Daily Routines in Traditional Chinese: 60+ Words You’ll Actually Use (No Robot Schedule)
Learn the stuff you say every day — in real-life Mandarin. Topic: 日常作息（繁體中文）
You get: Hanzi + pinyin + meaning
Plus: example sentences (not textbook crumbs)
Tap 🔊 to hear the Hanzi
If you can talk about your daily routine, you can talk to basically anyone. Work, school, weekends, the “I’m tired” life — all covered.
Below you’ll find common Traditional Chinese routine words (繁體中文), with pinyin (tone marks), clear meanings, and short example sentences you can steal immediately.
Section 1: Quick-Grab Visual Cards (the “I need this today” list)
起床
to get up (wake up and leave bed)
我六點半起床。
wǒ liù diǎn bàn qǐchuáng.
I get up at 6:30.
刷牙
to brush teeth
我起床後先刷牙。
wǒ qǐchuáng hòu xiān shuā yá.
After I get up, I brush my teeth first.
洗臉
to wash face
刷完牙我洗臉。
shuā wán yá wǒ xǐ liǎn.
After brushing my teeth, I wash my face.
吃早餐
to eat breakfast
我七點吃早餐。
wǒ qī diǎn chī zǎocān.
I eat breakfast at 7.
通勤
to commute
我通勤要四十分鐘。
wǒ tōngqín yào sìshí fēnzhōng.
My commute takes 40 minutes.
上班
to go to work / be at work
我九點開始上班。
wǒ jiǔ diǎn kāishǐ shàngbān.
I start work at 9.
下班
to get off work
我六點下班回家。
wǒ liù diǎn xiàbān huíjiā.
I get off work at 6 and go home.
睡覺
to sleep / go to bed
我十一點睡覺。
wǒ shíyī diǎn shuìjiào.
I go to sleep at 11.
Section 1.01: Common Grammar Patterns for Daily Routines (so your sentences flow)
每天…
Use this to describe habits. Add 都 if it’s a strong “every single day” vibe.
我每天都喝咖啡。
wǒ měitiān dōu hē kāfēi.
I drink coffee every day.
早上… / 晚上…
Time words often go at the beginning. Easy win for sounding natural.
早上我比較忙，晚上比較放鬆。
zǎoshang wǒ bǐjiào máng, wǎnshàng bǐjiào fàngsōng.
I’m busier in the morning and more relaxed at night.
先…再…
Perfect for routines. Bonus: it makes your story feel organized, even if your life isn’t.
我先洗臉，再刷牙。
wǒ xiān xǐliǎn, zài shuāyá.
First I wash my face, then I brush my teeth.
一…就…
For immediate actions. Great for “the moment I get home…” habits.
我一到家就洗澡。
wǒ yí dào jiā jiù xǐzǎo.
As soon as I get home, I shower.
正在…
Use this when something is in progress right now.
我正在開會，晚點回你。
wǒ zhèngzài kāihuì, wǎndiǎn huí nǐ.
I’m in a meeting right now; I’ll reply later.
常常… / 有時候…
Frequency words are routine gold. Sprinkle lightly; don’t dump the whole shaker.
我常常加班，有時候很晚才回家。
wǒ chángcháng jiābān, yǒushíhou hěn wǎn cái huíjiā.
I often work overtime; sometimes I get home very late.
記得…
Super common in daily life. It’s basically a friendly life admin command.
記得出門前關燈。
jìdé chūmén qián guān dēng.
Remember to turn off the light before you go out.
直到…才…
For “only after this time/event…” situations. Great for late sleepers (we see you).
我直到十二點才睡覺。
wǒ zhídào shí èr diǎn cái shuìjiào.
I don’t go to bed until 12.
該…了
Use it when something “should happen now.” Polite… or mildly threatening, depending on your tone.
該睡覺了。
gāi shuìjiào le.
It’s time to sleep.
想要…
Great for plans, moods, and “nope” energy.
我今天只想要放鬆。
wǒ jīntiān zhǐ xiǎngyào fàngsōng.
Today I only want to relax.
Section 1.1 (optional): Tiny grammar glue that helps a lot
- Time + Subject + Verb is super natural: 早上我喝咖啡。
- 後 / 前 are your best friends: 起床後… (after getting up), 出門前… (before going out).
- …了 can mean “changed/new situation”: 我下班了。 = “I’m off work now.”
Tip: Don’t overthink it. Use the patterns above and you’ll already sound 10x more natural.
Section 2: Table of Words (the rest of your daily-life toolkit)
Morning: waking up & getting ready
| Traditional Chinese | Meaning | Example (ZH + pinyin) | Translation (EN) | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|---|
鬧鐘 nào zhōng | alarm clock | 我的鬧鐘七點響。 wǒ de nàozhōng qī diǎn xiǎng. | My alarm rings at 7. | |
賴床 lài chuáng | to stay in bed (hit snooze life) | 我今天賴床五分鐘。 wǒ jīntiān lài chuáng wǔ fēnzhōng. | I stayed in bed five extra minutes today. | |
穿衣服 chuān yī fu | to get dressed | 我起床後先穿衣服。 wǒ qǐchuáng hòu xiān chuān yīfu. | After I get up, I get dressed first. | |
梳頭髮 shū tóu fǎ | to comb hair | 出門前我會梳頭髮。 chūmén qián wǒ huì shū tóufǎ. | Before I go out, I comb my hair. | |
洗澡 xǐ zǎo | to shower / bathe | 我晚上回家會洗澡。 wǒ wǎnshàng huíjiā huì xǐzǎo. | I shower when I get home at night. | |
洗頭 xǐ tóu | to wash hair | 我每兩天洗一次頭。 wǒ měi liǎng tiān xǐ yí cì tóu. | I wash my hair every two days. | |
吹頭髮 chuī tóu fǎ | to blow-dry hair | 洗完頭我會吹頭髮。 xǐ wán tóu wǒ huì chuī tóufǎ. | After washing my hair, I blow-dry it. | |
刮鬍子 guā hú zi | to shave | 我早上要刮鬍子。 wǒ zǎoshang yào guā húzi. | I need to shave in the morning. | |
化妝 huà zhuāng | to put on makeup | 她上班前會化妝。 tā shàngbān qián huì huàzhuāng. | She puts on makeup before work. | |
戴隱形眼鏡 dài yǐn xíng yǎn jìng | to wear contact lenses | 我出門前戴隱形眼鏡。 wǒ chūmén qián dài yǐnxíng yǎnjìng. | I put in contacts before going out. | |
量體重 liáng tǐ zhòng | to weigh yourself | 我每天早上量體重。 wǒ měitiān zǎoshang liáng tǐzhòng. | I weigh myself every morning. | |
喝水 hē shuǐ | to drink water | 起床後先喝水。 qǐchuáng hòu xiān hē shuǐ. | After getting up, drink water first. | |
出門 chū mén | to go out / leave home | 八點我就出門。 bā diǎn wǒ jiù chūmén. | I head out at 8. | |
帶雨傘 dài yǔ sǎn | to bring an umbrella | 下雨天記得帶雨傘。 xiàyǔ tiān jìdé dài yǔsǎn. | On rainy days, remember to bring an umbrella. |
Food: meals & the daily fuel situation
| Traditional Chinese | Meaning | Example (ZH + pinyin) | Translation (EN) | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|---|
早餐 zǎo cān | breakfast | 我的早餐很簡單。 wǒ de zǎocān hěn jiǎndān. | My breakfast is simple. | |
咖啡 kā fēi | coffee | 我早上會喝咖啡。 wǒ zǎoshang huì hē kāfēi. | I drink coffee in the morning. | |
茶 chá | tea | 下午我改喝茶。 xiàwǔ wǒ gǎi hē chá. | In the afternoon, I switch to tea. | |
牛奶 niú nǎi | milk | 我把牛奶加進咖啡裡。 wǒ bǎ niúnǎi jiā jìn kāfēi lǐ. | I add milk to my coffee. | |
吐司 tǔ sī | toast | 我烤一片吐司。 wǒ kǎo yí piàn tǔsī. | I toast a slice of bread. | |
麥片 mài piàn | cereal / oats | 沒時間時我吃麥片。 méi shíjiān shí wǒ chī màipiàn. | When I don’t have time, I eat cereal. | |
水果 shuǐ guǒ | fruit | 我每天吃一點水果。 wǒ měitiān chī yìdiǎn shuǐguǒ. | I eat a little fruit every day. | |
便當 biàn dāng | boxed meal / lunchbox | 我中午吃便當。 wǒ zhōngwǔ chī biàndāng. | I eat a boxed meal at lunch. | |
午餐 wǔ cān | lunch | 午餐後我會午休。 wǔcān hòu wǒ huì wǔxiū. | After lunch, I take a lunch break. | |
晚餐 wǎn cān | dinner | 晚餐我們在家吃。 wǎncān wǒmen zài jiā chī. | We eat dinner at home. |
Commute & work: the weekday reality show
| Traditional Chinese | Meaning | Example (ZH + pinyin) | Translation (EN) | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|---|
搭捷運 dā jié yùn | to take the MRT/subway | 我每天搭捷運去公司。 wǒ měitiān dā jiéyùn qù gōngsī. | I take the MRT to the office every day. | |
搭公車 dā gōng chē | to take the bus | 下雨時我搭公車。 xiàyǔ shí wǒ dā gōngchē. | When it rains, I take the bus. | |
開車 kāi chē | to drive | 我爸開車上班。 wǒ bà kāichē shàngbān. | My dad drives to work. | |
騎機車 qí jī chē | to ride a scooter/motorbike | 很多人騎機車通勤。 hěn duō rén qí jīchē tōngqín. | Lots of people commute by scooter. | |
走路 zǒu lù | to walk | 我走路到捷運站。 wǒ zǒulù dào jiéyùn zhàn. | I walk to the MRT station. | |
塞車 sāi chē | traffic jam | 今天早上很塞車。 jīntiān zǎoshang hěn sāichē. | Traffic is bad this morning. | |
打卡 dǎ kǎ | to clock in/out | 到公司先打卡。 dào gōngsī xiān dǎkǎ. | When I arrive, I clock in first. | |
開會 kāi huì | to have a meeting | 我十點要開會。 wǒ shí diǎn yào kāihuì. | I have a meeting at 10. | |
回信 huí xìn | to reply (to an email/letter) | 我午休時回信。 wǒ wǔxiū shí huíxìn. | I reply to emails during lunch break. | |
回覆訊息 huí fù xùn xī | to reply to messages | 我下班後再回覆訊息。 wǒ xiàbān hòu zài huífù xùnxī. | I’ll reply after work. | |
打電話 dǎ diàn huà | to make a phone call | 有事就打電話給我。 yǒu shì jiù dǎ diànhuà gěi wǒ. | If something’s up, call me. | |
寫報告 xiě bào gào | to write a report | 今天要寫報告。 jīntiān yào xiě bàogào. | I need to write a report today. | |
午休 wǔ xiū | lunch break / nap time | 我中午會午休二十分鐘。 wǒ zhōngwǔ huì wǔxiū èrshí fēnzhōng. | I take a 20-minute lunch break at noon. | |
加班 jiā bān | to work overtime | 這週我常常加班。 zhè zhōu wǒ chángcháng jiābān. | This week I often work overtime. |
Evening chores: keeping your home from becoming a museum of laundry
| Traditional Chinese | Meaning | Example (ZH + pinyin) | Translation (EN) | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|---|
買菜 mǎi cài | to buy groceries (produce/ingredients) | 下班後我去買菜。 xiàbān hòu wǒ qù mǎicài. | After work, I go buy groceries. | |
逛超市 guàng chāo shì | to shop/walk around the supermarket | 週末我們會逛超市。 zhōumò wǒmen huì guàng chāoshì. | On weekends we go to the supermarket. | |
做飯 zuò fàn | to cook (make a meal) | 我不想做飯，所以買便當。 wǒ bù xiǎng zuòfàn, suǒyǐ mǎi biàndāng. | I don’t feel like cooking, so I buy a boxed meal. | |
洗碗 xǐ wǎn | to wash dishes | 吃完晚餐我洗碗。 chī wán wǎncān wǒ xǐ wǎn. | After dinner, I wash the dishes. | |
打掃 dǎ sǎo | to clean (tidy/clean up) | 週六早上我打掃房間。 zhōuliù zǎoshang wǒ dǎsǎo fángjiān. | On Saturday morning, I clean my room. | |
倒垃圾 dào lā jī | to take out the trash | 晚上九點要倒垃圾。 wǎnshàng jiǔ diǎn yào dào lājī. | I need to take out the trash at 9 p.m. | |
洗衣服 xǐ yī fú | to do laundry | 我星期天洗衣服。 wǒ xīngqītiān xǐ yīfú. | I do laundry on Sundays. | |
遛狗 liù gǒu | to walk the dog | 我每天晚上遛狗。 wǒ měitiān wǎnshàng liù gǒu. | I walk the dog every night. |
Relax & night: the “finally” section
| Traditional Chinese | Meaning | Example (ZH + pinyin) | Translation (EN) | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|---|
運動 yùn dòng | to exercise | 下班後我去運動。 xiàbān hòu wǒ qù yùndòng. | After work, I go exercise. | |
跑步 pǎo bù | to run / go jogging | 我喜歡早上跑步。 wǒ xǐhuān zǎoshang pǎobù. | I like running in the morning. | |
健身 jiàn shēn | to work out (gym) | 他一週健身三次。 tā yì zhōu jiànshēn sān cì. | He works out three times a week. | |
散步 sàn bù | to take a walk | 晚餐後我們去散步。 wǎncān hòu wǒmen qù sànbù. | After dinner, we go for a walk. | |
看電視 kàn diàn shì | to watch TV | 我回家會看電視放鬆。 wǒ huíjiā huì kàn diànshì fàngsōng. | When I get home, I watch TV to relax. | |
追劇 zhuī jù | to binge-watch a series | 我有時候晚上追劇。 wǒ yǒushíhou wǎnshàng zhuījù. | Sometimes I binge-watch at night. | |
打電動 dǎ diàn dòng | to play video games | 週五晚上我打電動。 zhōuwǔ wǎnshàng wǒ dǎ diàndòng. | On Friday night, I play video games. | |
看書 kàn shū | to read (a book) | 睡前我看書十分鐘。 shuì qián wǒ kànshū shí fēnzhōng. | I read for ten minutes before bed. | |
聽音樂 tīng yīn yuè | to listen to music | 我通勤時聽音樂。 wǒ tōngqín shí tīng yīnyuè. | I listen to music while commuting. | |
滑手機 huá shǒu jī | to scroll on your phone | 躺在床上別一直滑手機。 tǎng zài chuángshàng bié yìzhí huá shǒujī. | Don’t keep scrolling on your phone in bed. | |
設鬧鐘 shè nào zhōng | to set an alarm | 我睡前會設鬧鐘。 wǒ shuì qián huì shè nàozhōng. | I set an alarm before bed. | |
關燈 guān dēng | to turn off the light | 你關燈了嗎？ nǐ guān dēng le ma? | Did you turn off the light? |
Section 3: Handy Variants (same idea, different vibe)
Because daily life isn’t one-size-fits-all — and neither is Chinese.
| Use this | Pinyin | Meaning / When to use | Mini example | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|---|
上班 / 上課 | shàngbān / shàngkè | Work vs. class. Pick your daily battle. | 我九點上班；他九點上課。 wǒ jiǔ diǎn shàngbān; tā jiǔ diǎn shàngkè. | |
下班 / 下課 | xiàbān / xiàkè | Off work vs. class ends. | 我六點下班，他五點下課。 wǒ liù diǎn xiàbān, tā wǔ diǎn xiàkè. | |
洗澡 / 沖澡 | xǐzǎo / chōngzǎo | Both mean “shower.” 沖澡 can feel a bit more like “quick rinse.” | 我回家先沖澡，再吃晚餐。 wǒ huíjiā xiān chōngzǎo, zài chī wǎncān. | |
睡覺 / 就寢 | shuìjiào / jiùqǐn | 就寢 is more formal (hotel/announcements). 睡覺 is everyday speech. | 我十一點睡覺；今晚我會早點就寢。 wǒ shíyī diǎn shuìjiào; jīnwǎn wǒ huì zǎodiǎn jiùqǐn. | |
通勤 / 上下班 | tōngqín / shàngxiàbān | 通勤 = commute (general). 上下班 = “to/from work” vibe. | 我上下班都搭捷運。 wǒ shàngxiàbān dōu dā jiéyùn. |
