100 Chinese Words And Phrases To Start Learning
Start with useful everyday simplified Chinese: 基础中文词和短语 (jīchǔ zhōngwén cí hé duǎnyǔ).
You do not need a giant dictionary and a heroic amount of suffering to begin Chinese. You need words people actually use, clear pinyin, and example sentences that sound like real life instead of a textbook written by a very tired robot.
This list gives you 100 beginner-friendly Chinese words and phrases in simplified Chinese, with pinyin, English meanings, and examples. Learn them in chunks, say them out loud, and enjoy the tiny miracle of understanding more each day.
你好 (nǐ hǎo)
Hello
你好！(nǐ hǎo!) — Hello!
谢谢 (xièxie)
Thank you
谢谢你。 (xièxie nǐ.) — Thank you.
对不起 (duìbuqǐ)
Sorry
对不起，我迟到了。 (duìbuqǐ, wǒ chídào le.) — Sorry, I am late.
再见 (zàijiàn)
Goodbye
明天再见。 (míngtiān zàijiàn.) — See you tomorrow.
是 (shì)
To be; yes
我是学生。 (wǒ shì xuésheng.) — I am a student.
有 (yǒu)
To have
我有时间。 (wǒ yǒu shíjiān.) — I have time.
喜欢 (xǐhuan)
To like
我喜欢咖啡。 (wǒ xǐhuan kāfēi.) — I like coffee.
会 (huì)
Can; know how to
我会说一点中文。 (wǒ huì shuō yìdiǎn zhōngwén.) — I can speak a little Chinese.
Useful Phrases You Can Start Using Today
- 你好吗？(nǐ hǎo ma?) — How are you?
- 我很好。 (wǒ hěn hǎo.) — I am very well.
- 你叫什么名字？(nǐ jiào shénme míngzi?) — What is your name?
- 我叫安娜。 (wǒ jiào Ānnà.) — My name is Anna.
- 这是什么？(zhè shì shénme?) — What is this?
- 多少钱？(duōshao qián?) — How much is it?
- 我不知道。 (wǒ bù zhīdào.) — I do not know.
- 我懂了。 (wǒ dǒng le.) — I understand.
- 可以吗？(kěyǐ ma?) — Is it okay?
- 没问题。 (méi wèntí.) — No problem.
Greetings And Polite Basics
| # | Hanzi + Pinyin | Meaning | Example Sentence | English Translation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 你好 (nǐ hǎo) | Hello | 你好！(nǐ hǎo!) | Hello! |
| 2 | 早上好 (zǎoshang hǎo) | Good morning | 老师，早上好。 (lǎoshī, zǎoshang hǎo.) | Good morning, teacher. |
| 3 | 晚上好 (wǎnshang hǎo) | Good evening | 大家晚上好。 (dàjiā wǎnshang hǎo.) | Good evening, everyone. |
| 4 | 再见 (zàijiàn) | Goodbye | 我们明天再见。 (wǒmen míngtiān zàijiàn.) | See you tomorrow. |
| 5 | 谢谢 (xièxie) | Thank you | 谢谢你的帮助。 (xièxie nǐ de bāngzhù.) | Thank you for your help. |
| 6 | 不客气 (bú kèqi) | You are welcome | “谢谢！”“不客气。” (“xièxie!” “bú kèqi.”) | “Thanks!” “You are welcome.” |
| 7 | 对不起 (duìbuqǐ) | Sorry | 对不起，我来晚了。 (duìbuqǐ, wǒ lái wǎn le.) | Sorry, I came late. |
| 8 | 没关系 (méi guānxi) | It is okay; no problem | 没关系，我们等你。 (méi guānxi, wǒmen děng nǐ.) | It is okay, we will wait for you. |
| 9 | 请 (qǐng) | Please | 请进。 (qǐng jìn.) | Please come in. |
| 10 | 欢迎 (huānyíng) | Welcome | 欢迎来北京。 (huānyíng lái Běijīng.) | Welcome to Beijing. |
People And Basic Pronouns
| # | Hanzi + Pinyin | Meaning | Example Sentence | English Translation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | 我 (wǒ) | I; me | 我是英国人。 (wǒ shì Yīngguórén.) | I am British. |
| 12 | 你 (nǐ) | You | 你今天忙吗？(nǐ jīntiān máng ma?) | Are you busy today? |
| 13 | 他 (tā) | He; him | 他是我的朋友。 (tā shì wǒ de péngyou.) | He is my friend. |
| 14 | 她 (tā) | She; her | 她是老师。 (tā shì lǎoshī.) | She is a teacher. |
| 15 | 我们 (wǒmen) | We; us | 我们一起学习。 (wǒmen yìqǐ xuéxí.) | We study together. |
| 16 | 你们 (nǐmen) | You all | 你们好！(nǐmen hǎo!) | Hello, everyone. |
| 17 | 他们 (tāmen) | They; them | 他们在学校。 (tāmen zài xuéxiào.) | They are at school. |
| 18 | 老师 (lǎoshī) | Teacher | 老师很好。 (lǎoshī hěn hǎo.) | The teacher is very nice. |
| 19 | 学生 (xuésheng) | Student | 我是学生。 (wǒ shì xuésheng.) | I am a student. |
| 20 | 朋友 (péngyou) | Friend | 他是我的朋友。 (tā shì wǒ de péngyou.) | He is my friend. |
Numbers And Time
| # | Hanzi + Pinyin | Meaning | Example Sentence | English Translation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21 | 一 (yī) | One | 我有一个问题。 (wǒ yǒu yí ge wèntí.) | I have one question. |
| 22 | 二 (èr) | Two | 我有两个苹果。 (wǒ yǒu liǎng ge píngguǒ.) | I have two apples. |
| 23 | 三 (sān) | Three | 我们三点见。 (wǒmen sān diǎn jiàn.) | We will meet at three. |
| 24 | 今天 (jīntiān) | Today | 今天天气很好。 (jīntiān tiānqì hěn hǎo.) | The weather is nice today. |
| 25 | 明天 (míngtiān) | Tomorrow | 明天我去上班。 (míngtiān wǒ qù shàngbān.) | I am going to work tomorrow. |
| 26 | 昨天 (zuótiān) | Yesterday | 昨天我很忙。 (zuótiān wǒ hěn máng.) | I was very busy yesterday. |
| 27 | 现在 (xiànzài) | Now | 我现在很累。 (wǒ xiànzài hěn lèi.) | I am tired now. |
| 28 | 时候 (shíhou) | Time; moment | 你什么时候回家？(nǐ shénme shíhou huí jiā?) | When are you going home? |
| 29 | 点 (diǎn) | O’clock | 现在八点。 (xiànzài bā diǎn.) | It is eight o’clock now. |
| 30 | 分钟 (fēnzhōng) | Minute | 请等五分钟。 (qǐng děng wǔ fēnzhōng.) | Please wait five minutes. |
Question Words You Really Need
These tiny words do a shocking amount of work. Learn them early and suddenly you can ask for names, prices, places, reasons, and all the other things humans somehow need every day.
| # | Hanzi + Pinyin | Meaning | Example Sentence | English Translation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31 | 什么 (shénme) | What | 这是什么？(zhè shì shénme?) | What is this? |
| 32 | 谁 (shéi) | Who | 他是谁？(tā shéi?) | Who is he? |
| 33 | 哪 (nǎ) | Which | 你喜欢哪本书？(nǐ xǐhuan nǎ běn shū?) | Which book do you like? |
| 34 | 哪里 (nǎlǐ) | Where | 洗手间在哪里？(xǐshǒujiān zài nǎlǐ?) | Where is the restroom? |
| 35 | 什么时候 (shénme shíhou) | When | 你什么时候来？(nǐ shénme shíhou lái?) | When are you coming? |
| 36 | 为什么 (wèishénme) | Why | 你为什么学中文？(nǐ wèishénme xué zhōngwén?) | Why are you learning Chinese? |
| 37 | 怎么 (zěnme) | How | 这个怎么说？(zhège zěnme shuō?) | How do you say this? |
| 38 | 多少 (duōshao) | How many; how much | 这个多少钱？(zhège duōshao qián?) | How much is this? |
| 39 | 几 (jǐ) | How many; a few | 你家有几口人？(nǐ jiā yǒu jǐ kǒu rén?) | How many people are in your family? |
| 40 | 吗 (ma) | Question particle | 你好吗？(nǐ hǎo ma?) | Are you well? |
Core Verbs For Daily Chinese
| # | Hanzi + Pinyin | Meaning | Example Sentence | English Translation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 41 | 是 (shì) | To be | 我是新同学。 (wǒ shì xīn tóngxué.) | I am a new classmate. |
| 42 | 有 (yǒu) | To have | 我有一个姐姐。 (wǒ yǒu yí ge jiějie.) | I have an older sister. |
| 43 | 去 (qù) | To go | 我今天去学校。 (wǒ jīntiān qù xuéxiào.) | I am going to school today. |
| 44 | 来 (lái) | To come | 你明天来吗？(nǐ míngtiān lái ma?) | Are you coming tomorrow? |
| 45 | 吃 (chī) | To eat | 我们去吃饭吧。 (wǒmen qù chīfàn ba.) | Let us go eat. |
| 46 | 喝 (hē) | To drink | 我想喝水。 (wǒ xiǎng hē shuǐ.) | I want to drink water. |
| 47 | 看 (kàn) | To look; to watch; to read | 我在看电影。 (wǒ zài kàn diànyǐng.) | I am watching a movie. |
| 48 | 听 (tīng) | To listen | 我喜欢听音乐。 (wǒ xǐhuan tīng yīnyuè.) | I like listening to music. |
| 49 | 说 (shuō) | To speak; to say | 她会说汉语。 (tā huì shuō Hànyǔ.) | She can speak Chinese. |
| 50 | 做 (zuò) | To do; to make | 我在做作业。 (wǒ zài zuò zuòyè.) | I am doing homework. |
More Useful Verbs And Everyday Actions
| # | Hanzi + Pinyin | Meaning | Example Sentence | English Translation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 51 | 想 (xiǎng) | To want; to think | 我想喝咖啡。 (wǒ xiǎng hē kāfēi.) | I want to drink coffee. |
| 52 | 喜欢 (xǐhuan) | To like | 我喜欢中国菜。 (wǒ xǐhuan Zhōngguó cài.) | I like Chinese food. |
| 53 | 爱 (ài) | To love | 我爱我的家人。 (wǒ ài wǒ de jiārén.) | I love my family. |
| 54 | 会 (huì) | Can; know how to | 我会开车。 (wǒ huì kāichē.) | I can drive. |
| 55 | 能 (néng) | Be able to | 你今天能来吗？(nǐ jīntiān néng lái ma?) | Can you come today? |
| 56 | 要 (yào) | To want; need | 我要一杯茶。 (wǒ yào yì bēi chá.) | I want a cup of tea. |
| 57 | 给 (gěi) | To give | 请给我菜单。 (qǐng gěi wǒ càidān.) | Please give me the menu. |
| 58 | 买 (mǎi) | To buy | 我想买这个。 (wǒ xiǎng mǎi zhège.) | I want to buy this. |
| 59 | 知道 (zhīdào) | To know | 我不知道答案。 (wǒ bù zhīdào dá’àn.) | I do not know the answer. |
| 60 | 懂 (dǒng) | To understand | 我懂一点儿。 (wǒ dǒng yìdiǎnr.) | I understand a little. |
Common Adjectives And Descriptions
| # | Hanzi + Pinyin | Meaning | Example Sentence | English Translation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 61 | 好 (hǎo) | Good | 这本书很好。 (zhè běn shū hěn hǎo.) | This book is very good. |
| 62 | 大 (dà) | Big | 这个房间很大。 (zhège fángjiān hěn dà.) | This room is very big. |
| 63 | 小 (xiǎo) | Small | 我的猫很小。 (wǒ de māo hěn xiǎo.) | My cat is very small. |
| 64 | 多 (duō) | Many; much | 这里人很多。 (zhèlǐ rén hěn duō.) | There are many people here. |
| 65 | 少 (shǎo) | Few; little | 今天作业很少。 (jīntiān zuòyè hěn shǎo.) | There is little homework today. |
| 66 | 热 (rè) | Hot | 今天很热。 (jīntiān hěn rè.) | It is hot today. |
| 67 | 冷 (lěng) | Cold | 外面很冷。 (wàimiàn hěn lěng.) | It is cold outside. |
| 68 | 忙 (máng) | Busy | 我现在很忙。 (wǒ xiànzài hěn máng.) | I am busy now. |
| 69 | 累 (lèi) | Tired | 我下班后很累。 (wǒ xiàbān hòu hěn lèi.) | I am tired after work. |
| 70 | 高兴 (gāoxìng) | Happy | 见到你我很高兴。 (jiàndào nǐ wǒ hěn gāoxìng.) | I am happy to see you. |
Home, Food, And Daily Life Words
| # | Hanzi + Pinyin | Meaning | Example Sentence | English Translation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 71 | 家 (jiā) | Home; family | 我现在回家。 (wǒ xiànzài huí jiā.) | I am going home now. |
| 72 | 水 (shuǐ) | Water | 请给我一杯水。 (qǐng gěi wǒ yì bēi shuǐ.) | Please give me a glass of water. |
| 73 | 茶 (chá) | Tea | 我喜欢喝茶。 (wǒ xǐhuan hē chá.) | I like drinking tea. |
| 74 | 咖啡 (kāfēi) | Coffee | 早上我喝咖啡。 (zǎoshang wǒ hē kāfēi.) | I drink coffee in the morning. |
| 75 | 饭 (fàn) | Meal; rice | 我们一起吃饭吧。 (wǒmen yìqǐ chīfàn ba.) | Let us eat together. |
| 76 | 苹果 (píngguǒ) | Apple | 我买了两个苹果。 (wǒ mǎi le liǎng ge píngguǒ.) | I bought two apples. |
| 77 | 猫 (māo) | Cat | 我家有一只猫。 (wǒ jiā yǒu yì zhī māo.) | My home has a cat. |
| 78 | 狗 (gǒu) | Dog | 那只狗很可爱。 (nà zhī gǒu hěn kě’ài.) | That dog is very cute. |
| 79 | 衣服 (yīfu) | Clothes | 这件衣服很好看。 (zhè jiàn yīfu hěn hǎokàn.) | These clothes look nice. |
| 80 | 钱 (qián) | Money | 我没有很多钱。 (wǒ méiyǒu hěn duō qián.) | I do not have much money. |
Places And Getting Around
| # | Hanzi + Pinyin | Meaning | Example Sentence | English Translation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 81 | 学校 (xuéxiào) | School | 我的学校很大。 (wǒ de xuéxiào hěn dà.) | My school is very big. |
| 82 | 公司 (gōngsī) | Company; office | 我在公司上班。 (wǒ zài gōngsī shàngbān.) | I work at a company. |
| 83 | 商店 (shāngdiàn) | Shop | 我去商店买水。 (wǒ qù shāngdiàn mǎi shuǐ.) | I am going to the shop to buy water. |
| 84 | 饭店 (fàndiàn) | Restaurant | 这家饭店很好吃。 (zhè jiā fàndiàn hěn hǎochī.) | This restaurant has delicious food. |
| 85 | 医院 (yīyuàn) | Hospital | 他在医院工作。 (tā zài yīyuàn gōngzuò.) | He works at a hospital. |
| 86 | 厕所 (cèsuǒ) | Toilet; restroom | 请问，厕所在哪儿？(qǐngwèn, cèsuǒ zài nǎr?) | Excuse me, where is the restroom? |
| 87 | 车 (chē) | Car; vehicle | 他有一辆车。 (tā yǒu yí liàng chē.) | He has a car. |
| 88 | 出租车 (chūzūchē) | Taxi | 我们坐出租车吧。 (wǒmen zuò chūzūchē ba.) | Let us take a taxi. |
| 89 | 飞机 (fēijī) | Airplane | 我明天坐飞机。 (wǒ míngtiān zuò fēijī.) | I am taking a plane tomorrow. |
| 90 | 路 (lù) | Road; way | 这条路很长。 (zhè tiáo lù hěn cháng.) | This road is very long. |
Survival Phrases For Real Conversations
| # | Hanzi + Pinyin | Meaning | Example Sentence | English Translation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 91 | 请问 (qǐngwèn) | Excuse me; may I ask | 请问，地铁站在哪里？(qǐngwèn, dìtiě zhàn zài nǎlǐ?) | Excuse me, where is the subway station? |
| 92 | 没事 (méi shì) | It is nothing; no worries | 没事，我可以等。 (méi shì, wǒ kěyǐ děng.) | No worries, I can wait. |
| 93 | 没问题 (méi wèntí) | No problem | “明天八点可以吗？”“没问题。” (“míngtiān bā diǎn kěyǐ ma?” “méi wèntí.”) | “Is eight tomorrow okay?” “No problem.” |
| 94 | 可以 (kěyǐ) | Can; may; okay | 我可以坐这儿吗？(wǒ kěyǐ zuò zhèr ma?) | May I sit here? |
| 95 | 不可以 (bù kěyǐ) | Cannot; not allowed | 这里不可以抽烟。 (zhèlǐ bù kěyǐ chōuyān.) | Smoking is not allowed here. |
| 96 | 我不知道 (wǒ bù zhīdào) | I do not know | 对不起，我不知道。 (duìbuqǐ, wǒ bù zhīdào.) | Sorry, I do not know. |
| 97 | 我懂了 (wǒ dǒng le) | I understand | 谢谢，我懂了。 (xièxie, wǒ dǒng le.) | Thanks, I understand. |
| 98 | 请再说一遍 (qǐng zài shuō yí biàn) | Please say it again | 我没听清，请再说一遍。 (wǒ méi tīng qīng, qǐng zài shuō yí biàn.) | I did not hear clearly, please say it again. |
| 99 | 太好了 (tài hǎo le) | Great; wonderful | 你也会中文？太好了！(nǐ yě huì zhōngwén? tài hǎo le!) | You speak Chinese too? Great! |
| 100 | 加油 (jiāyóu) | Keep going; you can do it | 考试加油！(kǎoshì jiāyóu!) | Good luck on the exam! |
Common Confusions Beginners Run Into
- 是 (shì) means “to be,” but Chinese often skips it before adjectives. You say 我很忙。 (wǒ hěn máng.) for “I am busy,” not 我是很忙。
- 有 (yǒu) means “to have,” but the negative is 没有 (méiyǒu), not 不有. Chinese likes being dramatic in its own efficient way.
- 几 (jǐ) and 多少 (duōshao) both ask “how many,” but 几 (jǐ) is usually for small numbers, while 多少 (duōshao) works more broadly.
- 会 (huì), 能 (néng), and 可以 (kěyǐ) all mean some version of “can.” 会 (huì) is skill, 能 (néng) is ability or possibility, and 可以 (kěyǐ) is permission or okay-ness.
Quick Reference Table
| Category | Best Starter Words |
|---|---|
| Greetings | 你好 (nǐ hǎo), 谢谢 (xièxie), 再见 (zàijiàn) |
| Questions | 什么 (shénme), 哪里 (nǎlǐ), 怎么 (zěnme), 多少 (duōshao) |
| Verbs | 是 (shì), 有 (yǒu), 去 (qù), 来 (lái), 喜欢 (xǐhuan) |
| Daily Life | 家 (jiā), 水 (shuǐ), 饭 (fàn), 钱 (qián), 学校 (xuéxiào) |
| Emergency Helpers | 请问 (qǐngwèn), 我不知道 (wǒ bù zhīdào), 请再说一遍 (qǐng zài shuō yí biàn) |
The Yak Box
Do not try to memorize all 100 in one heroic sitting and then act shocked when your brain files a complaint. Pick 10 words, say them out loud, build tiny sentences, and repeat them tomorrow. Chinese gets much friendlier once you stop treating it like a punishment.
Mini Practice Drill
- Say hello and goodbye: 你好 (nǐ hǎo) → 再见 (zàijiàn)
- Ask one question: 这是什么？(zhè shì shénme?)
- Say one need: 我要水。 (wǒ yào shuǐ.) — I want water.
- Say one feeling: 我很高兴。 (wǒ hěn gāoxìng.) — I am happy.
- Ask for help: 请再说一遍。 (qǐng zài shuō yí biàn.) — Please say it again.
