This list covers 27 Chinese words that start with the letter A, running alphabetically from “Ai” to “Anle.” These words span everyday interjections, emotional terms, family titles, and practical vocabulary you’ll hear in daily conversation, signage, and casual exchanges across China. Together they show how much ground a single starting letter can cover, from expressing love and pain to describing safety, arrangements, and stable routines.
Chinese words are units of meaning built from characters, each carrying its own pronunciation and tone, and often layered with cultural context beyond a literal translation. Many “A” words double as interjections, like “aiya” and “aiyo,” which Mandarin speakers use constantly to react to surprise, pain, or frustration in ways that don’t map neatly onto English. One notable example is “amituofo,” a Buddhist chant tied to Amitabha Buddha, still spoken today as a blessing or expression of compassion.
Below you’ll find the table with the word, its English translation, Mandarin spelling, an example usage, and a description.
Word: the Chinese word itself, written in its common romanized (pinyin-style) form so you can recognize and search for it easily.
English translation: a short, direct translation into English, giving you the closest everyday meaning of the word at a glance.
Mandarin spelling: the word in Chinese characters along with its pinyin pronunciation, helping you read and say it correctly.
Example usage: a sample sentence showing the word in context, with an English translation so you can see how it’s actually used.
Description: a fuller explanation of the word’s meaning, tone, and typical situations where you’d hear or use it.
Chinese words
| Word | English translation | Mandarin spelling | Example usage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ai | Love | 爱 (ài) | “Wo ai ni” means “I love you.” |
| Aiya | Oh no! / Oh dear! | 哎呀 (āiyā) | “Aiya, wo wangle wode shouji!” (“Oh no, I forgot my phone!”) |
| Aiyo | Ouch! / Oh my! | 哎哟 (āiyō) | “Aiyo, hao tong!” (“Ouch, that hurts!”) |
| Ayi | Auntie / Nanny | 阿姨 (āyí) | “Zhe shi women jia de ayi.” (“This is our family’s nanny.”) |
| Anquan | Safe / Safety | 安全 (ānquán) | “Kaiche yao zhuyi anquan.” (“Drive safely.”) |
| Anjing | Quiet | 安静 (ānjìng) | “Qing baochi anjing.” (“Please keep quiet.”) |
| Anpai | Arrange / Arrangement | 安排 (ānpái) | “Wo hui anpai hao shijian.” (“I will arrange the schedule.”) |
| Anmo | Massage | 按摩 (ànmó) | “Wo xiang qu zuo anmo.” (“I want to get a massage.”) |
| Aiguo | Patriotic | 爱国 (àiguó) | “Ta shi yi ge aiguo de ren.” (“He is a patriotic person.”) |
| Aihao | Hobby | 爱好 (àihào) | “Wode aihao shi huahua.” (“My hobby is painting.”) |
| Aiqing | Romantic love | 爱情 (àiqíng) | “Zhe shi yi ge guanyu aiqing de gushi.” (“This is a story about romantic love.”) |
| Airen | Spouse / Sweetheart | 爱人 (àirén) | “Ta shi wode airen.” (“She is my spouse.”) |
| Anzhuang | Install | 安装 (ānzhuāng) | “Qing anzhuang zhege ruanjian.” (“Please install this software.”) |
| Anniu | Button | 按钮 (ànniǔ) | “An zhege anniu kai men.” (“Press this button to open the door.”) |
| Aoman | Arrogant | 傲慢 (àomàn) | “Ta de taidu hen aoman.” (“His attitude is very arrogant.”) |
| Aoyun | Olympics | 奥运 (àoyùn) | “2008 nian Aoyun zai Beijing juxing.” (“The 2008 Olympics were held in Beijing.”) |
| Anwei | Comfort / Console | 安慰 (ānwèi) | “Wo qu anwei ta.” (“I went to comfort her.”) |
| Anding | Stable | 安定 (āndìng) | “Shehui hen anding.” (“Society is very stable.”) |
| Amituofo | Amitabha (Buddha) | 阿弥陀佛 (Āmítuófó) | “Sengren shuo: ‘Amituofo.'” (“The monk said, ‘Amitabha.'”) |
| Aoqi | Arrogance / Pride | 傲气 (àoqì) | “Ta hen you aoqi.” (“He carries a lot of arrogance.”) |
| Anli | Case / Example | 案例 (ànlì) | “Zhege shi yi ge hao anli.” (“This is a good case/example.”) |
| Aoshu | Olympiad math | 奥数 (àoshù) | “Ta zai xue aoshu.” (“He is studying Olympiad math.”) |
| Anran | Dejected / Gloomy | 黯然 (ànrán) | “Ta anran de likai le.” (“He left dejectedly.”) |
| Agong | Grandpa | 阿公 (āgōng) | “Wo agong hen xihuan zhonghua.” (“My grandpa loves gardening.”) |
| Apo | Grandma | 阿婆 (āpó) | “Apo zuo de cai hen haochi.” (“Grandma’s cooking is delicious.”) |
| Anxin | At ease / Reassured | 安心 (ānxīn) | “Xianzai wo keyi anxin le.” (“Now I can be at ease.”) |
| Anle | Peace and happiness | 安乐 (ānlè) | “Zhu nin anle!” (“Wishing you peace and happiness!”) |