Toys and Games in Traditional Chinese

Quick, useful vocab you’ll actually say — with pinyin, meanings, and real examples. 玩具和遊戲

Here’s your go-to list for talking about toys, games, and all the little moments that happen when people actually play (yes, including “your turn” and “don’t cheat”).

Every item has Traditional Chinese, pinyin with tone marks, an English meaning, and a sentence you can steal for real life. Tap the speaker buttons to hear Taiwan Mandarin (zh-TW).

Yak Snark

If you only learn one thing today: Chinese has multiple verbs for “play.” English says “play” for everything; Mandarin says “pick a lane.” You’ll survive. Probably.

Quick Visual Cards

High-utility words first. These show up everywhere: toy stores, playgrounds, and living rooms full of LEGO… sorry, 積木.

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玩具

wánjù

toy

我買了一個新玩具。

Wǒ mǎi le yí gè xīn wánjù.

I bought a new toy.

遊戲

yóuxì

game

這個遊戲很好玩。

Zhège yóuxì hěn hǎowán.

This game is really fun.

積木

jīmù

building blocks

他用積木蓋了一座塔。

Tā yòng jīmù gài le yí zuò tǎ.

He built a tower with blocks.

拼圖

píntú

jigsaw puzzle

我們一起拼圖吧。

Wǒmen yìqǐ píntú ba.

Let’s do the puzzle together.

娃娃

wáwa

doll

這個娃娃有一頂小帽子。

Zhège wáwa yǒu yì dǐng xiǎo màozi.

This doll has a little hat.

撲克牌

pūkèpái

playing cards

你會玩撲克牌嗎？

Nǐ huì wán pūkèpái ma?

Do you know how to play cards?

棋

qí

board game / chess (general)

他很愛下棋。

Tā hěn ài xià qí.

He really likes playing board games/chess.

電玩

diànwán

video game(s)

週末我想打電玩。

Zhōumò wǒ xiǎng dǎ diànwán.

I want to play video games this weekend.

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Useful Play Phrases You’ll Actually Say

Steal these for game night, playground time, or “I’m totally not competitive” situations.

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一起玩！

yìqǐ wán!

Let’s play together!

一起玩拼圖，好嗎？

Yìqǐ wán píntú, hǎo ma?

Let’s do the puzzle together, okay?

你想玩什麼？

nǐ xiǎng wán shénme?

What do you want to play?

你想玩桌遊還是打電玩？

Nǐ xiǎng wán zhuōyóu háishì dǎ diànwán?

Do you want to play a board game or play video games?

我們玩這個吧。

wǒmen wán zhège ba.

Let’s play this one.

這個規則很簡單，我們玩這個吧。

Zhège guīzé hěn jiǎndān, wǒmen wán zhège ba.

The rules are simple—let’s play this one.

你先。

nǐ xiān.

You go first.

你先擲骰子。

Nǐ xiān zhì tóuzi.

You roll the dice first.

我先。

wǒ xiān.

I’ll go first.

我先發牌，你幫我洗牌。

Wǒ xiān fāpái, nǐ bāng wǒ xǐpái.

I’ll deal first; help me shuffle.

輪到你了。

lúndào nǐ le.

It’s your turn.

輪到你了，快點！

Lúndào nǐ le, kuài diǎn!

Your turn—hurry up!

這是我的回合。

zhè shì wǒ de huíhé.

It’s my turn.

等一下，這是我的回合。

Děng yíxià, zhè shì wǒ de huíhé.

Wait a sec, it’s my turn.

別作弊。

bié zuòbì.

Don’t cheat.

要公平一點，別作弊。

Yào gōngpíng yìdiǎn, bié zuòbì.

Be fair—don’t cheat.

再來一局！

zàilái yì jú!

One more round!

這局太快了，再來一局！

Zhè jú tài kuài le, zàilái yì jú!

That round was too fast—one more!

我贏了！

wǒ yíng le!

I won!

我贏了，但你也打得很好。

Wǒ yíng le, dàn nǐ yě dǎ de hěn hǎo.

I won, but you played really well too.

我輸了。

wǒ shū le.

I lost.

我輸了，下一局我會更專心。

Wǒ shū le, xià yì jú wǒ huì gèng zhuānxīn.

I lost—next round I’ll focus more.

平手！

píngshǒu!

It’s a tie!

這局平手，我們再來一次。

Zhè jú píngshǒu, wǒmen zàilái yí cì.

This round is a tie—let’s do it again.

你準備好了嗎？

nǐ zhǔnbèi hǎo le ma?

Are you ready?

你準備好了嗎？我們要開始了。

Nǐ zhǔnbèi hǎo le ma? Wǒmen yào kāishǐ le.

Are you ready? We’re starting.

規則很簡單。

guīzé hěn jiǎndān.

The rules are simple.

規則很簡單，你看一次就懂。

Guīzé hěn jiǎndān, nǐ kàn yí cì jiù dǒng.

The rules are simple—you’ll get it after watching once.

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The “Play” Trio: 玩 / 打 / 下

English says “play” for everything. Mandarin splits it up: 玩 is for playing with toys or for fun in general, 打 is often for sports or video games, and 下 is for board games like chess and Go.

Tiny cheatsheet: 玩玩具 (play with toys), 打電玩 (play video games), 下象棋 (play Chinese chess). Your brain may complain. Ignore it.

Table of Words

Grouped by theme so your brain doesn’t rage-quit.

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Classic Toys and Indoor Fun

Traditional Chinese	Pinyin	Meaning (EN)	Example (ZH)	Translation (EN)
玩具熊	wánjùxióng	teddy bear	她抱著玩具熊睡覺。Tā bào zhe wánjùxióng shuìjiào.	She sleeps hugging a teddy bear.
玩偶	wán’ǒu	plush toy / doll	這個玩偶很柔軟。Zhège wán’ǒu hěn róuruǎn.	This plush toy is very soft.
洋娃娃	yángwáwa	doll (often “fashion” style)	我小時候很喜歡洋娃娃。Wǒ xiǎoshíhou hěn xǐhuān yángwáwa.	I liked dolls a lot when I was little.
機器人	jīqìrén	robot	這個機器人會走路。Zhège jīqìrén huì zǒulù.	This robot can walk.
拼裝模型	pīnzhuāng móxíng	model kit (assemble-it-yourself)	他花了兩小時拼裝模型。Tā huā le liǎng xiǎoshí pīnzhuāng móxíng.	He spent two hours assembling a model kit.
彩色黏土	cǎisè niántǔ	modeling clay	我們用彩色黏土做小動物。Wǒmen yòng cǎisè niántǔ zuò xiǎo dòngwù.	We use modeling clay to make little animals.
蠟筆	làbǐ	crayons	孩子用蠟筆畫彩虹。Háizi yòng làbǐ huà cǎihóng.	The kid draws a rainbow with crayons.
畫筆	huàbǐ	paintbrush	請把畫筆洗乾淨。Qǐng bǎ huàbǐ xǐ gānjìng.	Please wash the paintbrush clean.
著色本	zhuósèběn	coloring book	這本著色本很可愛。Zhè běn zhuósèběn hěn kě’ài.	This coloring book is very cute.
手偶	shǒu’ǒu	hand puppet	他用手偶講故事。Tā yòng shǒu’ǒu jiǎng gùshì.	He uses a hand puppet to tell a story.

Outdoor Toys and Playground Stuff

Traditional Chinese	Pinyin	Meaning (EN)	Example (ZH)	Translation (EN)
風箏	fēngzhēng	kite	今天風很大，適合放風箏。Jīntiān fēng hěn dà, shìhé fàng fēngzhēng.	It’s windy today—good for flying a kite.
泡泡	pàopào	bubbles	小朋友在吹泡泡。Xiǎopéngyǒu zài chuī pàopào.	The kids are blowing bubbles.
泡泡棒	pàopào bàng	bubble wand	這支泡泡棒可以吹很大的泡泡。Zhè zhī pàopào bàng kěyǐ chuī hěn dà de pàopào.	This bubble wand can make huge bubbles.
水槍	shuǐqiāng	water gun / squirt gun	夏天打水槍很涼快。Xiàtiān dǎ shuǐqiāng hěn liángkuài.	Playing with water guns feels refreshing in summer.
跳繩	tiàoshéng	jump rope	她每天跳繩十分鐘。Tā měitiān tiàoshéng shí fēnzhōng.	She jumps rope for ten minutes every day.
呼拉圈	hūlāquān	hula hoop	我轉呼拉圈轉得不錯。Wǒ zhuǎn hūlāquān zhuǎn de búcuò.	I’m pretty good at spinning a hula hoop.
溜溜球	liūliūqiú	yo-yo	他會用溜溜球做花式。Tā huì yòng liūliūqiú zuò huāshì.	He can do tricks with a yo-yo.
陀螺	tuóluó	spinning top	這個陀螺可以轉很久。Zhège tuóluó kěyǐ zhuǎn hěn jiǔ.	This spinning top can spin for a long time.
彈珠	dànzhū	marbles	他收集了很多顆彈珠。Tā shōují le hěn duō kē dànzhū.	He collected lots of marbles.
盪鞦韆	dàngqiūqiān	swing	我們去公園盪鞦韆。Wǒmen qù gōngyuán dàngqiūqiān.	Let’s go to the park and swing.
翹翹板	qiàoqiàobǎn	seesaw	兩個人一起玩翹翹板。Liǎng gè rén yìqǐ wán qiàoqiàobǎn.	Two people play on the seesaw together.

Board Games and Card Games

Traditional Chinese	Pinyin	Meaning (EN)	Example (ZH)	Translation (EN)
桌遊	zhuōyóu	board game(s)	今晚我們玩桌遊。Jīnwǎn wǒmen wán zhuōyóu.	Tonight we’re playing board games.
棋盤	qípán	game board	把棋盤放在桌上。Bǎ qípán fàng zài zhuō shàng.	Put the board on the table.
棋子	qízi	game pieces	你的棋子在這裡。Nǐ de qízi zài zhèlǐ.	Your pieces are here.
象棋	xiàngqí	Chinese chess (Xiangqi)	我爸爸很會下象棋。Wǒ bàba hěn huì xià xiàngqí.	My dad is really good at Xiangqi.
圍棋	wéiqí	Go	他每週都去學圍棋。Tā měi zhōu dōu qù xué wéiqí.	He learns Go every week.
五子棋	wǔzǐqí	gomoku (five-in-a-row)	我們下五子棋，一局很快。Wǒmen xià wǔzǐqí, yì jú hěn kuài.	Let’s play gomoku—one round is quick.
跳棋	tiàoqí	Chinese checkers	你想玩跳棋嗎？Nǐ xiǎng wán tiàoqí ma?	Do you want to play Chinese checkers?
撲克牌	pūkèpái	playing cards	我帶了兩副撲克牌。Wǒ dài le liǎng fù pūkèpái.	I brought two decks of cards.
牌組	páizǔ	deck (of cards)	這個牌組有五十二張牌。Zhè ge páizǔ yǒu wǔshí’èr zhāng pái.	This deck has 52 cards.
洗牌	xǐpái	shuffle (cards)	先洗牌，再發牌。Xiān xǐpái, zài fāpái.	Shuffle first, then deal.
發牌	fāpái	deal cards	我來發牌，你來記分。Wǒ lái fāpái, nǐ lái jìfēn.	I’ll deal; you keep score.
骰子	tóuzi	dice	骰子掉到地上了。Tóuzi diào dào dìshàng le.	The dice fell on the floor.
擲骰子	zhì tóuzi	roll the dice	輪到你擲骰子。Lúndào nǐ zhì tóuzi.	It’s your turn to roll.
規則	guīzé	rules	先講清楚規則。Xiān jiǎng qīngchǔ guīzé.	Explain the rules clearly first.

Kids’ Games and Playground Games

Traditional Chinese	Pinyin	Meaning (EN)	Example (ZH)	Translation (EN)
捉迷藏	zhuōmícáng	hide-and-seek	小朋友在玩捉迷藏。Xiǎopéngyǒu zài wán zhuōmícáng.	The kids are playing hide-and-seek.
鬼抓人	guǐ zhuā rén	tag (Taiwan usage)	你當鬼，我們玩鬼抓人。Nǐ dāng guǐ, wǒmen wán guǐ zhuā rén.	You’re “it”—let’s play tag.
猜拳	cāiquán	rock-paper-scissors	我們猜拳決定誰先。Wǒmen cāiquán juédìng shéi xiān.	Let’s decide who goes first with rock-paper-scissors.
剪刀石頭布	jiǎndāo shítou bù	rock-paper-scissors (full chant)	剪刀石頭布！一、二、三！Jiǎndāo shítou bù! Yī, èr, sān!	Rock-paper-scissors! One, two, three!
踢毽子	tī jiànzi	kick shuttlecock	我們在操場踢毽子。Wǒmen zài cāochǎng tī jiànzi.	We kick shuttlecock on the playground.
丟沙包	diū shābāo	beanbag toss (game)	他們在丟沙包，比誰丟得準。Tāmen zài diū shābāo, bǐ shéi diū de zhǔn.	They’re playing beanbag toss, seeing who’s more accurate.

Video Games and Tech Stuff

Traditional Chinese	Pinyin	Meaning (EN)	Example (ZH)	Translation (EN)
電子遊戲	diànzǐ yóuxì	electronic game(s)	我比較喜歡合作的電子遊戲。Wǒ bǐjiào xǐhuān hézuò de diànzǐ yóuxì.	I prefer co-op electronic games.
遊戲機	yóuxìjī	game console	這台遊戲機是我生日禮物。Zhè tái yóuxìjī shì wǒ shēngrì lǐwù.	This console is my birthday gift.
主機	zhǔjī	console (main unit)	主機要接上電視。Zhǔjī yào jiē shàng diànshì.	The console needs to connect to the TV.
掌機	zhǎngjī	handheld console	我出門會帶掌機。Wǒ chūmén huì dài zhǎngjī.	I bring my handheld when I go out.
手把	shǒubǎ	controller (Taiwan usage)	手把沒電了，我去充電。Shǒubǎ méi diàn le, wǒ qù chōngdiàn.	The controller is out of battery—I’ll charge it.
搖桿	yáogǎn	joystick	這個搖桿手感很好。Zhège yáogǎn shǒugǎn hěn hǎo.	This joystick feels great.
遊戲卡	yóuxìkǎ	game card / cartridge	我的遊戲卡放在哪裡？Wǒ de yóuxìkǎ fàng zài nǎlǐ?	Where did I put my game card?
下載	xiàzài	download	我正在下載新遊戲。Wǒ zhèngzài xiàzài xīn yóuxì.	I’m downloading a new game.
更新	gēngxīn	update	遊戲需要更新才能玩。Yóuxì xūyào gēngxīn cái néng wán.	The game needs an update before you can play.
連線	liánxiàn	connect / online	今天網路很慢，連線一直斷。Jīntiān wǎnglù hěn màn, liánxiàn yìzhí duàn.	The internet is slow—my connection keeps dropping.
多人模式	duōrén móshì	multiplayer mode	這款遊戲的多人模式很有趣。Zhè kuǎn yóuxì de duōrén móshì hěn yǒuqù.	This game’s multiplayer mode is fun.
單人模式	dānrén móshì	single-player mode	我先玩單人模式練習。Wǒ xiān wán dānrén móshì liànxí.	I’ll practice in single-player mode first.
關卡	guānqiǎ	level / stage	這一關卡有點難。Zhè yì guānqiǎ yǒudiǎn nán.	This level is a bit hard.
任務	rènwù	mission / quest	我還沒完成今天的任務。Wǒ hái méi wánchéng jīntiān de rènwù.	I haven’t finished today’s quest yet.
隊友	duìyǒu	teammate	我的隊友很可靠。Wǒ de duìyǒu hěn kěkào.	My teammate is reliable.
合作	hézuò	cooperate / co-op	我們合作比較容易過關。Wǒmen hézuò bǐjiào róngyì guòguān.	Cooperating makes it easier to clear the level.

Game Actions, Turns, and Results

Traditional Chinese	Pinyin	Meaning (EN)	Example (ZH)	Translation (EN)
玩	wán	to play (general / with toys)	下課後我們去玩。Xiàkè hòu wǒmen qù wán.	After class, we’re going to play.
打	dǎ	to play (sports / video games)	你要不要打籃球？Nǐ yào búyào dǎ lánqiú?	Do you want to play basketball?
下	xià	to play (chess / Go)	我們下象棋吧。Wǒmen xià xiàngqí ba.	Let’s play Xiangqi.
回合	huíhé	turn (in a game)	每個回合只能走一步。Měi gè huíhé zhǐ néng zǒu yí bù.	Each turn you can only move one step.
開始	kāishǐ	start / begin	準備好就開始。Zhǔnbèi hǎo jiù kāishǐ.	Start when you’re ready.
結束	jiéshù	end / finish	時間到了，遊戲結束。Shíjiān dào le, yóuxì jiéshù.	Time’s up—the game is over.
暫停	zàntíng	pause	等一下，我要暫停一下。Děng yíxià, wǒ yào zàntíng yíxià.	Hold on, I need to pause.
重新開始	chóngxīn kāishǐ	restart	按這個就能重新開始。Àn zhège jiù néng chóngxīn kāishǐ.	Press this to restart.
贏	yíng	to win	想贏就要冷靜。Xiǎng yíng jiù yào lěngjìng.	If you want to win, stay calm.
輸	shū	to lose	輸了也沒關係，重點是好玩。Shū le yě méi guānxì, zhòngdiǎn shì hǎowán.	Losing is fine—the point is to have fun.
作弊	zuòbì	to cheat	作弊不酷。Zuòbì bù kù.	Cheating isn’t cool.
耍賴	shuǎlài	to be a sore loser / not admit defeat	輸了別耍賴。Shū le bié shuǎlài.	If you lose, don’t be a sore loser.

Optional Variants: Super Useful Measure Words

Traditional Chinese	Pinyin	Meaning (EN)	Example (ZH)	Translation (EN)
一個玩具	yí gè wánjù	one toy (個 = general classifier)	我想買一個玩具送你。Wǒ xiǎng mǎi yí gè wánjù sòng nǐ.	I want to buy a toy as a gift for you.
一副撲克牌	yí fù pūkèpái	one deck of cards (副)	你有沒有一副撲克牌？Nǐ yǒu méiyǒu yí fù pūkèpái?	Do you have a deck of cards?
一盤棋	yì pán qí	one game (round) of chess/Go (盤)	我們再下一盤棋。Wǒmen zài xià yì pán qí.	Let’s play one more game of chess/Go.
一台遊戲機	yì tái yóuxìjī	one console (台)	家裡只有一台遊戲機。Jiālǐ zhǐyǒu yì tái yóuxìjī.	There’s only one console at home.
一套拼圖	yí tào píntú	one set of puzzles (套)	這一套拼圖有一千片。Zhè yí tào píntú yǒu yì qiān piàn.	This puzzle set has 1,000 pieces.

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