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 |
|---|---|---|
| 不断 | bù duàn | unceasing; uninterrupted; continuous |
| 不然 | bù rán | not so; no; or else |
| 不管 | bù guǎn | no matter (what, how); regardless of; no matter |
| 不耐烦 | bù nài fán | impatience; impatient |
| 不要紧 | bù yào jǐn | unimportant; not serious; it doesn't matter |
| 不见得 | bù jiàn de | not necessarily; not likely |
| 不足 | bù zú | insufficient; lacking; deficiency |
| 不过 | bù guò | only; merely; no more than |
| 专业 | zhuān yè | specialty; specialized field; main field of study (at university) |
| 专门 | zhuān mén | specialist; specialized; customized |
| 世界 | shì jiè | world; CL:個|个[gè] |
| 世纪 | shì jì | century; CL:個|个[gè] |
| 东西 | dōng xi | thing; stuff; person |
| 严格 | yán gé | strict; stringent; tight |
| 严重 | yán zhòng | grave; serious; severe |
| 个子 | gè zi | height; stature; build |
| 中午 | zhōng wǔ | noon; midday; CL:個|个[gè] |
| 中国 | Zhōng guó | China; Middle Kingdom |
| 中文 | Zhōng wén | Chinese; Chinese written language; Chinese writing |
| 中间 | zhōng jiān | between; intermediate; mid |
| 丰富 | fēng fù | to enrich; rich; plentiful |
| 为了 | wèi le | in order to; for the purpose of; so as to |
| 为什么 | wèi shén me | why?; for what reason? |
| 主动 | zhǔ dòng | to take the initiative; to do sth of one's own accord; spontaneous |
| 主意 | zhǔ yi | plan; idea; decision |
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