Most Common Chinese Expressions is built for learners who want useful Chinese vocabulary in a clean reference format instead of a long, fluffy article.
Ready to level up your Mandarin with a few friendly phrases? Scroll to the bottom of the article for the free printable chinese vocabulary list list PDF and the free downloadable printable chinese list flashcards—your future self will thank you for the easy review.
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.
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| Expression | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 名字 | míng zi | name (of a person or thing); CL:個|个[gè] |
| 后面 | hòu mian | rear; back; behind |
| 告诉 | gào su | to tell; to inform; to let know |
| 咖啡 | kā fēi | coffee; CL:杯[bēi] |
| 哥哥 | gē ge | older brother; CL:個|个; 位[wèi] |
| 唱歌 | chàng gē | to sing a song |
| 商店 | shāng diàn | store; shop; CL:家 |
| 喜欢 | xǐ huan | to like; to be fond of |
| 回答 | huí dá | to reply; to answer; the answer |
| 因为 | yīn wèi | because; owing to; on account of |
| 地图 | dì tú | map; CL:張|张; 本[běn] |
| 地方 | dì fang | area; place; space |
| 地铁 | dì tiě | subway; metro |
| 城市 | chéng shì | city; town; CL:座[zuò] |
| 复习 | fù xí | variant of 復習|复习; to revise; to review |
| 多么 | duō me | how (wonderful etc); what (a great idea etc); however (difficult it may be etc) |
| 多少 | duō shao | how much; how many; which (number) |
| 大家 | dà jiā | everyone; influential family; great expert |
| 天气 | tiān qì | weather |
| 女人 | nǚ rén | woman |
| 女儿 | nǚ ér | daughter |
| 好吃 | hǎo chī | tasty; delicious |
| 妈妈 | mā ma | mama; mommy; mother |
| 妹妹 | mèi mei | younger sister; fig. younger woman (esp. girl friend or rival); CL:個|个[gè] |
| 妻子 | qī zi | wife; CL:個|个[gè] |
Free Chinese Vocabulary List and Flashcard PDFs to Download
Grab the purple vocab-list button for the chinese vocabulary list list PDF, or hit the teal flashcards button for the chinese list flashcards. Both downloads are 100% free and require no signup.

