Chinese Words with Example Sentences
Frequent Chinese words shown in a real sentence, with the English translation of that sentence.
| Chinese | Pinyin | Translation | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| 我们 | women | we; us; ourselves; our | “天主是我们的救援。”，牧师说。 "God is our salvation," said the priest. |
| 时间 | shijian | (concept of) time; (duration of) time; (point in) time | Mick等待约会的时候靠读杂志打发时间。 Mick killed time by reading a magazine while waiting for his date. |
| 中国 | Zhongguo | China | “旗袍”这个词语在中国北方广为使用。 The term "qipao" is widely used in Northern China. |
| 可以 | keyi | can; may; possible; able to; not bad; pretty good | “我可不可以用你的笔？” “嗯，可以。” "May I use your pencil?" "Yes, you may." |
| 公司 | gongsi | company; firm; corporation; CL:家[jia1] | Bill 在这间公司仍然是个传奇人物。 Bill is still a legendary figure in this company. |
| 没有 | meiyou | haven't; hasn't; doesn't exist; to not have; to not be | 「你鼻子怎么了？」「我刚才倒车的时候，想探头出窗看清楚后面有没有人。我以为车窗是开著的，谁知原来是关上了，于是就一头撞到车窗上了。」 "What happened to your nose?" "When I was backing my car up I went to check behind me, convinced that the car window was open, and bashed my face into it!" |
| 信息 | xinxi | information; news; message | 你们应该收集进一步的信息。 You must gather further information. |
| 下载 | xiazai | to download; also pr. [xia4zai4] | 假如你没有这个程序，你现在就可以去下载。 If you do not have this program you can download it now. |
| 软件 | ruanjian | (computer) software | Pierre电脑里有很多盗版软件。 Pierre has a lot of pirated software on his computer. |
| 注册 | zhuce | to register; to enroll | 我可以免费获取一份注册表格。 I am able to obtain a registration form for free. |
| 自己 | ziji | oneself; one's own | 一个人就算不吃肉，也可以健健康康的生活。所以人杀生、吃肉，只不过是为了满足自己的口腹之慾而已。这种行为是不道德的。 A man can live and be healthy without killing animals for food; therefore, if he eats meat, he participates in taking animal life merely for the sake of his appetite. And to act so is immoral. |
| 产品 | chanpin | goods; merchandise; product; CL:個|个[ge4] | 在一些农村地区，互联网主要用于农业信息以及农产品技术和价格信息等特殊目的。 In some rural areas, the Internet is important for agricultural information, as well as being particularly useful for the purposes of agricultural production technologies and pricing. |
| 工作 | gongzuo | to work; (of a machine) to operate; job; work; task; CL:個|个[ge4],份[fen4],項|项[xiang4] | Tani 先生与其说是学者，倒不如说是新闻工作者。 Mr Tani is not so much a scholar as a journalist. |
| 企业 | qiye | company; firm; enterprise; corporation; CL:家[jia1] | 企业第一季度收益大幅增长。 Corporate earnings in the first quarter improved sharply. |
| 这个 | zhege | (pronoun) this; (adjective) this | “摆脱它， 当然！“ 这个农夫回答。 "Get rid of it, of course!" answered the farmer. |
| 他们 | tamen | they; them | 10分钟后，他们换了个新话题。 After ten minutes, they passed on to a new topic. |
| 管理 | guanli | to supervise; to manage; to administer; management; administration; CL:個|个[ge4] | 一些大学生在假期做志愿者去非洲，帮助当地完善野生生物管理。 During the holidays, some university students go to Africa as volunteers and help to perfect local wildlife conservation. |
| 已经 | yijing | already | 「克里奥帕特拉」这个名字已经成为了美女的代名词。 The name "Cleopatra" has become a byword for a beautiful woman. |
| 问题 | wenti | question; problem; issue; topic; CL:個|个[ge4] | 「可以借你的词典一用吗？」「没问题。」 "Can I use your dictionary?" "Yes, here you are." |
| 内容 | neirong | content; substance; details; CL:個|个[ge4],項|项[xiang4] | 箱子的内容在标签上面写着。 The contents of the box are listed on the label. |
| 使用 | shiyong | to use; to employ; to apply; to make use of | “旗袍”这个词语在中国北方广为使用。 The term "qipao" is widely used in Northern China. |
| 进行 | jinxing | (of a process etc) to proceed; to be in progress; to be underway; (of people) to carry out; to conduct (an investigation or discussion etc); (of an army etc) to be on the march; to advance | 他们在无重力状态下进行了一连串的实验。 They conducted a series of experiments under zero gravity. |
| 市场 | shichang | marketplace; market; bazaar; (economics) market | 中国是一个新兴市场。 China is an emerging market. |
| 服务 | fuwu | to serve; service; CL:項|项[xiang4] | “再来吧”酒吧要招一个服务员，你有兴趣吗？ Zailaiba Bar is hiring waiters; are you interested? |
| 如果 | ruguo | if; in case; in the event that | 举例说，如果一个老师警告学生不要吸烟，但自己却每天吸个不停，那么这个警告就是自相矛盾的了。 For example, if a chain-smoking teacher cautions a pupil for smoking, that warning is self-contradictory. |
| 系统 | xitong | system; CL:個|个[ge4] | Linux是一个免费的操作系统。你应该去试用一下。 Linux is a free operating system; you should try it. |
| 技术 | jishu | technology; technique; skill; CL:門|门[men2],種|种[zhong3],項|项[xiang4] | 一件传统式样的旗袍是完全手工制作的，也需要劳动密集的裁缝业技术，为了增加而显示每种独一无二的女性体态。 A qipao in the traditional style is made entirely by hand and requires labour-intensive manual tailoring techniques to enhance and exhibit every unique female form. |
| 发展 | fazhan | development; growth; to develop; to grow; to expand | 今年我们公司的发展速度大大超过去年。 This year, the speed of development in our company far exceeds that of last year. |
| 现在 | xianzai | now; at present; at the moment; modern; current; nowadays | Johny以前是个化学家，但现在Johny不再是了。他以前所想的是水，是硫酸。 Johny was a chemist; now Johny is no more. For what he thought was water, was H2SO4. |
| 作者 | zuozhe | author; writer | Ogai是他最喜欢的作者。 Ogai is his favorite author. |
| 就是 | jiushi | exactly; precisely; only; simply; just; (used correlatively with 也[ye3]) even; even if | 「这就是我要找的东西！」他大叫。 "This is what I was looking for!" he exclaimed. |
| 网络 | wangluo | network (computing, telecommunications, transport etc) | 中国政府控制了网络，以免让人民知道六四事件的真相。 The Chinese government controlled the internet to prevent the people from knowing the truth of the Tiananmen Square Massacre. |
| 提供 | tigong | to offer; to supply; to provide; to furnish | 他提供的比预期的多。 He offered more than could be expected. |
| 相关 | xiangguan | related; relevant; pertinent; to be interrelated; (statistics) correlation | 相关调查正在进行中。 The investigation is under way. |
| 我的 | wode | my / mine | “你去哪儿了？”“我去了火车站送我的一个朋友。” "Where have you been?" "I have been to the station to see a friend off." |
| 文章 | wenzhang | article; essay; literary works; writings; hidden meaning; CL:篇[pian1],段[duan4],頁|页[ye4] | Jones 先生帮我纠正了文章的错误。 I had Mr Jones correct my composition. |
| 方式 | fangshi | way; manner; style; mode; pattern; CL:個|个[ge4] | 他在适应新的生活方式上有问题。 He has the problem of adapting to a new way of life. |
| 电话 | dianhua | telephone; CL:部[bu4]; phone call; CL:通[tong1]; phone number | “call up“ 是一个片语， 它的意思是打电话。 "Call up" is a phrase that means to telephone. |
| 发表 | fabiao | to issue; to publish | 总统今晚将会在电视上发表演说。 The President is to speak on television this evening. |
| 所有 | suoyou | all; to have; to possess; to own | 911事件让世人震惊，全球所有的政治家都一致谴责恐怖分子的这一应受人斥责的行径。 Shocked by the events of September 11th, politicians all over the world condemned the terrorists of their reprehensible deed. |
| 时候 | shihou | time; length of time; moment; period | “你什么时候回来？”“这都要看天气。” "When will you come back?" "It all depends on the weather." |
| 因为 | yinwei | because; owing to; on account of | 上周六，因为我母亲病了，我无法离开家。 I was unable to leave home last Saturday, with my mother being ill. |
| 北京 | Beijing | Beijing municipality, capital of the People's Republic of China (abbr. to 京[Jing1]) | 二十世纪中以后，北京胡同的数量显著地下降，因为人们把它们拆毁以便给新的楼房和街路让路。 Since the mid-20th century, the number of hutongs in Beijing has dropped dramatically as they are demolished to make way for new roads and buildings. |
| 什么 | shenme | what?; something; anything | “你什么时候回来？”“这都要看天气。” "When will you come back?" "It all depends on the weather." |
| 还是 | haishi | still (as before); had better; unexpectedly; or | 他在他还是小孩的时候就来到日本。 He came to Japan when he was a child. |
| 开始 | kaishi | to begin; beginning; to start; initial; CL:個|个[ge4] | 一开始，我以为他病了。 At first I thought it was sick. |
| 支持 | zhichi | to be in favor of; to support; to back; support; backing; to stand by; CL:個|个[ge4] | 他在那个事件期间支持我们。 He backed us up during that incident. |
| 在线 | zaixian | online | 不好意思，现在线路繁忙。 Sorry, the line is busy now. |
| 国家 | guojia | country; nation; state; CL:個|个[ge4] | 不同的国家有不同的习俗。 Each country has its own customs. |
| 生活 | shenghuo | to live; life; livelihood | 25 歲至 54 歲的男女生活压力最大。 Men and women between the ages of 25 and 54 have the most stressful lives. |
| 联系 | lianxi | connection; contact; relation; to get in touch with; to integrate; to link; to touch | 万一有紧急情况，联系我的代理人。 In case of an emergency, get in touch with my agent. |
| 主题 | zhuti | theme; subject | 今天老师以「中国人的文化」为主题。 Today the teacher took "Chinese culture" as a topic. |
| 所以 | suoyi | therefore; as a result; so; the reason why | 一个人就算不吃肉，也可以健健康康的生活。所以人杀生、吃肉，只不过是为了满足自己的口腹之慾而已。这种行为是不道德的。 A man can live and be healthy without killing animals for food; therefore, if he eats meat, he participates in taking animal life merely for the sake of his appetite. And to act so is immoral. |
| 不能 | buneng | cannot; must not; should not | 万能的神能不能创造一块重得连祂自己也拿不起的石头呢？ Can an omnipotent God create a stone so heavy that even He may not lift it? |
| 上海 | Shanghai | Shanghai municipality (abbr. to 滬|沪[Hu4]) | 上海被称为东方的巴黎。 Shanghai is referred to as the Paris of the East. |
| 中心 | zhongxin | center; heart; core | 创校人的雕像在大学校园的中心矗立著。 In the center of the university campus stands the statue of the founder. |
| 世界 | shijie | world; CL:個|个[ge4] | Windows是世界上使用得最多的操作系统。 Windows is the most used operating system in the world. |
| 游戏 | youxi | game; CL:場|场[chang3]; to play | 你们会用电脑是为了学习，不是为了玩游戏。 You’ll use the computer for studying, and not for playing games. |
| 需要 | xuyao | to need; to want; to demand; to require; needs | 『一见鍾情』以及『从一而终』的感情是不切实际的，我们需要 的不是这种不切实际而虚幻的感情。 The feelings of "love at first sight" and "faithful unto death" are unrealistic; this sort of unrealistic and illusory feeling is not what we need. |
| 价格 | jiage | price; CL:個|个[ge4] | 事实上，价格每个星期都在攀升。 As it is, prices are going up every week. |
| 用户 | yonghu | user; consumer; subscriber; customer | 你要不要成为可信赖用户？ Would you like to become a trusted user? |
| 通过 | tongguo | to pass through; to get through; to adopt (a resolution); to pass (legislation); to pass (a test); by means of; through; via | “他会通过考试吗？“ “我怕是不会。“ "Will he pass the examination?" "I am afraid not." |
| 要求 | yaoqiu | to request; to require; requirement; to stake a claim; to ask; to demand; CL:點|点[dian3] | Beth被她懒惰的男朋友要求帮他做历史作业。 Beth was asked by her lazy boyfriend to do his history homework. |
| 不是 | bushi | no; is not; not | 『一见鍾情』以及『从一而终』的感情是不切实际的，我们需要 的不是这种不切实际而虚幻的感情。 The feelings of "love at first sight" and "faithful unto death" are unrealistic; this sort of unrealistic and illusory feeling is not what we need. |
| 不是 | bushi | fault; blame | 『一见鍾情』以及『从一而终』的感情是不切实际的，我们需要 的不是这种不切实际而虚幻的感情。 The feelings of "love at first sight" and "faithful unto death" are unrealistic; this sort of unrealistic and illusory feeling is not what we need. |
| 免费 | mianfei | free (of charge) | “酒水免费吗？”“仅女士而已。” "Are the drinks free?" "Only for ladies." |
| 个人 | geren | individual; personal; oneself | 一个人就算不吃肉，也可以健健康康的生活。所以人杀生、吃肉，只不过是为了满足自己的口腹之慾而已。这种行为是不道德的。 A man can live and be healthy without killing animals for food; therefore, if he eats meat, he participates in taking animal life merely for the sake of his appetite. And to act so is immoral. |
| 但是 | danshi | but; however | 人们送礼通常都不会送钱，但是也会有例外的情况。 On gift-giving occasions, people generally avoid giving money, but there are exceptions. |
| 地址 | dizhi | address; CL:個|个[ge4] | 他问了我的年龄、姓名、地址等等。 He asked me my age, my name, my address, and so forth. |
| 网站 | wangzhan | website | FSI人员：“长官，有一个网站，任何人都可以加上一个外国语言的句子！“。FSI主席：“什么？ 炸掉他们！“。 FSI officer: "Sir, there is a website where ANYONE can add a sentence in a foreign language!". FSI president: "What?! Bomb them!". |
| 情况 | qingkuang | circumstances; state of affairs; situation; CL:個|个[ge4],種|种[zhong3] | 万一有紧急情况，联系我的代理人。 In case of an emergency, get in touch with my agent. |
| 最后 | zuihou | final; last; finally; ultimate | 3月15日将是我最后一天上学的日子。 March 15 will be my last day of school. |
| 设计 | sheji | to design; to plan; design; plan | 他们的四合院要小得多，设计和装饰也比较简单，胡同也比较窄。 Their siheyuans were far smaller in scale and simpler in design and decoration, and the hutongs were narrower. |
| 同时 | tongshi | at the same time; simultaneously | 两位跑手同时到达了终点线。 The two runners reached the finish line at the same time. |
| 这些 | zhexie | these | “这些车是你的吗？”“是的，是我的。” "Are these cars yours?" "Yes, they are mine." |
| 活动 | huodong | to exercise; to move about; to operate; to use connections (personal influence); loose; shaky; active; movable; activity; campaign; maneuver; behavior; CL:項|项[xiang4],個|个[ge4] | 严禁卖淫嫖娼，赌博，吸毒，酗酒滋事等违法犯罪活动！ Prostitution, gambling, the use of narcotic substances, drunkenness, disorder, and all other illegal activities are STRICTLY FORBIDDEN. |
| 手机 | shouji | cell phone; mobile phone; CL:部[bu4],支[zhi1] | 你能告诉我你的手机号吗？ Can you give me your cell number? |
| 一些 | yixie | some; a few; a little; (following an adjective) slightly ...er | 一些世界上最蓝的水在火山湖。 Some of the bluest water in the world is found in Crater Lake. |
| 主要 | zhuyao | main; principal; major; primary | 一条主要水管被地震震裂了。 The water mains burst due to the earthquake. |
| 大家 | dajia | everyone; influential family; great expert | “请告诉大家，您究竟为了什么把他杀掉？” “是为了爱情。” "But tell us, just what did you kill him for?" "For love." |
| 发现 | faxian | to notice; to become aware of; to discover; to find; to detect; a discovery | 仔细的比较一下，就会发现两者之间的分别了。 Compare the two carefully, and you will see the difference. |
| 目前 | muqian | at the present time; currently | 他和他的姐妹们目前都住在东京。 His sisters as well as he are now living in Kyoto. |
| 文件 | wenjian | document; file; CL:份[fen4] | 放在保险箱里面的文件不见了。 The papers that were in the safe are gone. |
| 你的 | nide | your / yours | “我可不可以用你的笔？” “嗯，可以。” "May I use your pencil?" "Yes, you may." |
| 不过 | buguo | only; merely; no more than; but; however; anyway (to get back to a previous topic); cannot be more (after adjectival) | 一个人就算不吃肉，也可以健健康康的生活。所以人杀生、吃肉，只不过是为了满足自己的口腹之慾而已。这种行为是不道德的。 A man can live and be healthy without killing animals for food; therefore, if he eats meat, he participates in taking animal life merely for the sake of his appetite. And to act so is immoral. |
| 评论 | pinglun | to comment on; to discuss; comment; commentary; CL:篇[pian1] | 您已添加了评论，而不是一个翻译。要添加一个翻译，点击这句话上面的«あ→а»图标。 You have added a comment, not a translation. To add a translation, click on the «あ→а» icon above the sentence. |
| 生产 | shengchan | to produce; to manufacture; to give birth to a child | 大量生产降低许多商品的价格。 Mass production reduced the price of many goods. |
| 美国 | Meiguo | United States; USA; US | Ken七月底要去美国了。 Ken is going to the United States at the end of July. |
| 图片 | tupian | picture; photograph; CL:張|张[zhang1] | 点击图片进入下一页! Click the picture to go to the next page! |
| 经济 | jingji | economy; economic | 减税常被用作刺激经济的主要财政手段。 Tax cuts are often used as a major fiscal tool to stimulate the economy. |
| 功能 | gongneng | function; capability | 刹车的功能是使车停下。 The function of the brake is to stop the car. |
| 国际 | guoji | international | 从国际的观点看，应该考虑推行人口政策来平衡两方的利益。 A population policy should be considered on the international viewpoint so as to balance the interests of both sides. |
| 选择 | xuanze | to select; to pick; choice; option; alternative | 人有选择的权利，但是奴隶却只有服从的份儿。 A man chooses; a slave obeys. |
| 其他 | qita | other; (sth or sb) else; the rest | 80％的英语单字来自其他语言。 80% of all English words come from other languages. |
| 这样 | zheyang | this kind of; so; this way; like this; such | 一些人只买有机的食物，他们认为这样可以使他们的健康不受污染的损害。 Some people only buy organic food; they think that in this way their body will not be damaged by pollutants. |
| 会员 | huiyuan | member | 我们的委员会是由十位会员组成的。 Our committee consists of ten members. |
| 环境 | huanjing | environment; circumstances; surroundings; CL:個|个[ge4]; ambient | 人类是环境的产物。 Man is a creature of circumstances. |
| 来自 | laizi | to come from (a place); From: (in email header) | “胡同” 那个本来表示“水井”意思的词是七百年前来自蒙古语的。 The term "hutong", originally meaning "water well", came from the Mongolian language about 700 years ago. |
| 日期 | riqi | date; CL:個|个[ge4] | 三个不同的出生日期谁也不可能有。 No one can have three different birth dates. |
| 成为 | chengwei | to become; to turn into | 「克里奥帕特拉」这个名字已经成为了美女的代名词。 The name "Cleopatra" has become a byword for a beautiful woman. |
Why an example is not a definition
A definition tells you what a word means; an example tells you how it behaves. In Chinese the difference is larger than in most languages, because so much of the grammar is carried by word order and by small particles rather than by endings. Knowing that a verb means to give does not tell you where its two objects go, and no definition will.
Each line here is a frequent dictionary word for which the example corpus has an English sentence. One sentence per word: enough to see the word in use, not a concordance. The sentences come from the same table the search tool interrogates, so what you read here is what a search for that word would have returned first.
The search tool is for a word you already have in front of you. This list is for browsing the words that the corpus can actually show in a sentence, which is a different and smaller set than the dictionary as a whole.