Chinese words you need to know to build your Chinese vocabulary

Chinese words to help you survive

Top 10 most common Chinese words pronounced by native Chinese speakers

1. 1. 你好。 = Hello

   Let's naturally start with "你好" which means "Hello" in Chinese. This is one of the most known words in Chinese and a great way to start a conversation with someone from China. Click play below to listen to the actual pronunciation:

   你好。

2. 2. 爱 = Love

   Love is a universal feeling and we definitely had to talk about it here. Chinese people have a lovely way of saying they love someone or something through the word "爱". Hear it in action here:

   爱

3. 3. 幸福 = Happiness

   When there's love, there's definitely happiness. We are all chasing "幸福" as Chinese-speaking people would say. Listen closely and you might just get some “happiness” in your life today:

   幸福

4. 4. 猫 = Cat

   Let's talk pets. There are two types of people in the world: cat people and dog people. We are going to talk about cats first or how people in Hong Kong would say: "猫". Listen to how it sounds like:

   猫

5. 5. 狗 = Dog

   But let's not forget our lovely and loyal companions, dogs. A dog in Chinese is "狗", a really useful word for dog lovers worldwide. Here is how you would pronounce it:

   狗

6. 6. 微笑 = Smile

   Now it is time to smile. Or how someone from China would say: "微笑". Smiling makes us happy and helps us stay healthy, so that's why we all need to smile every day. Here's the Chinese pronunciation:

   微笑

7. 7. 中国人 = Chinese

   Next, let’s see how people in China call Chinese people. The correct answer is "中国人". Listen to how a Chinese speaker would pronounce it:

   中国人

8. 8. 是的。 = Yes

   Yes, we have arrived at number 8 where “yes” is the subject to be discussed. Chinese speakers say “yes” by simply saying "是". Enhance your understanding by listening to how a person from China would pronounce it:

   是的。

9. 9. 谢谢你。 = Thank you

   Thank you for reading this far or should I say "谢谢你" as they say in Chinese. Here's a native speaker thanking you in Chinese:

   谢谢你。

10. 10. 再见。 = Goodbye

    No polite conversation can end without a good old goodbye or "再见" how Chinese people usually say. Now it's time for a delightful Chinese voice to say "Goodbye" to you:

    再见。

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