This list brings together 50 Chinese words that start with the letter “T,” ranging from “Tā” to “Tǎoyàn.” These words span everyday vocabulary, including pronouns, body parts, weather terms, food, and common verbs, making the list useful for building practical Mandarin skills. You’ll find words you can start using right away in daily conversation, whether you’re describing the weather, talking about family, or chatting with a classmate.
Chinese words are units of meaning built from one or more characters, each carrying its own pronunciation and tone that changes how it’s understood. Mandarin uses four main tones plus a neutral tone, so the same syllable can mean entirely different things depending on pitch. Many entries below combine two characters into one idea, like “tóufa” (hair), which literally joins “head” with a character for fine strands.
Below you’ll find the table with the word, its English translation, Mandarin spelling, example usage, and description.
Word: the pinyin spelling of each Chinese word, showing you how to pronounce it with the correct tone marks.
English translation: a short, direct translation so you immediately know what each word means in everyday English.
Mandarin spelling: the word written in Chinese characters, letting you recognize it and reproduce it in its native script.
Example usage: a simple sentence showing the word in context, paired with an English translation so you can see how it’s actually used.
Description: a brief explanation of the word’s meaning, origin, or usage, helping you understand its nuance beyond a plain translation.
Chinese words
| Word | English translation | Mandarin spelling | Example usage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tā | he / him | 他 | Tā shì wǒ de péngyou. (He is my friend.) |
| Tā | she / her | 她 | Tā hěn piàoliang. (She is pretty.) |
| Tài | too / very | 太 | Zhè jiàn yīfu tài guì le. (This shirt is too expensive.) |
| Tàiyáng | sun | 太阳 | Tàiyáng hěn dà. (The sun is big.) |
| Tàitai | wife / Mrs. | 太太 | Zhè shì wǒ tàitai. (This is my wife.) |
| Tàijíquán | Tai Chi | 太极拳 | Tā měitiān liàn tàijíquán. (He practices Tai Chi every day.) |
| Tiān | day / sky | 天 | Jīntiān tiānqì hǎo. (Today’s weather is nice.) |
| Tiānqì | weather | 天气 | Jīntiān tiānqì hěn hǎo. (The weather is great today.) |
| Tīng | to listen | 听 | Wǒ xǐhuān tīng yīnyuè. (I like listening to music.) |
| Tóu | head | 头 | Wǒ de tóu hěn tòng. (My head hurts.) |
| Tóufa | hair | 头发 | Tā de tóufa hěn cháng. (Her hair is long.) |
| Tóuténg | headache | 头疼 | Wǒ yǒu diǎn tóuténg. (I have a bit of a headache.) |
| Tǔ | earth / soil | 土 | Zhè kuài tǔ hěn féiwò. (This soil is fertile.) |
| Tǔdòu | potato | 土豆 | Wǒ xǐhuān chī tǔdòu. (I like eating potatoes.) |
| Tùzi | rabbit | 兔子 | Nà zhǐ tùzi hěn kě’ài. (That rabbit is cute.) |
| Tāng | soup | 汤 | Zhè wǎn tāng hěn hǎohē. (This soup is delicious.) |
| Táng | sugar / candy | 糖 | Xiǎohái xǐhuān chī táng. (Kids like eating candy.) |
| Tè | special | 特 | Zhè shì tè zhì de lǐwù. (This is a specially made gift.) |
| Tèbié | especially / unusual | 特别 | Wǒ tèbié xǐhuān chūntiān. (I especially like spring.) |
| Tí | topic / question | 题 | Zhège wèntí hěn nán. (This question is hard.) |
| Tígāo | to improve | 提高 | Tā xiǎng tígāo Zhōngwén shuǐpíng. (He wants to improve his Chinese level.) |
| Tígōng | to provide | 提供 | Xuéxiào tígōng miǎnfèi wǔcān. (The school provides free lunch.) |
| Tǐ | body | 体 | Tā de shēntǐ hěn jiànkāng. (His body is healthy.) |
| Tǐyù | physical education / sports | 体育 | Wǒ xǐhuān tǐyù kè. (I like P.E. class.) |
| Tǐzhòng | body weight | 体重 | Tā de tǐzhòng zēngjiā le. (His body weight increased.) |
| Tiào | to jump | 跳 | Māo tiàoshàng le zhuōzi. (The cat jumped onto the table.) |
| Tiàowǔ | to dance | 跳舞 | Tāmen xǐhuān tiàowǔ. (They like dancing.) |
| Tiàoshuǐ | diving | 跳水 | Tā shì yī míng tiàoshuǐ yùndòngyuán. (He is a diving athlete.) |
| Tiě | iron | 铁 | Zhè bǎ dāo shì tiě zuò de. (This knife is made of iron.) |
| Tiělù | railway | 铁路 | Zhè tiáo tiělù hěn cháng. (This railway is very long.) |
| Tíng | to stop | 停 | Qìchē tíng zài lù biān. (The car stopped by the road.) |
| Tōng | to go through / connected | 通 | Zhè tiáo lù bù tōng. (This road is blocked.) |
| Tōngzhī | to notify / notice | 通知 | Lǎoshī fā le yí gè tōngzhī. (The teacher sent out a notice.) |
| Tóng | same | 同 | Wǒmen shì tóng yī bān de. (We are in the same class.) |
| Tóngxué | classmate | 同学 | Tā shì wǒ de tóngxué. (He is my classmate.) |
| Tòng | pain | 痛 | Wǒ de wèi hěn tòng. (My stomach hurts.) |
| Tōu | to steal | 偷 | Yǒurén tōu le wǒ de qiánbāo. (Someone stole my wallet.) |
| Tú | picture / map | 图 | Zhè zhāng tú hěn qīngchu. (This picture is very clear.) |
| Túshūguǎn | library | 图书馆 | Wǒ xǐhuān qù túshūguǎn kànshū. (I like going to the library to read.) |
| Tuán | group | 团 | Zhè shì yí gè lǚyóu tuán. (This is a tour group.) |
| Tuánjié | unity / solidarity | 团结 | Dàjiā yào tuánjié yīzhì. (Everyone should stay united.) |
| Tuī | to push | 推 | Qǐng bù yào tuī wǒ. (Please don’t push me.) |
| Tuǐ | leg | 腿 | Tā de tuǐ hěn cháng. (Her legs are long.) |
| Tuì | to retreat / withdraw | 退 | Tā tuì le yí bù. (He stepped back.) |
| Tuìxiū | to retire | 退休 | Wǒ yéye qùnián tuìxiū le. (My grandpa retired last year.) |
| Tūn | to swallow | 吞 | Tā yī kǒu tūn xià. (He swallowed it in one gulp.) |
| Tuō | to drag / delay | 拖 | Bié tuō shíjiān le. (Don’t delay any longer.) |
| Tuōxié | slippers | 拖鞋 | Mén kǒu yǒu yì shuāng tuōxié. (There’s a pair of slippers by the door.) |
| Tǎolùn | to discuss | 讨论 | Wǒmen lái tǎolùn zhège wèntí. (Let’s discuss this issue.) |
| Tǎoyàn | annoying | 讨厌 | Zhè zhǒng tiānqì zhēn tǎoyàn. (This kind of weather is really annoying.) |
Descriptions
Tā
A pronoun used to refer to a male person, equivalent to “he” or “him” in English.
Tā
The female counterpart pronoun to “他,” meaning “she” or “her,” written with the woman radical.
Tài
An adverb meaning “too” or “extremely,” often used to express that something is excessive.
Tàiyáng
The star at the center of our solar system; also the everyday word for “sunshine.”
Tàitai
A polite term for “wife” or a respectful title equivalent to “Mrs.” for a married woman.
Tàijíquán
A slow, meditative Chinese martial art practiced for health, balance, and relaxation.
Tiān
Means both “sky” and “day,” widely used in time expressions like “today” (今天).
Tiānqì
A common word combining “sky” and “energy,” used to describe daily weather conditions.
Tīng
A verb meaning “to listen” or “to hear,” used constantly in daily conversation.
Tóu
Refers to the head, the topmost part of the body; also used to mean “first” or “leader” in compounds.
Tóufa
The word for hair on the head, combining “head” with the character for fine strands.
Tóuténg
A common complaint meaning “headache,” literally “head pain.”
Tǔ
Refers to soil, earth, or dirt; also one of the five classical Chinese elements.
Tǔdòu
Literally “earth bean,” this is the everyday word for potato in Mandarin.
Tùzi
The word for rabbit or hare, also one of the twelve zodiac animals.
Tāng
A staple of Chinese cuisine referring to soup or broth served with most meals.
Táng
Refers to sugar or sweets; commonly used for candy, dessert, or sweetness in general.
Tè
An adjective meaning “special” or “particular,” frequently combined into longer words.
Tèbié
Means “especially” or “unusual,” used to emphasize that something stands out from the rest.
Tí
Refers to a topic, question, or subject, often seen in “问题” (wèntí, problem or question).
Tígāo
A verb meaning “to raise” or “improve,” commonly used for skills, quality, or standards.
Tígōng
A verb meaning “to provide” or “to supply,” used in both formal and everyday contexts.
Tǐ
Refers to the body or physical form, appearing in words like 身体 (shēntǐ, body).
Tǐyù
Literally “body education,” the standard word for sports, athletics, or P.E. class.
Tǐzhòng
A compound word meaning “body weight,” used in health and medical contexts.
Tiào
A verb meaning “to jump” or “to leap,” used for both literal jumping and figurative skipping.
Tiàowǔ
Literally “jump-dance,” this is the everyday verb for dancing in Mandarin.
Tiàoshuǐ
Literally “jump-water,” the term for the sport of diving, as in Olympic diving.
Tiě
Refers to the metal iron, used both literally and figuratively for strength or firmness.
Tiělù
Literally “iron road,” the standard Mandarin word for a railway or railroad.
Tíng
A verb meaning “to stop” or “to halt,” used for vehicles, actions, and processes.
Tōng
Means “to pass through” or “connected,” often used for roads, communication, or logic.
Tōngzhī
A verb or noun meaning “to notify” or “a notice,” common in schools and workplaces.
Tóng
An adjective meaning “same” or “alike,” found in many compound words about similarity.
Tóngxué
Literally “same-study,” the everyday word for a classmate or fellow student.
Tòng
A word meaning “pain” or “ache,” used for physical discomfort throughout the body.
Tōu
A verb meaning “to steal,” describing the act of taking something without permission.
Tú
Refers to a picture, image, or diagram, as in 地图 (dìtú, map).
Túshūguǎn
Literally “picture-book house,” the standard Mandarin word for a library.
Tuán
Refers to a group, team, or organization, as in 代表团 (delegation) or 旅行团 (tour group).
Tuánjié
A word meaning “unity” or “solidarity,” often used to encourage teamwork and cooperation.
Tuī
A verb meaning “to push,” used both literally and for pushing forward ideas or plans.
Tuǐ
Refers to the leg, the limb used for standing and walking.
Tuì
A verb meaning “to retreat,” “withdraw,” or “return,” as in returning a product (退货).
Tuìxiū
Literally “withdraw-rest,” the standard word for retiring from work.
Tūn
A verb meaning “to swallow,” used for food as well as figuratively for enduring hardship.
Tuō
A verb meaning “to drag,” “pull,” or “delay,” as in procrastinating on a task.
Tuōxié
Literally “drag-shoe,” the everyday word for slippers worn indoors.
Tǎolùn
A verb meaning “to discuss,” commonly used in meetings, classrooms, and conversations.
Tǎoyàn
An adjective meaning “annoying” or “disgusting,” used to express dislike toward something.