Word Bank

These are the words I currently “know” in Mandarin Chinese. By “know,” I mean I can recall about 90% of them (painfully slowly) from memory to speak them. I can recognize nearly 100% of them when they are spoken aloud or written in pinyin.

I can recall and recognize all the pronouns and nearly all of the numbers so haven’t included them in the list.

I have listed the words in alphabetical order except when I have difficulty differentiating and note those words in parentheses. Words I know that are not on the HSK 1 list, I have noted with an asterisk.

ai4 – to love
ba4ba – father
bai3* – hundred; yi4 bai3 – one hundred
bu4 – not, negative
Bu2 ke4 qi – You are welcome. (Not need to be so polite.)
cai4 – dish, type of food
ce4 suo3* – restroom
cha2 – tea
chi1 – eat
chi1 fan4* – to eat a meal
chong2 zi* – worm
da4 – big
dian3 – spot, o’clock (I’m weak with time, time of day, week, month, etc.)
dong1 xi – thing
dou1 – all, both
duo1 da4 le – how old?
er2 zi – son
fan4 dian4 – restaurant [hotel 酒店 jiu3 dian4 or旅馆 lv3 guan3]
fei1 chang2 hao3* – extremely good
gao1 xing4 – happy, glad
gong1 gong4 qi4 che1* – bus
gou3 – dog
han4 yu3 – Chinese language
han4 zi4* – Chinese characters
hao3 – good
hao3 chi1 – tastes good; delicious food
hao3 he1 – delicious beverage
he1 – drink
he2 – and
hen3 – very
huì zuò fàn* – 会做饭 – able to cook food

(Nǐ huì zuò zhōng guó fàn ma?* – 你会做中国饭 – Are you able to cook Chinese food?)

huo3 guo1* – hot pot, lit. “fire pot”
jia1 – home, family
ka1 fei1* – coffee
kan4 – to look, to read
kan4 jian4 – to see (to emphasize the result, i.e. to look, then to see); to catch a glimpse of, to catch sight of
ke3 le4* – cola
kou3* – mouth
lao3 shi1 – teacher
leng3 – cold
liang3* – measure word for two (example: two pieces of paper 两张纸 liang3 zhang1 zhi3)
ling2* – zero
ma1 ma – mother
ma – question word
mao1 – cat
Mei2 guan1 xi – That’s okay. It doesn’t matter. (In response to “I’m sorry.)
(Dui4 bu4 qi3 – I’m sorry.)
(Bu2 ke4 qi – You are welcome.)
Mei3 guo2* – America
mei4 mei* – younger sister
mei2 you3 – don’t have, not
mi3 fan4 – cooked rice
ming2 zi – name
nai3 nai* – paternal grandmother
nǚ’ér – daughter
peng2 you – friend
piao4 liang – pretty
ping2 guo3 – apple
qian2 – money
(kuai1* – colloquial word for money)
qing3 – please
qu4 – to go
(chi1 – to eat)
(zou3* – to walk)
(zuo4 – to sit)
(zuo4 – to do)
(zhu4 – to live)
re4 – hot
ren2 – person
shang4 – up, above
(xia4 – down, below)
shen2 me – what
(ni3 jiao4 shen2 me ming2 zi – What’s your name?)

shi4 是 – to be, yes
(shi4 试 – to try)
(shi2 – ten)

shui3 – water
shui3 guo3 – fruit
shuo1 – speak, say
tai4 – too / tai4 gui4 le* – too expensive
ting1 – listen
wei4 – hello
xi3 huan1 – like
xia4 wu3 hao3 – good afternoon
xian1 sheng – mister
xiang3 – to want, to like
xiao3 – small
(shao3 – little, few)
(yi4 xie1 – some, a few)
xie4 xie – thank you
(xie3 – write)
(yi4 xie1 – some, a few)
xue4 sheng – student
(xian1 sheng) – mister
xi1 gua1* – watermelon, western fruit
yi4 dian3 – a little
zhuo1 zi – desk, table (recognize maybe, not recall)
ye3* – also, too
you3 – have
yue4 – moon, month
zai4 jian4 – goodbye
zai4 – in, on, at
(ni3 zai4 na3 li3 – Where are you?)
zen3 me yang4 – How about things?
Zhong1 guo2 – China

I am using this resource to work on learning these:

hui4 – know how to as a result of training
neng2 – to be able to as a result of earning a credential
(bu4 neng2 – not be able to)
ke3 yi3* – may be allowed to, may have permission to
(bu4 ke3 yi3 – not allowed to)

. . . . .

I am working on adding these garden terms after touring the Hahn Gardens with my local instructor:

huāyuán 花园 – flower garden

càiyuán 菜园 – vegetable garden

huā – 花 – flower
cǎo – 草 – grass
lǜ – 绿  – green
mù – 木 – wood
shù – 树 – tree
(shū – 书 – book)
yǐ zi – 椅子 – chair with back
deng4 zi = bench , backless chair
(zhuō zi – 桌子 – table; desk)
fěn sè  – 粉色 – pink
fěn sè de huā – 粉红色的花 – pink flower
qiáo 桥 – bridge
pùbù 瀑布 – waterfall (water + cloth/curtain)
xiǎohé小河 – stream (small river)
yú 鱼 – fish
yèzi 叶子 – leaf
lǜ yèzi – green leaf
lǜ shù – green tree
shítou 石头 – stone (stone + head)
yùmǐ 玉米 – corn
xīhóngshì 西红柿 – tomato (west + red + persimmon)
xī cān 西餐 – western meal

Directions

zuǒ 左 – left
yòu 右 – right
qiánmiàn 前面 – in front
hòumiàn 后面 – behind
pángbiān 旁边 – side
ai1 zhe 挨着  – next to
li3 mian4 里面- inside
zhong1 jian1 中间- center
zhuǎn 转 – turn

xī 西 – west
dōng 东 – east
běi 北 – north
nán 南 – south

northwest 西北 xi1 bei3
northeast 东北 dong1 bei3
southwest 西南 xi1 nan2
southeast 东南 dong1 nan2

Food

Ni3 e4 bu4 e4? 你 饿 不 饿？

Ni3 yao3 chi1 fan4 ma?

Ni3 xiang2 chi1 shen2 me?

Ru2 guo3 ni3 e4 le…

Ru2 guo3 ni3 bi4 xu1 xuan3 ze2, ni3 xuan3 ze4 xian2 hai2 shi4 tian2?

Rúguǒ nĭ bìxū xuan3 ze2, ni3 xuan3 ze4 mi3 fan4 hai2 shi4 miàntiáo? (Wo3 dou1 xi3 huan1. Wǒ xǐhuān jiā huángyóu de mǐfàn.)

Rúguǒ nĭ bìxū xuănzé, ni3 xuan3 ze4 mi3 fan4 hai2 shi4 miàntiáo ma?

Wǒ fúwùyuán bi4 xu1 shuō, “Fu2 wu4 yuan4, wo3 bu4 neng2 chi1 da4 suan4. Wo bu4 neng2 chi1 la4, xie4 xie4.”

Ni3 bu4 neng2 chi1 fan shen2 me?

Běijīng kǎoyā pèi shénme? Mi3 fan4 hai2 shi4 miàntiáo?

Běijīng kǎoyā pèi shénme fen4 cai4?

Ni3 xi3 huan1 yong4 kuai4 zi3 hai2 shi4 cha1 zi ma?

Ni3 zen3 me yang4 kuai4 zi he3 wan3 tang1 ma?

Ni3 xi3 huan1 jiao3 zi? (Wo3 fei1 chang2 xi3 huan1 jiao3 zi.)

Ni3 xi3 huan1 na3 ge cha2 ma? (Wo3 xi3 huan niu2 nai3 hong2 cha2. Wo3 zui4 xi3 huan1 shi4 ying1 guo3 zao3 fan1 cha2.)

Ni3 xiang3 zai4 zhong1 guo2 fan1 dian4 zhong1 wen2 shuo1 “mian4 tiao2” dan4 ying1 wen2 shuo1 “lo mein” ma?

Ni3 zai4 Blacksburg zhong1 guo2 fan1 dian4 zui4 xi3 huan? Shuang1 long2? Hu2 nan2 wang2? Na3 yi1 ge?

Bei3 jing1 you3 mei guo fan dian ma?

Ni3 qu4 zhe4 ma?

Zhe4 ge hen3 gui4 ma? Tai4 gui4 ma?

. . . . .