List of Most Common Mandarin Chinese Words Arranged Alphabetically from A to C
List of Most Common Mandarin Chinese Words Arranged Alphabetically from A to C
Chinese vocabulary often consists of multiple characters, so lists featuring single characters can be misleading. Learn the most common Mandarin words instead of individual characters and grasp the language effectively.
a
Traditional: 啊 Simplified: 啊 Pinyin: a
Meaning: An interjection expressing surprise, doubt, approval, or consent. Can be pronounced in any of the four tones.
Sample sentence:
太好吃啊! (tài hào chī a)
So delicious!
ăi
Traditional: 矮 Simplified: 矮 Pinyin: ăi
Meaning: Short (not tall).
Sentence sample:
他很矮 (tā hěn ǎi)
He is very short.
āyí
Traditional: 阿姨 Simplified: 阿姨 Pinyin: āyí
Meaning: Aunt; auntie.
ānquán
Traditional: 安全 Simplified: 安全 Pinyin: ānquán
Meaning: Safe, secure, safety, security.
Sentence sample:
晚上安全吗? (wǎn shàng ān quán ma)
Is it safe at night?
ba
Traditional: 吧 Simplified: 吧 Pinyin: ba
Meaning: Modal particle indicating polite suggestion (right?; okay?).
Sentence sample:
下雨了，我们留在家里吧? (Xià yǔle, wǒmen liú zài jiālǐ ba)
It's raining; let's stay at home, okay?
bā
Traditional: 八 Simplified: 八 Pinyin: bā
Meaning: Eight (8).
Sentence sample:
一个团队有八个人 (yī gè tuán duì yǒu bā gè rén)
A team has eight people.
bă
Traditional: 把 Simplified: 把 Pinyin: bă
Meaning: A measure word, a marker for direct-object, to hold, to contain, to grasp, to take hold of.
Sentence sample:
我要一把筷子 (wǒ yào yī bǎ kuài zi)
I want one chopstick.
bàba
Traditional: 爸爸 Simplified: 爸爸 Pinyin: bàba
Meaning: (Informal) father.
bái
Traditional: 白 Simplified: 白 Pinyin: bái
Meaning: White, snowy, empty, blank, bright, clear, plain, pure, gratuitous.
Sentence samples:
她穿白色的裤子 (t ā chuān bái sè de kù zi)
She is wearing white pants.
白天那么漂亮 (b ái tiān nà me piào liang)
It's so pretty during the daytime.
băi
Traditional: 百 Simplified: 百 Pinyin: băi
Meaning: Hundred.
băihuògōngsī
Traditional: 百貨公司 Simplified: 百货公司 Pinyin: băihuògōngsī
Meaning: Department store.
bān
Traditional: 班 Simplified: 班 Pinyin: bān
Meaning: Team, class, rank, squad, a work shift, a measure word, a surname.
Sentence samples:
她在班上排名第一 (tā zài bān shàng páimíng dì yī)
She is ranked number one in her class.
你想下一班 公共汽车 (nǐ xiǎng yào xià yī bān gōnggòng qì chē)
You want the next bus.
bān
Traditional: 搬 Simplified: 搬 Pinyin: bān
Meaning: Remove, transport, move (relatively heavy items).
Sentence samples:
我要搬家 (wǒ yào bānjiā)
I am moving places.
深层清洁房间就要把钢琴搬出去 (shēn céng qīng jié fáng jiān jiù yào bǎ gāngqín bān chū qù)
Deep cleaning a room requires the piano to be moved out.
bàn
Traditional: 半 Simplified: 半 Pinyin: bàn
Meaning: Half, semi-, incomplete, and a half (after a number), half.
Sentence sample:
她吃了一半的饼干 (tā chī le yī bàn de bǐnggān)
She ate half a cookie.
bànfă
Traditional: 辦法 Simplified: 办法 Pinyin: bànfă
Meaning: Means, method, way (to do something).
bàngōngshì
Traditional: 辦公室 Simplified: 办公室 Pinyin: bàngōngshì
Meaning: Office.
bāng
Traditional: 幫 Simplified: 帮 Pinyin: bāng
Meaning: To assist, to support, to help, group, gang, party.
bāngmáng
Traditional: 幫忙 Simplified: 帮忙 Pinyin: bāngmáng
Meaning: Help, give (lend) a hand, do a favor, do a good turn.
Sentence sample:
你需要帮忙吗? (nǐ xū yào bāngmáng ma)
Do you need help?
bàng
Traditional: 棒 Simplified: 棒 Pinyin: bàng
Meaning: A stick, club or cudgel, smart, capable, strong.
Sentence sample:
我的记忆棒已满 (wǒ de jìyì bàng yǐ mǎn)
My memory stick is full.
bàngqiú
Traditional: 棒球 Simplified: 棒球 Pinyin: bàngqiú
Meaning: Baseball.
bāo
Traditional: 包 Simplified: 包 Pinyin: bāo
Meaning: To cover, to wrap, to hold, to include, to take charge of, package, wrapper, container, bag, to hold or embrace, bundle, packet, to contract (to or for).
Sentence sample:
地铁很挤，他紧紧的抱着背包 (dì tiě hěn jǐ, tā jǐn jǐn de bào zhe bèi