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 |
|---|---|---|
| 小时 | xiǎo shí | hour; CL:個|个[gè] |
| 小说 | xiǎo shuō | novel; fiction; CL:本 |
| 尤其 | yóu qí | especially; particularly |
| 尺子 | chǐ zi | rule; ruler (measuring instrument); CL:把[bǎ] |
| 尽管 | jǐn guǎn | despite; although; even though |
| 工作 | gōng zuò | to work; (of a machine) to operate; job |
| 工具 | gōng jù | tool; instrument; utensil |
| 工资 | gōng zī | wages; pay; CL:個|个 |
| 左边 | zuǒ bian | left; the left side; to the left of |
| 巧克力 | qiǎo kè lì | chocolate (loanword); CL:塊|块[kuài] |
| 差不多 | chà bu duō | almost; nearly; more or less |
| 差别 | chā bié | difference; distinction; diversity |
| 已经 | yǐ jīng | already |
| 市场 | shì chǎng | marketplace; market (also in abstract) |
| 师傅 | shī fu | master; qualified worker; respectful form of address for older men |
| 希望 | xī wàng | to wish for; to desire; hope CL:個|个[gè] |
| 帮助 | bāng zhù | assistance; aid; to help |
| 帮忙 | bāng máng | to help; to lend a hand; to do a favor |
| 常识 | cháng shí | common sense; general knowledge; CL:門|门[mén] |
| 帽子 | mào zi | hat; cap; (fig.) label |
| 干净 | gān jìng | clean; neat |
| 干杯 | gān bēi | to drink a toast; Cheers! (proposing a toast); Here's to you! |
| 干活儿 | gàn huó r | to work; manual labor |
| 干燥 | gān zào | to dry (of weather, paint, cement etc); desiccation; dull |
| 干脆 | gān cuì | straightforward; clear-cut; blunt (e.g. statement) |
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