎ diànhuà gěi tā) which means 'I want to call him'.
男 (nán)
male
The Chinese word for 'male' is '男'. It is a commonly used word in the Chinese language and just like in English, it is used to refer to the gender of a person. It can be used alone to refer to a male person or in combination with other words to form terms like '男孩', which means 'boy'. The word also forms part of compound words in various contexts.
Example sentences with 男 →男人 (nán rén)
man
In Chinese, '男人' is used to represent a mature male or a man. It can be used to refer to an adult male in general, or in some contexts, to a boyfriend or husband. It is a commonly used term in daily conversation and in written Chinese.
男孩 (nán hái)
boy
The Chinese word for 'boy' is '男孩'. It is used in similar contexts as in English, referring to a young male person, typically a child or teenager. It can be combined with other words to form compounds. For example, '好男孩' means 'good boy'.
男朋友 (nán péngyǒu)
boyfriend
This term is used to refer to a male partner in a romantic or sexual relationship. It is commonly used in spoken and written Mandarin Chinese. For example, 我的男朋友很帅 means 'My boyfriend is very handsome'.
画家 (huàjiā)
painter
The Chinese word '画家' is used to refer to a person who paints as a profession. It can be used in a variety of contexts, such as discussing art, professions, or hobbies. Like many professions in Chinese, it combines a verb and a noun - in this case, '画' (draw/paint) and '家' (a suffix indicating an expert).
画画 (huà huà)
drawing
In Chinese, 'draw' is '画' and 'drawing' is '画画'. It is used to describe the action of creating pictures, diagrams or patterns, usually with a pen or pencil, but also with other mediums. It is commonly used in context like '我喜欢画画' which means 'I like drawing'.
Example sentences with 画画 →留 (liú)
stay
The word '留' in Chinese refers to the act of staying in a particular place, similar to in English. It can be used in various contexts such as staying in a city (留在城市), staying at home (留在家), or staying behind (留下).
疯狂 (fēngkuáng)
crazy
The Chinese word '疯狂' (fēngkuáng) is commonly used to describe someone or something that is intensely enthusiastic, excited, or wild. It can also mean someone who is mentally unstable. It can be used similarly to how 'crazy' is used in English. For instance, you could say '他对音乐有疯狂的热情' which means 'He has a crazy passion for music'.
Example sentences with 疯狂 →疾病 (jí bìng)
disease
The Chinese word for disease is '疾病'. This word is often used in a similar way as in English, referring to a particular abnormal condition, a disorder of a structure or function, that affects part or all of an organism. It can be used in various contexts, such as in medical and health-related topics.
病人 (bìngrén)
patient
In Chinese, '病人' refers to a person who is sick or suffering from an illness. It can be used in many contexts, such as '病人需要休息' (The patient needs to rest) or '病人正在接受治療' (The patient is under treatment). It is a common word used in healthcare settings.
病毒 (bìngdú)
virus
In Chinese, 病毒 (bìngdú) is used in the same context as in English, referring to a type of microorganism that can cause contagious diseases in living organisms, including humans. It can also refer metaphorically to something harmful that spreads rapidly and widely. For example, computer virus in Chinese is also called '电脑病毒'
Example sentences with 病毒 →痛苦 (tòng kǔ)
pain
In Chinese, '痛苦' is used to describe both physical and emotional distress, just like 'pain' in English. It is commonly used in sentences such as '我感到痛苦' ('I feel pain').
癌症 (ái zhèng)
cancer
In Chinese, '癌症' refers to the disease known as cancer and is used broadly to refer to various types of malignancies. It describes the presence of abnormal cells that divide uncontrollably and have the ability to infiltrate and destroy normal body tissue. Note that when discussing specific types of cancer, '癌症' will often be combined with the organ or type of cell it originates from.
Example sentences with 癌症 →皇后 (huánghòu)
queen
The Chinese word '皇后' is used to refer to the wife of a king or a female ruler. Similar to its English counterpart, this word is often used in both historical and modern contexts. It is an official title in the monarchy system. It could also be used metaphorically to signify an important or influential woman in other realms.
Example sentences with 皇后 →皇家 (huáng jiā)
royal
The Chinese word '皇家' is used to refer to anything associated with a king/queen or a royal family in general. This could be anything from royal family members, royal palaces, royal heritage, to symbols of royal culture and majesty. Like English, it is applied extensively in literature, discussions, and everyday language.
Example sentences with 皇家 →皮肤 (pí fū)
skin
The Chinese word '皮肤' can be used in a variety of contexts, similar to its English equivalent 'skin.' It is commonly used to refer to skin on human body and can also be used metaphorically. For example, in expressions regarding someone's facial skin condition.
Example sentences with 皮肤 →皮革 (pí gé)
leather
The Chinese word for leather, '皮革', is used to describe a durable and flexible material created by tanning animal rawhide and skins. It is often used in the context of fashion (like leather jackets), furniture (such as leather sofas), or accessories like leather wallets. It carries a similar connotation of luxury and durability in both languages.
Example sentences with 皮革 →盐 (yán)
salt
The Chinese word for salt is '盐' (yán). It is used in the same context as in English, it is a common seasoning used in food to enhance flavor.
Example sentences with 盐 →监视器 (jiānshìqì)
monitor
In Chinese, 'monitor' is translated as '监视器'. It can be used in the same contexts as the English word, such as in the context of a computer monitor or someone who observes a process or situation. Like in English, it is a common technical word in computing and surveillance.
盒子 (hézi)
box
The Chinese word '盒子' represents the concept of a box in English. It can be used in numerous contexts such as describing a physical box, a dialogue box in computers or even a bounding box in graphical disciplines. Just like in English, '盒子' can be used metaphorically in Chinese too.
Example sentences with 盒子 →盘子 (pánzi)
plate
In Chinese, plate is translated as '盘子' (pánzi). It is commonly used to refer to a dish or flat, shallow container from which food is eaten or served. Just like in English, it is used in various contexts relating to meals or servings.
目击者 (mùjìzhě)
witness
The Chinese term '目击者', pronounced as 'mùjìzhě', refers to a person who has personally seen something occur, especially a crime or accident. This word is commonly used in legal and criminal contexts, similar to its usage in English, and can also be used metaphorically in everyday conversation.
目标 (mùbiāo)
goal
In Chinese, '目标' refers to a desired result a person or a system envisions, plans and commits to achieve—a personal or organizational desired end-point in some sort of assumed development. It can be used in a variety of contexts, just as 'goal' is used in English.
目的 (mùdì)
purpose
The Chinese word '目的' is used to indicate the aim or intention of an action or plan, similar to 'purpose' in English. It is a commonly used word in daily conversations and formal speeches, and can be used in various contexts.
目的地 (mù dì dì)
destination
In Chinese, '目的地' is used to describe a place where someone is going, or a place where something is being sent or taken. It is often related to journey or travel and used in both formal and informal contexts.
直 (zhí)
straight
In Chinese, '直' means straight. It is often used when describing a straight line or path. It can also be used in more abstract terms, such as a character trait when speaking about someone who is straightforward or direct in their speech or actions.
Example sentences with 直 →直升机 (zhíshēngjī)
helicopter
The Chinese word '直升机' (zhíshēngjī) is used to refer to what is known in English as a 'helicopter'. It is utilized in the same contexts as the English word — to reference any type of aircraft that achieves flight using rotors instead of wings. Just as in English, it can be used when talking about various types of travel, military operations, emergency services and more.