Outdoors Vocabulary
A collection of Chinese vocabulary related to outdoor activities, nature, and outdoor equipment.
博物馆 (bó wù guǎn)
museum
The Chinese word for museum is '博物馆'. It is used in the same context as it is in English, referring to a place where collections of artifacts or other items of artistic, cultural, historical, or scientific importance are stored and displayed.
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.
森林 (sēn lín)
forest
The Chinese word '森林' is used to refer to a large area covered chiefly with trees and undergrowth. It can be used in various contexts like talking about nature, wildlife, and environment. Similar to English, it can be combined with other words to create new terms like 'rainforest', which is '热带雨林' in Chinese.
沙漠 (shā mò)
desert
In Chinese, '沙漠' (sha mo) refers to an arid, typically sandy area with little to no vegetation, just as 'desert' is used in English. It is often used in contexts discussing geographic landscapes and environmental issues.
河 (hé)
river
The Chinese word '河' is used in the same context as 'river' in English. It refers to a large natural stream of water flowing in a channel to the sea, a lake, or another river. In Chinese culture, many folktales and idioms about life, wisdom, or virtues have originated from this word due to the important role that rivers have played in agricultural civilizations.
海 (hǎi)
sea
The Chinese word for sea, '海' (hǎi), is used much like its English counterpart. It's used to describe large bodies of salt water. It's also commonly used in compound words for specific seas or oceans, like '南海' for South Sea or '太平洋' for Pacific Ocean.
Example sentences with 海 →海岸 (hǎi'àn)
coast
In Chinese, the word for 'coast' is '海岸'. It is used in much the same way as it is in English, to refer to the edge of the land where it meets the sea. It is commonly used in discussions about geography, travel, and nature.
生态学 (shēng tài xué)
ecology
The Chinese word '生态学' is typically used in academic related to environment studies. It encompasses the study of interactions among organisms and their environment, concerning about biodiversity, distribution, population, and behaviors. This term is frequently used in discussions regarding environmental policy and conservation efforts.
自然 (zì rán)
nature
The Chinese word '自然' corresponds to 'nature' in English. It refers to the natural world, including the land, animal life, vegetation, and other features and products of the earth, as opposed to humans and human creations. It can be used in a variety of contexts similar to how the English word 'nature' is used, like describing the outdoors (自然环境) or in philosophical contexts (自然法则).