Chinese
Vocab Builder for commonly used words in Chinese.
层 (ceng)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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.
属于 (shǔ yú)
The Chinese word '属于' is used in situations where you want to express ownership or affiliation. It is used just like 'belong' in English, to denote that something is part of something bigger. For instance, '这个包属于我' means 'This bag belongs to me.'
Example sentences with 属于 →山 (Shān)
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)
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)
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.
崇拜 (chóng bài)
The Chinese word for worship is '崇拜'. It is used in a similar context as in English, often referring to the act of showing religious devotion and adoration. '崇拜' is used when expressing reverence towards deities, idols, or any other objects of worship.
Example sentences with 崇拜 →工人 (gōng rén)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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.
左 (zuǒ)
The Chinese word for 'left' is '左', which is often used in everyday conversation and text. It can be used to describe direction, specifically the one to the left side. In addition, it's often used in combination with other words to describe objects or locations on the left side.
巧克力 (qiǎokèlì)
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 →巨大 (jù dà)
The Chinese word '巨大' is used much like 'huge' in English. It is an adjective that can be used to describe anything big in size, amount or degree. It is often used in context such as to describe buildings, problems, difference and so on.
差不多 (chà bù duō)
In Chinese, '差不多' is used to mean 'nearly' or 'almost', often used to describe a circumstance or an action that is close to completion or a particular state. It can be used in various contexts, referring either to the quantity or the quality of something.
Example sentences with 差不多 →差异 (chā yì)
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)
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 →已婚 (yǐ hūn)
The Chinese word '已婚' refers to someone who is already legally bound in a marriage relationship. It can be used in various contexts such as stating one's marital status or to refer to someone who is married.
Example sentences with 已婚 →已知 (Yǐzhī)
The Chinese word '已知' can be translated into English as 'known'. It is often used to refer to something or someone that is acknowledged or recognized. This word is commonly used in situations where information or facts have been established or identified.
Example sentences with 已知 →已经 (yǐ jīng)
The Chinese word '已经' is used to indicate that something has happened or changed state, similar to how 'already' is used in English. For example, '我已经吃过了' translates to 'I have already eaten'. It is usually placed before the verb it is modifying.
市中心 (shì zhōng xīn)
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)
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)
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)
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.
带来 (dài lái)
In Chinese, the word '带来' (dai lai) is used similarly to the English word 'bring'. It can be used when referring to physically bringing an object from one place to another or when an action or event 'brings' a result or change. For example, '他带来了一束花' means 'He brought a bouquet of flowers.'