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 |
|---|---|---|
| 电影 | diàn yǐng | movie; film; CL:部 |
| 电梯 | diàn tī | elevator; escalator; CL:臺|台 |
| 电脑 | diàn nǎo | computer; CL:臺|台[tái] |
| 电视 | diàn shì | television; TV; CL:臺|台 |
| 男人 | nán rén | a man; a male; men |
| 看见 | kàn jiàn | to see; to catch sight of |
| 眼睛 | yǎn jing | eye; CL:隻|只; 雙|双[shuāng] |
| 睡觉 | shuì jiào | to go to bed; to sleep |
| 知道 | zhī dào | to know; to be aware of; also pron. [zhī dao] |
| 第一 | dì yī | first; number one |
| 米饭 | mǐ fàn | (cooked) rice |
| 羊肉 | yáng ròu | mutton |
| 老师 | lǎo shī | teacher; CL:個|个; 位[wèi] |
| 考试 | kǎo shì | to take an exam; exam; CL:次[cì] |
| 而且 | ér qiě | (not only ...) but also; moreover; in addition |
| 耳朵 | ěr duo | ear; CL:隻|只; 個|个 |
| 聪明 | cōng ming | acute (of sight and hearing); clever; intelligent |
| 自行车 | zì xíng chē | bicycle; bike; CL:輛|辆[liàng] |
| 苹果 | píng guǒ | apple; CL:個|个; 顆|颗[kē] |
| 菜单 | cài dān | menu; CL:份; 張|张[zhāng] |
| 蛋糕 | dàn gāo | cake; CL:塊|块; 個|个[gè] |
| 衣服 | yī fu | clothes; CL:件; 套[tào] |
| 表演 | biǎo yǎn | play; show; performance |
| 表示 | biǎo shì | to express; to show; to say |
| 衬衫 | chèn shān | shirt; blouse; CL:件[jiàn] |
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.

