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 |
|---|---|---|
| 房东 | fáng dōng | landlord |
| 房间 | fáng jiān | room; CL:間|间[jiān] |
| 所以 | suǒ yǐ | therefore; as a result; so |
| 所有 | suǒ yǒu | all; to have; to possess |
| 手机 | shǒu jī | cell phone; mobile phone; CL:部 |
| 手表 | shǒu biǎo | wrist watch; CL:塊|块; 隻|只 |
| 打交道 | dǎ jiāo dào | to come into contact with; to have dealings |
| 打印 | dǎ yìn | to print; to seal; to stamp |
| 打听 | dǎ ting | to ask about; to inquire about |
| 打喷嚏 | dǎ pēn tì | to sneeze |
| 打工 | dǎ gōng | to work a temporary or casual job; (of students) to have a job outside of class time; or during vacation |
| 打扫 | dǎ sǎo | to clean; to sweep |
| 打扮 | dǎ ban | to decorate; to dress; to make up |
| 打扰 | dǎ rǎo | to disturb; to bother; to trouble |
| 打折 | dǎ zhé | to give a discount |
| 打招呼 | dǎ zhāo hu | to greet sb by word or action; to give prior notice |
| 打电话 | dǎ diàn huà | to make a telephone call |
| 打算 | dǎ suàn | to plan; to intend; to calculate |
| 打篮球 | dá lán qiú | Play basketball |
| 打针 | dǎ zhēn | to give or have an injection |
| 扩大 | kuò dà | to expand; to enlarge; to broaden one's scope |
| 批评 | pī píng | to criticize; criticism; CL:個|个[gè] |
| 承受 | chéng shòu | to bear; to support; to inherit |
| 承担 | chéng dān | to undertake; to assume (responsibility etc) |
| 承认 | chéng rèn | to admit; to concede; to recognize |
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