Free basic Chinese words list

What's inside

• How a word worksHow characters build words, like 电脑, electric brain, for computer. Then measure words such as 一个人 and 两本书, why nothing has a plural or a verb ending, and 了, 吗 and 的 in one line each.
• The first wordsGreetings, question words, pointing words and how to say I and you, with 您 for when you want to be polite.
• People and timeFamily words that change with who is older, people, times of day and the days of the week, which are just numbers.
• Numbers and foodZero to ten thousand, when two is 二 and when it's 两, money, then food and drink from 饺子 to 啤酒.
• Places, things, verbsWhere you go, what you carry, 23 verbs that never change their form, and describing words.
• Words from shows, then practice加油, 好吧, 怎么了, 算了 and friends, a few rude ones to only hear, and ten sentences to read before you peek.

How to use it

1. Learn five words a day.
2. Say each one out loud, reading the characters first and the pinyin second.
3. Cover the grey lines on the practice page and read aloud, then check.
4. Watch something with Chinese subtitles in Kitsumi and hover a word to see what it means.

More free Chinese printables

• Next stepChinese grammar basicsThen put words together: word order, questions, measure words, and 了, 过 and 在 for done, ever and doing now.
• 100 Chinese drama phrasesThen pick up the lines dramas use all the time: 天哪, 我想你, 够了 and what 师傅 really means.
• Chinese numbers, time and moneyThen sort out numbers: 一 二 三 up to 万 and 亿, then prices, dates and the time.
• Chinese pinyin and tones chartStart with the sounds. The four tones, every initial and final, and the rules that tie them together.

Questions