Around the House Vocabulary in Traditional Chinese: 120+ Words

居家詞彙 jūjiā cíhuì — home and house vocabulary in Traditional Chinese. If you can name the things around your house, suddenly Mandarin gets a lot less mysterious and a lot more useful. Weird how language works like that.

For the broader learning path, visit our parent guide.

This guide gives you the words you actually need for daily life: rooms, furniture, appliances, cleaning items, and a bunch of common household phrases. You will also see clear example sentences in Traditional Chinese, pinyin, and English, because memorizing a word without using it is basically language cardio with no results.

For a broader study path, you can also check the boring-but-helpful Traditional Chinese Placement Test TOCFL, the Traditional Chinese Vocabulary Test, and the basics in Traditional Chinese Basic Words and Phrases.

Table of Contents

Quick Home Vocabulary Starter Pack

Here are some of the most common “around the house” words first. These are the ones that show up in real life, not just in fancy textbook fantasy apartments.

Traditional Chinese	Pinyin	Meaning	Example (ZH)	Example (Pinyin)	Translation (EN)
房子	fángzi	house	這間房子很大。	Zhè jiān fángzi hěn dà.	This house is very big.
家	jiā	home; family	我想回家。	Wǒ xiǎng huí jiā.	I want to go home.
房間	fángjiān	room	我的房間很整齊。	Wǒ de fángjiān hěn zhěngqí.	My room is very tidy.
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.
臥室	wòshì	bedroom	我在臥室睡覺。	Wǒ zài wòshì shuìjiào.	I sleep in the bedroom.
廚房	chúfáng	kitchen	媽媽在廚房煮飯。	Māma zài chúfáng zhǔfàn.	Mom is cooking in the kitchen.
浴室	yùshì	bathroom	浴室有點小。	Yùshì yǒudiǎn xiǎo.	The bathroom is a bit small.
廁所	cèsuǒ	toilet; restroom	廁所在哪裡？	Cèsuǒ zài nǎlǐ?	Where is the restroom?
陽台	yángtái	balcony	我在陽台晾衣服。	Wǒ zài yángtái liàng yīfu.	I hang clothes on the balcony.
門	mén	door	請把門關上。	Qǐng bǎ mén guān shàng.	Please close the door.
窗戶	chuānghù	window	窗戶打開一點。	Chuānghù dǎkāi yīdiǎn.	Open the window a little.
樓梯	lóutī	stairs	樓梯很窄。	Lóutī hěn zhǎi.	The stairs are narrow.

Rooms And Spaces In The House

This set is useful when you are describing where something is located. Taiwan Mandarin uses these words naturally in everyday conversation, from apartment chats to house tours to “Where did I leave my keys?” panic.

Traditional Chinese	Pinyin	Meaning	Example (ZH)	Example (Pinyin)	Translation (EN)
餐廳	cāntīng	dining room	我們在餐廳吃飯。	Wǒmen zài cāntīng chīfàn.	We eat in the dining room.
書房	shūfáng	study; home office	我在書房工作。	Wǒ zài shūfáng gōngzuò.	I work in the study.
走廊	zǒuláng	hallway	走廊有點暗。	Zǒuláng yǒudiǎn àn.	The hallway is a bit dark.
玄關	xuánguān	entryway; foyer	鞋子放在玄關。	Xiézi fàng zài xuánguān.	The shoes are placed in the entryway.
頂樓	dǐnglóu	top floor; rooftop level	我們住在頂樓。	Wǒmen zhù zài dǐnglóu.	We live on the top floor.
地下室	dìxiàshì	basement	地下室很潮濕。	Dìxiàshì hěn cháoshī.	The basement is very damp.
客房	kèfáng	guest room	客房準備好了。	Kèfáng zhǔnbèi hǎo le.	The guest room is ready.
衣帽間	yīmàojiān	closet; dressing room	衣帽間裡有很多衣服。	Yīmàojiān lǐ yǒu hěn duō yīfu.	There are many clothes in the closet.
儲藏室	chúcángshì	storage room	掃把放在儲藏室。	Sàobǎ fàng zài chúcángshì.	The broom is in the storage room.
洗衣間	xǐyījiān	laundry room	洗衣機在洗衣間。	Xǐyījī zài xǐyījiān.	The washing machine is in the laundry room.

Furniture And Big Household Items

Some of these overlap with a furniture lesson, because real houses do not care about neat vocabulary categories. If you want more, see Furniture Vocabulary in Traditional Chinese.

Traditional Chinese	Pinyin	Meaning	Example (ZH)	Example (Pinyin)	Translation (EN)
桌子	zhuōzi	table	桌子上有一本書。	Zhuōzi shàng yǒu yī běn shū.	There is a book on the table.
椅子	yǐzi	chair	請坐在椅子上。	Qǐng zuò zài yǐzi shàng.	Please sit on the chair.
沙發	shāfā	sofa	我喜歡坐在沙發上看書。	Wǒ xǐhuan zuò zài shāfā shàng kàn shū.	I like sitting on the sofa and reading.
床	chuáng	bed	床很舒服。	Chuáng hěn shūfu.	The bed is very comfortable.
衣櫃	yīguì	wardrobe	衣櫃裡有冬天的外套。	Yīguì lǐ yǒu dōngtiān de wàitào.	There are winter coats in the wardrobe.
書櫃	shūguì	bookcase	書櫃上有很多漫畫。	Shūguì shàng yǒu hěn duō mànhuà.	There are many comics on the bookcase.
櫥櫃	chúguì	cabinet	碗放在櫥櫃裡。	Wǎn fàng zài chúguì lǐ.	The bowls are in the cabinet.
抽屜	chōutì	drawer	鑰匙在左邊抽屜裡。	Yàoshi zài zuǒbiān chōutì lǐ.	The keys are in the left drawer.
架子	jiàzi	shelf; rack	毛巾放在架子上。	Máojīn fàng zài jiàzi shàng.	The towel is on the shelf.
地毯	dìtǎn	carpet; rug	地毯很軟。	Dìtǎn hěn ruǎn.	The rug is very soft.
鏡子	jìngzi	mirror	鏡子掛在牆上。	Jìngzi guà zài qiáng shàng.	The mirror is hanging on the wall.
窗簾	chuānglián	curtains	請把窗簾拉上。	Qǐng bǎ chuānglián lā shàng.	Please draw the curtains.

Kitchen And Dining Items

The kitchen is where vocabulary gets practical fast. If you want a deeper kitchen word list, there is a separate guide at Kitchen Vocabulary in Traditional Chinese.

Traditional Chinese	Pinyin	Meaning	Example (ZH)	Example (Pinyin)	Translation (EN)
冰箱	bīngxiāng	refrigerator	牛奶在冰箱裡。	Niúnǎi zài bīngxiāng lǐ.	The milk is in the fridge.
微波爐	wēibōlú	microwave	我用微波爐熱飯。	Wǒ yòng wēibōlú rè fàn.	I use the microwave to heat rice.
瓦斯爐	wǎsīlú	gas stove	瓦斯爐開著嗎？	Wǎsīlú kāi zhe ma?	Is the stove on?
電鍋	diàn-guō	electric rice cooker	台灣很多家庭都有電鍋。	Táiwān hěn duō jiātíng dōu yǒu diànguō.	Many families in Taiwan have an electric rice cooker.
烤箱	kǎoxiāng	oven	麵包在烤箱裡。	Miànbāo zài kǎoxiāng lǐ.	The bread is in the oven.
鍋子	guōzi	pot; pan	鍋子很燙。	Guōzi hěn tàng.	The pot is hot.
碗	wǎn	bowl	請拿兩個碗。	Qǐng ná liǎng ge wǎn.	Please take two bowls.
盤子	pánzi	plate	盤子裡有水果。	Pánzi lǐ yǒu shuǐguǒ.	There is fruit on the plate.
杯子	bēizi	cup; glass	我的杯子在哪裡？	Wǒ de bēizi zài nǎlǐ?	Where is my cup?
筷子	kuàizi	chopsticks	我還在學用筷子。	Wǒ hái zài xué yòng kuàizi.	I am still learning to use chopsticks.
湯匙	tāngchí	spoon	給我一支湯匙。	Gěi wǒ yī zhī tāngchí.	Give me a spoon.
砧板	zhēnbǎn	cutting board	肉放在砧板上切。	Ròu fàng zài zhēnbǎn shàng qiē.	Cut the meat on the cutting board.

Bathroom And Laundry Words

Bathroom vocabulary comes up sooner than you think. Usually right after you wish you had studied it sooner. Funny how that happens.

Traditional Chinese	Pinyin	Meaning	Example (ZH)	Example (Pinyin)	Translation (EN)
洗手台	xǐshǒutái	sink; washbasin	牙刷放在洗手台旁邊。	Yáshuā fàng zài xǐshǒutái pángbiān.	The toothbrush is next to the sink.
馬桶	mǎtǒng	toilet bowl	馬桶壞了。	Mǎtǒng huài le.	The toilet is broken.
淋浴間	línyùjiān	shower stall	淋浴間很乾淨。	Línyùjiān hěn gānjìng.	The shower stall is clean.
浴缸	yùgāng	bathtub	浴缸太小了。	Yùgāng tài xiǎo le.	The bathtub is too small.
毛巾	máojīn	towel	請給我一條毛巾。	Qǐng gěi wǒ yī tiáo máojīn.	Please give me a towel.
牙刷	yáshuā	toothbrush	我的牙刷是藍色的。	Wǒ de yáshuā shì lánsè de.	My toothbrush is blue.
牙膏	yágāo	toothpaste	牙膏快用完了。	Yágāo kuài yòng wán le.	The toothpaste is almost used up.
洗髮精	xǐfǎjīng	shampoo	洗髮精在浴室裡。	Xǐfǎjīng zài yùshì lǐ.	The shampoo is in the bathroom.
肥皂	féizào	soap	洗手要用肥皂。	Xǐshǒu yào yòng féizào.	You should use soap to wash your hands.
洗衣機	xǐyījī	washing machine	洗衣機正在運轉。	Xǐyījī zhèngzài yùnzhuǎn.	The washing machine is running.
烘衣機	hōngyījī	dryer	衣服可以放進烘衣機。	Yīfu kěyǐ fàng jìn hōngyījī.	The clothes can go into the dryer.
曬衣架	shàiyījià	drying rack	曬衣架在陽台。	Shàiyījià zài yángtái.	The drying rack is on the balcony.

Cleaning And Maintenance Words

These words are great for everyday chores, landlord conversations, and the eternal struggle against dust.

Traditional Chinese	Pinyin	Meaning	Example (ZH)	Example (Pinyin)	Translation (EN)
掃把	sàobǎ	broom	掃把在哪裡？	Sàobǎ zài nǎlǐ?	Where is the broom?
拖把	tuōbǎ	mop	我需要拖把。	Wǒ xūyào tuōbǎ.	I need the mop.
抹布	mābù	cleaning cloth	用抹布擦桌子。	Yòng mābù cā zhuōzi.	Use a cloth to wipe the table.
垃圾桶	lèsètǒng	trash can	垃圾桶滿了。	Lèsètǒng mǎn le.	The trash can is full.
垃圾袋	lèsèdài	trash bag	請換垃圾袋。	Qǐng huàn lèsèdài.	Please change the trash bag.
清潔劑	qīngjiéjì	cleaning detergent; cleaner	這種清潔劑很好用。	Zhè zhǒng qīngjiéjì hěn hǎo yòng.	This cleaner works well.
吸塵器	xīchénqì	vacuum cleaner	我用吸塵器吸地板。	Wǒ yòng xīchénqì xī dìbǎn.	I vacuum the floor.
地板	dìbǎn	floor	地板很乾淨。	Dìbǎn hěn gānjìng.	The floor is very clean.
牆壁	qiángbì	wall	牆壁是白色的。	Qiángbì shì báisè de.	The wall is white.
天花板	tiānhuābǎn	ceiling	天花板有點低。	Tiānhuābǎn yǒudiǎn dī.	The ceiling is a bit low.
燈泡	dēngpào	light bulb	燈泡壞了。	Dēngpào huài le.	The light bulb is broken.
電線	diànxiàn	electric wire; cord	電線不要亂放。	Diànxiàn bú yào luàn fàng.	Don’t leave cords lying around.

Appliances And Everyday Electronics

These are household items people mention all the time, especially in apartments, rentals, and shared homes. Also, yes, the electric rice cooker deserves its own fan club in Taiwan.

Traditional Chinese	Pinyin	Meaning	Example (ZH)	Example (Pinyin)	Translation (EN)
電視	diànshì	television	電視開著。	Diànshì kāi zhe.	The TV is on.
遙控器	yáokòngqì	remote control	遙控器不見了。	Yáokòngqì bú jiàn le.	The remote control is missing.
電風扇	diànfēngshàn	electric fan	夏天我常用電風扇。	Xiàtiān wǒ cháng yòng diànfēngshàn.	I often use a fan in summer.
冷氣	lěngqì	air conditioner	冷氣開太強了。	Lěngqì kāi tài qiáng le.	The air conditioner is too strong.
暖氣	nuǎnqì	heater	晚上把暖氣打開。	Wǎnshàng bǎ nuǎnqì dǎkāi.	Turn on the heater at night.
電話	diànhuà	phone; telephone	電話響了。	Diànhuà xiǎng le.	The phone rang.
手機充電器	shǒujī chōngdiànqì	phone charger	我的手機充電器在哪裡？	Wǒ de shǒujī chōngdiànqì zài nǎlǐ?	Where is my phone charger?
插座	chāzuò	power socket; outlet	這個插座可以用嗎？	Zhège chāzuò kěyǐ yòng ma?	Can I use this outlet?
延長線	yánchángxiàn	extension cord	延長線不要插太多東西。	Yánchángxiàn bú yào chā tài duō dōngxi.	Don’t plug too many things into the extension cord.
Wi‑Fi	Wi‑Fi	Wi-Fi	這裡的 Wi‑Fi 很穩。	Zhèlǐ de Wi‑Fi hěn wěn.	The Wi-Fi here is stable.
網路	wǎnglù	internet	家裡的網路壞了。	Jiālǐ de wǎnglù huài le.	The internet at home is broken.
空氣清淨機	kōngqì qīngjìngjī	air purifier	空氣清淨機一直在運轉。	Kōngqì qīngjìngjī yìzhí zài yùnzhuǎn.	The air purifier is running constantly.

Useful House Phrases You Will Actually Say

These are not just vocabulary. They are the little phrases that make a house feel real in Mandarin.

Traditional Chinese	Pinyin	Meaning	Example (ZH)	Example (Pinyin)	Translation (EN)
打掃房間	dǎsǎo fángjiān	clean the room	我週末要打掃房間。	Wǒ zhōumò yào dǎsǎo fángjiān.	I need to clean my room on the weekend.
整理桌子	zhěnglǐ zhuōzi	tidy the table	先把桌子整理一下。	Xiān bǎ zhuōzi zhěnglǐ yíxià.	First tidy the table a bit.
把鞋子脫掉	bǎ xiézi tuō diào	take off shoes	進門前先把鞋子脫掉。	Jìn mén qián xiān bǎ xiézi tuō diào.	Take off your shoes before entering.
開燈	kāi dēng	turn on the light	太暗了，開燈吧。	Tài àn le, kāi dēng ba.	It’s too dark, so turn on the light.
關燈	guān dēng	turn off the light	睡覺前記得關燈。	Shuìjiào qián jìde guān dēng.	Remember to turn off the lights before bed.
開窗戶	kāi chuānghù	open the window	有點悶，開窗戶好嗎？	Yǒudiǎn mēn, kāi chuānghù hǎo ma?	It’s a bit stuffy, can we open the window?
關窗戶	guān chuānghù	close the window	外面下雨了，快關窗戶。	Wàimiàn xià yǔ le, kuài guān chuānghù.	It’s raining outside, hurry and close the window.
收衣服	shōu yīfu	bring in clothes	天黑前把衣服收進來。	Tiān hēi qián bǎ yīfu shōu jìnlái.	Bring the clothes in before it gets dark.
洗碗	xǐ wǎn	wash dishes	我來洗碗。	Wǒ lái xǐ wǎn.	I’ll wash the dishes.
倒垃圾	dào lèsè	take out the trash	晚上九點要倒垃圾。	Wǎnshàng jiǔ diǎn yào dào lèsè.	You have to take out the trash at 9 p.m.
找鑰匙	zhǎo yàoshi	look for keys	我一直在找鑰匙。	Wǒ yìzhí zài zhǎo yàoshi.	I’ve been looking for my keys.
放回原位	fàng huí yuánwèi	put back in the original place	用完請放回原位。	Yòng wán qǐng fàng huí yuánwèi.	Please put it back where it belongs after use.

Little Grammar And Usage Notes

These small details help you sound more natural and avoid common beginner mistakes. Tiny words, big difference. Mandarin loves that kind of thing.

Pattern	Meaning	Example (ZH)	Pinyin	English
在 + place	at / in a place	我在客廳。	Wǒ zài kètīng.	I am in the living room.
把 + object + verb	handle an object	把門關上。	Bǎ mén guān shàng.	Close the door.
有 + noun	there is / there are	桌子上有杯子。	Zhuōzi shàng yǒu bēizi.	There is a cup on the table.
…裡 / …上 / …旁邊	inside / on / beside	鑰匙在抽屜裡。	Yàoshi zài chōutì lǐ.	The key is in the drawer.
…很 + adjective	very + adjective	房間很大。	Fángjiān hěn dà.	The room is big.

家 jiā can mean both “home” and “family.” That is very Mandarin: one small word, two useful lives.

Tone And Meaning Notes You Should Not Skip

A few house words are sneaky because they change form in everyday speech.

Word / Pattern	Note	Example	Pinyin	English
一	changes tone before 4th tone words	一個房間	yí ge fángjiān	one room
不	changes tone before 4th tone words	不燙	bú tàng	not hot
兩	use for counting common household items	兩張椅子	liǎng zhāng yǐzi	two chairs
裡	inside location marker	冰箱裡	bīngxiāng lǐ	inside the fridge
上	on top of / on	桌子上	zhuōzi shàng	on the table
旁邊	next to / beside	床旁邊	chuáng pángbiān	beside the bed

Common Mistakes And Easy Fixes

Mistake	Better	Why
“Kitchen” = 廚房裡的東西	廚房 chúfáng	廚房 means “kitchen,” not “inside the kitchen stuff.”
Using 你家 for every house	房子 / 家	家 is “home” and often feels warmer than 房子.
Using 二 for countable home items	兩	兩 is more natural for “two chairs,” “two rooms,” and so on.
Putting the adjective without 很	房間很大	In Mandarin, 很 often links noun + adjective naturally.
Using 洗澡間 for bathroom every time	浴室 / 廁所	浴室 is bathroom; 廁所 is restroom/toilet. They are not always identical.
Forgetting location words	桌子上、抽屜裡、沙發旁邊	Location words are the glue that holds the sentence together.

Practice Section

Try these quick drills. No need to overthink it. Mandarin vocabulary sticks better when you actually use it, which is annoyingly sensible.

Translate: “The keys are in the drawer.” → 鑰匙在抽屜裡。 Yàoshi zài chōutì lǐ.
Translate: “Please close the window.” → 請把窗戶關上。 Qǐng bǎ chuānghù guān shàng.
Translate: “I’m in the living room.” → 我在客廳。 Wǒ zài kètīng.
Swap the word: 桌子 zhuōzi → chair / 椅子 yǐzi
Swap the word: 冰箱 bīngxiāng → fridge / 冰箱 bīngxiāng
Fill in the blank: 我在___睡覺。 Wǒ zài ___ shuìjiào. → 臥室 wòshì
Fill in the blank: ___上有杯子。 ___ shàng yǒu bēizi. → 桌子 zhuōzi
Make it natural: “two chairs” → 兩張椅子 liǎng zhāng yǐzi
Make it natural: “the bathroom is small” → 浴室很小。 Yùshì hěn xiǎo.
Make it natural: “I take out the trash” → 我倒垃圾。 Wǒ dào lèsè.

Quick Reference Summary

If you only remember one thing, remember this: houses are full of tiny nouns, and tiny nouns are everywhere. That is the whole game.

家 jiā = home; family
房子 fángzi = house
房間 fángjiān = room
客廳 kètīng = living room
廚房 chúfáng = kitchen
浴室 yùshì = bathroom
廁所 cèsuǒ = restroom
桌子 zhuōzi = table
椅子 yǐzi = chair
床 chuáng = bed
冰箱 bīngxiāng = fridge
洗衣機 xǐyījī = washing machine
垃圾桶 lèsètǒng = trash can
門 mén = door
窗戶 chuānghù = window

Want to keep going? The next sensible stop is the Kitchen Vocabulary in Traditional Chinese guide, because once you know the house words, the kitchen starts demanding attention like a very specific landlord. Yak takeaway: learn the room, then learn the stuff in the room, and suddenly Mandarin feels much less like a pile of random syllables.