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 |
|---|---|---|
| 可爱 | kě ài | adorable; cute; lovely |
| 可能 | kě néng | might (happen); possible; probable |
| 右边 | yòu bian | right side; right; to the right |
| 叶子 | yè zi | foliage; leaf; CL:片[piàn] |
| 号码 | hào mǎ | number; CL:堆; 個|个[gè] |
| 司机 | sī jī | chauffeur; driver; CL:個|个[gè] |
| 吃亏 | chī kuī | to suffer losses; to come to grief; to lose out |
| 吃惊 | chī jīng | to be startled; to be shocked; to be amazed |
| 合格 | hé gé | qualified; meeting a standard; eligible (voter) |
| 合适 | hé shì | suitable; fitting; decent |
| 同事 | tóng shì | colleague; co-worker; CL:個|个 |
| 同学 | tóng xué | to study at the same school; fellow student; classmate |
| 同情 | tóng qíng | to sympathize with; sympathy |
| 同意 | tóng yì | to agree; to consent; to approve |
| 名字 | míng zi | name (of a person or thing); CL:個|个[gè] |
| 后悔 | hòu huǐ | to regret; to repent |
| 后来 | hòu lái | afterwards; later |
| 后面 | hòu mian | rear; back; behind |
| 否则 | fǒu zé | if not; otherwise; else |
| 否定 | fǒu dìng | to negate; to deny; to reject |
| 否认 | fǒu rèn | to declare to be untrue; to deny |
| 吵架 | chǎo jià | to quarrel; to have a row; quarrel |
| 吸引 | xī yǐn | to attract (interest, investment etc); CL:個|个[gè] |
| 告别 | gào bié | to leave; to bid farewell to; to say good-bye to |
| 告诉 | gào su | to tell; to inform; to let know |
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