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 |
|---|---|---|
| 偶尔 | ǒu ěr | occasionally; once in a while; sometimes |
| 傍晚 | bàng wǎn | in the evening; when night falls; towards evening |
| 儿子 | ér zi | son |
| 儿童 | ér tóng | child; CL:個|个[gè] |
| 允许 | yǔn xǔ | to permit; to allow |
| 充分 | chōng fèn | ample; sufficient; adequate |
| 充满 | chōng mǎn | full of; brimming with; very full |
| 充电器 | chōng diàn qì | battery charger |
| 先生 | xiān sheng | teacher; husband; doctor (topolect) |
| 免费 | miǎn fèi | free (of charge) |
| 入口 | rù kǒu | entrance |
| 全部 | quán bù | whole; entire; complete |
| 公共汽车 | gōng gòng qì chē | bus; CL:輛|辆; 班[bān] |
| 公司 | gōng sī | (business) company; company; firm |
| 公园 | gōng yuán | public park; CL:場|场[chǎng] |
| 公斤 | gōng jīn | kilogram (kg) |
| 公里 | gōng lǐ | kilometer |
| 共同 | gòng tóng | common; joint; jointly |
| 关于 | guān yú | pertaining to; concerning; regarding |
| 关心 | guān xīn | to care for sth; caring; concerned |
| 关系 | guān xì | variant of 關係|关系[guān xì] |
| 关键 | guān jiàn | crucial point; crux; CL:個|个[gè] |
| 兴奋 | xīng fèn | excited; excitement |
| 兴趣 | xìng qù | interest (desire to know about sth); interest (thing in which one is interested); hobby |
| 其中 | qí zhōng | among; in; included among these |
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