Most Common Chinese Nouns with Free PDF

Chinese nouns are the bones of everything you want to say. Without them, you can’t name the noodles you’re craving, the person you’re meeting, or that gadget you just pointed at. This list hands you around 1,000 of the most common Chinese nouns you’ll actually use – the ones that show up at the market, in your WeChat chats, and when you’re just trying to get through the day without a translation app.

Every entry pairs a straightforward meaning with a natural example sentence, so you see the word in action instead of memorizing a lonely dictionary translation. There’s audio playback right inside the table, because your ears need practice just as much as your eyes. When you’re ready to study offline, grab the free PDF using the download button below the table – no sign-up, no fuss.

Whether you’re a beginner building your first word bank or a more confident learner plugging gaps, these are the nouns you’ll lean on every day. Work through the list at your own speed and soon you’ll be naming everything from your breakfast to your weekend plans without reaching for a translator.

If this topic helped, explore more in our Chinese learning section. it’s the easiest way to keep building related vocabulary without jumping around the web.

Quick Quiz

Think you’ve already locked a few of these nouns into memory? Give the quick quiz below a go – no pressure, just a friendly way to see which ones you’ve really nailed.

Browse the Full List

WordPinyinTypeMeaningAudio
姊姊/姐姐/姊/姐jiějie/jiěOtherolder sister
姑姑gūguOtherpaternal aunt
姑娘gūniangOthergirl/young woman/young lady/daughter/paternal aunt (old)
姓名xìngmíngOthersurname and given name/full name
娃娃wáwaOtherbaby/small child/doll
婚姻hūnyīnOther,次[ci4]
婚礼hūnlǐOtherwedding ceremony/wedding/CL:場|场[chang3]
Otherletter/symbol/character/word/courtesy or style name traditionally given to males aged 20 in dynastic China
字典zìdiǎnOther, which has entries for words of one or more characters)/(coll.) dictionary/CL:本[ben3]
孙女sūnnǚOtherson's daughter/granddaughter
孙子sūnziOthergrandson/son's son
季节jìjiéOthertime/season/period
学期xuéqíOtherterm/semester
学校xuéxiàoOtherschool/CL:所[suo3]
学生xuéshēngOtherstudent/schoolchild
学院xuéyuànOthercollege/educational institute/school/faculty/CL:所[suo3]
孩子háiziOtherchild
Otherit
它们tāmenOtherthey (for inanimate objects)
安全ānquánOthersafe
安排ānpáiOtherto arrange/to plan/to set up/arrangements/plans
宝贝bǎobèiOthertreasured object/treasure/darling/baby/cowry/good-for-nothing or queer character
实力shílìOtherstrength
实话shíhuàOthertruth
客人kèrénOthervisitor/guest/customer/client/CL:位[wei4]