I created this list to
help me study
Mandarin Chinese using Pimsleur's self-instructional audio. The
Pimsleur technique stresses learning by listening, but it is convenient
from time to time to be able to be able to look up a word you have
forgotten.
The list is by no means complete. The vocabulary is from
Mandarin I and
the beginning of Mandarin II. Most entries come from CEDICT.
A few I
constructed myself.
| 因為 | 因为 | yīn wéi | /because/owing to/on account of/ |
| 可是 | |
kě shì | /but/however/ |
| 真 | |
zhēn | /real/true/genuine/ |
| 然後 | 然后 | rán hòu | /after/then (afterwards)/after that/afterwards/ |
| 為什麼 | 为什么 | wèi shěn me | /why/for what reason/ |
| 幾點 | 几点 | jī diǎn | /what time?/when?/ |
| 甚 | 什 | shén | /what/ |
| 甚麼 | 甚么 | shén me | /what/ |
| 甚麼是 | 甚么是 | shén me shì | /what is ...?/ |
| 跟 | |
gēn | /to follow/to go with/heel/with/and/ |
| 一起 | |
yì qǐ | /together/ |
| 不 | |
bù | /(negative prefix)/not/no/ |
| 也 | |
yě | /also/too/ |
| 對不起 | 对不起 | duì bù qì | /I'm sorry/pardon me/forgive me/ |
| 請問 | 请问 | qǐng wèn | /may I ask.../ |
| 或者 | |
huò zhě | /or/possibly/maybe/perhaps/ |
| 請 | 请 | qǐng | /to ask/to invite/please (do sth)/to treat (to a meal, etc)/to request/ |
| 太 | |
tài | /highest/greatest/too (much)/very/extremely/ |
| 貴 | 贵 | guì | /expensive/noble/your (name)/precious/ |
| 很 | |
hěn | /very/extremely/ |
| 很多 | |
hěn duō | /very many/very much/great (quantity)/ |
| 一點兒 | 一点儿 | yī dianr3 | /a bit/a little/ |
| 彀 | |
gòu | /enough/ |
| 大 | |
dà | /big/huge/large/ major/great/wide/ deep/oldest/eldest/ |
| 快 | |
kuài | /fast/quick/swift/ |
| 長 | 长 | cháng | /length/long/ forever/always/ constantly/ |
| 短 | |
duǎn | /lack/short/ |
| 總是 | 总是 | zǒng shì | /always/ |
| 從來不 | 从来不 | cóng lái bù | /never/ |
| 有時候 | 有时候 | yǒu shí hou | /sometimes/ |
| 先生 | |
xiān sheng | /sir/mister/teacher/(title of respect)/ |
| 太太 | |
tài tai | /married woman/Mrs./Madam/wife/ |
| 人 | |
rén | /man/person/people/ |
| 兒子 | 儿子 | er2 zi | /son/ |
| 女兒 | 女儿 | nǚ er2 | /daughter/ |
| 家人 | |
jiā rén | /household/(one's) family/ |
| 朋友 | |
péng you | /friend/ |
| 小孩 | |
xiǎo hái | /child/ |
| 同事 | |
tóng shì | /colleague/co-worker/ |
| 喫 | 吃 | chī | /eat/ |
| 有 | |
yǒu | /to have/there is/there are/to exist/to be/ |
| 喜歡 | 喜欢 | xǐ huan | /to like/to be fond of/ |
| 想 | |
xiǎng | /to think/to believe/to suppose/to wish/to want/to miss/ |
| 叫 | |
jiào | /to (be) call(ed)/ |
| 去 | |
qù | /to go/to leave/to remove/ |
| 買 | 买 | mǎi | /buy/ |
| 看 | |
kàn | /it depends/think/to see/to look at/ |
| 開 | 开 | kāi | /open/operate (vehicle)/start/ |
| 關 | 关 | guān | /(surname)/mountain pass/to close/to shut/to turn off/to concern/to involve/ |
| 開門 | 开门 | kāi mén | /open (the) door/ |
| 待 | |
dāi | /stay/delay/ |
| 住 | |
zhù | /to live/to dwell/to reside/to stop/ |
| 認識 | 认识 | rèn shi | /be acquainted with (a person)/to know/to be familiar with/to recognize/ |
| 工作 | |
gōng zuò | /job/work/ construction/work/task/ |
| 知道 | |
zhī dao | /know/be aware of/ |
| 明白 | |
míng bai | /clear/obvious/unequivocal/ to understand/to realize/ |
| 喝 | |
hē | /my goodness/to drink/ |
| 去 | |
qù | /to go/to leave/to remove/ |
| 給 | 给 | gěi | /to/for/for the benefit of/to give/to allow/to do sth (for sb)/(passive particle)/ |
| 說 | 说 | shuō | /to speak/to say/ |
| 要 | |
yào | /important/vital/to want/to be going to/must/ |
| 作 | |
zuò | /to regard as/to take (somebody) for/to do/to make/ |
| 叫 | |
jiào | /to (be) call(ed)/ |
| 夠 | 够 | gòu | /to reach/to be enough/ |
| 進 | 进 | jìn | /advance/enter/to come in/ |
| 得 | |
děi | /to have to/must/ought to/to need to/ |
| 見 | 见 | jiàn | /to see/to meet/to appear (to be sth)/to interview/ |
| 我 | |
wǒ | /I/me/myself/ |
| 你 | |
nǐ | /you/ |
| 他 | |
tā | /he/him/ |
| 她 | |
tā | /she/ |
| 牠 | |
tā | /it/ |
| 她們 | 她们 | tā men | /they/them (for females)/ |
| 我們 | 我们 | wǒ men | /we/us/ourselves/ |
| 茶 | |
chá | /tea/tea plant/ |
| 水 | |
shuǐ | /water/river/ |
| 啤酒 | |
pí jiǔ | /beer/ |
| 葡萄酒 | |
pú táo jiǔ | /(grape) wine/ |
| 商店 | |
shāng diàn | /store/shop/ |
| 飯店 | 饭店 | fàn diàn | /restaurant/ |
| 酒店 | |
jiǔ diàn | /wine shop/pub (public house)/ |
| 飛機場 | 飞机场 | fēi jī chǎng | /airport/ |
| 街 | |
jiē | /street/ |
| 道 | |
dào | /direction/way/ method/ road/ path/ principle/ truth/ reason/skill/ method/Tao (of Taoism)/a measure word/to say/to speak/to talk/ |
| 路 | |
lù | /(surname)/road/path/way/ |
| 中國 | 中国 | zhōng guó | /China/Chinese/ |
| 美國 | 美国 | měi guó | /America/American/ United States of America/USA/ |
| 洗手間 | 洗 手间 | xǐ shǒu jiān | /bathroom/"wash hand room" |
| 英文 | |
yīng wén | /English (language)/ |
| 名字 | |
míng zi | /(a person's) name/ |
| 姓 | |
xìng | /surname/family name/name/ |
| 東西 | 东西 | dōng xi | /thing/person/ |
| 飛機 | 飞机 | fēi jī | /airplane/ |
| 班期 | |
bān qī | /schedule (for flight, voyage, etc.)/ |
| 午飯 | 午饭 | wǔ fàn | /lunch/ |
| 晚飯 | 晚饭 | wǎn fàn | /supper/ |
| 字 | |
zì | /letter/symbol/ character/word/ |
| 門 | 门 | mén | /opening/door/ gate/doorway/ gateway/valve/ switch/ way
to do
something/ knack/ family/house/(religious) sect/school (of thought)/class/ category/phylum or division (taxonomy)/ |
| 英文 | |
yīng wén | /English (language)/ |
| 普通話 | 普通话 | pǔ tōng huà | /Mandarin (common language)/Putonghua (common speech of the Chinese language)/ |
| 工作 | |
gōng zuò | /job/work/construction /work/task/ |
| 錢 | 钱 | qián | /(surname)/coin/money/ |
| 港幣 | 港币 | gǎng bì | /Hong Kong currency/Hong Kong dollar/ |
| 公共汽車 | 公共汽车 | gōng gòng qì chē | /bus/ |
| 右邊 | 右边 | yòu biān | /right (as opposed to left)/ |
| 左邊 |
左边 | zuǒ biān | /left/ |
| 遠 | 远 | yuǎn | /far/distant/remote/ |
| 前 | |
qián | /before/in front/ago/former/previous/earlier/front/ |
| 昨天 | |
zuó tiān | /yesterday/ |
| 今天 | |
jīn tiān | /today/at the present/now/ |
| 明天 | |
míng tiān | /tomorrow/ |
| 早上 | |
zǎo shang | /early morning/ |
| 晚上 | |
wǎn shang | /in the evening/ |
| 現在 | 现在 | xiàn zài | /modern/current/present/at present/now/nowadays/ |
| 天 | |
tiān | /day/sky/heaven/ |
| 星期 | |
xīng qī | /week/ |
| 年 | |
nián | /year/ |
| 時間 | 时间 | shí jiān | /time/period/ |
| 有時間 | 有时间 | yǒu shí jiān | /to have time/ |
| 杯 | |
bēi | /cup/a measure word/ |
| 條 | 条 | tiáo | /measure word for long, thin things (i.e. ribbon, river, etc.)/a strip/item/article/ |
| 塊 | 块 | kuài | /yuan (unit of currency)/fast (of a
watch)/swift/rapid/happy/ joyful/soon/quick/(a measure word, for cloth, cake, soap)/ |
| 個 | 个 | gè | /(a measure word)/individual/ |
| 一 | |
yī | /one/single/a(n)/ |
| 二 | |
er4 | /two/ |
| 兩 | 两 | liǎng | /both/two/ounce/some/a few/tael/ |
| 三 | |
sān | /three/ |
| 四 | |
sì | /four/ |
| 五 | |
wǔ | /five/5/ |
| 六 | |
liù | /six/ |
| 七 | |
qī | /seven/7/ |
| 八 | |
bā | /eight/8/ |
| 九 | |
jiǔ | /nine/9/ |
| 十 | |
shí | /ten/ |
| 百 | |
bǎi | /hundred/ |
| 千 | |
qiān | /thousand/ |