Simplified Chinese 词汇 cíhuì for daily life, study, and real conversations

Simplified Chinese Vocabulary Guide For Beginners

Core words first, real sentences right away, and a cleaner path from “I know a random character” to “I can actually say something.”

Vocabulary is the part of simplified Chinese that pays rent immediately. Learn a few strong words, and you can greet people, ask basic questions, order food, find the restroom, say what you like, and explain where you are. That is a much better deal than memorizing a pile of lonely characters and hoping magic happens.

This guide gives you a practical starter bank of high-utility words across people, verbs, time, places, food, and description words. Every item includes simplified Chinese, pinyin, meaning, and a real example. Absolute beginners can pair this page with the Start Here guide, the pinyin guide, and the four tones guide so the words sound right instead of wandering around in your head wearing the wrong shoes.

Do not memorize five hundred nouns and then stare at them like a confused dragon guarding shiny treasure. Learn small teams of words that can actually build a sentence.
Yak Tip

Visual Cards: The Words You Meet Constantly

These are the little workhorse words that keep showing up in beginner Chinese. They are not glamorous. They are useful. Useful wins.

我 wǒ

I / me

我是学生。
wǒ shì xuéshēng.
I am a student.

你 nǐ

you

你好吗？
nǐ hǎo ma?
How are you?

是 shì

to be

这是书。
zhè shì shū.
This is a book.

有 yǒu

to have / there is

我有时间。
wǒ yǒu shíjiān.
I have time.

在 zài

to be at / in

我在家。
wǒ zài jiā.
I am at home.

去 qù

to go

我们去学校。
wǒmen qù xuéxiào.
We are going to school.

想 xiǎng

to want / to think

我想喝茶。
wǒ xiǎng hē chá.
I want to drink tea.

喜欢 xǐhuan

to like

我喜欢咖啡。
wǒ xǐhuan kāfēi.
I like coffee.

Useful Phrases And Real-Life Sentences

Single words matter, but complete phrases are where the language starts feeling alive. These are beginner-friendly lines you can use early and often.

你好 nǐ hǎo — hello
你好！
nǐ hǎo!
Hello!
谢谢 xièxie — thank you
谢谢你。
xièxie nǐ.
Thank you.
不客气 bú kèqi — you’re welcome
不客气。
bú kèqi.
You’re welcome.
请问 qǐngwèn — excuse me / may I ask
请问，地铁站在哪里？
qǐngwèn, dìtiězhàn zài nǎlǐ?
Excuse me, where is the subway station?
对不起 duìbuqǐ — sorry
对不起，我来晚了。
duìbuqǐ, wǒ lái wǎn le.
Sorry, I came late.
没关系 méi guānxi — it’s okay / no problem
没关系。
méi guānxi.
It’s okay.
我不知道 wǒ bù zhīdào — I don’t know
我不知道他的名字。
wǒ bù zhīdào tā de míngzi.
I do not know his name.
这是什么？ zhè shì shénme? — what is this?
这是什么？
zhè shì shénme?
What is this?
多少钱？ duōshao qián? — how much is it?
这个多少钱？
zhège duōshao qián?
How much is this?
我想要这个。 wǒ xiǎng yào zhège. — I want this one
我想要这个。
wǒ xiǎng yào zhège.
I want this one.
我喜欢喝茶。 wǒ xǐhuan hē chá. — I like drinking tea
我喜欢喝茶。
wǒ xǐhuan hē chá.
I like drinking tea.
厕所在哪里？ cèsuǒ zài nǎlǐ? — where is the restroom?
厕所在哪里？
cèsuǒ zài nǎlǐ?
Where is the restroom?

People And Core Nouns

If you want more starter vocabulary after this section, the beginner words guide and the pronouns guide are excellent next stops.

Hanzi	Pinyin	Meaning	Example (ZH)	Example (Pinyin)	Translation (EN)
我	wǒ	I / me	我是学生。	wǒ shì xuéshēng.	I am a student.
你	nǐ	you	你好吗？	nǐ hǎo ma?	How are you?
他	tā	he	他在家。	tā zài jiā.	He is at home.
她	tā	she	她很忙。	tā hěn máng.	She is very busy.
我们	wǒmen	we / us	我们去学校。	wǒmen qù xuéxiào.	We are going to school.
朋友	péngyou	friend	他是我的朋友。	tā shì wǒ de péngyou.	He is my friend.
老师	lǎoshī	teacher	老师来了。	lǎoshī lái le.	The teacher came.
学生	xuéshēng	student	我是学生。	wǒ shì xuéshēng.	I am a student.
家人	jiārén	family	我的家人很好。	wǒ de jiārén hěn hǎo.	My family is very kind.
名字	míngzi	name	你的名字是什么？	nǐ de míngzi shì shénme?	What is your name?

Daily Verbs You Use Constantly

Verbs are the engine of your sentence. Once you know a few of them, your vocabulary stops sitting there looking decorative. For a bigger verb bank, head to the common verbs guide.

Hanzi	Pinyin	Meaning	Example (ZH)	Example (Pinyin)	Translation (EN)
是	shì	to be	这是书。	zhè shì shū.	This is a book.
有	yǒu	to have / there is	我有时间。	wǒ yǒu shíjiān.	I have time.
在	zài	to be at / in	我在学校。	wǒ zài xuéxiào.	I am at school.
去	qù	to go	我们去公园。	wǒmen qù gōngyuán.	We are going to the park.
来	lái	to come	你明天来吗？	nǐ míngtiān lái ma?	Are you coming tomorrow?
想	xiǎng	to want / to think	我想喝水。	wǒ xiǎng hē shuǐ.	I want to drink water.
吃	chī	to eat	我喜欢吃米饭。	wǒ xǐhuan chī mǐfàn.	I like eating rice.
喝	hē	to drink	她喝茶。	tā hē chá.	She drinks tea.
看	kàn	to look / to watch	我看电影。	wǒ kàn diànyǐng.	I watch a movie.
喜欢	xǐhuan	to like	你喜欢咖啡吗？	nǐ xǐhuan kāfēi ma?	Do you like coffee?

Time And Number Basics

Time words and numbers show up everywhere: introductions, shopping, dates, travel, and basic planning. When you want to go deeper, add the numbers guide and the time words guide to your study stack.

Hanzi	Pinyin	Meaning	Example (ZH)	Example (Pinyin)	Translation (EN)
今天	jīntiān	today	今天很热。	jīntiān hěn rè.	Today is hot.
明天	míngtiān	tomorrow	明天见。	míngtiān jiàn.	See you tomorrow.
现在	xiànzài	now	我现在很累。	wǒ xiànzài hěn lèi.	I am tired now.
早上	zǎoshang	morning	我早上喝咖啡。	wǒ zǎoshang hē kāfēi.	I drink coffee in the morning.
晚上	wǎnshang	evening / night	他晚上学习。	tā wǎnshang xuéxí.	He studies at night.
一	yī	one	我有一个问题。	wǒ yǒu yí ge wèntí.	I have one question.
两	liǎng	two	我买两杯茶。	wǒ mǎi liǎng bēi chá.	I buy two cups of tea.
十	shí	ten	现在十点。	xiànzài shí diǎn.	It is ten o’clock now.
点	diǎn	o’clock	三点开会。	sān diǎn kāihuì.	The meeting starts at three.
分钟	fēnzhōng	minute	给我五分钟。	gěi wǒ wǔ fēnzhōng.	Give me five minutes.

Places And Around-Town Words

Location words make your Chinese useful outside the notebook. They help with directions, errands, transport, and not wandering around looking spiritually lost. For more place vocabulary, see the locations guide.

Hanzi	Pinyin	Meaning	Example (ZH)	Example (Pinyin)	Translation (EN)
家	jiā	home	我在家。	wǒ zài jiā.	I am at home.
学校	xuéxiào	school	学校很大。	xuéxiào hěn dà.	The school is big.
公司	gōngsī	company / office	她在公司上班。	tā zài gōngsī shàngbān.	She works at the company.
商店	shāngdiàn	shop	商店在左边。	shāngdiàn zài zuǒbian.	The shop is on the left.
饭馆	fànguǎn	restaurant	我们在饭馆吃饭。	wǒmen zài fànguǎn chīfàn.	We eat at the restaurant.
厕所	cèsuǒ	restroom / toilet	厕所在那里。	cèsuǒ zài nàlǐ.	The restroom is there.
地铁站	dìtiězhàn	subway station	地铁站很近。	dìtiězhàn hěn jìn.	The subway station is near.
公园	gōngyuán	park	孩子们在公园玩。	háizimen zài gōngyuán wán.	The children play in the park.
医院	yīyuàn	hospital	医院在对面。	yīyuàn zài duìmiàn.	The hospital is across from here.
房间	fángjiān	room	我的房间很小。	wǒ de fángjiān hěn xiǎo.	My room is small.

Food, Drink, And Shopping Words

Food vocabulary gives you fast wins because you can use it in shops, cafes, markets, and daily conversation almost immediately. To keep building this category, move next to the food vocabulary guide.

Hanzi	Pinyin	Meaning	Example (ZH)	Example (Pinyin)	Translation (EN)
水	shuǐ	water	我想喝水。	wǒ xiǎng hē shuǐ.	I want to drink water.
茶	chá	tea	妈妈喜欢茶。	māma xǐhuan chá.	Mom likes tea.
咖啡	kāfēi	coffee	我早上喝咖啡。	wǒ zǎoshang hē kāfēi.	I drink coffee in the morning.
米饭	mǐfàn	cooked rice	今天有米饭吗？	jīntiān yǒu mǐfàn ma?	Is there rice today?
面条	miàntiáo	noodles	他想吃面条。	tā xiǎng chī miàntiáo.	He wants noodles.
菜	cài	dish / vegetable	这个菜很好吃。	zhège cài hěn hǎochī.	This dish is tasty.
水果	shuǐguǒ	fruit	我买水果。	wǒ mǎi shuǐguǒ.	I buy fruit.
买	mǎi	to buy	我去买水。	wǒ qù mǎi shuǐ.	I am going to buy water.
钱	qián	money	我没有很多钱。	wǒ méiyǒu hěn duō qián.	I do not have much money.
便宜	piányi	cheap	这个很便宜。	zhège hěn piányi.	This is cheap.

Description And Feeling Words

Adjectives and feeling words make your Chinese sound more human and less like a shopping list with tones. To expand this area, add the adjectives guide and the feelings guide.

Hanzi	Pinyin	Meaning	Example (ZH)	Example (Pinyin)	Translation (EN)
好	hǎo	good	今天天气很好。	jīntiān tiānqì hěn hǎo.	The weather is nice today.
大	dà	big	这个房子很大。	zhège fángzi hěn dà.	This house is big.
小	xiǎo	small	那只猫很小。	nà zhī māo hěn xiǎo.	That cat is small.
热	rè	hot	今天太热了。	jīntiān tài rè le.	It is too hot today.
冷	lěng	cold	晚上有点冷。	wǎnshang yǒudiǎn lěng.	It is a bit cold at night.
高兴	gāoxìng	happy	认识你很高兴。	rènshi nǐ hěn gāoxìng.	Nice to meet you.
累	lèi	tired	我今天很累。	wǒ jīntiān hěn lèi.	I am tired today.
忙	máng	busy	老师现在很忙。	lǎoshī xiànzài hěn máng.	The teacher is busy now.
漂亮	piàoliang	beautiful	这件衣服很漂亮。	zhè jiàn yīfu hěn piàoliang.	This piece of clothing is beautiful.
快	kuài	fast	他跑得很快。	tā pǎo de hěn kuài.	He runs fast.

Common Beginner Pairs That Trip People Up

Some words look similar, but they do different jobs. Knowing the difference early saves a surprising amount of confusion later.

Pair	Difference	Example (ZH)	Example (Pinyin)	Translation (EN)
你好 / 您好	你好 nǐ hǎo is neutral. 您好 nín hǎo is more polite.	您好，老师。	nín hǎo, lǎoshī.	Hello, teacher.
喜欢 / 爱	喜欢 xǐhuan means “like.” 爱 ài is stronger, more like “love.”	我喜欢咖啡。	wǒ xǐhuan kāfēi.	I like coffee.
在 / 有	在 zài shows location. 有 yǒu shows possession or existence.	书在桌子上。	shū zài zhuōzi shàng.	The book is on the table.
饭馆 / 餐厅	饭馆 fànguǎn feels everyday. 餐厅 cāntīng is more standard or formal.	我们去餐厅。	wǒmen qù cāntīng.	We are going to the restaurant.
看 / 读	看 kàn is look/watch. 读 dú is read aloud or study text.	我读书。	wǒ dú shū.	I read a book.

How To Learn Vocabulary That Actually Sticks

Start with sound, not just shape. If a word looks familiar but you cannot say it, it is not really yours yet. Keep using the pinyin guide and the four tones guide while you build your vocabulary.
Learn words in mini packs. A strong beginner pack might be pronoun + verb + object + time. That is why words like 我 wǒ, 想 xiǎng, 茶 chá, and 现在 xiànzài are so useful together.
Pair vocabulary with grammar early. Words get much easier once you see how they behave in patterns. The biggest beginner helpers are measure words, questions, and negation.
Use topics that show up in real life. Food, places, time, people, and daily actions pay off faster than impressive niche words that mostly sit there trying to look profound.
Use level-based lists when you want structure. If you like clear milestones, start with HSK levels explained and then work through the HSK 1 vocabulary list as a tidy first target.

Quick Reference Summary

People: 我 wǒ, 你 nǐ, 他 tā, 她 tā, 我们 wǒmen, 朋友 péngyou
Core Verbs: 是 shì, 有 yǒu, 在 zài, 去 qù, 来 lái, 想 xiǎng, 喜欢 xǐhuan
Time Basics: 今天 jīntiān, 明天 míngtiān, 现在 xiànzài, 早上 zǎoshang, 晚上 wǎnshang, 点 diǎn
Places: 家 jiā, 学校 xuéxiào, 公司 gōngsī, 商店 shāngdiàn, 地铁站 dìtiězhàn, 厕所 cèsuǒ
Food And Shopping: 水 shuǐ, 茶 chá, 咖啡 kāfēi, 米饭 mǐfàn, 面条 miàntiáo, 买 mǎi, 钱 qián, 便宜 piányi
Description Words: 好 hǎo, 大 dà, 小 xiǎo, 热 rè, 冷 lěng, 高兴 gāoxìng, 累 lèi, 忙 máng

Build Your Next Step

Vocabulary gets stronger when it is backed by sentence structure, useful phrases, culture, and solid study tools. These pages make the next move obvious instead of leaving you to roam the internet like a brave but underprepared goblin.

Final Yak Box

Vocabulary gets useful the moment it stops being a museum collection. Learn a few strong words, use them in tiny sentences, repeat them in real situations, and suddenly Chinese stops feeling like wallpaper. Start with people, verbs, time, places, and food. That little stack carries a shocking amount of real life.

The trick is not to know every word. The trick is to know the right words well enough to use them. That is a far nicer goal, and your brain will complain less.