Chinese Vocabulary
164 essential Mandarin words and phrases from our podcast episodes. Each entry includes pinyin pronunciation, English translation, and links to episodes where the word is used.
阿斯利康AstraZeneca
beginner
案子ànzilegal case / lawsuit
easybeginner
白热化bái rè huàwhite-hot / intense
normal
板上钉钉bǎn shàng dìng dīngset in stone / certainty
normal
办法bànfǎmethod / way / solution
easy
保护bǎohùto protect
easy
悲观bēiguānpessimistic
easy
贝壳bèikéseashell / shell
easy
备忘录bèi wàng lùmemorandum
normal
播客bōkèpodcast
easy
不够búgòunot enough
beginner
不痛不痒bútòngbùyǎngsuperficial / ineffective
normal
材料cáiliàomaterial
easy
沉没成本chénmò chéngběnsunk cost
normal
成本chéngběncost
medium
成绩chéngjìgrade / score / achievement
easy
惩罚chéngfáto punish / punishment
medium
创新chuàngxīninnovation
mediumbeginner
春节ChūnjiéSpring Festival
easy
聪明cōngmingsmart / clever
beginner
错觉cuòjuéillusion / misconception
medium
大使dàshǐambassador
easy
大有可为dà yǒu kě wéiwell worth doing / have a brilliant future
normal
代表团dài biǎo tuándelegation
easy
单枪匹马dān qiāng pǐ mǎsingle-handed / alone
normal
电工diàngōngelectrician
mediumeasy
电脑diànnǎocomputer
beginner
东西dōngxithing / stuff
beginner
短缺duǎnquēshortage
mediumeasy
断粮duàn liángrunning out of food / funding drying up
normal
断舍离duànshělíDan-Sha-Ri (Refuse, Dispose, Separate)
normal
断崖式duànyáshìcliff-like (drop)
normal
囤积túnjīhoarding / to stockpile
normal
多巴胺duōbā'àndopamine
normal
罚款fákuǎnto fine / fine
easymedium
返璞归真fǎnpúguīzhēnreturn to simplicity / return to one's original nature
normal
访华fǎng huávisit to China
normal
访问fǎngwènto visit / visit
mediumeasy
高大上gāo dà shànghigh-end / upscale / classy
normal
高兴gāoxìnghappy
beginner
工人gōngrénworker
beginnerbeginner
公司gōngsīcompany
beginnerbeginner+1
供不应求gōng bù yìng qiúsupply falls short of demand
normal
沟通gōutōngcommunicate / communication
medium
关税guān shuìtariff / customs duty
normalmedium+1
官司guānsilawsuit
beginner
管guǎnto manage / to control
beginner
贵guìexpensive
beginner
合规héguīcompliance
normaleasy+1
合作hézuòto cooperate / cooperation
beginnereasy+3
黑洞hēi dòngblack hole
normal
很难hěn nánvery hard / difficult
beginner
互相hùxiāngmutually / each other
beginner
互助hùzhùmutual aid / help each other
medium
化工厂huàgōngchǎngchemical plant
medium
化石huàshífossil
easy
环保局huánbǎojúEnvironmental Protection Agency (EPA)
easymedium
环境huánjìngenvironment
beginner
伙伴huǒbànpartner / companion
easy
机会jīhuìopportunity / chance
beginner
积压jīyābacklog / overstock
normalmedium+1
基因jīyīngene
medium
极简主义jíjiǎnzhǔyìminimalism
normal
挤出效应jǐ chū xiào yìngcrowding-out effect
normal
假的jiǎdefake / false
beginner
价格jiàgéprice
easy
监管jiānguǎnregulation / supervision
medium
健康jiànkānghealth / healthy
easy
交流jiāoliúexchange / communication
mediumeasy
截胡jié húto intercept / to snatch
normal
解雇jiěgùto lay off / to fire
medium
借口jièkǒuexcuse
easy
进步jìnbùprogress / improvement
easy
进化jìnhuàevolution / to evolve
mediumeasy
竞争jìngzhēngto compete / competition
easy
科技kējìtechnology
medium
科学家kēxuéjiāscientist
beginner
乐观lèguānoptimistic
beginner
冷冻期lěng dòng qīdeep freeze / freezing period
normal
立竿见影lìgānjiànyǐngimmediate results / instant effect
normal
连接liánjiēto connect
beginner
琳琅满目línlángmǎnmùa superb collection of beautiful things / a feast for the eyes
normal
领导人lǐngdǎorénleader
beginner
流行liúxíngpopular / trendy
easy
律师lǜshīlawyer
easy
贸易màoyìtrade
medium
美元měiyuánUS Dollar
easy
免签miǎnqiānvisa-free
mediumeasy
民生mín shēngpeople's livelihood
normal
民事诉讼mínshì sùsòngcivil lawsuit
normal
名声míngshēngreputation
easy
摩洛哥MóluògēMorocco
easy
内耗nèihàointernal friction / mental exhaustion
normal
骗piànto cheat / to deceive
beginner
平衡pínghéngbalance
medium
评估pínggūassessment / to evaluate
easy
普通法pǔ tōng fǎCommon Law
normal
欺骗qīpiànto cheat / to deceive
easy
气候变化qìhòu biànhuàclimate change
mediumeasy
钱qiánmoney
beginnerbeginner
桥qiáobridge
beginner
桥梁qiáoliángbridge
mediumeasy
轻描淡写qīngmiáodànxiěslap on the wrist / understate
normal
清醒qīngxǐngclear-headed / sober
easy
去监管qù jiānguǎnderegulation
normal
人工智能réngōng zhìnéngartificial intelligence (AI)
mediumeasy+1
人类rénlèihumanity / human race
easy
人类学家rénlèixuéjiāanthropologist
medium
人性rénxìnghuman nature
beginner
商业shāng yèbusiness / commerce
easy
烧钱shāo qiánburning cash / spending spree
normal
少shǎofew / little
beginnerbeginner
神仙打架，凡人遭殃shén xiān dǎ jià, fán rén zāo yāngwhen gods fight, mortals suffer
normal
生活shēnghuólife / to live
easy
生物学shēngwùxuébiology
beginnereasy+1
生意shēngyibusiness
beginner
使命shǐmìngmission
medium
手机shǒujīmobile phone / smartphone
beginnereasy
首相shǒuxiàngPrime Minister
mediumeasy+1
数据中心shùjù zhōngxīndata center
medium
水平shuǐpínglevel / standard
easy
诉讼sùsònglawsuit / litigation
medium
天文数字tiān wén shù zìastronomical figure
normal
天真tiānzhēnnaive / innocent
medium
停tíngto stop
easy
投入tóurùto invest / to put into
medium
投资tóuzīto invest / investment
mediumeasy+2
危险wēixiǎndangerous / danger
easy
威慑力wēishèlìdeterrence / deterrent effect
normal
违规wéiguīviolation / to violate rules
medium
伪装wěizhuāngto disguise / camouflage
easy
文章wénzhāngessay / article
easy
问责wènzéhold accountable
normal
污染wūrǎnpollution / to pollute
easybeginner
污染者wūrǎnzhěpolluter
medium
务实wù shípragmatic / practical
normal
现代xiàndàimodern times / modern
easy
项目xiàngmùproject
easy
消费主义xiāofèizhǔyìconsumerism
normal
心动xīndòngheartbeat / to be tempted / to spark joy
normal
芯片xīnpiànchip (computer)
mediumeasy
信息过载xìnxī guòzàiinformation overload
normal
修xiūto fix / to repair
beginner
药Medicine
beginner
仪式yíshìritual / ceremony
easy
意味着yìwèizheto mean / to imply
beginner
隐患yǐnhuànhidden danger
normal
友谊yǒuyìfriendship
easy
语法yǔfǎgrammar
easy
渊源yuān yuánorigin / source / deep historical connection
normal
阅读yuèdúreading / to read
easy
脏zāngdirty
beginner
找zhǎoto look for / to find
beginner
真实zhēnshíauthentic / real / true
easy
真相zhēnxiàngtruth / real situation
easy
政策zhèngcèpolicy
easy
政府zhèngfǔgovernment
beginner
执法zhífǎenforcement / to enforce the law
medium
制度zhìdùsystem / institution
easymedium
治理zhì lǐgovernance / to govern
normal
资金zījīnfunds / capital
medium
自私zìsīselfish
beginnereasy+1
祖先zǔxiānancestor
easy
作弊zuòbìto cheat
medium