100 Chinese Words And Phrases To Start Learning（Traditional + Pinyin）

If you are starting Traditional Chinese, the first 100 words and phrases are the difference between “I am learning Mandarin” and “I am quietly panic-scrolling a menu in Taipei.” This guide gives you the basics in Traditional Chinese, pinyin, and simple English, with real sentences you can actually use.

Traditional Chinese is used in Taiwan, Hong Kong, and many overseas communities. If you are aiming for Taiwan-style Mandarin, that is a very good choice. It sounds natural, looks beautiful, and yes, the characters can feel a bit like they are wearing more formal clothes than Simplified Chinese.

To keep things useful, the words below focus on daily life: greetings, numbers, food, travel, study, and the tiny words that glue sentences together. If you want to test your progress later, try the Traditional Chinese vocabulary test or the Traditional Chinese placement test TOCFL.

One quick reality check: many learners memorize random words that look impressive and then freeze the first time someone asks, “你要不要喝咖啡？” So this list is built for real life, not dictionary cosplay.

For more beginner basics, you can also jump to essential Traditional Chinese phrases, shortest Traditional Chinese words and phrases, or even the chaotic fun of Traditional Chinese tongue twisters when you feel brave.

Table of Contents

How To Use This List

Read the tables in small chunks. Say each item out loud. Copy the example sentence into your notes. Then come back later and see what you still remember. Mandarin likes repetition. Annoying? Sometimes. Effective? Very.

Yak Takeaway: Learn the words you can use today, not the words that only look good on a flashcard.

1. Essential Greetings And Polite Words

Traditional Chinese	Pinyin	Meaning	Example (ZH)	Example (Pinyin)	Translation (EN)
你好	nǐ hǎo	hello	你好，我叫安娜。	Nǐ hǎo, wǒ jiào Ānnà.	Hello, my name is Anna.
您好	nín hǎo	hello, polite/formal	您好，請問老師在嗎？	Nín hǎo, qǐngwèn lǎoshī zài ma?	Hello, may I ask if the teacher is here?
早安	zǎo ān	good morning	早安，今天很冷。	Zǎo ān, jīntiān hěn lěng.	Good morning, it is very cold today.
午安	wǔ ān	good afternoon	午安，會議開始了。	Wǔ ān, huìyì kāishǐ le.	Good afternoon, the meeting has started.
晚安	wǎn ān	good night	晚安，明天見。	Wǎn ān, míngtiān jiàn.	Good night, see you tomorrow.
謝謝	xièxie	thank you	謝謝你的幫忙。	Xièxie nǐ de bāngmáng.	Thank you for your help.
不客氣	bù kèqi	you’re welcome	不客氣，這很簡單。	Bù kèqi, zhè hěn jiǎndān.	You’re welcome, this is easy.
對不起	duìbùqǐ	sorry	對不起，我遲到了。	Duìbùqǐ, wǒ chídào le.	Sorry, I was late.
沒關係	méi guānxi	it’s okay	沒關係，我也剛到。	Méi guānxi, wǒ yě gāng dào.	It’s okay, I just arrived too.
再見	zàijiàn	goodbye	我們明天再見。	Wǒmen míngtiān zàijiàn.	We’ll see each other tomorrow.

2. Personal Pronouns And Basic People Words

Traditional Chinese	Pinyin	Meaning	Example (ZH)	Example (Pinyin)	Translation (EN)
我	wǒ	I, me	我是學生。	Wǒ shì xuéshēng.	I am a student.
你	nǐ	you	你要喝水嗎？	Nǐ yào hē shuǐ ma?	Do you want to drink water?
您	nín	you, polite	您貴姓？	Nín guìxìng?	May I ask your surname?
他	tā	he, him	他住在台北。	Tā zhù zài Táiběi.	He lives in Taipei.
她	tā	she, her	她很會說中文。	Tā hěn huì shuō Zhōngwén.	She is very good at speaking Chinese.
我們	wǒmen	we, us	我們一起去吧。	Wǒmen yìqǐ qù ba.	Let’s go together.
你們	nǐmen	you all	你們幾點到？	Nǐmen jǐ diǎn dào?	What time are you all arriving?
他們	tāmen	they, them	他們在吃午餐。	Tāmen zài chī wǔcān.	They are eating lunch.
這個	zhège	this one	這個很好吃。	Zhège hěn hǎochī.	This one is delicious.
那個	nàge	that one	那個多少錢？	Nàge duōshao qián?	How much is that one?

3. Numbers, Time, And Counting

Small warning from the Mandarin universe: 一 changes sound in some situations, and 兩 is often used for “two” before measure words. Tiny detail, big usefulness.

Traditional Chinese	Pinyin	Meaning	Example (ZH)	Example (Pinyin)	Translation (EN)
一	yī	one	我有一杯咖啡。	Wǒ yǒu yì bēi kāfēi.	I have one cup of coffee.
二	èr	two	二月很冷。	Èr yuè hěn lěng.	February is very cold.
兩	liǎng	two, used before measure words	我買了兩個蘋果。	Wǒ mǎi le liǎng gè píngguǒ.	I bought two apples.
三	sān	three	三點見。	Sān diǎn jiàn.	See you at three.
四	sì	four	四樓是辦公室。	Sì lóu shì bàngōngshì.	The fourth floor is the office.
五	wǔ	five	五分鐘就好。	Wǔ fēnzhōng jiù hǎo.	Five minutes is enough.
六	liù	six	六點半出發。	Liù diǎn bàn chūfā.	Depart at 6:30.
七	qī	seven	七月很熱。	Qī yuè hěn rè.	July is very hot.
八	bā	eight	八點開始上課。	Bā diǎn kāishǐ shàngkè.	Class starts at eight.
九	jiǔ	nine	九點前回家。	Jiǔ diǎn qián huí jiā.	Go home before nine.
十	shí	ten	十塊錢可以嗎？	Shí kuài qián kěyǐ ma?	Is ten dollars okay?
今天	jīntiān	today	今天下雨了。	Jīntiān xià yǔ le.	It rained today.
明天	míngtiān	tomorrow	明天有考試。	Míngtiān yǒu kǎoshì.	There is a test tomorrow.
昨天	zuótiān	yesterday	昨天我去夜市。	Zuótiān wǒ qù yèshì.	Yesterday I went to the night market.
現在	xiànzài	now	我現在很忙。	Wǒ xiànzài hěn máng.	I am very busy now.

4. Common Verbs You Will Use All The Time

Traditional Chinese	Pinyin	Meaning	Example (ZH)	Example (Pinyin)	Translation (EN)
是	shì	to be	我是老師。	Wǒ shì lǎoshī.	I am a teacher.
有	yǒu	to have, there is	我有一個問題。	Wǒ yǒu yí gè wèntí.	I have a question.
要	yào	to want, need	我想要這個。	Wǒ xiǎng yào zhège.	I want this one.
去	qù	to go	我去超市買東西。	Wǒ qù chāoshì mǎi dōngxī.	I go to the supermarket to buy things.
來	lái	to come	他來了。	Tā lái le.	He came / he is here.
看	kàn	to look, watch	我看電影。	Wǒ kàn diànyǐng.	I watch a movie.
聽	tīng	to listen	請聽我說。	Qǐng tīng wǒ shuō.	Please listen to me.
說	shuō	to say, speak	你會說中文嗎？	Nǐ huì shuō Zhōngwén ma?	Can you speak Chinese?
吃	chī	to eat	我們去吃飯吧。	Wǒmen qù chīfàn ba.	Let’s go eat.
喝	hē	to drink	你要喝茶嗎？	Nǐ yào hē chá ma?	Do you want to drink tea?
買	mǎi	to buy	我想買水果。	Wǒ xiǎng mǎi shuǐguǒ.	I want to buy fruit.
賣	mài	to sell	這裡賣早餐。	Zhèlǐ mài zǎocān.	They sell breakfast here.
學	xué	to study, learn	我在學中文。	Wǒ zài xué Zhōngwén.	I am learning Chinese.
喜歡	xǐhuan	to like	我喜歡台灣菜。	Wǒ xǐhuan Táiwān cài.	I like Taiwanese food.
知道	zhīdào	to know	我知道這個答案。	Wǒ zhīdào zhège dá’àn.	I know this answer.

5. Everyday Nouns For Real Life

Traditional Chinese	Pinyin	Meaning	Example (ZH)	Example (Pinyin)	Translation (EN)
人	rén	person, people	那個人很友善。	Nàge rén hěn yǒushàn.	That person is very friendly.
朋友	péngyou	friend	她是我的朋友。	Tā shì wǒ de péngyou.	She is my friend.
家	jiā	home, family	我回家了。	Wǒ huí jiā le.	I went home.
學校	xuéxiào	school	學校很大。	Xuéxiào hěn dà.	The school is big.
公司	gōngsī	company	我在公司工作。	Wǒ zài gōngsī gōngzuò.	I work at a company.
餐廳	cāntīng	restaurant	這家餐廳很好吃。	Zhè jiā cāntīng hěn hǎochī.	This restaurant is very good.
超市	chāoshì	supermarket	我去超市買牛奶。	Wǒ qù chāoshì mǎi niúnǎi.	I go to the supermarket to buy milk.
便利商店	biànlì shāngdiàn	convenience store	便利商店晚上也開。	Biànlì shāngdiàn wǎnshàng yě kāi.	The convenience store is open at night too.
夜市	yèshì	night market	我們去夜市吃東西。	Wǒmen qù yèshì chī dōngxī.	We go to the night market to eat.
車站	chēzhàn	station	車站在哪裡？	Chēzhàn zài nǎlǐ?	Where is the station?
捷運	jiéyùn	MRT / metro	我搭捷運去台北車站。	Wǒ dā jiéyùn qù Táiběi chēzhàn.	I take the MRT to Taipei Main Station.
公車	gōngchē	bus	公車來了。	Gōngchē lái le.	The bus has arrived.
手機	shǒujī	mobile phone	我的手機沒電了。	Wǒ de shǒujī méi diàn le.	My phone is out of battery.
電腦	diànnǎo	computer	我每天用電腦工作。	Wǒ měitiān yòng diànnǎo gōngzuò.	I use a computer every day.
書	shū	book	這本書很有趣。	Zhè běn shū hěn yǒuqù.	This book is interesting.
水	shuǐ	water	請給我水。	Qǐng gěi wǒ shuǐ.	Please give me water.
茶	chá	tea	我喝熱茶。	Wǒ hē rè chá.	I drink hot tea.
咖啡	kāfēi	coffee	我早上喝咖啡。	Wǒ zǎoshang hē kāfēi.	I drink coffee in the morning.
錢	qián	money	我沒有很多錢。	Wǒ méiyǒu hěn duō qián.	I do not have much money.
時間	shíjiān	time	你有時間嗎？	Nǐ yǒu shíjiān ma?	Do you have time?

6. Adjectives And Describing Words

Traditional Chinese	Pinyin	Meaning	Example (ZH)	Example (Pinyin)	Translation (EN)
好	hǎo	good	這個很好。	Zhège hěn hǎo.	This is very good.
大	dà	big	這間房子很大。	Zhè jiān fángzi hěn dà.	This house is big.
小	xiǎo	small	我想要小杯的。	Wǒ xiǎng yào xiǎo bēi de.	I want the small size.
多	duō	many, more	這裡人很多。	Zhèlǐ rén hěn duō.	There are many people here.
少	shǎo	few, less	他說得很少。	Tā shuō de hěn shǎo.	He speaks very little.
新	xīn	new	這是新的手機。	Zhè shì xīn de shǒujī.	This is a new phone.
舊	jiù	old, used	我的鞋子有點舊。	Wǒ de xiézi yǒudiǎn jiù.	My shoes are a bit old.
貴	guì	expensive	這個太貴了。	Zhège tài guì le.	This is too expensive.
便宜	piányi	cheap	這家店很便宜。	Zhè jiā diàn hěn piányi.	This shop is cheap.
快	kuài	fast, quick	你走得很快。	Nǐ zǒu de hěn kuài.	You walk very fast.
慢	màn	slow	請慢一點說。	Qǐng màn yìdiǎn shuō.	Please speak a little slower.
熱	rè	hot	今天很熱。	Jīntiān hěn rè.	It is very hot today.
冷	lěng	cold	晚上很冷。	Wǎnshàng hěn lěng.	It is cold at night.
漂亮	piàoliang	pretty, beautiful	這件衣服很漂亮。	Zhè jiàn yīfu hěn piàoliang.	This piece of clothing is beautiful.
忙	máng	busy	我今天很忙。	Wǒ jīntiān hěn máng.	I am very busy today.

7. Useful Question Words

Traditional Chinese	Pinyin	Meaning	Example (ZH)	Example (Pinyin)	Translation (EN)
什麼	shénme	what	這是什麼？	Zhè shì shénme?	What is this?
誰	shéi	who	誰在那裡？	Shéi zài nàlǐ?	Who is there?
哪裡	nǎlǐ	where	你要去哪裡？	Nǐ yào qù nǎlǐ?	Where are you going?
多少	duōshao	how much, how many	這個多少錢？	Zhège duōshao qián?	How much is this?
幾	jǐ	how many, how much	你幾點到？	Nǐ jǐ diǎn dào?	What time do you arrive?
為什麼	wèishénme	why	你為什麼學中文？	Nǐ wèishénme xué Zhōngwén?	Why are you learning Chinese?
怎麼	zěnme	how	這個怎麼說？	Zhège zěnme shuō?	How do you say this?
可以嗎	kěyǐ ma	can I / is it okay?	我可以坐這裡嗎？	Wǒ kěyǐ zuò zhèlǐ ma?	Can I sit here?
好嗎	hǎo ma	okay? right?	這樣可以，好嗎？	Zhèyàng kěyǐ, hǎo ma?	This is okay, right?
嗎	ma	question particle	你會中文嗎？	Nǐ huì Zhōngwén ma?	Do you speak Chinese?

8. High-Value Everyday Phrases

This is the part that actually helps you survive a conversation without looking like your brain has fallen out through your ears.

Traditional Chinese	Pinyin	Meaning	Example (ZH)	Example (Pinyin)	Translation (EN)
我不知道	wǒ bù zhīdào	I don’t know	對不起，我不知道。	Duìbùqǐ, wǒ bù zhīdào.	Sorry, I don’t know.
我想要…	wǒ xiǎng yào…	I want…	我想要一杯茶。	Wǒ xiǎng yào yì bēi chá.	I want a cup of tea.
請給我…	qǐng gěi wǒ…	Please give me…	請給我菜單。	Qǐng gěi wǒ càidān.	Please give me the menu.
多少錢？	duōshao qián?	how much?	這個多少錢？	Zhège duōshao qián?	How much is this?
我可以嗎？	wǒ kěyǐ ma?	can I?	我可以問一個問題嗎？	Wǒ kěyǐ wèn yí gè wèntí ma?	Can I ask a question?
請等一下	qǐng děng yíxià	please wait a moment	請等一下，我馬上來。	Qǐng děng yíxià, wǒ mǎshàng lái.	Please wait a moment, I’ll come right away.
我聽不懂	wǒ tīng bù dǒng	I don’t understand when listening	對不起，我聽不懂。	Duìbùqǐ, wǒ tīng bù dǒng.	Sorry, I don’t understand.
請再說一次	qǐng zài shuō yí cì	please say it again	可以請再說一次嗎？	Kěyǐ qǐng zài shuō yí cì ma?	Could you please say it again?
怎麼說？	zěnme shuō?	how do you say it?	這個中文怎麼說？	Zhège Zhōngwén zěnme shuō?	How do you say this in Chinese?
沒問題	méi wèntí	no problem	沒問題，我可以幫你。	Méi wèntí, wǒ kěyǐ bāng nǐ.	No problem, I can help you.
一起	yìqǐ	together	我們一起去吃飯。	Wǒmen yìqǐ qù chīfàn.	We go eat together.
等一下	děng yíxià	wait a moment	等一下，我還沒好。	Děng yíxià, wǒ hái méi hǎo.	Wait a moment, I’m not ready yet.
沒關係	méi guānxi	it’s okay	沒關係，我可以自己來。	Méi guānxi, wǒ kěyǐ zìjǐ lái.	It’s okay, I can do it myself.
真的嗎	zhēn de ma	really?	真的嗎？太好了！	Zhēn de ma? Tài hǎo le!	Really? That’s great!
我想學中文	wǒ xiǎng xué Zhōngwén	I want to learn Chinese	我想學中文，因為很有趣。	Wǒ xiǎng xué Zhōngwén, yīnwèi hěn yǒuqù.	I want to learn Chinese because it is interesting.

9. Grammar Words That Keep Sentences Alive

These little words are not glamorous, but they do the heavy lifting. The sentence falls apart without them. Tragic, honestly.

Traditional Chinese	Pinyin	Meaning	Example (ZH)	Example (Pinyin)	Translation (EN)
的	de	possessive / adjective marker	我的書在桌上。	Wǒ de shū zài zhuōshàng.	My book is on the table.
了	le	changed state / completed action	我吃飯了。	Wǒ chīfàn le.	I ate / I have eaten.
嗎	ma	question particle	你忙嗎？	Nǐ máng ma?	Are you busy?
呢	ne	what about / softening question	你呢？	Nǐ ne?	What about you?
吧	ba	suggestion / softening	我們走吧。	Wǒmen zǒu ba.	Let’s go.
也	yě	also	我也喜歡這家店。	Wǒ yě xǐhuan zhè jiā diàn.	I also like this shop.
都	dōu	all	我們都知道。	Wǒmen dōu zhīdào.	We all know.
很	hěn	very; often just links adjective	她很忙。	Tā hěn máng.	She is busy.
還	hái	still, also	我還想喝水。	Wǒ hái xiǎng hē shuǐ.	I still want water.
就	jiù	then, just, only	我就住在這裡。	Wǒ jiù zhù zài zhèlǐ.	I just live here.
才	cái	only then; not until	我八點才到。	Wǒ bā diǎn cái dào.	I did not arrive until eight.
又	yòu	again, and also	今天又下雨了。	Jīntiān yòu xià yǔ le.	It rained again today.
先	xiān	first	你先喝水。	Nǐ xiān hē shuǐ.	You drink water first.
已經	yǐjīng	already	我已經回家了。	Wǒ yǐjīng huí jiā le.	I already went home.
還沒	hái méi	not yet	我還沒吃飯。	Wǒ hái méi chīfàn.	I have not eaten yet.

10. Mini Variants And Taiwan Notes

Some words are especially useful in Taiwan. For example, 捷運 is the common word for MRT, and 便利商店 is the everyday phrase for convenience store. These are the kinds of words that make your Mandarin feel local instead of textbook-only.

Traditional Chinese	Pinyin	Meaning	Example (ZH)	Example (Pinyin)	Translation (EN)
捷運	jiéyùn	MRT / metro	我坐捷運上班。	Wǒ zuò jiéyùn shàngbān.	I take the MRT to work.
計程車	jìchéngchē	taxi	我們搭計程車回家。	Wǒmen dā jìchéngchē huí jiā.	We take a taxi home.
早餐	zǎocān	breakfast	你吃早餐了嗎？	Nǐ chī zǎocān le ma?	Have you eaten breakfast?
午餐	wǔcān	lunch	午餐吃什麼？	Wǔcān chī shénme?	What are you eating for lunch?
晚餐	wǎncān	dinner	我們晚上一起吃晚餐。	Wǒmen wǎnshàng yìqǐ chī wǎncān.	We eat dinner together tonight.
飲料	yǐnliào	drink, beverage	我想要一杯飲料。	Wǒ xiǎng yào yì bēi yǐnliào.	I want a drink.
發票	fāpiào	receipt, invoice	請給我發票。	Qǐng gěi wǒ fāpiào.	Please give me the receipt.
謝謝光臨	xièxie guānglín	thank you for coming	店員說謝謝光臨。	Diànyuán shuō xièxie guānglín.	The clerk said thank you for coming.
請問	qǐngwèn	excuse me, may I ask	請問，洗手間在哪裡？	Qǐngwèn, xǐshǒujiān zài nǎlǐ?	Excuse me, where is the restroom?
洗手間	xǐshǒujiān	bathroom, restroom	洗手間在二樓。	Xǐshǒujiān zài èr lóu.	The restroom is on the second floor.

11. Common Mistakes And Quick Fixes

Mixing up 你 and 您 — Use 您 when you want to sound polite, formal, or respectful.
Forgetting measure words — Say 兩個蘋果，not just “two apples” without the measure word.
Using 是 for everything — Mandarin does not always use “to be” the same way English does. 我很忙 is correct, not 我是很忙.
Overusing 很 — In 我很高興, 很 can feel natural even when it does not literally mean “very.”
Confusing 也 and 都 — 也 means “also,” while 都 means “all.”
Using Simplified forms by accident — This article uses Traditional Chinese only, so keep an eye on characters like 學, 車, and 飯.
Skipping tone practice — Mandarin tones matter. Yes, they are annoying. Yes, they also matter.
Translating directly from English — Mandarin often prefers short, clean structure. Simpler is usually better.
Forgetting the particle 嗎 — It turns a statement into a yes/no question: 你忙嗎？
Using 昨天, 今天, 明天 in the wrong order — These time words are easy wins. Do not overcomplicate them.

12. Practice Time

Say the English first, then try the Chinese. If you need to peek, fine. The grammar police are not coming.

Practice	Try It	Answer
Say “Hello.”	＿＿＿	你好 — nǐ hǎo
Say “Thank you.”	＿＿＿	謝謝 — xièxie
Say “I want tea.”	＿＿＿	我想要茶 — wǒ xiǎng yào chá
Say “How much?”	＿＿＿	多少錢？ — duōshao qián?
Say “I don’t understand.”	＿＿＿	我聽不懂 — wǒ tīng bù dǒng
Say “See you tomorrow.”	＿＿＿	明天見 — míngtiān jiàn
Say “This is good.”	＿＿＿	這個很好 — zhège hěn hǎo
Say “We go together.”	＿＿＿	我們一起去 — wǒmen yìqǐ qù

Now try swapping one word in each sentence. For example, change 茶 to 咖啡, or 今天 to 明天. Small changes are how Mandarin starts to stick.

13. Quick Reference Summary

Greetings: 你好, 您好, 謝謝, 不客氣, 對不起, 沒關係, 再見
Pronouns: 我, 你, 您, 他, 她, 我們, 你們, 他們
Numbers: 一, 二, 兩, 三, 四, 五, 六, 七, 八, 九, 十
Time words: 今天, 明天, 昨天, 現在
Verbs: 是, 有, 要, 去, 來, 看, 聽, 說, 吃, 喝, 買, 賣, 學, 喜歡, 知道
Nouns: 人, 朋友, 家, 學校, 公司, 餐廳, 超市, 便利商店, 夜市, 車站, 捷運, 公車, 手機, 電腦, 書, 水, 茶, 咖啡, 錢, 時間
Adjectives: 好, 大, 小, 多, 少, 新, 舊, 貴, 便宜, 快, 慢, 熱, 冷, 漂亮, 忙
Question words: 什麼, 誰, 哪裡, 多少, 幾, 為什麼, 怎麼, 可以嗎, 好嗎, 嗎
Grammar helpers: 的, 了, 嗎, 呢, 吧, 也, 都, 很, 還, 就, 才, 又, 先, 已經, 還沒

If you can read and say even half of these comfortably, you already have a strong beginner base. That is enough to order food, ask simple questions, and stop Mandarin from feeling like a locked door. Keep going, keep listening, and keep using the words in real sentences — that is where the magic happens, boringly and reliably.

Want the next step? Try the main Yak Yacker language hub and keep building from there. The first 100 words are just the beginning, but they are a very decent beginning.