Chinese
Vocab Builder for commonly used words in Chinese.
老师 (lǎo shī)
In Chinese, '老师' (lǎo shī) is used to address or refer to teachers. It is applicable for all types of teacher, such as a school teacher, music teacher, or sports coach. As China holds a strong reverence for education, the term is also used as an honorific for experts in a given field, even if they don't formally teach in a school or educational institution.
老年人 (lǎo nián rén )
In Chinese, the word '老年人' colloquially means 'senior'. It is used to describe elderly people, usually aged 60 and above. It conveys a sense of respect for the aged in the society, recognizing their wisdom and life experience. The simplified character '老' (lǎo) roughly translates to 'old', and '年人' (nián rén) translates to 'year person'. Thus, '老年人' collectively combines these words to mean 'old year person', or 'senior'
Example sentences with 老年人 →老板 (lǎo bǎn)
In Chinese, the word '老板' is used to refer to a boss or someone who is in charge, particularly in a business setting. It is used similarly to how 'boss' is used in English, whether to denote a superior at work, or more colloquially, to refer to someone who has authority or control.
Example sentences with 老板 →老鼠 (lǎo shǔ)
In Mandarin Chinese, 'mouse' is translated as '老鼠' (lǎo shǔ). Not to be confused with '鼠标', which refers specifically to a computer mouse. '老鼠' can refer to the animal, and is also used in a broader sense to refer to any small mammal similar in size to a mouse.
考虑 (kǎo lǜ)
The Chinese word '考虑' is used similarly to the English word 'consider'. It implies the process of thinking about something carefully before making a decision. It could be used in the context of making big life decisions or even simple daily choices.
考试 (kǎo shì)
The Chinese word '考试' represents any test or examination, referring to a procedure designed to gauge skill, knowledge or classification in various other topics. It is typically used in an educational setting but can also be applied more broadly.
而 (ér)
The Chinese word '而' is often used to express contrast or making a comparison. It is the equivalent of the English word 'whereas'. In a sentence, it can be used to link two opposing facts or ideas. It is commonly seen in written language notably in formal articles, news reporting, and academic writings, but less frequently in conversational speech.
而且 (ér qiě)
The Chinese word '而且' is used similarly to the English word 'moreover'. It is used to introduce additional information that supports, emphasizes, or adds to the point you've made. '而且' often comes in the middle of a sentence, connecting two clauses.
耐心 (nai4 xin1)
The Chinese word '耐心' is directly translated as 'patience' in English. It's widely used in sentences like '你需要有耐心' meaning 'You need to have patience'. It's a common vocabulary in everyday Mandarin conversation, and often used to express the necessity of calm endurance or tolerance.
耳朵 (ěr duo)
The word '耳朵' in Chinese is used to refer to the organ of the body which is used for hearing and balance. Just like in English, it is often used in idioms and phrases to express different concepts, such as 'play by ear' would translate to '随耳朵行事' in Chinese.
Example sentences with 耳朵 →职业 (zhí yè)
The Chinese word '职业' is used to refer to one's profession or occupation. It's often used when asking about what someone does for a living, as well as discussing career prospects or choices.
职员 (zhí yuán)
The Chinese word '职员' is typically used in any context that would require the usage of 'clerk' in English. It is often used to refer to office or administrative workers, especially in the context of government or large corporate office structures.
职责 (zhí zé)
职责 is a Chinese term that indicates a moral or legal obligation a person has, which is equivalent to the English term 'duty'. This can refer to a task or action that someone is required to perform because of their job or role. It is commonly used in both a formal setting and casual conversation, spanning a wide range of contexts.
Example sentences with 职责 →联合 (lián hé)
In Chinese, '联合' refers to the state of being joined together, or the act of joining together, often for mutual benefit or to achieve a common purpose. This term is widely used in many different contexts such as politics, economics, and social sciences, to name a few. Its use is similar to that in English.
联想 (lián xiǎng)
The Chinese word '联想' is directly translated as 'associate'. It is often used in sentences to express the action of connecting ideas together or creating a link between two things. It can also be used to define a relationship between people, suggesting a partnership or companionship.
Example sentences with 联想 →联盟 (liánméng)
In Chinese, '联盟' is used to describe a group or an association that is comprised of two or more entities combined together, typically due to sharing common objectives. It can represent sports leagues, political alliances, and any union or association construct. It is used in a similar way to the English 'league'.
Example sentences with 联盟 →联系 (lián xì)
The Chinese word '联系' is used in the context of connecting, reaching out, or getting in touch with someone or something. It is often used in both formal and informal conversations. For example, one could use it to say '联系我', meaning 'contact me'.
联邦 (lián bāng)
The Chinese word '联邦' is used to denote something that's related to a federation or federal government. It's often used in context of politics and governance in a similar way to the English word 'federal'. It might be used to discuss federal laws, federal systems of government, or things that are happening on a national level within a federation.
聚会 (jù huì)
The Chinese word for 'party' is '聚会'. It is used to refer to a social gathering of invited guests, typically involving eating, drinking, and entertainment. In a sentence you could use it like this: '我周末要参加一个聚会' ('I have a party to attend this weekend').
聪明 (cōngmíng)
In Chinese, '聪明' is used to describe someone who is intelligent or smart. It can refer to both general intelligence and quick-wittedness. Usually, it is used to praise someone for their intelligence or their ability to understand complex issues quickly.
肉 (ròu)
This term refers to meat in general, which includes options like pork, beef, chicken, etc.
Example sentences with 肉 →肌肉 (jī ròu)
The Chinese word '肌肉' is used to refer to body tissues that contract and produce motion or to any of the structures, composed of such tissue, that have the ability to contract, producing movement or maintaining the position of parts of the body. It is used in similar contexts as the English word 'muscle'.
Example sentences with 肌肉 →股票 (gǔ piào)
In the Chinese language, '股票' is the word used to refer to 'stock' in a financial context, such as shares of a company's stock on the stock market. It is not used to describe stock in other contexts, such as a stock of goods or a soup stock.
Example sentences with 股票 →肩膀 (jiān bǎng)
In Chinese, the word for 'shoulder' is '肩膀'. This term is used similarly as in English, referring to the part of the body between the neck and the upper arm. It can also be used metaphorically to express the idea of bearing a burden or responsibility, such as in the phrase '扛起重担' (kang qi zhong dan), which means 'to shoulder a heavy burden'.
肯定 (kěn dìng)
The Chinese word '肯定' is used to express certainty or affirmation about something. It is often used in a similar context as the English word 'definitely', such as confirming plans or answering a question positively.
Example sentences with 肯定 →胃 (wèi)
The Chinese character for 'stomach' is '胃', this word is often used in various contexts. In medical language, it refers to the organ in the body where food digestion occurs. However, it can also be used to express feelings of hunger, like in the sentence '我肚子饿了' meaning 'I am hungry'.
Example sentences with 胃 →背景 (bèi jǐng)
In Chinese, '背景' is used similarly as the English term 'background'. It can refer to someone's experience, history, or social and economic status. Additionally, it can also indicate the setting or scenery behind the main object in a picture or scene. It is widely used in various contexts, such as in education, work, or daily conversations.
胖 (pàng)
In Chinese, '胖' is used to describe someone or something that is overweight or large in size. It can be used for people, animals, or objects. Unlike in English, '胖' often has a less negative connotation, unless it is used in a specific context that makes it clear the speaker is criticising someone's weight.
Example sentences with 胖 →胸部 (xiōng bù)
The Chinese word '胸部' is used to refer to the chest area in the same way as in English. It can refer to the body part in a medical context, but can also be used in everyday language to refer to someone's chest.
Example sentences with 胸部 →能 (néng)
The Chinese character '能' (néng) is used to indicate ability or capacity to do something. It is used similarly to how 'able' is used in English. For example, the phrase '我能做' (wǒ néng zuò) is translated as 'I am able to do it'.