Furniture Vocabulary in Traditional Chinese: 80+ Easy Words & Phrases for Beginners

If you can talk about furniture in Traditional Chinese, suddenly a lot of real life gets easier. You can describe your home, ask where something goes, and complain politely that a couch is somehow “too soft” and “too expensive” at the same time. Very impressive adulting.

For the broader learning path, visit our parent guide.

In Taiwan, furniture words show up everywhere: apartment listings, home stores, moving day, decorating conversations, and those moments when a friend says, “你家的沙發好舒服喔！” and you need to understand why your couch is suddenly the star of the room.

This guide teaches practical furniture vocabulary in Traditional Chinese with pinyin, English meaning, and example sentences. For a useful house-and-home companion, you can also compare this with house vocabulary in Traditional Chinese and the broader beginner set in Traditional Chinese basic words and phrases.

And yes, there is a boring but reliable reference too: the Dreye Chinese dictionary is excellent if you want to check a word without drama.

Furniture words are not glamorous, but they are the backbone of “I live somewhere and would like to describe it like a human.”

Table of Contents

Core Furniture Words

Start with these common items. They are the everyday words you will hear in homes, furniture shops, rental ads, and moving conversations.

Traditional Chinese	Pinyin	Meaning	Example (ZH)	Example (Pinyin)	Translation (EN)
家具	jiājù	furniture	我想買一些新家具。	Wǒ xiǎng mǎi yīxiē xīn jiājù.	I want to buy some new furniture.
桌子	zhuōzi	table	這張桌子很大。	Zhè zhāng zhuōzi hěn dà.	This table is very big.
椅子	yǐzi	chair	請坐在椅子上。	Qǐng zuò zài yǐzi shàng.	Please sit on the chair.
沙發	shāfā	sofa, couch	我家的沙發很舒服。	Wǒ jiā de shāfā hěn shūfú.	The sofa at my home is very comfortable.
床	chuáng	bed	這張床很軟。	Zhè zhāng chuáng hěn ruǎn.	This bed is very soft.
櫃子	guìzi	cabinet, cupboard	碗在櫃子裡。	Wǎn zài guìzi lǐ.	The bowls are in the cabinet.
衣櫃	yīguì	wardrobe, closet	我的衣服都在衣櫃裡。	Wǒ de yīfu dōu zài yīguì lǐ.	My clothes are all in the wardrobe.
書桌	shūzhuō	desk	我在書桌前做功課。	Wǒ zài shūzhuō qián zuò gōngkè.	I do homework at the desk.

More Useful Furniture Words

Traditional Chinese	Pinyin	Meaning	Example (ZH)	Example (Pinyin)	Translation (EN)
床墊	chuángdiàn	mattress	這個床墊太硬了。	Zhège chuángdiàn tài yìng le.	This mattress is too hard.
枕頭	zhěntou	pillow	我需要一個新枕頭。	Wǒ xūyào yīgè xīn zhěntou.	I need a new pillow.
棉被	miánbèi	quilt, blanket	晚上我會蓋棉被。	Wǎnshàng wǒ huì gài miánbèi.	At night I cover myself with a quilt.
茶几	chájī	coffee table	遙控器放在茶几上。	Yáokòngqì fàng zài chájī shàng.	The remote is on the coffee table.
邊桌	biānzhuō	side table	那個邊桌很適合放杯子。	Nàge biānzhuō hěn shìhé fàng bēizi.	That side table is perfect for cups.
鞋櫃	xiéguì	shoe cabinet	鞋子都放在鞋櫃裡。	Xiézi dōu fàng zài xiéguì lǐ.	The shoes are all in the shoe cabinet.
抽屜	chōuti	drawer	我的筆在抽屜裡。	Wǒ de bǐ zài chōuti lǐ.	My pen is in the drawer.
層架	céngjià	shelf unit	書放在層架上。	Shū fàng zài céngjià shàng.	The books are on the shelf unit.
書架	shūjià	bookshelf	她的書架很滿。	Tā de shūjià hěn mǎn.	Her bookshelf is very full.
餐桌	cānzhuō	dining table	我們在餐桌吃晚餐。	Wǒmen zài cānzhuō chī wǎncān.	We eat dinner at the dining table.
餐椅	cānyǐ	dining chair	這些餐椅很輕。	Zhèxiē cānyǐ hěn qīng.	These dining chairs are very light.
床頭櫃	chuángtóuguì	bedside table	我把手機放在床頭櫃上。	Wǒ bǎ shǒujī fàng zài chuángtóuguì shàng.	I put my phone on the bedside table.
梳妝台	shūzhuāngtái	dressing table, vanity	她在梳妝台前化妝。	Tā zài shūzhuāngtái qián huàzhuāng.	She puts on makeup at the vanity.
電視櫃	diànshìguì	TV cabinet	電視櫃下面有很多線。	Diànshìguì xiàmiàn yǒu hěn duō xiàn.	There are many cables under the TV cabinet.
玄關櫃	xuánguān guì	entryway cabinet	鑰匙放在玄關櫃上。	Yàoshi fàng zài xuánguān guì shàng.	The keys are on the entryway cabinet.

Furniture Parts And Home Details

These words help you describe the shape, structure, or materials of furniture. Handy when the salesperson starts asking questions and expects you to be a confident interior designer. Rude, really.

Traditional Chinese	Pinyin	Meaning	Example (ZH)	Example (Pinyin)	Translation (EN)
桌面	zhuōmiàn	tabletop	桌面有一點髒。	Zhuōmiàn yǒu yīdiǎn zāng.	The tabletop is a little dirty.
椅背	yǐbèi	chair back	這個椅背很高。	Zhège yǐbèi hěn gāo.	This chair back is very tall.
扶手	fúshǒu	armrest	這張椅子有扶手。	Zhè zhāng yǐzi yǒu fúshǒu.	This chair has armrests.
腳	jiǎo	leg	桌子的腳壞了。	Zhuōzi de jiǎo huài le.	The table leg is broken.
門把	ménbǎ	door handle	門把有點鬆。	Ménbǎ yǒudiǎn sōng.	The door handle is a bit loose.
鏡子	jìngzi	mirror	浴室裡有一面大鏡子。	Yùshì lǐ yǒu yí miàn dà jìngzi.	There is a big mirror in the bathroom.
燈	dēng	light, lamp	房間裡的燈太亮了。	Fángjiān lǐ de dēng tài liàng le.	The light in the room is too bright.
窗簾	chuānglián	curtain	我想換新的窗簾。	Wǒ xiǎng huàn xīn de chuānglián.	I want to change the curtains.

Common Furniture Verbs And Actions

Furniture vocabulary becomes much more useful when you know the verbs that go with it. A table is nice, but a table that you can move, clean, or assemble is what people actually talk about.

Traditional Chinese	Pinyin	Meaning	Example (ZH)	Example (Pinyin)	Translation (EN)
買家具	mǎi jiājù	to buy furniture	週末我要去買家具。	Zhōumò wǒ yào qù mǎi jiājù.	This weekend I’m going to buy furniture.
搬家具	bān jiājù	to move furniture	搬家具很累。	Bān jiājù hěn lèi.	Moving furniture is tiring.
組裝	zǔzhuāng	to assemble	這張桌子要自己組裝。	Zhè zhāng zhuōzi yào zìjǐ zǔzhuāng.	This table needs to be assembled by yourself.
打掃	dǎsǎo	to clean	我先打掃房間，再整理家具。	Wǒ xiān dǎsǎo fángjiān, zài zhěnglǐ jiājù.	I clean the room first, then organize the furniture.
整理	zhěnglǐ	to tidy up, organize	請把書桌整理乾淨。	Qǐng bǎ shūzhuō zhěnglǐ gānjìng.	Please tidy up the desk.
擦	cā	to wipe	我每天擦桌子。	Wǒ měitiān cā zhuōzi.	I wipe the table every day.
擺	bǎi	to place, arrange	沙發應該擺在這裡。	Shāfā yīnggāi bǎi zài zhèlǐ.	The sofa should be placed here.
鋪	pū	to spread, lay out	她把床單鋪好。	Tā bǎ chuángdān pū hǎo.	She made the bed.

Useful Phrases For Real Life

These phrases are the ones you will actually use when talking about a room, a store, or your own place. The examples are short on purpose. No one needs a furniture monologue unless they are moving house.

Traditional Chinese	Pinyin	Meaning	Example (ZH)	Example (Pinyin)	Translation (EN)
這張桌子	zhè zhāng zhuōzi	this table	這張桌子很穩。	Zhè zhāng zhuōzi hěn wěn.	This table is very stable.
那張椅子	nà zhāng yǐzi	that chair	那張椅子看起來很舒服。	Nà zhāng yǐzi kàn qǐlái hěn shūfú.	That chair looks comfortable.
放在旁邊	fàng zài pángbiān	put it beside	請把箱子放在旁邊。	Qǐng bǎ xiāngzi fàng zài pángbiān.	Please put the box beside it.
在角落	zài jiǎoluò	in the corner	那台書架在角落。	Nà tái shūjià zài jiǎoluò.	That bookshelf is in the corner.
很佔空間	hěn zhàn kōngjiān	takes up a lot of space	這個沙發太大了，很佔空間。	Zhège shāfā tài dà le, hěn zhàn kōngjiān.	This sofa is too big and takes up a lot of space.
有收納空間	yǒu shōunà kōngjiān	has storage space	這張床有收納空間。	Zhè zhāng chuáng yǒu shōunà kōngjiān.	This bed has storage space.
比較方便	bǐjiào fāngbiàn	more convenient	這種桌子比較方便。	Zhè zhǒng zhuōzi bǐjiào fāngbiàn.	This kind of table is more convenient.
太重了	tài zhòng le	too heavy	這個櫃子太重了。	Zhège guìzi tài zhòng le.	This cabinet is too heavy.
太貴了	tài guì le	too expensive	這張椅子太貴了。	Zhè zhāng yǐzi tài guì le.	This chair is too expensive.
可以試坐嗎？	Kěyǐ shì zuò ma?	Can I try sitting?	我可以試坐嗎？	Wǒ kěyǐ shì zuò ma?	Can I try sitting?
有保固嗎？	Yǒu bǎogù ma?	Does it have a warranty?	這個沙發有保固嗎？	Zhège shāfā yǒu bǎogù ma?	Does this sofa have a warranty?
請幫我送貨	Qǐng bāng wǒ sònghuò	Please help deliver it	請幫我送貨到家。	Qǐng bāng wǒ sònghuò dào jiā.	Please deliver it to my home.

Furniture Shopping Phrases

In Taiwan, people often shop for furniture at home stores, small shops, or online. These phrases help when you are comparing sizes, prices, and “this one looks nice” decisions that somehow become very serious.

我想看一下這個。 Wǒ xiǎng kàn yīxià zhège. — I want to look at this one.
有其他顏色嗎？ Yǒu qítā yánsè ma? — Do you have other colors?
有比較小的嗎？ Yǒu bǐjiào xiǎo de ma? — Do you have a smaller one?
這個尺寸是多少？ Zhège chǐcùn shì duōshǎo? — What is this size?
可以送到我家嗎？ Kěyǐ sòng dào wǒ jiā ma? — Can it be delivered to my home?
可以幫我組裝嗎？ Kěyǐ bāng wǒ zǔzhuāng ma? — Can you help assemble it?
我要現貨。 Wǒ yào xiànhuò. — I want the in-stock item.
我先考慮一下。 Wǒ xiān kǎolǜ yīxià. — I’ll think about it first.
可以刷卡嗎？ Kěyǐ shuākǎ ma? — Can I pay by card?
有折扣嗎？ Yǒu zhékòu ma? — Is there a discount?

Curious Bit: Chinese Measure Words For Furniture

Furniture nouns often use different measure words, and this is one of those Mandarin things that feels annoying until it suddenly feels normal. Then your brain pretends it was easy all along. Typical.

Noun	Common Measure Word	Example	Pinyin	English
桌子	張	一張桌子	yì zhāng zhuōzi	one table
椅子	張	兩張椅子	liǎng zhāng yǐzi	two chairs
床	張	一張床	yì zhāng chuáng	one bed
沙發	張／組	一張沙發 / 一組沙發	yì zhāng shāfā / yì zǔ shāfā	one sofa / one sofa set
櫃子	個	一個櫃子	yí gè guìzi	one cabinet
書架	個／座	一個書架	yí gè shūjià	one bookshelf

Quick note: when counting people, objects, or furniture, 兩 liǎng is usually used before measure words, not 二 èr. So you say 兩張椅子 liǎng zhāng yǐzi, not 二張椅子. Mandarin likes this kind of tiny obstacle course.

Common Mistakes And Easy Fixes

Common Mistake	Better Way	Why It Helps
一個桌子 yī gè zhuōzi	一張桌子 yī zhāng zhuōzi	桌子 usually uses 張.
二個椅子 èr gè yǐzi	兩張椅子 liǎng zhāng yǐzi	Use 兩 before measure words for countable items.
沙發在房間 shāfā zài fángjiān	沙發在房間裡 shāfā zài fángjiān lǐ	裡 makes the sentence more natural for location.
很舒服的沙發 hěn shūfú de shāfā	很舒服的沙發 hěn shūfú de shāfā	This one is actually fine. Keep it. English speakers often overcomplicate it.
我需要買家具們 Wǒ xūyào mǎi jiājùmen	我需要買一些家具 Wǒ xūyào mǎi yīxiē jiājù	家具 is usually not pluralized with 們.
這個椅子 zhège yǐzi	這張椅子 zhè zhāng yǐzi	這張 is more natural for chairs and tables.

Extra Useful Words For Describing Furniture

Traditional Chinese	Pinyin	Meaning	Example (ZH)	Example (Pinyin)	Translation (EN)
大	dà	big	這個衣櫃很大。	Zhège yīguì hěn dà.	This wardrobe is very big.
小	xiǎo	small	我想要小一點的桌子。	Wǒ xiǎng yào xiǎo yīdiǎn de zhuōzi.	I want a slightly smaller table.
高	gāo	tall, high	這個書架很高。	Zhège shūjià hěn gāo.	This bookshelf is very tall.
低	dī	low	這張床比較低。	Zhè zhāng chuáng bǐjiào dī.	This bed is lower.
新	xīn	new	我們搬進新家具了。	Wǒmen bān jìn xīn jiājù le.	We moved in new furniture.
舊	jiù	old	這張椅子有點舊。	Zhè zhāng yǐzi yǒudiǎn jiù.	This chair is a bit old.
軟	ruǎn	soft	這個沙發很軟。	Zhège shāfā hěn ruǎn.	This sofa is very soft.
硬	yìng	hard	這張床太硬。	Zhè zhāng chuáng tài yìng.	This bed is too hard.
乾淨	gānjìng	clean	這個桌面很乾淨。	Zhège zhuōmiàn hěn gānjìng.	This tabletop is very clean.
亂	luàn	messy	他的書桌很亂。	Tā de shūzhuō hěn luàn.	His desk is very messy.

Mini Practice

Try these quick drills. Say them out loud if possible. Furniture vocabulary gets easier when your mouth gets used to the rhythm.

Translate: “This chair is too expensive.” → 這張椅子太貴了。 Zhè zhāng yǐzi tài guì le.
Translate: “The table is in the corner.” → 桌子在角落。 Zhuōzi zài jiǎoluò.
Translate: “I want to buy a new bed.” → 我想買一張新床。 Wǒ xiǎng mǎi yì zhāng xīn chuáng.
Translate: “Can you help me assemble this cabinet?” → 你可以幫我組裝這個櫃子嗎？ Nǐ kěyǐ bāng wǒ zǔzhuāng zhège guìzi ma?
Choose the better measure word: 一個桌子 or 一張桌子 → 一張桌子
Swap the word: 這張床很軟。 Replace 床 with 沙發 → 這張沙發很軟。 Zhè zhāng shāfā hěn ruǎn.

If you want more structured practice, try the Traditional Chinese vocabulary test or check your level with the Traditional Chinese placement test (TOCFL). Both are pleasantly exam-like, which is a strange thing to say but still true.

Quick Reference Summary

家具 jiājù = furniture
桌子 zhuōzi = table
椅子 yǐzi = chair
沙發 shāfā = sofa
床 chuáng = bed
櫃子 guìzi = cabinet
衣櫃 yīguì = wardrobe
書桌 shūzhuō = desk
書架 shūjià = bookshelf
抽屜 chōuti = drawer
床頭櫃 chuángtóuguì = bedside table
組裝 zǔzhuāng = assemble
整理 zhěnglǐ = tidy up
擺 bǎi = place, arrange
一張桌子 yī zhāng zhuōzi = one table
兩張椅子 liǎng zhāng yǐzi = two chairs

If you are also learning signs and labels around town, the page on signs and signage in Traditional Chinese can be a nice next stop. Furniture, houses, signs — the whole practical life package. Thrilling stuff, honestly.

Yak Takeaway: learn the big furniture words first, then add measure words and shopping phrases. That way you can describe a room, buy a chair, and survive a furniture store without sounding like a lost tourist staring at a sofa.