Kitchen Vocabulary in Traditional Chinese: 90+ Words

廚房 chúfáng can be cozy, chaotic, or both at the same time. If you have ever opened a Taiwanese kitchen cabinet and found three bowls, one rice cooker, and a mystery bottle that smells like soy sauce and ambition, you already understand the vibe.

For the broader learning path, visit our parent guide.

In this guide, you will learn practical kitchen vocabulary in Traditional Chinese, with pinyin and English meaning. The examples use natural Taiwan-style Mandarin, because nobody needs weird textbook kitchen talk when the real goal is ordering, cooking, cleaning, and not confusing 碗 wǎn with 碗公 wǎngōng in front of your future in-laws.

Want more study help later? You can also check the basic words and phrases guide, the house vocabulary guide, and the food vocabulary guide. For practice, try the Traditional Chinese vocabulary test or the TOCFL placement test.

Table of Contents

Kitchen Starter Words

Traditional Chinese	Pinyin	Meaning	Example (ZH)	Example (Pinyin)	Translation (EN)
廚房	chúfáng	kitchen	我在廚房做飯。	Wǒ zài chúfáng zuòfàn.	I am cooking in the kitchen.
餐廳	cāntīng	dining room / dining area	我們在餐廳吃晚餐。	Wǒmen zài cāntīng chī wǎncān.	We eat dinner in the dining area.
爐子	lúzi	stove, burner	爐子還很熱。	Lúzi hái hěn rè.	The stove is still hot.
瓦斯爐	wǎsīlú	gas stove	請把瓦斯爐關小一點。	Qǐng bǎ wǎsīlú guān xiǎo yīdiǎn.	Please turn the gas stove down a little.
電磁爐	diàncílú	induction cooker	這台電磁爐很好清理。	Zhè tái diàncílú hěn hǎo qīnglǐ.	This induction cooker is easy to clean.
抽油煙機	chōuyóuyān jī	range hood	炒菜時要開抽油煙機。	Chǎocài shí yào kāi chōuyóuyān jī.	Turn on the range hood when stir-frying.
流理台	liúlǐtái	countertop / sink counter	流理台上有很多盤子。	Liúlǐtái shàng yǒu hěn duō pánzi.	There are many plates on the countertop.
水槽	shuǐcáo	sink basin	碗都放在水槽裡。	Wǎn dōu fàng zài shuǐcáo lǐ.	The bowls are all in the sink.
櫃子	guìzi	cabinet	杯子在櫃子裡。	Bēizi zài guìzi lǐ.	The cups are in the cabinet.
冰箱	bīngxiāng	refrigerator	牛奶放冰箱比較新鮮。	Niúnǎi fàng bīngxiāng bǐjiào xīnxiān.	Milk stays fresher in the fridge.

Quick Taiwan note: 流理台 liúlǐtái is common in Taiwan. In simpler speech, people may also say 檯面 táimiàn for the counter surface. Language, like kitchens, has more than one drawer.

Kitchen Tools And Small Appliances

Traditional Chinese	Pinyin	Meaning	Example (ZH)	Example (Pinyin)	Translation (EN)
鍋子	guōzi	pot, pan	鍋子太燙了。	Guōzi tài tàng le.	The pot is too hot.
平底鍋	píngdǐguō	frying pan	我用平底鍋煎蛋。	Wǒ yòng píngdǐguō jiān dàn.	I fry eggs with a frying pan.
炒鍋	chǎoguō	wok	媽媽很會用炒鍋。	Māma hěn huì yòng chǎoguō.	My mom is very good at using a wok.
湯鍋	tāngguō	soup pot	湯鍋裡正在煮雞湯。	Tāngguō lǐ zhèngzài zhǔ jītāng.	Chicken soup is being cooked in the soup pot.
鍋蓋	guōgài	lid	鍋蓋太熱，先不要碰。	Guōgài tài rè, xiān bú yào pèng.	The lid is too hot, don’t touch it yet.
鍋鏟	guōchǎn	spatula, turner	用鍋鏟翻面。	Yòng guōchǎn fānmiàn.	Use the spatula to flip it.
湯勺	tāngsháo	ladle	請拿湯勺來盛湯。	Qǐng ná tāngsháo lái chéng tāng.	Please bring a ladle to serve the soup.
菜刀	càidāo	kitchen knife	菜刀很鋒利。	Càidāo hěn fēnglì.	The kitchen knife is very sharp.
砧板	zhēnbǎn	cutting board	切菜前先洗砧板。	Qiē cài qián xiān xǐ zhēnbǎn.	Wash the cutting board before cutting vegetables.
刨刀	páodāo	peeler	這個刨刀很方便。	Zhège páodāo hěn fāngbiàn.	This peeler is very convenient.
漏斗	lòudǒu	funnel	倒油的時候用漏斗比較不容易灑出來。	Dào yóu de shíhòu yòng lòudǒu bǐjiào bù róngyì sǎ chūlái.	Using a funnel when pouring oil makes spills less likely.
量杯	liángbēi	measuring cup	做蛋糕要用量杯。	Zuò dàngāo yào yòng liángbēi.	You need a measuring cup to make cake.
電子秤	diànzǐchèng	digital scale	她用電子秤量麵粉。	Tā yòng diànzǐchèng liáng miànfěn.	She uses a digital scale to measure flour.
攪拌碗	jiǎobànwǎn	mixing bowl	把麵糊倒進攪拌碗。	Bǎ miànhú dào jìn jiǎobànwǎn.	Pour the batter into the mixing bowl.
打蛋器	dǎdànqì	whisk / egg beater	我找不到打蛋器。	Wǒ zhǎo bù dào dǎdànqì.	I can’t find the whisk.
烤箱	kǎoxiāng	oven	烤箱要先預熱。	Kǎoxiāng yào xiān yùrè.	The oven needs to preheat first.
微波爐	wēibōlú	microwave oven	午餐我用微波爐加熱。	Wǔcān wǒ yòng wēibōlú jiārè.	I heat lunch in the microwave.
電鍋	diànguō	rice cooker / electric cooker	台灣很多家庭都有電鍋。	Táiwān hěn duō jiātíng dōu yǒu diànguō.	Many Taiwanese families have a rice cooker.
電飯鍋	diànfànguō	rice cooker	電飯鍋煮飯很省事。	Diànfànguō zhǔ fàn hěn shěngshì.	A rice cooker makes cooking rice easy.

Food Prep And Cooking Verbs

Traditional Chinese	Pinyin	Meaning	Example (ZH)	Example (Pinyin)	Translation (EN)
洗	xǐ	to wash	先洗手，再做菜。	Xiān xǐshǒu, zài zuòcài.	Wash your hands first, then cook.
切	qiē	to cut, slice	請把洋蔥切細一點。	Qǐng bǎ yángcōng qiē xì yīdiǎn.	Please slice the onion thinner.
削	xiāo	to peel or shave	我先削蘋果皮。	Wǒ xiān xiāo píngguǒ pí.	I’ll peel the apple first.
剝	bāo	to peel by hand	請幫我剝蒜頭。	Qǐng bāng wǒ bāo suàntóu.	Please help me peel the garlic.
剁	duò	to chop	肉要剁碎一點。	Ròu yào duò suì yīdiǎn.	The meat should be chopped finer.
切碎	qiēsuì	to mince, chop finely	把香菜切碎。	Bǎ xiāngcài qiēsuì.	Mince the cilantro.
攪拌	jiǎobàn	to mix, stir	請把麵糊攪拌均勻。	Qǐng bǎ miànhú jiǎobàn jūnyún.	Please mix the batter evenly.
拌	bàn	to toss, mix with sauce	沙拉要先拌好。	Shālā yào xiān bàn hǎo.	The salad needs to be tossed first.
炒	chǎo	to stir-fry	我會炒青菜。	Wǒ huì chǎo qīngcài.	I know how to stir-fry vegetables.
煎	jiān	to pan-fry	今天早上煎蛋吃。	Jīntiān zǎoshang jiān dàn chī.	Eat fried eggs this morning.
炸	zhà	to deep-fry	這家店的炸雞很有名。	Zhè jiā diàn de zhá jī hěn yǒumíng.	This shop’s fried chicken is famous.
煮	zhǔ	to boil, cook	我正在煮湯。	Wǒ zhèngzài zhǔ tāng.	I am cooking soup.
蒸	zhēng	to steam	包子要蒸十分鐘。	Bāozi yào zhēng shí fēnzhōng.	The buns need to steam for ten minutes.
烤	kǎo	to bake, roast	晚上我們烤地瓜。	Wǎnshàng wǒmen kǎo dìguā.	Tonight we are roasting sweet potatoes.
燉	dùn	to stew, braise	這鍋牛肉燉很久了。	Zhè guō niúròu dùn hěn jiǔ le.	This pot of beef has been stewing for a long time.
加熱	jiārè	to heat up	請幫我把菜加熱。	Qǐng bāng wǒ bǎ cài jiārè.	Please help me heat up the food.
調味	tiáowèi	to season	最後再調味。	Zuìhòu zài tiáowèi.	Season at the end.
試味道	shì wèidào	to taste and check flavor	先試味道，再加鹽。	Xiān shì wèidào, zài jiā yán.	Taste it first, then add salt.

Kitchen Dishes, Containers, And Tableware

Traditional Chinese	Pinyin	Meaning	Example (ZH)	Example (Pinyin)	Translation (EN)
碗	wǎn	bowl	請給我一個碗。	Qǐng gěi wǒ yí gè wǎn.	Please give me a bowl.
盤子	pánzi	plate	盤子還沒洗。	Pánzi hái méi xǐ.	The plates haven’t been washed yet.
杯子	bēizi	cup, glass	水在杯子裡。	Shuǐ zài bēizi lǐ.	The water is in the cup.
筷子	kuàizi	chopsticks	我忘了帶筷子。	Wǒ wàng le dài kuàizi.	I forgot to bring chopsticks.
湯匙	tāngchí	spoon	喝湯要用湯匙。	Hē tāng yào yòng tāngchí.	You use a spoon to drink soup.
叉子	chāzi	fork	冰箱旁邊有叉子。	Bīngxiāng pángbiān yǒu chāzi.	There are forks next to the fridge.
飯碗	fànwǎn	rice bowl	每個人都有自己的飯碗。	Měi gè rén dōu yǒu zìjǐ de fànwǎn.	Everyone has their own rice bowl.
保鮮盒	bǎoxiānhé	food storage container	剩菜放進保鮮盒。	Shèngcài fàng jìn bǎoxiānhé.	Put the leftovers into a food container.
塑膠袋	sùjiāodài	plastic bag	請不要給我塑膠袋。	Qǐng bú yào gěi wǒ sùjiāodài.	Please don’t give me a plastic bag.
便當盒	biàndānghé	lunch box	我每天帶便當盒上班。	Wǒ měitiān dài biàndānghé shàngbān.	I bring a lunch box to work every day.

Ingredients And Pantry Words

Traditional Chinese	Pinyin	Meaning	Example (ZH)	Example (Pinyin)	Translation (EN)
米	mǐ	rice	家裡還有米嗎？	Jiālǐ hái yǒu mǐ ma?	Is there still rice at home?
麵	miàn	noodles, flour	我想吃牛肉麵。	Wǒ xiǎng chī niúròu miàn.	I want to eat beef noodles.
麵粉	miànfěn	flour	麵粉放在哪裡？	Miànfěn fàng zài nǎlǐ?	Where is the flour?
鹽	yán	salt	這湯有點太鹹，少放一點鹽。	Zhè tāng yǒudiǎn tài xián, shǎo fàng yīdiǎn yán.	This soup is a bit too salty; add less salt.
糖	táng	sugar	紅茶要加糖嗎？	Hóngchá yào jiā táng ma?	Do you want sugar in the black tea?
醬油	jiàngyóu	soy sauce	請加一點醬油。	Qǐng jiā yīdiǎn jiàngyóu.	Please add a little soy sauce.
醋	cù	vinegar	涼拌小黃瓜要放醋。	Liángbàn xiǎohuángguā yào fàng cù.	Cucumber salad needs vinegar.
油	yóu	oil	鍋裡有很多油。	Guō lǐ yǒu hěn duō yóu.	There is a lot of oil in the pan.
橄欖油	gǎnlǎnyóu	olive oil	我比較常用橄欖油。	Wǒ bǐjiào cháng yòng gǎnlǎnyóu.	I use olive oil more often.
胡椒粉	hújiāofěn	pepper powder	胡椒粉不要放太多。	Hújiāofěn bú yào fàng tài duō.	Don’t add too much pepper.
蒜頭	suàntóu	garlic	蒜頭切碎會更香。	Suàntóu qiēsuì huì gèng xiāng.	Minced garlic smells better.
洋蔥	yángcōng	onion	切洋蔥會讓人流眼淚。	Qiē yángcōng huì ràng rén liú yǎnlèi.	Cutting onions makes people cry.
青蔥	qīngcōng	scallion, green onion	青蔥切成小段。	Qīngcōng qiē chéng xiǎo duàn.	Cut the scallions into small pieces.
薑	jiāng	ginger	薑可以去腥。	Jiāng kěyǐ qù xīng.	Ginger can remove the fishy smell.
辣椒	làjiāo	chili pepper	他不吃辣椒。	Tā bù chī làjiāo.	He does not eat chili peppers.
雞蛋	jīdàn	egg	冰箱裡有雞蛋。	Bīngxiāng lǐ yǒu jīdàn.	There are eggs in the fridge.
豆腐	dòufu	tofu	豆腐可以煮湯，也可以紅燒。	Dòufu kěyǐ zhǔ tāng, yě kěyǐ hóngshāo.	Tofu can be cooked in soup or braised.
高麗菜	gāolìcài	cabbage	高麗菜很適合炒。	Gāolìcài hěn shìhé chǎo.	Cabbage is great for stir-frying.
青菜	qīngcài	leafy greens, vegetables	每天都要吃青菜。	Měitiān dōu yào chī qīngcài.	You should eat vegetables every day.

Cleaning And Kitchen Chores

Traditional Chinese	Pinyin	Meaning	Example (ZH)	Example (Pinyin)	Translation (EN)
洗碗	xǐwǎn	to wash dishes	我今天負責洗碗。	Wǒ jīntiān fùzé xǐwǎn.	I am in charge of washing the dishes today.
擦桌子	cā zhuōzi	to wipe the table	吃完飯先擦桌子。	Chī wán fàn xiān cā zhuōzi.	Wipe the table after eating.
倒垃圾	dào lèsè	to take out the trash	誰要倒垃圾？	Shéi yào dào lèsè?	Who is going to take out the trash?
清洗	qīngxǐ	to clean, rinse	蔬菜要先清洗。	Shūcài yào xiān qīngxǐ.	Vegetables need to be washed first.
消毒	xiāodú	to disinfect	砧板要定期消毒。	Zhēnbǎn yào dìngqī xiāodú.	The cutting board should be disinfected regularly.
收拾	shōushi	to tidy up	你先收拾廚房吧。	Nǐ xiān shōushi chúfáng ba.	Tidy up the kitchen first.
整理	zhěnglǐ	to organize	我在整理冰箱。	Wǒ zài zhěnglǐ bīngxiāng.	I am organizing the fridge.
除油	chúyóu	to remove grease	這個爐台很難除油。	Zhège lútái hěn nán chúyóu.	This stove top is hard to degrease.
洗手	xǐshǒu	to wash hands	做菜前先洗手。	Zuòcài qián xiān xǐshǒu.	Wash your hands before cooking.
丟掉	diūdiào	to throw away	這個壞掉了，可以丟掉嗎？	Zhège huài diào le, kěyǐ diūdiào ma?	This is broken. Can we throw it away?

Useful Kitchen Phrases You Will Actually Hear

Traditional Chinese	Pinyin	Meaning	Example (ZH)	Example (Pinyin)	Translation (EN)
在廚房	zài chúfáng	in the kitchen	他在廚房忙。	Tā zài chúfáng máng.	He is busy in the kitchen.
開火	kāihuǒ	turn on the stove / start cooking	可以開火了。	Kěyǐ kāihuǒ le.	You can turn on the stove now.
關火	guānhuǒ	turn off the stove	記得關火。	Jìde guānhuǒ.	Remember to turn off the stove.
小火	xiǎohuǒ	low heat	用小火慢慢煮。	Yòng xiǎohuǒ mànmàn zhǔ.	Cook slowly on low heat.
大火	dàhuǒ	high heat	先用大火炒一下。	Xiān yòng dàhuǒ chǎo yīxià.	First stir-fry on high heat for a moment.
少油	shǎo yóu	less oil	這道菜少油一點比較健康。	Zhè dào cài shǎo yóu yīdiǎn bǐjiào jiànkāng.	This dish is healthier with less oil.
少鹽	shǎo yán	less salt	醫生叫我少鹽。	Yīshēng jiào wǒ shǎo yán.	The doctor told me to eat less salt.
加一點	jiā yīdiǎn	add a little	再加一點醬油。	Zài jiā yīdiǎn jiàngyóu.	Add a little more soy sauce.
放進去	fàng jìnqù	put in	把蒜頭放進去。	Bǎ suàntóu fàng jìnqù.	Put the garlic in.
拿出來	ná chūlái	take out	把盤子拿出來。	Bǎ pánzi ná chūlái.	Take out the plates.
先…再…	xiān… zài…	first… then…	先洗菜，再切菜。	Xiān xǐ cài, zài qiē cài.	Wash the vegetables first, then cut them.
快好了	kuài hǎo le	almost done	湯快好了。	Tāng kuài hǎo le.	The soup is almost done.

Tiny grammar note: 先…再… xiān… zài… is super common in kitchen steps. It keeps things from turning into edible chaos. First wash, then cut. First boil, then season. Revolutionary stuff, apparently.

Common Kitchen Pairs And Mini Differences

Word Pair	Difference	Easy Example
鍋子 / 炒鍋	鍋子 is general; 炒鍋 is a wok.	我需要一個鍋子。 Wǒ xūyào yí gè guōzi. I need a pot/pan.
碗 / 飯碗	飯碗 is a rice bowl, often used for eating meals in general.	把飯裝進飯碗裡。 Bǎ fàn zhuāng jìn fànwǎn lǐ. Put the rice into the rice bowl.
洗碗 / 洗盤子	洗碗 usually means wash dishes in general.	我來洗碗。 Wǒ lái xǐwǎn. I’ll wash the dishes.
電鍋 / 電飯鍋	電鍋 is very Taiwan-friendly and broad; 電飯鍋 emphasizes rice cooking.	電鍋可以蒸東西。 Diànguō kěyǐ zhēng dōngxī. A rice cooker can also steam things.
流理台 / 檯面	流理台 is the whole sink-counter area; 檯面 is the countertop surface.	檯面要擦乾淨。 Táimiàn yào cā gānjìng. The countertop needs to be wiped clean.

Useful Example Sentences For Real Life

我先洗手，再進廚房。 Wǒ xiān xǐshǒu, zài jìn chúfáng. I wash my hands first, then go into the kitchen.
冰箱裡有雞蛋、豆腐和青菜。 Bīngxiāng lǐ yǒu jīdàn, dòufu hé qīngcài. There are eggs, tofu, and vegetables in the fridge.
請把菜刀和砧板拿出來。 Qǐng bǎ càidāo hé zhēnbǎn ná chūlái. Please take out the knife and cutting board.
這鍋湯快好了。 Zhè guō tāng kuài hǎo le. This pot of soup is almost ready.
我不太會用瓦斯爐。 Wǒ bú tài huì yòng wǎsīlú. I’m not very good at using a gas stove.
她在流理台前面切洋蔥。 Tā zài liúlǐtái qiánmiàn qiē yángcōng. She is cutting onions at the counter.
這個保鮮盒可以放進冰箱。 Zhège bǎoxiānhé kěyǐ fàng jìn bīngxiāng. This storage container can go in the fridge.
炒菜的時候記得開抽油煙機。 Chǎocài de shíhòu jìde kāi chōuyóuyān jī. Remember to turn on the range hood when stir-frying.
把鹽、醬油和胡椒粉放在桌上。 Bǎ yán, jiàngyóu hé hújiāofěn fàng zài zhuō shàng. Put the salt, soy sauce, and pepper on the table.
我今天晚上想煮麵。 Wǒ jīntiān wǎnshàng xiǎng zhǔ miàn. I want to cook noodles tonight.

Common Mistakes And Fixes

錯：廚室對：廚房 chúfáng. English speakers sometimes invent a “kitchen room” type word. Mandarin already has the real one.
錯： using 餐廳 for “kitchen.” 對：廚房 is kitchen; 餐廳 is dining room / restaurant depending on context.
錯： saying 我洗碗了 when you mean “I wash dishes” generally. 對： 我在洗碗 Wǒ zài xǐwǎn = I am washing dishes.
錯： mixing up 煎 and 炸. 對：煎 is pan-fry; 炸 is deep-fry. The oil level matters. So does your shirt.
錯： using 鍋子 when you want a wok in a context where precision matters. 對： say 炒鍋 if you mean wok.
錯： forgetting measure words. 對： 一個碗 yí gè wǎn, 一把菜刀 yī bǎ càidāo, 一台烤箱 yī tái kǎoxiāng.
錯： saying 兩個雞蛋 is wrong? No, that is fine. But remember 兩 liǎng is used before measure words, not 二個 in normal speech. Kitchen math is still math.

Quick Reference Summary

Category	Must-Know Words
Room And Space	廚房 chúfáng, 餐廳 cāntīng, 流理台 liúlǐtái, 水槽 shuǐcáo, 櫃子 guìzi
Cooking Tools	鍋子 guōzi, 菜刀 càidāo, 砧板 zhēnbǎn, 鍋鏟 guōchǎn, 量杯 liángbēi
Appliances	冰箱 bīngxiāng, 烤箱 kǎoxiāng, 微波爐 wēibōlú, 電鍋 diànguō, 抽油煙機 chōuyóuyān jī
Cooking Actions	洗 xǐ, 切 qiē, 炒 chǎo, 煮 zhǔ, 蒸 zhēng, 烤 kǎo
Everyday Ingredients	米 mǐ, 鹽 yán, 醬油 jiàngyóu, 油 yóu, 蒜頭 suàntóu, 青菜 qīngcài

Yak Takeaway: If you can say 廚房 chúfáng, 冰箱 bīngxiāng, 洗碗 xǐwǎn, and 炒菜 chǎocài, you are already dangerous in the best possible way. The kitchen may still be messy, but now it is messy in Traditional Chinese.