Chinese
Vocab Builder for commonly used words in Chinese.
超市 (chāo shì)
The Chinese word for supermarket is 超市 (chāoshì). It is used in exactly the same context as in English, referring to a large self-service store selling foods and household goods. It is a frequently used word in daily Chinese conversation.
超级 (chāo jí)
In Chinese, super is translated as '超级' (chāojí). It is often used as an adjective to mean 'above average' or 'outstanding' in English. It can be used before nouns, like '超级市场' for 'supermarket', '超级英雄' for 'superhero', etc. Also it often appears in advertisements, movie names or books to indicate this is a superior product or work.
Example sentences with 超级 →足够 (zú gòu)
The Chinese word '足够' is used in many of the same contexts as the English word 'enough'. It can be used to express sufficiency in terms of quantity or quality. For example, you can say '我有足够的食物' to mean 'I have enough food.'
足球 (zú qiú)
In Chinese, '足球' is used to refer to the sport known as football in most of the world and soccer in the United States. It involves teams competing to kick a ball into their opponent's goal.
跑 (pǎo)
The Chinese word '跑' is often used to indicate the act of running or jogging. It can be used both physically, like running for exercise, and metaphorically, like running a business. Just like 'to run' in English, '跑' is a very versatile and commonly used word in Chinese, making it a highly useful word to know.
距离 (jù lí)
In Chinese, '距离' is used to mention physical distance between two things, be it people, places, or things. It can be used both in a literal and abstract sense. For example, in a sentence '我和他的距离很远' means 'The distance between him and I is very far.'
跟随 (gēn suí)
The Chinese word '跟随' is used to mean 'follow', the same way it is used in English. It can be used in a context where you are describing a person or thing that is moving behind or in the same direction as another person or thing, either a short distance behind them or changing direction the same way the followed object does.
路 (lù)
In Chinese, the word '路' refers to road. Similar to English, the word can be used in a variety of contexts such as referring to the physical path or a figurative path in life. '路' is commonly used in daily conversation.
路径 (lù jìng)
In Chinese, '路径' is used quite similarly to the English 'path'. It can refer to a physical trail or route to be followed, or metaphorically refer to a course of action or way of achieving something. For instance, in exploring one's career 'path', the term 'career path' can be translated to '职业路径'.
Example sentences with 路径 →跳 (tiào)
The Chinese word '跳' is used to express the action of leaping or jumping. It can be used in various contexts similar to in English such as 'jumping for joy' (高兴地跳跃) or 'jumping into conclusions' (草率地下结论). It is also frequently used to denote ‘to skip’, like skipping a meal (跳过一餐).
跳舞 (tiào wǔ)
The Chinese word for dance is '跳舞'. In context, it conveys the act or skill of dancing. It can be used in various contexts just like in English. For instance, 我爱跳舞 (Wǒ ài tiàowǔ) translates to 'I love to dance'.
Example sentences with 跳舞 →跳跃 (tiào yuè)
跳跃 is the Chinese translation for the English word 'jump'. It is a verb and used to express the action of propelling oneself upwards or over a distance, typically into the air, by sudden muscular effort. In everyday conversation, it can be used in different contexts such as physical activities, emotional states, and transitions.
Example sentences with 跳跃 →踢 (tī)
踢 is the Chinese word for 'Kick'. It mainly refers to striking or propelling forcibly with the foot. It can be used in different contexts ranging from sports, like '踢球' (kick the ball) or '踢足球' (play football), to expressions like '踢开' (kick open).
Example sentences with 踢 →身体 (shēn tǐ)
The Chinese word '身体' corresponds to the English word 'body'. It is used almost identically to its English equivalent, referring to the physical structure of a person or an animal, including the bones, flesh, and organs. Just like in English, it can be used in various contexts and expressions, as in '身体健康' which means good health.
身体上 (shēn tǐ shàng)
The Chinese phrase '身体上' is a direct translation of 'physically', it refers to anything relating to the body as opposed to the mind. For instance, if you are physically tired, it means your body, not your mind, is tired.
Example sentences with 身体上 →车库 (chē kù)
The Chinese word for 'garage' is '车库'. It is commonly used in the same way as in English, to refer to a building or space where vehicles, such as cars and bicycles, are kept. It can also be used metaphorically to refer to a place where things are developed or stored.
车站 (chē zhàn)
In Chinese, '车站' refers to a place specifically designed for vehicles like trains or buses to allow passengers to board or exit. It is used in the same way as we use the word 'station' in English. For example, you can say '我在车站等你' which means 'I will wait for you at the station'.
车辆 (chē liàng)
In Chinese, '车辆' is used to refer to any wheeled vehicle that moves people or items from one place to another, like cars, buses, or trucks. It can also be used in a broader sense to include any type of transportation machine, like a bicycle or even a horse-drawn carriage.
Example sentences with 车辆 →轨道 (guǐ dào)
The Chinese term '轨道' is used for representing the English word 'track'. It is commonly applied in train tracks, music tracks, or even tracking a path or course. Beside physical tracks, this term can also metaphorically describe the path someone takes in life or career.
Example sentences with 轨道 →转 (zhuǎn)
The Chinese word '转' represents the concept of 'turn.' It is used in a variety of contexts, such as instructing someone to change direction ('turn right' = '向右转'), changing one's mindset ('turn over a new leaf' = '改头换面'), or changing a situation ('things have taken a turn for the worse' = '情况转坏').
转变 (zhuǎn biàn)
In Chinese, '转变' is used to express the change from one thing to another. It usually describes a transformation or change in nature, behavior, or form. For example, you could use '转变' to talk about a person changing their opinions, a change in the weather, or the process of a caterpillar turning into a butterfly.
Example sentences with 转变 →转移 (Zhuǎn yí)
In Chinese, '转移' is used to depict the process of moving or changing the position of something or someone. It can be used in various contexts such as work, study, and daily life. It can also refer to the action of diverting one's attention or focus from one thing to a different thing.
轮子 (lúnzi)
The Chinese word for wheel is '轮子' (lúnzi). It can be used in a variety of contexts, just like in English. For instance, in describing parts of a vehicle, in phrases like 'ferris wheel', and also metaphorically in expressions such as 'reinvent the wheel'.
软件 (ruǎnjiàn)
In Chinese, '软件' is the equivalent word for 'software'. It is used to refer to the programs used to operate computers and related devices. Unlike hardware, which represents the physical aspects of a computer, software represents the virtual components and programs running on the machine.
轻微 (qīng wēi)
In Mandarin Chinese, the word '轻微' (qīng wēi) is used to refer to something that is minor, small or slight. It can be used in many different contexts, such as describing a slight change, a slight smile, or a slight error. It can be used similarly to the way 'slight' is used in English.
Example sentences with 轻微 →轻松 (qīngsōng)
轻松 is used in Chinese to denote the concept of being relaxed or at ease, stress-free, or comfortable. It can be used in a variety of contexts such as describing a person's mood, the difficulty level of a task, or the nature of a situation.
Example sentences with 轻松 →较低 (jiào dī)
The Chinese word '较低' is used similarly to the English term 'lower'. It can be used to refer to a position, level, or value that is lesser than another, or it can describe the action of reduction or the act of bringing something down. Just like in English, it is context-dependent and can be used in various grammatical constructions.
Example sentences with 较低 →辉煌 (huīhuáng)
In Chinese, '辉煌' (huīhuáng) is used to describe something which is magnificent or outstanding. It is often used to describe an accomplishment, a beautiful scene or object, or even a period of time, such as a 'brilliant era'. Just like in English, it can be used in a variety of contexts.
Example sentences with 辉煌 →输 (shū)
The Chinese word '输' is used similar to the English word 'lose'. It could be used in contexts such as losing a game, a battle, or any competition. It can also mean to be inferior or weaker than others. However, it does not usually include the meaning of losing objects.
输入 (shūrù)
The Chinese word '输入' is often used in the context of entering information, such as typed data into a computer, much like its English equivalent, 'enter'. It is not commonly used for physically entering a space, as 'enter' may be used in English.
Example sentences with 输入 →