A personified yak Chinese teacher that teaches living room vocabulary in Chinese for beginners.

Living Room Vocabulary In Chinese

Learn to talk about the living room in simplified Chinese: 客厅 kētīng.

From the sofa to the remote control, these are the words that show up in real homes, real small talk, and real “where did I leave that thing?” moments.

If you can name the things in your living room, you can start making easy Chinese sentences fast. That is a much better use of your time than memorizing obscure textbook words nobody says while hunting for the remote.

Below, you will get high-use living room vocabulary with hanzi, pinyin, English meanings, and example sentences you can actually reuse. Nice and practical. Very little suffering.

Quick Tip: In Chinese, you will often say “in the living room” as 在客厅 zài kètīng. Tiny phrase, huge usefulness.

Core Living Room Words

沙发 shāfā

sofa

沙发很舒服。
Shāfā hěn shūfu.
The sofa is very comfortable.

茶几 chájī

coffee table

杯子在茶几上。
Bēizi zài chájī shàng.
The cup is on the coffee table.

电视 diànshì

television

我们在看电视。
Wǒmen zài kàn diànshì.
We are watching TV.

遥控器 yáokòngqì

remote control

遥控器在哪儿?
Yáokòngqì zài nǎr?
Where is the remote control?

灯 dēng

lamp; light

请把灯打开。
Qǐng bǎ dēng dǎkāi.
Please turn on the light.

窗帘 chuānglián

curtain

窗帘是白色的。
Chuānglián shì báisè de.
The curtains are white.

地毯 dìtǎn

carpet; rug

猫在地毯上睡觉。
Māo zài dìtǎn shàng shuìjiào.
The cat is sleeping on the rug.

空调 kōngtiáo

air conditioner

夏天要开空调。
Xiàtiān yào kāi kōngtiáo.
In summer, you need to turn on the air conditioner.

Useful Phrases And Real-Life Sentences

  • 客厅很大。
    Kètīng hěn dà.
    The living room is very big.
  • 我们在客厅聊天。
    Wǒmen zài kètīng liáotiān.
    We are chatting in the living room.
  • 沙发旁边有一盏灯。
    Shāfā pángbiān yǒu yì zhǎn dēng.
    There is a lamp next to the sofa.
  • 电视对面是沙发。
    Diànshì duìmiàn shì shāfā.
    The sofa is opposite the TV.
  • 请坐在沙发上。
    Qǐng zuò zài shāfā shàng.
    Please sit on the sofa.
  • 茶几上有几本书。
    Chájī shàng yǒu jǐ běn shū.
    There are a few books on the coffee table.
  • 把窗帘拉开吧。
    Bǎ chuānglián lākāi ba.
    Open the curtains.
  • 房间有点儿暗,开灯吧。
    Fángjiān yǒudiǎnr àn, kāi dēng ba.
    The room is a little dark, so turn on the light.
  • 遥控器掉到地上了。
    Yáokòngqì diào dào dìshàng le.
    The remote control fell on the floor.
  • 我喜欢躺在沙发上看电视。
    Wǒ xǐhuan tǎng zài shāfā shàng kàn diànshì.
    I like lying on the sofa and watching TV.
  • 墙上挂着一幅画。
    Qiáng shàng guàzhe yì fú huà.
    There is a painting hanging on the wall.
  • 客厅里有很多阳光。
    Kètīng lǐ yǒu hěn duō yángguāng.
    There is a lot of sunlight in the living room.

Living Room Vocabulary By Category

Big Furniture

HanziPinyinMeaningExample (ZH)Example (Pinyin)Translation (EN)
客厅kètīngliving room客厅很安静。Kètīng hěn ānjìng.The living room is very quiet.
沙发shāfāsofa这张沙发很软。Zhè zhāng shāfā hěn ruǎn.This sofa is very soft.
单人沙发dānrén shāfāarmchair爷爷坐在单人沙发上。Yéye zuò zài dānrén shāfā shàng.Grandpa is sitting in the armchair.
茶几chájīcoffee table手机在茶几下面。Shǒujī zài chájī xiàmiàn.The phone is under the coffee table.
电视柜diànshìguìTV stand书放在电视柜里。Shū fàng zài diànshìguì lǐ.The books are in the TV stand.
书架shūjiàbookshelf书架上有很多小说。Shūjià shàng yǒu hěn duō xiǎoshuō.There are many novels on the bookshelf.
边桌biānzhuōside table钥匙在边桌上。Yàoshi zài biānzhuō shàng.The keys are on the side table.
脚凳jiǎodèngfootstool我的脚放在脚凳上。Wǒ de jiǎo fàng zài jiǎodèng shàng.My feet are on the footstool.

Electronics And Entertainment

HanziPinyinMeaningExample (ZH)Example (Pinyin)Translation (EN)
电视diànshìTV孩子们在看电视。Háizimen zài kàn diànshì.The kids are watching TV.
遥控器yáokòngqìremote control我找不到遥控器。Wǒ zhǎo bú dào yáokòngqì.I cannot find the remote control.
音响yīnxiǎngspeaker; sound system这个音响声音很大。Zhège yīnxiǎng shēngyīn hěn dà.This speaker is very loud.
机顶盒jīdǐnghéset-top box机顶盒在电视下面。Jīdǐnghé zài diànshì xiàmiàn.The set-top box is under the TV.
游戏机yóuxìjīgame console弟弟在玩游戏机。Dìdi zài wán yóuxìjī.My younger brother is playing the game console.
插座chāzuòpower outlet插座在墙边。Chāzuò zài qiáng biān.The outlet is by the wall.
电线diànxiànelectrical cable别踩到电线。Bié cǎi dào diànxiàn.Do not step on the cable.
Wi-Fi路由器Wi-Fi lùyóuqìWi-Fi router路由器在柜子里。Lùyóuqì zài guìzi lǐ.The router is in the cabinet.

Lighting, Windows, And Walls

HanziPinyinMeaningExample (ZH)Example (Pinyin)Translation (EN)
dēnglight; lamp灯还开着。Dēng hái kāizhe.The light is still on.
台灯táidēngtable lamp台灯在边桌上。Táidēng zài biānzhuō shàng.The table lamp is on the side table.
落地灯luòdìdēngfloor lamp落地灯很漂亮。Luòdìdēng hěn piàoliang.The floor lamp is very pretty.
吊灯diàodēngceiling lamp吊灯有三个灯泡。Diàodēng yǒu sān ge dēngpào.The ceiling lamp has three bulbs.
窗户chuānghuwindow请把窗户打开。Qǐng bǎ chuānghu dǎkāi.Please open the window.
窗帘chuāngliáncurtain窗帘太长了。Chuānglián tài cháng le.The curtains are too long.
qiángwall墙是米色的。Qiáng shì mǐsè de.The wall is beige.
挂画guàhuàwall art; hanging picture这幅挂画很好看。Zhè fú guàhuà hěn hǎokàn.This wall art looks very nice.

Soft Things And Decor

HanziPinyinMeaningExample (ZH)Example (Pinyin)Translation (EN)
地毯dìtǎnrug; carpet地毯很干净。Dìtǎn hěn gānjìng.The rug is very clean.
靠垫kàodiàncushion沙发上有两个靠垫。Shāfā shàng yǒu liǎng ge kàodiàn.There are two cushions on the sofa.
毯子tǎnziblanket晚上我会用毯子。Wǎnshang wǒ huì yòng tǎnzi.I use a blanket at night.
装饰zhuāngshìdecoration客厅的装饰很简单。Kètīng de zhuāngshì hěn jiǎndān.The living room decorations are simple.
花瓶huāpíngvase花瓶里有花。Huāpíng lǐ yǒu huā.There are flowers in the vase.
绿植lǜzhígreen plant那盆绿植在窗边。Nà pén lǜzhí zài chuāng biān.That plant is by the window.
照片zhàopiànphoto墙上有很多照片。Qiáng shàng yǒu hěn duō zhàopiàn.There are many photos on the wall.
zhōngclock钟挂在门旁边。Zhōng guà zài mén pángbiān.The clock hangs next to the door.

Climate, Cleaning, And Comfort

HanziPinyinMeaningExample (ZH)Example (Pinyin)Translation (EN)
空调kōngtiáoair conditioner空调有点儿冷。Kōngtiáo yǒudiǎnr lěng.The air conditioner is a bit cold.
暖气nuǎnqìheating冬天要开暖气。Dōngtiān yào kāi nuǎnqì.You need the heat on in winter.
风扇fēngshànfan风扇转得很快。Fēngshàn zhuàn de hěn kuài.The fan is spinning quickly.
空气净化器kōngqì jìnghuàqìair purifier空气净化器一直开着。Kōngqì jìnghuàqì yìzhí kāizhe.The air purifier is on all the time.
扫地机器人sǎodì jīqìrénrobot vacuum扫地机器人在工作。Sǎodì jīqìrén zài gōngzuò.The robot vacuum is working.
吸尘器xīchénqìvacuum cleaner吸尘器放在角落里。Xīchénqì fàng zài jiǎoluò lǐ.The vacuum cleaner is in the corner.
垃圾桶lājītǒngtrash can垃圾桶快满了。Lājītǒng kuài mǎn le.The trash can is almost full.
纸巾zhǐjīntissue纸巾在桌子上。Zhǐjīn zài zhuōzi shàng.The tissues are on the table.

Positions And Shape Words You Will Actually Need

HanziPinyinMeaningExample (ZH)Example (Pinyin)Translation (EN)
上面shàngmiànon top of书在桌子上面。Shū zài zhuōzi shàngmiàn.The book is on top of the table.
下面xiàmiànunder; below猫在椅子下面。Māo zài yǐzi xiàmiàn.The cat is under the chair.
旁边pángbiānnext to灯在沙发旁边。Dēng zài shāfā pángbiān.The lamp is next to the sofa.
前面qiánmiànin front of电视前面有一张地毯。Diànshì qiánmiàn yǒu yì zhāng dìtǎn.There is a rug in front of the TV.
后面hòumiànbehind窗帘在窗户后面。Chuānglián zài chuānghu hòumiàn.The curtain is behind the window.
里面lǐmiàninside遥控器在抽屉里面。Yáokòngqì zài chōuti lǐmiàn.The remote is inside the drawer.
外面wàimiànoutside鞋子放在外面。Xiézi fàng zài wàimiàn.The shoes are left outside.
角落jiǎoluòcorner植物在角落里。Zhíwù zài jiǎoluò lǐ.The plant is in the corner.

Useful Verbs For The Living Room

HanziPinyinMeaningExample (ZH)Example (Pinyin)Translation (EN)
zuòto sit请坐在这里。Qǐng zuò zài zhèlǐ.Please sit here.
kànto watch; to look他们在看电影。Tāmen zài kàn diànyǐng.They are watching a movie.
tīngto listen我在客厅听音乐。Wǒ zài kètīng tīng yīnyuè.I am listening to music in the living room.
聊天liáotiānto chat我们晚上常常聊天。Wǒmen wǎnshang chángcháng liáotiān.We often chat in the evening.
休息xiūxito rest爸爸在沙发上休息。Bàba zài shāfā shàng xiūxi.Dad is resting on the sofa.
打开dǎkāito open; to turn on请打开电视。Qǐng dǎkāi diànshì.Please turn on the TV.
关上guānshàngto close; to turn off请把窗户关上。Qǐng bǎ chuānghu guānshàng.Please close the window.
fàngto put; to place把书放在茶几上。Bǎ shū fàng zài chájī shàng.Put the book on the coffee table.
guàto hang画挂在墙上。Huà guà zài qiáng shàng.The painting hangs on the wall.
收拾shōushito tidy up我先收拾一下客厅。Wǒ xiān shōushi yíxià kètīng.I will tidy up the living room first.

Quick Notes That Save You Headaches

  • 客厅 kētīng means living room. It is the standard everyday word.
  • 茶几 chájī is specifically a coffee table, not just any table wandering around the room.
  • 灯 dēng can mean light or lamp. Context does the heavy lifting, as usual.
  • 开灯 kāi dēng means turn on the light, while 关灯 guān dēng means turn off the light.
  • 在 zài is your best friend for location: 在沙发上 zài shāfā shàng means on the sofa.

Mini Variants And Handy Pairs

PairPinyinMeaningExample (ZH)Example (Pinyin)Translation (EN)
开灯 / 关灯kāi dēng / guān dēngturn on the light / turn off the light天黑了,快开灯。Tiān hēi le, kuài kāi dēng.It is dark, turn on the light.
打开电视 / 关上电视dǎkāi diànshì / guānshàng diànshìturn on the TV / turn off the TV睡觉前请关上电视。Shuìjiào qián qǐng guānshàng diànshì.Please turn off the TV before sleeping.
拉开窗帘 / 拉上窗帘lākāi chuānglián / lāshàng chuāngliánopen the curtains / close the curtains早上我先拉开窗帘。Zǎoshang wǒ xiān lākāi chuānglián.In the morning, I open the curtains first.
坐下 / 站起来zuòxià / zhàn qǐláisit down / stand up请坐下喝杯茶。Qǐng zuòxià hē bēi chá.Please sit down and have a cup of tea.

Yak Box: Build Easy Sentences Fast

Here is the cheat code: use 在 zài + place word. Try patterns like 遥控器在沙发上 yáokòngqì zài shāfā shàng for “the remote is on the sofa” or 灯在电视旁边 dēng zài diànshì pángbiān for “the lamp is next to the TV.” Suddenly, the living room becomes free speaking practice instead of silent staring.

Quick Review List

  • 客厅 kētīng — living room
  • 沙发 shāfā — sofa
  • 茶几 chájī — coffee table
  • 电视 diànshì — TV
  • 遥控器 yáokòngqì — remote control
  • 灯 dēng — light; lamp
  • 窗帘 chuānglián — curtain
  • 地毯 dìtǎn — rug; carpet
  • 空调 kōngtiáo — air conditioner
  • 旁边 pángbiān — next to
  • 上面 shàngmiàn — on top of
  • 下面 xiàmiàn — under
  • 打开 dǎkāi — open; turn on
  • 关上 guānshàng — close; turn off
  • 收拾 shōushi — tidy up

Final Yak Box

The best vocabulary is the vocabulary you can point at immediately. Walk through your own living room and say the words out loud: 沙发 shāfā, 茶几 chájī, 窗帘 chuānglián, 地毯 dìtǎn. It feels a little ridiculous for about two minutes, and then it starts working. Funny how that happens.