This list brings together 60 Chinese words, running alphabetically from “kāfēi” to “kuòdà”. They cover everyday vocabulary you’ll hear in homes, schools, restaurants, and workplaces across China, from simple nouns like “coffee” and “pocket” to common verbs like “to drive” and “to cry.” You’ll find them useful for building conversational fluency, reading basic texts, and recognizing patterns in how Mandarin words are formed.
Chinese words are units of meaning built from characters, each carrying its own pronunciation, tone, and often a visual clue to its meaning. Many, like “kāfēi” (coffee) and “kǎtōng” (cartoon), are loanwords adapted from other languages, showing how Mandarin absorbs foreign concepts while keeping its own sound system. Others combine simpler characters into new ideas, the way “kōng” (empty) and “tiáo” (to adjust) join to form “kōngtiáo,” meaning air conditioner.
Below you’ll find the table with Word, English translation, Mandarin spelling, Example usage, and Description.
Word: the pinyin spelling of the term, showing you how to pronounce it without needing to read Chinese characters first.
English translation: a concise definition that tells you what the word means and how it’s typically used in everyday speech.
Mandarin spelling: the word written in Chinese characters, so you can recognize it in text, signs, or written conversations.
Example usage: a full sentence showing the word in context, with an English translation to help you understand how it functions in real speech.
Description: background on the word’s meaning, origin, or common usage, giving you a fuller picture beyond the basic translation.
Chinese words
| Word | English translation | Mandarin spelling | Example usage |
|---|---|---|---|
| kāfēi | coffee | 咖啡 | 我喜欢喝咖啡。(I like to drink coffee.) |
| kāfēiguǎn | café; coffee shop | 咖啡馆 | 我们在咖啡馆见面。(Let’s meet at the café.) |
| kāfēisè | coffee-colored; brown | 咖啡色 | 她穿着咖啡色的外套。(She’s wearing a brown coat.) |
| kāichē | to drive a car | 开车 | 他每天开车上班。(He drives to work every day.) |
| kāihuì | to hold or attend a meeting | 开会 | 我们明天开会。(We have a meeting tomorrow.) |
| kāimén | to open a door; to open for business | 开门 | 商店九点开门。(The store opens at nine.) |
| kāishǐ | to begin; to start | 开始 | 电影开始了。(The movie has started.) |
| kàn | to look; to see; to read | 看 | 我在看书。(I am reading a book.) |
| kànjiàn | to see; to catch sight of | 看见 | 我看见他了。(I saw him.) |
| kǎ | card | 卡 | 我的信用卡丢了。(I lost my credit card.) |
| kǎtōng | cartoon | 卡通 | 孩子喜欢看卡通片。(Kids like watching cartoons.) |
| kǎolǜ | to consider; to think over | 考虑 | 我需要考虑一下。(I need to think about it.) |
| kǎoshì | exam; test | 考试 | 明天有考试。(There’s an exam tomorrow.) |
| kǎoròu | grilled or roasted meat; barbecue | 烤肉 | 我们周末去吃烤肉。(We’re going to eat grilled meat this weekend.) |
| kǎoyā | roast duck | 烤鸭 | 北京烤鸭很有名。(Peking roast duck is famous.) |
| kē | measure word for small round objects | 颗 | 天上有一颗星星。(There’s a star in the sky.) |
| kēxué | science | 科学 | 他喜欢科学。(He likes science.) |
| kēxuéjiā | scientist | 科学家 | 他是一位科学家。(He is a scientist.) |
| kējì | technology | 科技 | 科技发展很快。(Technology develops fast.) |
| kēmù | subject; academic course | 科目 | 数学是我最喜欢的科目。(Math is my favorite subject.) |
| késòu | to cough | 咳嗽 | 他咳嗽得很厉害。(He’s coughing badly.) |
| kè | class; lesson; a quarter of an hour | 课 | 我们有中文课。(We have a Chinese class.) |
| kèběn | textbook | 课本 | 请打开课本。(Please open your textbook.) |
| kètáng | classroom | 课堂 | 课堂上要认真听讲。(Pay attention in class.) |
| kèrén | guest; visitor | 客人 | 客人来了。(The guests have arrived.) |
| kètīng | living room | 客厅 | 客厅很大。(The living room is big.) |
| kèqi | polite; courteous; to stand on ceremony | 客气 | 你太客气了。(You’re too polite.) |
| kělè | cola | 可乐 | 我要一杯可乐。(I want a glass of cola.) |
| kěpà | scary; frightening | 可怕 | 这部电影很可怕。(This movie is scary.) |
| kěshì | but; however | 可是 | 我想去,可是没时间。(I want to go, but I have no time.) |
| kěxī | it’s a pity; unfortunately | 可惜 | 真可惜,他没来。(What a pity he didn’t come.) |
| kěài | cute; adorable | 可爱 | 这只猫很可爱。(This cat is very cute.) |
| kěnéng | possible; maybe; likely | 可能 | 明天可能下雨。(It might rain tomorrow.) |
| kěndìng | definite; certain; to affirm | 肯定 | 他肯定会来。(He will definitely come.) |
| kěyǐ | can; may; to be allowed to | 可以 | 我可以进来吗?(May I come in?) |
| kōng | empty | 空 | 房间是空的。(The room is empty.) |
| kōngqì | air | 空气 | 这里的空气很新鲜。(The air here is fresh.) |
| kōngjiān | space | 空间 | 房间的空间不大。(The room’s space isn’t big.) |
| kōngtiáo | air conditioner | 空调 | 请把空调打开。(Please turn on the air conditioner.) |
| kǒu | mouth; measure word for people or family members | 口 | 他张开口。(He opened his mouth.) |
| kǒudài | 口袋 | 钥匙在口袋里。(The keys are in the pocket.) | |
| kǒuhóng | lipstick | 口红 | 她涂了口红。(She put on lipstick.) |
| kǒuwèi | taste; flavor | 口味 | 这道菜口味很好。(This dish tastes great.) |
| kǒuyīn | accent | 口音 | 他有一点口音。(He has a bit of an accent.) |
| kǒuyǔ | spoken language; colloquial speech | 口语 | 我想提高口语。(I want to improve my spoken language.) |
| kū | to cry; to weep | 哭 | 孩子哭了。(The child cried.) |
| kù | cool; stylish (slang) | 酷 | 他觉得这很酷。(He thinks this is cool.) |
| kùzi | pants; trousers | 裤子 | 这条裤子很合身。(These pants fit well.) |
| kuā | to praise; to boast | 夸 | 老师夸他聪明。(The teacher praised him for being smart.) |
| kuài | fast; quick; a piece; colloquial unit for the yuan | 快 | 快点!(Hurry up!) |
| kuàilè | happy; joyful | 快乐 | 生日快乐!(Happy birthday!) |
| kuàizi | chopsticks | 筷子 | 请用筷子。(Please use chopsticks.) |
| kuān | wide; broad | 宽 | 这条路很宽。(This road is wide.) |
| kuānróng | tolerant; lenient | 宽容 | 老师对学生很宽容。(The teacher is lenient with students.) |
| kuàng | mine (for extracting minerals) | 矿 | 这是一个煤矿。(This is a coal mine.) |
| kuàngquánshuǐ | mineral water | 矿泉水 | 我想喝矿泉水。(I’d like some mineral water.) |
| kùn | sleepy; tired | 困 | 我很困,想睡觉。(I’m sleepy and want to sleep.) |
| kùnnán | difficulty; hardship | 困难 | 这个问题很困难。(This problem is very difficult.) |
| kùnhuò | confused; puzzled | 困惑 | 我对这个问题感到困惑。(I’m confused about this issue.) |
| kuòdà | to expand; to enlarge | 扩大 | 公司想扩大规模。(The company wants to expand its scale.) |
Descriptions
kāfēi
A loanword-based term for the popular caffeinated drink, widely consumed in Chinese cafés and homes today.
kāfēiguǎn
A casual venue serving coffee and light food, common in Chinese cities as a social meeting spot.
kāfēisè
A shade descriptor used for clothing, furniture, or objects with a warm brown tone resembling coffee.
kāichē
A common verb phrase describing the act of operating and driving a vehicle.
kāihuì
A workplace and school term for gathering to discuss business or plans.
kāimén
Describes both the physical act of opening a door and a shop starting its business hours.
kāishǐ
A fundamental verb meaning to commence an action, event, or process.
kàn
One of the most frequently used verbs in Mandarin, covering looking, watching, and reading.
kànjiàn
A resultative verb combining “look” with “perceive,” meaning to actually see something rather than just look.
kǎ
A general term for any small plastic or paper card, such as a credit card or ID card.
kǎtōng
A transliterated loanword referring to animated shows or comic-style illustrations popular with children.
kǎolǜ
Describes the mental process of weighing options before making a decision.
kǎoshì
A core academic term referring to any formal test used to assess knowledge or skill.
kǎoròu
A popular dish and dining style involving meat cooked over open flame or a grill.
kǎoyā
A famous Beijing dish featuring duck roasted until the skin is crisp, often served with thin pancakes.
kē
A classifier used before nouns like seeds, pearls, bullets, or stars.
kēxué
The general term for the systematic study of the natural world through observation and experiment.
kēxuéjiā
Refers to a person who works professionally in a field of science.
kējì
A compound word combining “science” and “technique,” used broadly for modern technology and innovation.
kēmù
Refers to an individual subject of study within a school or exam curriculum.
késòu
A common medical term describing the reflex action of coughing, often due to illness.
kè
A versatile word used for school lessons and, separately, as a unit meaning fifteen minutes.
kèběn
The standard term for a school textbook used for a particular subject or class.
kètáng
Refers to the classroom setting or the learning environment during a lesson, not just the physical room.
kèrén
A polite general term for a visitor or guest in someone’s home or business.
kètīng
The main room in a home used for receiving guests and family gatherings.
kèqi
Describes polite, modest behavior, often used when someone downplays a compliment or favor.
kělè
A transliterated loanword for the carbonated soft drink cola, widely sold across China.
kěpà
An adjective describing something that induces fear, such as a film, story, or situation.
kěshì
A common conjunction used to introduce a contrast or exception, similar to “but” in English.
kěxī
An expression of mild regret or disappointment about an outcome.
kěài
A widely used adjective describing something endearing or charming in appearance or behavior.
kěnéng
Expresses possibility or uncertainty about a future event or fact.
kěndìng
Used both as an adverb meaning “certainly” and a verb meaning to confirm or affirm something.
kěyǐ
A modal verb expressing permission or ability, one of the most common words in spoken Mandarin.
kōng
A basic adjective describing a lack of contents, such as an empty room or container.
kōngqì
The standard term for the air people breathe, often discussed in the context of pollution or freshness.
kōngjiān
Refers to physical space or room, and can also describe abstract space such as personal or creative space.
kōngtiáo
A shortened compound term for air-conditioning units, common in homes, offices, and vehicles.
kǒu
Refers literally to the mouth and is also used as a classifier when counting family members or livestock.
kǒudài
The everyday word for a pocket in clothing or a bag used to carry small items.
kǒuhóng
Literally “mouth red,” this is the standard term for lipstick cosmetics.
kǒuwèi
Refers to the taste or flavor profile of food, or more broadly to personal taste preferences.
kǒuyīn
Describes a regional or foreign accent noticeable in someone’s speech.
kǒuyǔ
Refers to spoken, conversational Chinese as opposed to written or formal language.
kū
A basic verb describing crying, often used for both children and adults expressing sadness.
kù
A modern loanword adapted from English “cool,” used informally to describe something stylish or impressive.
kùzi
The general term for trousers or pants as an item of clothing.
kuā
A verb meaning to compliment someone, or, in some contexts, to exaggerate or boast.
kuài
A versatile word used as an adjective for speed and, informally, as the spoken word for units of Chinese currency.
kuàilè
A common adjective for happiness, frequently used in greetings like birthday and holiday wishes.
kuàizi
The traditional pair of sticks used as the primary eating utensil in Chinese cuisine.
kuān
A basic adjective describing width, used for roads, rivers, rooms, and similar physical spaces.
kuānróng
Describes an attitude of tolerance and understanding toward others’ mistakes or differences.
kuàng
Refers to a site where minerals such as coal or metal ore are extracted from the earth.
kuàngquánshuǐ
The standard term for bottled mineral water, a staple beverage sold throughout China.
kùn
A common adjective describing drowsiness or the need for sleep.
kùnnán
Refers to a challenge, obstacle, or hardship encountered in life or work.
kùnhuò
Describes a state of mental confusion or uncertainty about something.
kuòdà
A verb used for increasing the size, scope, or scale of something, such as a business or project.