Ever feel like your Chinese textbook taught you all the words but none of the magic that makes a conversation flow? This collection of about 1,000 phrases and expressions is your shortcut to real-life Chinese-the stuff people actually say at the market, on WeChat, and around the dinner table. We cut the formal fluff and kept only the phrases that keep conversations moving.
Every phrase is paired with a clear meaning and a practical example, so you won’t just memorize a string of characters; you’ll know exactly when and how to use it. No guesswork-just vocabulary that helps you connect, react, and sound more like yourself.
Ready to study offline? A free PDF is waiting below the table-just click the button to grab your copy.
Use this list as a starting point, then keep going in the Yak Yacker Chinese section for more words, phrases, and study-friendly reference pages.
Quick Quiz
Think you’ve already got a handful of these phrases under your belt? Try the quick quiz below to see which ones are solid and which could use a little more practice.
Browse the Full List
| Phrase | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 一会儿 | yī huì r | a while; also pr. [yī huǐ r] |
| 一共 | yī gòng | altogether |
| 一切 | yī qiè | everything; every; all |
| 一定 | yī dìng | surely; certainly; necessarily |
| 一样 | yī yàng | same; like; equal to |
| 一直 | yī zhí | straight (in a straight line); continuously; always |
| 一般 | yī bān | same; ordinary; so-so |
| 一起 | yī qǐ | in the same place; together; with |
| 一边 | yī biān | one side; either side; on the one hand |
| 丈夫 | zhàng fu | husband; CL:個|个[gè] |
| 上午 | shàng wǔ | morning; CL:個|个[gè] |
| 上班 | shàng bān | to go to work; to be on duty; to start work |
| 上网 | shàng wǎng | to be on the internet; to stretch a net (in a sports game or for covering sth); to be netted (of fish) |
| 下午 | xià wǔ | afternoon; CL:個|个[gè]; p.m. |
| 下雨 | xià yǔ | to rain; rainy |
| 不仅 | bù jǐn | not only (this one); not just (...) but also |
| 不但 | bù dàn | not only (... but also...) |
| 不免 | bù miǎn | inevitably |
| 不好意思 | bù hǎo yì si | to feel embarrassed; to find it embarrassing; to be sorry (for inconveniencing sb) |
| 不如 | bù rú | not equal to; not as good as; inferior to |
| 不安 | bù ān | unpeaceful; unstable; uneasy |
| 不客气 | bù kè qi | you're welcome; impolite; rude |
| 不得不 | bù dé bù | have no choice or option but to; cannot but; have to |
| 不得了 | bù dé liǎo | desperately serious; disastrous; extremely |
| 不必 | bù bì | need not; does not have to; not necessarily |
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