Core Vocabulary in Mandarin #
What are the most basic concepts that virtually all languages express? I’ve done my best to answer this question with a list of 200 core vocabulary items, and this is part one of the Mandarin Chinese version. To learn how I settled on these particular concepts and see what other languages have been added so far, check out “Core Vocabulary Across Languages.”
Nouns #
- name = 名字 (míngzì), 姓名 (xìngmíng)
- water = 水 (shuǐ)
- blood = 血 (xuè)
- fire = 火 (huǒ)
- stone/rock = 石头 (shítóu), 岩石 (yánshí)
- dog = 狗 (gǒu)
- fish = 鱼 (yú)
- louse/flea = 虱子 (shīzǐ), 跳蚤 (tiàozǎo)
- hand/arm = 手 (shǒu), 手臂 (shǒubì)
- eye = 眼 (yǎn), 眼睛 yǎnjīng)
- ear = 耳 (ěr), 耳朵 (ěrduǒ)
- nose = 鼻 (bí), 鼻子 (bízǐ)
- tongue = 舌 (shé), 舌头 (shétóu)
- tooth = 牙 (yá), 牙齿 (yáchǐ)
- bone = 骨 (gǔ), 骨头 (gǔtóu)
- horn = 角 (jiǎo)
- tail = 尾巴 (wěibā)
- egg = 蛋 (dàn), 卵 (luǎn)
- leaf = 叶子 (yèzǐ)
- night/evening = 夜 (yè), 晚上 (wǎnshàng), 夜晚 (yèwǎn)
- star = 星 (xīng), 星星 (xīngxīng)
- sun = 太阳 (tàiyáng)
- moon = 月亮 (yuèliàng)
- earth/soil = 地球 (dìqiú), 土地 (tǔdì), 土壤 (tǔ’rǎng)
- salt = 盐 (yán)
- mountain = 山 (shān)
- tree = 树 (shù)
- rain = 雨 (yǔ)
- wind = 风 (fēng)
- bird = 鸟 (niǎo)
- flesh/meat = 肉 (ròu)
- liver = 肝 (gān), 肝脏 (gānzāng)
- skin/hide = 皮肤 (pífū), 皮革 (pígé)
- knee = 膝盖 (xīgài)
- breast/chest = 胸 (xiōng), 胸部 (xiōngbù), 乳房 (rǔfáng)
- person/human = 人 (rén), 人的 (rénde)
- man = 男人 (nán’rén)
- woman = 女人 (nǚ’rén)
- child = 孩子 (háizǐ), 小孩 (xiǎohái)
- hair = 头发 (tóufā), 毛发 (máofā)
- mouth = 嘴 (zuǐ), 口 (kǒu), 嘴巴 (zuǐbā)
- neck = 脖子 (bózǐ)
- foot/leg = 脚 (jiǎo), 足 (zú), 腿 (tuǐ)
- feather = 羽毛 (yǔmáo)
- grease/fat = 油脂 (yóuzhī)
- smoke = 烟 (yān)
- ash/soot = 灰 (huī)
- sand = 沙 (shā)
- wood = 木 (mù), 木头 (mùtóu)
- root = 根 (gēn)
- rope/cord = 绳 (shéng), 绳子 (shéngzǐ)
- path/road = 路 (lù)
- year = 年 (nián)
Verbs #
- die = 死 (sǐ)
- see/look/watch = 看 (kàn)
- hear/listen = 听 (tīng)
- know = 知道 (zhīdào), 了解 (liǎojiě), 认识 (rènshí)
- drink = 喝 (hē)
- give = 给 (gěi)
- come = 来 (lái)
- stand = 站 (zhàn)
- sit/set = 坐 (zuò), 放 (fàng)
- lie/lay = 躺 (tǎng), 放下 (fàngxià)
- fly = 飞 (fēi)
- eat = 吃 (chī)
- bite = 咬 (yǎo)
- burn = 燃烧 (ránshāo)
- kill = 杀 (shā)
- say/tell/speak/talk = 说 (shuō), 谈 (tán)
- laugh = 笑 (xiào)
Adjectives #
- new = 新 (xīn)
- full = 满 (mǎn)
- good = 好 (hǎo)
- long = 长 (cháng)
- red = 红 (hóng)
- black = 黑 (hēi)
- white = 白 (bái)
- green = 绿 (lǜ)
- yellow = 黄 (huáng)
- small/little = 小 (xiǎo)
- big/large = 大 (dà)
- wide/broad = 宽 (kuān)
- heavy = 重 (zhòng)
- old = 老 (lǎo)
- dry = 干 (gān)
Other #
- I/me = 我 (wǒ)
- you = 你 (nǐ), 你们 (nǐmen)
- what/which = 什么 (shénme), 哪 (nǎ), 哪一个 (nǎyīgè)
- who/whom = 谁 (shuí/shéi)
- one = 一 (yī)
- two = 二 (èr), 两 (liǎng)
- not/no = 不 (bú), 不是 (bùshì), 没有 (méiyǒu)
- this/these = 这 (zhè), 这个 (zhègè), 这些 (zhèxiē)
- we/us = 我们 (wǒmen)
- all/everything/everyone = 全部 (quánbù), 所有 (suǒyǒu), 一切 (yīqiè), 大家 (dàjiā)