Around the House Vocabulary in Traditional Chinese (120+ Words)

居家生活詞彙｜Characters + pinyin + real-life example sentences (so you stop pointing at things like a confused penguin).

Here’s a big, practical list of around-the-house vocabulary in Traditional Chinese (繁體中文). Every item comes with characters, pinyin (tone marks), a clear meaning, and a real sentence you can actually say.

Tap the 🔊 buttons to hear the word spoken aloud (Taiwan Mandarin). Start with the visual cards, steal a few ready-to-use sentences, then binge the tables when you’re feeling productive.

Yak Snark

If you only learn “那個…那個…” (“that…uh…that…”) for every object at home, you’ll still be understood. But you’ll also sound like your brain is buffering on Wi-Fi from 2006.

Quick-Use Visual Cards (start here)

家

jiā

home (the “home” feeling)

我今天想待在家。 Wǒ jīntiān xiǎng dāi zài jiā. I want to stay at home today.

房子

fángzi

house (the building)

這棟房子很安靜。 Zhè dòng fángzi hěn ānjìng. This house is very quiet.

客廳

kètīng

living room

我們在客廳看電視。 Wǒmen zài kètīng kàn diànshì. We watch TV in the living room.

廚房

chúfáng

kitchen

廚房裡有一個大冰箱。 Chúfáng lǐ yǒu yí gè dà bīngxiāng. There’s a big fridge in the kitchen.

臥室

wòshì

bedroom

我的臥室不大，但很舒服。 Wǒ de wòshì bú dà, dàn hěn shūfu. My bedroom isn’t big, but it’s comfy.

浴室

yùshì

bathroom

浴室的地板有點滑。 Yùshì de dìbǎn yǒudiǎn huá. The bathroom floor is a bit slippery.

門

mén

door

請把門關好。 Qǐng bǎ mén guān hǎo. Please close the door properly.

窗戶

chuānghù

window

窗戶外面很吵。 Chuānghù wàimiàn hěn chǎo. It’s noisy outside the window.

Ready-to-Use House Sentences (copy, paste, speak)

These are the kinds of short lines you’ll say a lot: coming in, closing stuff, and surviving the daily chaos.

我在家。

Wǒ zài jiā.

I’m at home.

你到哪裡了？我在家。 Nǐ dào nǎlǐ le? Wǒ zài jiā. Where are you? I’m at home.

回家吧。

Huí jiā ba.

Let’s go home.

天快黑了，我們回家吧。 Tiān kuài hēi le, wǒmen huí jiā ba. It’s getting dark—let’s go home.

你先進來。

Nǐ xiān jìnlái.

Come in first.

外面下雨了，你先進來。 Wàimiàn xià yǔ le, nǐ xiān jìnlái. It’s raining—come in first.

把門關上。

Bǎ mén guān shàng.

Close the door.

風很大，把門關上。 Fēng hěn dà, bǎ mén guān shàng. It’s windy—close the door.

把窗戶打開。

Bǎ chuānghù dǎkāi.

Open the window.

空氣不太好，把窗戶打開一下。 Kōngqì bú tài hǎo, bǎ chuānghù dǎkāi yíxià. The air feels stuffy—open the window for a bit.

開燈。

Kāi dēng.

Turn on the light.

這裡太暗了，開燈吧。 Zhèlǐ tài àn le, kāi dēng ba. It’s too dark—turn on the light.

關燈。

Guān dēng.

Turn off the light.

要睡了，記得關燈。 Yào shuì le, jìde guān dēng. Time to sleep—remember to turn off the light.

這裡好冷。

Zhèlǐ hǎo lěng.

It’s so cold here.

窗戶沒關好，這裡好冷。 Chuānghù méi guān hǎo, zhèlǐ hǎo lěng. The window isn’t closed well—so cold in here.

可以借我鑰匙嗎？

Kěyǐ jiè wǒ yàoshi ma?

Can I borrow the key?

我忘了帶鑰匙，可以借我鑰匙嗎？ Wǒ wàng le dài yàoshi, kěyǐ jiè wǒ yàoshi ma? I forgot my key—can I borrow yours?

請脫鞋。

Qǐng tuō xié.

Please take off your shoes.

地板剛拖完，請脫鞋。 Dìbǎn gāng tuō wán, qǐng tuō xié. I just mopped the floor—please take off your shoes.

你把東西放哪裡了？

Nǐ bǎ dōngxī fàng nǎlǐ le?

Where did you put the stuff?

遙控器不見了，你把東西放哪裡了？ Yáokòngqì bú jiàn le, nǐ bǎ dōngxī fàng nǎlǐ le? The remote is missing—where did you put it?

我們一起整理一下。

Wǒmen yìqǐ zhěnglǐ yíxià.

Let’s tidy up together.

客廳太亂了，我們一起整理一下。 Kètīng tài luàn le, wǒmen yìqǐ zhěnglǐ yíxià. The living room is too messy—let’s tidy up together.

Tiny but Important: 家 vs 房子

In Traditional Chinese, 家 (jiā) is “home” in the warm, emotional sense (often tied to family and the feeling of being home). 房子 (fángzi) is the physical “house/building.” If you say 我回家 you’re going home (life vibes). If you say 這間房子, you’re talking about the actual place (walls, rent, and that one mysterious creak at 3 a.m.).

The Full Word List (100+ more)

Rooms & Areas

Traditional Chinese	Pinyin	Meaning (EN)	Example (ZH + pinyin)	Translation (EN)
房間	fángjiān	a room	這個房間很亮。Zhège fángjiān hěn liàng.	This room is bright.
公寓	gōngyù	apartment	我住在一間小公寓。Wǒ zhù zài yì jiān xiǎo gōngyù.	I live in a small apartment.
玄關	xuánguān	entryway / foyer	玄關不要堆東西。Xuánguān bú yào duī dōngxī.	Don’t pile stuff in the entryway.
走廊	zǒuláng	hallway	走廊有點窄。Zǒuláng yǒudiǎn zhǎi.	The hallway is a bit narrow.
樓梯	lóutī	stairs	樓梯要小心走。Lóutī yào xiǎoxīn zǒu.	Be careful on the stairs.
樓上	lóushàng	upstairs	他在樓上睡覺。Tā zài lóushàng shuìjiào.	He’s sleeping upstairs.
樓下	lóuxià	downstairs	樓下有便利商店。Lóuxià yǒu biànlì shāngdiàn.	There’s a convenience store downstairs.
地下室	dìxiàshì	basement	地下室有點潮濕。Dìxiàshì yǒudiǎn cháoshī.	The basement is a bit damp.
閣樓	gélóu	attic / loft	我把箱子放在閣樓。Wǒ bǎ xiāngzi fàng zài gélóu.	I put the boxes in the attic.
陽台	yángtái	balcony	陽台可以曬衣服。Yángtái kěyǐ shài yīfu.	You can dry clothes on the balcony.
露台	lùtái	terrace / patio	我們在露台喝咖啡。Wǒmen zài lùtái hē kāfēi.	We drink coffee on the patio.
院子	yuànzi	yard	院子裡有兩棵樹。Yuànzi lǐ yǒu liǎng kē shù.	There are two trees in the yard.
花園	huāyuán	garden	花園裡的花開了。Huāyuán lǐ de huā kāi le.	The flowers in the garden bloomed.
車庫	chēkù	garage	車庫裡很暗。Chēkù lǐ hěn àn.	It’s dark in the garage.
書房	shūfáng	study / home office	我在書房工作。Wǒ zài shūfáng gōngzuò.	I work in the study.
餐廳	cāntīng	dining room	餐廳的桌子很大。Cāntīng de zhuōzi hěn dà.	The dining room table is big.
儲藏室	chǔcángshì	storage room	清潔用品在儲藏室。Qīngjié yòngpǐn zài chǔcángshì.	Cleaning supplies are in the storage room.
洗衣間	xǐyījiān	laundry room	洗衣間有洗衣機和烘衣機。Xǐyījiān yǒu xǐyījī hé hōngyījī.	The laundry room has a washer and a dryer.
門口	ménkǒu	entrance / doorway	包裹放在門口。Bāoguǒ fàng zài ménkǒu.	The package is at the entrance.
後院	hòuyuàn	backyard	後院可以烤肉。Hòuyuàn kěyǐ kǎoròu.	You can barbecue in the backyard.

Furniture & Decor

Traditional Chinese	Pinyin	Meaning (EN)	Example (ZH + pinyin)	Translation (EN)
沙發	shāfā	sofa	沙發很舒服。Shāfā hěn shūfu.	The sofa is comfy.
扶手椅	fúshǒuyǐ	armchair	那張扶手椅是我的位子。Nà zhāng fúshǒuyǐ shì wǒ de wèizi.	That armchair is my spot.
茶几	chájī	coffee table	把杯子放在茶几上。Bǎ bēizi fàng zài chájī shàng.	Put the cup on the coffee table.
邊桌	biānzhuō	side table	邊桌上有一盞小燈。Biānzhuō shàng yǒu yì zhǎn xiǎo dēng.	There’s a small lamp on the side table.
餐桌	cānzhuō	dining table	晚餐在餐桌上吃。Wǎncān zài cānzhuō shàng chī.	We eat dinner at the dining table.
椅子	yǐzi	chair	椅子有點搖。Yǐzi yǒudiǎn yáo.	The chair wobbles a bit.
凳子	dèngzi	stool	我站在凳子上拿東西。Wǒ zhàn zài dèngzi shàng ná dōngxī.	I stand on the stool to reach things.
書桌	shūzhuō	desk	我的書桌很亂。Wǒ de shūzhuō hěn luàn.	My desk is messy.
書櫃	shūguì	bookshelf / bookcase	書櫃上都是書。Shūguì shàng dōu shì shū.	The bookshelf is full of books.
床	chuáng	bed	我想躺在床上。Wǒ xiǎng tǎng zài chuáng shàng.	I want to lie on the bed.
床墊	chuángdiàn	mattress	這個床墊太軟了。Zhège chuángdiàn tài ruǎn le.	This mattress is too soft.
枕頭	zhěntóu	pillow	枕頭套要洗了。Zhěntóu tào yào xǐ le.	The pillowcase needs washing.
棉被	miánbèi	comforter / quilt	晚上要蓋棉被。Wǎnshàng yào gài miánbèi.	You need a comforter at night.
床單	chuángdān	bedsheet	我換了新的床單。Wǒ huàn le xīn de chuángdān.	I changed to new bedsheets.
衣櫃	yīguì	wardrobe / closet cabinet	外套在衣櫃裡。Wàitào zài yīguì lǐ.	The coat is in the wardrobe.
抽屜	chōutì	drawer	剪刀在第二個抽屜。Jiǎndāo zài dì èr gè chōutì.	The scissors are in the second drawer.
置物架	zhìwùjià	shelf / storage rack	把洗髮精放在置物架上。Bǎ xǐfàjīng fàng zài zhìwùjià shàng.	Put the shampoo on the shelf.
地毯	dìtǎn	carpet / rug	地毯需要吸塵。Dìtǎn xūyào xīchén.	The rug needs vacuuming.
窗簾	chuānglián	curtains	早上我會拉開窗簾。Zǎoshàng wǒ huì lā kāi chuānglián.	In the morning I open the curtains.
鏡子	jìngzi	mirror	鏡子上有水痕。Jìngzi shàng yǒu shuǐhén.	There are water marks on the mirror.

Kitchen & Dining Stuff

Traditional Chinese	Pinyin	Meaning (EN)	Example (ZH + pinyin)	Translation (EN)
冰箱	bīngxiāng	refrigerator	把牛奶放進冰箱。Bǎ niúnǎi fàng jìn bīngxiāng.	Put the milk in the fridge.
冷凍庫	lěngdòngkù	freezer	冰淇淋在冷凍庫裡。Bīngqílín zài lěngdòngkù lǐ.	The ice cream is in the freezer.
微波爐	wēibōlú	microwave	用微波爐熱一下飯。Yòng wēibōlú rè yíxià fàn.	Heat up the rice with the microwave.
烤箱	kǎoxiāng	oven	烤箱可以烤麵包。Kǎoxiāng kěyǐ kǎo miànbāo.	You can bake bread in the oven.
電鍋	diànguō	rice cooker	我用電鍋煮飯。Wǒ yòng diànguō zhǔ fàn.	I cook rice with a rice cooker.
電水壺	diànshuǐhú	electric kettle	電水壺裡有熱水。Diànshuǐhú lǐ yǒu rèshuǐ.	There’s hot water in the kettle.
咖啡機	kāfēijī	coffee maker	早上我會用咖啡機。Zǎoshàng wǒ huì yòng kāfēijī.	I use the coffee maker in the morning.
瓦斯爐	wǎsīlú	gas stove	瓦斯爐要記得關火。Wǎsīlú yào jìde guān huǒ.	Remember to turn off the flame on the gas stove.
抽油煙機	chōuyóuyānjī	range hood	炒菜時要開抽油煙機。Chǎocài shí yào kāi chōuyóuyānjī.	Turn on the range hood when stir-frying.
水槽	shuǐcáo	sink (kitchen)	碗在水槽裡泡著。Wǎn zài shuǐcáo lǐ pào zhe.	The bowls are soaking in the sink.
水龍頭	shuǐlóngtóu	faucet	水龍頭漏水了。Shuǐlóngtóu lòushuǐ le.	The faucet is leaking.
洗碗機	xǐwǎnjī	dishwasher	把盤子放進洗碗機。Bǎ pánzi fàng jìn xǐwǎnjī.	Put the plates into the dishwasher.
鍋子	guōzi	pot	鍋子在爐子上。Guōzi zài lúzi shàng.	The pot is on the stove.
平底鍋	píngdǐguō	frying pan	用平底鍋煎蛋。Yòng píngdǐguō jiān dàn.	Fry eggs in a pan.
砧板	zhēnbǎn	cutting board	砧板要擦乾。Zhēnbǎn yào cā gān.	Dry the cutting board.
菜刀	càidāo	kitchen knife / cleaver	菜刀很利，小心。Càidāo hěn lì, xiǎoxīn.	The knife is sharp—careful.
碗	wǎn	bowl	我需要一個碗。Wǒ xūyào yí gè wǎn.	I need a bowl.
盤子	pánzi	plate	盤子在櫃子裡。Pánzi zài guìzi lǐ.	The plates are in the cabinet.
杯子	bēizi	cup / glass	給我一個杯子，謝謝。Gěi wǒ yí gè bēizi, xièxie.	Give me a cup, thanks.
保鮮盒	bǎoxiānhé	food container	把剩菜放進保鮮盒。Bǎ shèngcài fàng jìn bǎoxiānhé.	Put leftovers in a container.

Bathroom & Laundry

Traditional Chinese	Pinyin	Meaning (EN)	Example (ZH + pinyin)	Translation (EN)
馬桶	mǎtǒng	toilet	馬桶要刷乾淨。Mǎtǒng yào shuā gānjìng.	The toilet needs to be scrubbed clean.
洗手台	xǐshǒutái	sink / vanity	洗手台上有肥皂。Xǐshǒutái shàng yǒu féizào.	There’s soap on the sink area.
淋浴	línyù	shower	我晚上喜歡淋浴。Wǒ wǎnshàng xǐhuān línyù.	I like showering at night.
浴缸	yùgāng	bathtub	浴缸放滿水了。Yùgāng fàng mǎn shuǐ le.	The bathtub is filled with water.
蓮蓬頭	liánpéngtóu	showerhead	蓮蓬頭的水壓很強。Liánpéngtóu de shuǐyā hěn qiáng.	The showerhead water pressure is strong.
毛巾	máojīn	towel	毛巾要掛起來晾乾。Máojīn yào guà qǐlái liàng gān.	Hang the towel to dry.
浴巾	yùjīn	bath towel	浴巾在門後面。Yùjīn zài mén hòumiàn.	The bath towel is behind the door.
牙刷	yáshuā	toothbrush	我的牙刷是藍色的。Wǒ de yáshuā shì lán sè de.	My toothbrush is blue.
牙膏	yágāo	toothpaste	牙膏快用完了。Yágāo kuài yòng wán le.	The toothpaste is almost finished.
肥皂	féizào	soap (bar/soap)	洗手要用肥皂。Xǐshǒu yào yòng féizào.	Use soap when washing your hands.
洗髮精	xǐfàjīng	shampoo	這瓶洗髮精很香。Zhè píng xǐfàjīng hěn xiāng.	This shampoo smells nice.
沐浴乳	mùyùrǔ	body wash	沐浴乳放在架子上。Mùyùrǔ fàng zài jiàzi shàng.	The body wash is on the shelf.
衛生紙	wèishēngzhǐ	toilet paper	衛生紙用完要補。Wèishēngzhǐ yòng wán yào bǔ.	Refill the toilet paper when it’s out.
吹風機	chuīfēngjī	hair dryer	吹風機在抽屜裡。Chuīfēngjī zài chōutì lǐ.	The hair dryer is in the drawer.
洗衣機	xǐyījī	washing machine	洗衣機今天很忙。Xǐyījī jīntiān hěn máng.	The washing machine is “busy” today.
烘衣機	hōngyījī	dryer	雨天我會用烘衣機。Yǔtiān wǒ huì yòng hōngyījī.	On rainy days, I use the dryer.
洗衣籃	xǐyīlán	laundry basket	髒衣服放進洗衣籃。Zāng yīfu fàng jìn xǐyīlán.	Put dirty clothes into the basket.
曬衣架	shàiyījià	drying rack	毛巾掛在曬衣架上。Máojīn guà zài shàiyījià shàng.	Hang the towel on the drying rack.
熨斗	yùndǒu	iron	襯衫要用熨斗燙平。Chènshān yào yòng yùndǒu tàng píng.	Use an iron to press the shirt.
燙衣板	tàngyībǎn	ironing board	燙衣板收在角落。Tàngyībǎn shōu zài jiǎoluò.	The ironing board is stored in the corner.

Utilities, Electronics & Chores

Traditional Chinese	Pinyin	Meaning (EN)	Example (ZH + pinyin)	Translation (EN)
開關	kāiguān	switch	開關在門旁邊。Kāiguān zài mén pángbiān.	The switch is next to the door.
插座	chāzuò	power outlet	插座不夠用。Chāzuò bú gòu yòng.	We don’t have enough outlets.
延長線	yánchángxiàn	extension cord	用延長線比較方便。Yòng yánchángxiàn bǐjiào fāngbiàn.	Using an extension cord is more convenient.
電燈	diàndēng	electric light / lamp	電燈突然不亮了。Diàndēng tūrán bú liàng le.	The light suddenly stopped working.
冷氣	lěngqì	air conditioner	夏天沒有冷氣不行。Xiàtiān méiyǒu lěngqì bù xíng.	In summer, no AC is not an option.
電風扇	diànfēngshàn	electric fan	電風扇的聲音有點大。Diànfēngshàn de shēngyīn yǒudiǎn dà.	The fan is a bit loud.
除濕機	chúshījī	dehumidifier	下雨天我會開除濕機。Xiàyǔtiān wǒ huì kāi chúshījī.	I turn on the dehumidifier on rainy days.
熱水器	rèshuǐqì	water heater	熱水器要先開十分鐘。Rèshuǐqì yào xiān kāi shí fēnzhōng.	Turn on the water heater 10 minutes first.
電視	diànshì	TV	電視太大聲了。Diànshì tài dàshēng le.	The TV is too loud.
遙控器	yáokòngqì	remote control	遙控器又不見了。Yáokòngqì yòu bú jiàn le.	The remote is missing again.
路由器	lùyóuqì	router	路由器要重開一下。Lùyóuqì yào chóng kāi yíxià.	The router needs a reboot.
無線網路	wúxiàn wǎnglù	Wi-Fi / wireless internet	無線網路今天很慢。Wúxiàn wǎnglù jīntiān hěn màn.	The Wi-Fi is slow today.
煙霧警報器	yānwù jǐngbàoqì	smoke alarm	煙霧警報器在天花板上。Yānwù jǐngbàoqì zài tiānhuābǎn shàng.	The smoke alarm is on the ceiling.
滅火器	mièhuǒqì	fire extinguisher	滅火器放在門口附近。Mièhuǒqì fàng zài ménkǒu fùjìn.	Keep the extinguisher near the entrance.
打掃	dǎsǎo	to clean (a place)	週末我要打掃房子。Zhōumò wǒ yào dǎsǎo fángzi.	I’m going to clean the house this weekend.
掃把	sàobǎ	broom	掃把在廚房後面。Sàobǎ zài chúfáng hòumiàn.	The broom is behind the kitchen area.
拖把	tuōbǎ	mop	地板要用拖把拖。Dìbǎn yào yòng tuōbǎ tuō.	Mop the floor with a mop.
吸塵器	xīchénqì	vacuum cleaner	我用吸塵器吸地毯。Wǒ yòng xīchénqì xī dìtǎn.	I vacuum the rug.
清潔劑	qīngjiéjì	cleaning spray / detergent	用清潔劑擦桌子。Yòng qīngjiéjì cā zhuōzi.	Wipe the table with cleaner.
垃圾袋	lājīdài	trash bag	垃圾袋快用完了。Lājīdài kuài yòng wán le.	We’re almost out of trash bags.

Optional: Synonyms & Measure Words (because Chinese is picky)

Form	Pinyin	Meaning (EN)	When to use	Example (ZH + pinyin)
洗手間	xǐshǒujiān	restroom (common, polite)	Often used instead of “浴室” when you mean “the toilet/restroom.”	洗手間在右邊。Xǐshǒujiān zài yòubiān.
起居室	qǐjūshì	living room (more formal)	A slightly “document-y” way to say living room.	起居室要保持整齊。Qǐjūshì yào bǎochí zhěngqí.
一間房間	yì jiān fángjiān	one room	Measure word 間 is common for rooms/stores.	這裡有一間房間是空的。Zhèlǐ yǒu yì jiān fángjiān shì kōng de.
一張床	yì zhāng chuáng	one bed	Measure word 張 is common for flat things (beds, tables, paper).	臥室裡有一張床。Wòshì lǐ yǒu yì zhāng chuáng.
一把椅子	yì bǎ yǐzi	one chair	Measure word 把 is common for handled objects (chairs, knives).	我多拿一把椅子給你。Wǒ duō ná yì bǎ yǐzi gěi nǐ.
一台洗衣機	yì tái xǐyījī	one washing machine	Measure word 台 is common for machines/devices.	這裡只有一台洗衣機。Zhèlǐ zhǐyǒu yì tái xǐyījī.

Yak Snark

Yes, measure words exist. No, you don’t have to “memorize them all.” Start with 間, 張, and 台 and you’ll already sound 73% more like a real human.

Yak Snark

Quick-Use Visual Cards (start here)

Ready-to-Use House Sentences (copy, paste, speak)

Tiny but Important: 家 vs 房子

The Full Word List (100+ more)

Rooms & Areas

Furniture & Decor

Kitchen & Dining Stuff

Bathroom & Laundry

Utilities, Electronics & Chores

Optional: Synonyms & Measure Words (because Chinese is picky)

Yak Snark

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