50 Essential Words You Need to Know for Chinese at the A2 Level

Student repeating Swedish vocabulary into recording device.

Learning a new language can be an exciting journey, filled with moments of discovery and personal growth. As you progress in your Chinese language studies, reaching the A2 level is an important milestone. At this stage, you are expected to have a basic understanding of the language and be able to communicate in simple, everyday situations. To help you on this path, we have compiled a list of 50 essential words that you need to know for Chinese at the A2 level. These words will serve as a foundation for your continued learning and help you navigate common scenarios with greater ease.

Common Verbs

1. **ๅƒ** (chฤซ) – to eat
2. **ๅ–** (hฤ“) – to drink
3. **ๅŽป** (qรน) – to go
4. **ๆฅ** (lรกi) – to come
5. **ไนฐ** (mวŽi) – to buy
6. **ๅ–** (mร i) – to sell
7. **็œ‹** (kร n) – to see/watch
8. **ๅฌ** (tฤซng) – to listen
9. **่ฏด** (shuล) – to speak
10. **ๅ†™** (xiฤ›) – to write

These verbs are crucial as they form the basis of many daily activities and conversations. For example, โ€œๆˆ‘ๆƒณๅƒ้ฅญโ€ (Wว’ xiวŽng chฤซ fร n) means “I want to eat” and โ€œไฝ ๅฌ่งไบ†ๅ—๏ผŸโ€ (Nว tฤซngjiร n le ma?) means “Did you hear that?”

Common Nouns

11. **ไบบ** (rรฉn) – person
12. **ๅฎถ** (jiฤ) – home/family
13. **ๆœ‹ๅ‹** (pรฉngyว’u) – friend
14. **ๅญฆๆ ก** (xuรฉxiร o) – school
15. **่€ๅธˆ** (lวŽoshฤซ) – teacher
16. **ๅญฆ็”Ÿ** (xuรฉshฤ“ng) – student
17. **ไนฆ** (shลซ) – book
18. **้’ฑ** (qiรกn) – money
19. **่ฝฆ** (chฤ“) – car
20. **็”ต่ฏ** (diร nhuร ) – telephone

Nouns are equally important as they help identify people, places, and things. For instance, โ€œๆˆ‘ๅฎถๅœจๅŒ—ไบฌโ€ (Wว’ jiฤ zร i Bฤ›ijฤซng) means “My home is in Beijing” and โ€œ่ฟ™ๆ˜ฏๆˆ‘็š„ๆœ‹ๅ‹โ€ (Zhรจ shรฌ wว’ de pรฉngyว’u) means “This is my friend.”

Adjectives

21. **ๅคง** (dร ) – big
22. **ๅฐ** (xiวŽo) – small
23. **ๅฅฝ** (hวŽo) – good
24. **ๅ** (huร i) – bad
25. **ๅฟซ** (kuร i) – fast
26. **ๆ…ข** (mร n) – slow
27. **้ซ˜** (gฤo) – tall/high
28. **็Ÿฎ** (วŽi) – short
29. **ๆผ‚ไบฎ** (piร oliang) – beautiful
30. **่ชๆ˜Ž** (cลngmรญng) – smart

Adjectives help you describe the world around you. For example, โ€œ่ฟ™ๆœฌไนฆๅพˆๅคงโ€ (Zhรจ bฤ›n shลซ hฤ›n dร ) means “This book is big” and โ€œๅฅนๅพˆ่ชๆ˜Žโ€ (Tฤ hฤ›n cลngmรญng) means “She is very smart.”

Common Adverbs

31. **ๅพˆ** (hฤ›n) – very
32. **ๅคช** (tร i) – too
33. **ไนŸ** (yฤ›) – also
34. **้ƒฝ** (dลu) – all
35. **ๅธธๅธธ** (chรกngchรกng) – often
36. **ๆ€ปๆ˜ฏ** (zว’ngshรฌ) – always
37. **ๅทฒ็ป** (yวjฤซng) – already
38. **่ฟ˜** (hรกi) – still
39. **ๅ†** (zร i) – again
40. **ๅˆšๅˆš** (gฤnggฤng) – just

Adverbs modify verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs to give more context. For instance, โ€œๆˆ‘ๅพˆ้ซ˜ๅ…ดโ€ (Wว’ hฤ›n gฤoxรฌng) means “I am very happy” and โ€œไป–ๆ€ปๆ˜ฏ่ฟŸๅˆฐโ€ (Tฤ zว’ng shรฌ chรญdร o) means “He is always late.”

Question Words

41. **ไป€ไนˆ** (shรฉnme) – what
42. **่ฐ** (shรฉi) – who
43. **ๅ“ชๅ„ฟ** (nวŽr) – where
44. **ไป€ไนˆๆ—ถๅ€™** (shรฉnme shรญhรฒu) – when
45. **ไธบไป€ไนˆ** (wรจishรฉnme) – why
46. **ๆ€Žไนˆ** (zฤ›nme) – how
47. **ๅคšๅฐ‘** (duลshวŽo) – how much/many
48. **ๅ‡ ** (jว) – how many (for small numbers)
49. **ๅ“ชไธช** (nวŽge) – which
50. **ๆ€Žไนˆๆ ท** (zฤ›nmeyร ng) – how about

Question words are essential for asking questions and gathering information. For example, โ€œไฝ ๅซไป€ไนˆๅๅญ—๏ผŸโ€ (Nว jiร o shรฉnme mรญngzรฌ?) means “What is your name?” and โ€œไธบไป€ไนˆไฝ ไธๆฅ๏ผŸโ€ (Wรจishรฉnme nว bรน lรกi?) means “Why are you not coming?”

Practical Usage

Now that you have a list of 50 essential words, it’s important to know how to use them in practical situations. Letโ€™s look at some example sentences that incorporate these words.

Daily Activities

– **ๅƒ้ฅญ** (chฤซfร n) – to eat a meal
– ๆˆ‘ไปฌไธ€่ตทๅƒ้ฅญๅงใ€‚ (Wว’men yฤซqว chฤซfร n ba.) – Let’s eat together.
– **ๅ–ๆฐด** (hฤ“ shuว) – to drink water
– ไฝ ่ฆๅ–ๆฐดๅ—๏ผŸ (Nว yร o hฤ“ shuว ma?) – Do you want to drink water?
– **ๅŽปๅญฆๆ ก** (qรน xuรฉxiร o) – to go to school
– ไป–ๆฏๅคฉๅŽปๅญฆๆ กใ€‚ (Tฤ mฤ›itiฤn qรน xuรฉxiร o.) – He goes to school every day.
– **็œ‹ไนฆ** (kร n shลซ) – to read a book
– ๅฅนๅ–œๆฌข็œ‹ไนฆใ€‚ (Tฤ xวhuฤn kร n shลซ.) – She likes to read books.

Describing People and Things

– **ไป–ๅพˆ้ซ˜** (Tฤ hฤ›n gฤo) – He is very tall.
– **่ฟ™่พ†่ฝฆๅพˆๅฟซ** (Zhรจ liร ng chฤ“ hฤ›n kuร i) – This car is very fast.
– **ๅฅนๅพˆๆผ‚ไบฎ** (Tฤ hฤ›n piร oliang) – She is very beautiful.
– **่ฟ™ไธชๆˆฟๅญๅพˆๅคง** (Zhรจge fรกngzi hฤ›n dร ) – This house is very big.

Social Interactions

– **ไป–ๆ˜ฏๆˆ‘็š„ๆœ‹ๅ‹** (Tฤ shรฌ wว’ de pรฉngyว’u) – He is my friend.
– **่€ๅธˆๅพˆ่ชๆ˜Ž** (LวŽoshฤซ hฤ›n cลngmรญng) – The teacher is very smart.
– **ๅญฆ็”Ÿไปฌ้ƒฝๅœจๆ•™ๅฎค** (Xuรฉshฤ“ngmen dลu zร i jiร oshรฌ) – The students are all in the classroom.
– **ๆˆ‘ๅฎถๆœ‰ไบ”ไธชไบบ** (Wว’ jiฤ yว’u wว” gรจ rรฉn) – There are five people in my family.

Questions and Answers

– **ไฝ ๅซไป€ไนˆๅๅญ—๏ผŸ** (Nว jiร o shรฉnme mรญngzรฌ?) – What is your name?
– ๆˆ‘ๅซๆŽๅŽใ€‚ (Wว’ jiร o Lว Huรก.) – My name is Li Hua.
– **ไฝ ไฝๅœจๅ“ชๅ„ฟ๏ผŸ** (Nว zhรน zร i nวŽr?) – Where do you live?
– ๆˆ‘ไฝๅœจไธŠๆตทใ€‚ (Wว’ zhรน zร i Shร nghวŽi.) – I live in Shanghai.
– **ไป–ๆ˜ฏ่ฐ๏ผŸ** (Tฤ shรฌ shรฉi?) – Who is he?
– ไป–ๆ˜ฏๆˆ‘็š„ๆœ‹ๅ‹ใ€‚ (Tฤ shรฌ wว’ de pรฉngyว’u.) – He is my friend.
– **่ฟ™ๆœฌไนฆๅคšๅฐ‘้’ฑ๏ผŸ** (Zhรจ bฤ›n shลซ duลshวŽo qiรกn?) – How much is this book?
– ่ฟ™ๆœฌไนฆไบŒๅๅ—ใ€‚ (Zhรจ bฤ›n shลซ รจrshรญ kuร i.) – This book is twenty yuan.

Tips for Memorizing Vocabulary

To effectively memorize these essential words, here are some tips:

1. **Flashcards**: Create flashcards with the Chinese character on one side and the English meaning on the other. Review them regularly.
2. **Contextual Learning**: Use the words in sentences and try to incorporate them into your daily conversations.
3. **Mnemonics**: Create mnemonic devices to help remember the meanings. For instance, associate the character **ๅƒ** (chฤซ) with a picture of someone eating.
4. **Practice Writing**: Writing the characters repeatedly can help reinforce your memory.
5. **Language Apps**: Use language learning apps like Duolingo, Anki, or Pleco to practice these words.

Conclusion

Reaching the A2 level in Chinese is a significant achievement that sets the stage for more advanced learning. By mastering these 50 essential words, you will be better equipped to handle everyday conversations and continue your language journey with confidence. Remember, consistency is key, so make sure to practice regularly and immerse yourself in the language as much as possible. Happy learning!

Talkpal is AI-powered language tutor. Learn 57+ languages 5x faster with revolutionary technology.

The Most Efficient Way to Learn a Language

THE TALKPAL DIFFERENCE

THE MOST ADVANCED AI

Immersive Conversations

Dive into captivating dialogues designed to optimize language retention and improve fluency.

Real-time Feedback

Receive immediate, personalized feedback and suggestions to accelerate your language mastery.

Personalization

Learn via methods tailored to your unique style and pace, ensuring a personalized and effective journey to fluency.

LEARN LANGUAGES FASTER
WITH AI

Learn 5x Faster