Chinese Words: The Beginner’s Guide

Learning any language starts with the basics. Chinese, with many linguistic intricacies, is no exception. Characters, tones, and pronunciation may be challenging to understand all at once. Starting with common Chinese words will lay the foundation for exploring those language complexities. In this article, we’ll offer you a list of essential vocabulary in several categories. So, let’s delve deep into the complex nature of the Chinese spoken language with our beginner’s guide!

Chinese for Beginners: Basic Pronouns and Common Words

To have conversations with other Chinese-speaking people, you’ll need to know how to refer to them correctly. While it’s true that natives frequently omit pronouns when it’s apparent who they are talking to, they do use them to add clarity to their utterances. So, let’s introduce you to basic pronouns.

Personal Pronouns

I, me – 我 (wǒ) “wuh” (with a rising tone)

You – 你 (nǐ) “nee” (with a rising tone)

He, him – 他 (tā) tah (with a flat, high tone)

She, her – 她 (tā) tah (with a flat, high tone)

It – 它 (tā) tah (with a flat, high tone)

You’ve probably already noticed that he/she/it has the same pronunciation. So, how to guess who your interlocutor is talking about? Simply rely on the context. Note: remember that in writing, these pronouns have different characters – he 他, she 她, and it 它. The same goes for the plural form. To say “they,” use the following words with similar intonation:

他们 (tāmen) – a group of males or a mixed-gender group.

她们 (tāmen) – a group of females.

它们 (tāmen) – a group of objects or animals.

The pronunciation is the same for all three: tah-men (with a flat, high tone on “tah”).

Demonstrative Pronouns

This – 这 (zhè) “juh” (with a falling tone)

That – 那 (nà) “nah” (with a falling tone)

These – 这些 (zhèxiē) “juh-shyeh” (with a falling tone on the first syllable and a flat, high tone on the final one)

Those – 那些 (nàxiē) “nah-shyeh” (with a falling tone on the first syllable and a flat, high tone on the last one)

Basic Chinese Words: Essential Verbs and Usage

To start conversations, you’ll need to become acquainted with the Chinese sentence structure. Before delving into the intricacies of grammar, let’s start with the basics – verbs, the essential building blocks of any sentence.

Common Verbs

To be – 是 (shì) “shih” (with a falling tone)

To have – 有 (yǒu) “yo” (with a rising tone)

To go – 去 (qù) “chyoo” (with a falling tone)

To eat – 吃 (chī) “chee” (with a flat, high tone)

To drink – 喝 (hē) “huh” (with a flat, high tone)

To give – 给 (gěi) “gay” (with a falling-rising tone)

Verb Usage in Sentences

• To be 是:

我是美国人。 (Wǒ shì měi guó rén) (Wuh shih may gwor ren) 

I’m American/I’m an American person.

• To have 有:

我有一只猫。(Wǒ yǒu yī zhī māo) (Wuh yo ee jr mow)

I have a cat. 

• To go 去:

我们去公园。(Wǒmen qù gōngyuán) (Wuh-men chyoo gong ywen)

We go to the park.

• To eat 吃:

我喜欢吃水果。(Wǒ xǐhuān chī shuǐguǒ) (Wuh shee-hwahn chir shway gwor)

I like eating fruits.

• To drink 喝:

他喝水。(Tā hē shuǐ) (Tah huh shway)

He drinks water.

• To give 给:

请给我那本书。(Qǐng gěi wǒ nà běn shū) (Ching gay wuh nah ben shoo)

Please give me that book.

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Chinese Phrases and Questions

To have meaningful conversations and get to know other people better, you’ll need to learn how to ask questions. In addition, expanding your lexicon with basic Chinese phrases and words will help you speak like a native. Let’s cover the most frequently used vocabulary options in these categories.

Question Words

What – 什么 (shénme) (shuhn-muh)

When – 什么时候 (shénme shíhòu) (shuhn-muh shee-hoh)

Where – 哪里 (nǎlǐ) (nah-lee)

Who – 谁 (shéi) (shay)

Why – 为什么 (wèishéme) (way-shuh-muh)

How – 怎么 (zěnme) (zen-muh)

These question words work similarly to those in English. For instance, 什么 “what” can fit into different parts of the sentence, like “What is that?” you would say “那是什么？ (nà shì shénme?),” which literally translates to “That is (是) what?” To answer, just replace “what” with the actual thing you’re referring to.

By the way, the second character in 哪里 (where) is 里 (lǐ), which can also be used as a preposition to mean “in.”

Everyday Phrases

Learn common Chinese phrases for greetings and showing politeness:

Hello – 你好 (nǐ hǎo) (nee how)

Thank you – 谢谢 (xièxiè) (shyeah-shyeah)

Sorry – 对不起 (duìbuqǐ) (dway-boo-chee)

Please – 请 (qǐng) (ching)

Look at the following examples of their usage:

你好，我是小龙。(Nǐ hǎo, wǒ shì Xiǎolóng) (Nee how, wuh shir shyao-long) – Hello, I am Xiaolong.

谢谢你的帮助。(Xièxiè nǐ de bāngzhù) (Shyeah-shyeah nee duh bahng-joo) – Thank you for your help.

对不起，我迟到了。(Duìbuqǐ, wǒ chídào le) (Dway-boo-chee, wuh chir-dao luh) – Sorry, I am late.

请给我一杯水。(Qǐng gěi wǒ yī bēi shuǐ) (Ching gay wuh yee bay shway) – Please give me a glass of water.

How to Speak Chinese: Conversational and Contextual Vocabulary

To elevate your Chinese command, you’ll need to learn words that natives commonly use in different settings. This covers ordinary expressions for informal chats and specific themes like job-related technical words or hobby-related jargon. Check out this section to find out how to name things and add more information about objects and people in Chinese.

Everyday Nouns

For a beginner learner, grasping Chinese may be intimidating since there are so many useful words and phrases to pick from. To get you started, here’s a list of nouns to refer to ordinary objects in your daily life.

Home/House – 家 (jiā) (jyah)

Book – 书 (shū) (shoo)

Table – 桌子 (zhuōzi) (jwaw-dzuh)

Chair – 椅子 (yǐzi) (yee-dzuh)

Phone – 手机 (shǒujī) (show-jee)

Water – 水 (shuǐ) (shway)

Car – 车 (chē) (chuh)

Pen – 笔 (bǐ) (bee)

Adjectives and Adverbs

To add more clarity to your utterances, you’ll need to learn basic modifiers, like adjectives and adverbs. Adjectives help provide additional information about the qualities of a noun, while adverbs can change verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs by expressing how, when, and to what extent a specific action happens. Essential words you need to memorize from these categories are as follows:

Good – 好 (hǎo) (how)

Very – 很 (hěn) (hen)

Not – 不 (bù) (boo)

Still/Also – 还 (hái) (high)

This way – 这样 (zhèyàng) (juh-yahng)

These parts of speech help enrich your language. They add more precision to your messages, which makes conversations more lively.

Cultural and Practical Tips

How to say in Chinese? This oriental language is incredibly unique, with long-lasting traditions reflected in its linguistic system. Using the right tones and understanding Pinyin will help you gain a better perception of Chinese culture.

Understanding Pinyin

Pinyin is the Chinese phonetic system that explains words’ correct spelling and pronunciation using the Latin alphabet. It was designed to standardize the spoken language and facilitate learning. This system collects sounds from many Chinese dialects and organizes them into a clear, consistent structure. It includes tone marks to show how each syllable should sound. In addition, you can find other guidelines, including orthography and rudimentary reading rules.

Using Tones Correctly

In Chinese, the tone of your voice defines what you’re actually saying. Each syllable can have one of four tones, shown in Pinyin as ā (high level), á (rising), ǎ (falling-rising), or à (falling). For instance, “mā” (妈) means “mom,” but if you say this very word with a rising tone, “má” (麻) means “hemp.” The same goes with falling-rising and falling tones, like “mǎ” (马) for “horse” and “mà” (骂) for “to scold.” So, using the right tone changes the word’s meaning entirely, so be attentive to those rules.

Promova: Learning Chinese with Programs for Any Taste

Explore Chinese vocabulary with Promova, the one-stop solution for learning the intricacies of Mandarin. Join a vibrant community of eager students to reach your language goals together. Here’s how you can kick off your learning journey with Promova:

• Online courses. The platform allows you to begin a self-paced program with bite-sized lessons on the essential basics and tips about grammar, pronunciation, and orthography.
• Multisensory learning. You can enrich your learning experience with visual and audio materials that facilitate the learning process of Chinese, making it more engaging. 

With Promova, you become a part of a welcoming and empowering community. There’s a basic, free version for essential learning. Opt for the premium subscription if you want a more profound insight into Chinese. Learn Chinese words with valuable content from Promova’s dedicated experts!

Conclusion

Congrats! You’ve just finished a quick lesson on Chinese for beginners! With this essential Chinese word list, you’re all set to level up your fluency. Once you learn those terms and expressions, you’ll have a solid foundation for improving your language skills and accomplishing new achievements.