Learning a new language can be an exciting yet challenging endeavor, especially when it comes to Mandarin Chinese. As a beginner, or A1 level learner, you need to focus on building a strong foundation. This involves learning essential vocabulary that will help you navigate simple conversations, understand basic texts, and begin to appreciate the language’s unique characteristics. In this article, we will explore key Chinese words that A1 level learners should know. These words will cover various categories, including greetings, numbers, common verbs, and everyday nouns.
When starting to learn Chinese, one of the first areas to focus on is greetings and basic phrases. These are the building blocks of everyday conversations.
ไฝ ๅฅฝ (nว hวo) – Hello: This is the most common way to greet someone in Mandarin. Itโs equivalent to saying โhelloโ in English.
่ฐข่ฐข (xiรจ xie) – Thank you: Knowing how to express gratitude is essential. “่ฐข่ฐข” is a simple and polite way to say thank you.
ๅฏนไธ่ตท (duรฌ bรน qว) – Sorry: Apologizing is another basic yet crucial part of daily interactions. “ๅฏนไธ่ตท” is used to say “sorry.”
ๅ่ง (zร i jiร n) – Goodbye: This word is used when parting ways. It literally means โsee you again.โ
่ฏท (qวng) – Please: Adding “่ฏท” before a request makes it more polite. For instance, “่ฏทๅ” (qวng zuรฒ) means “please sit.”
ๆฏ (shรฌ) – Yes/To be: This is the verb “to be” and is also used to affirmatively answer yes/no questions.
ไธๆฏ (bรน shรฌ) – No/Not to be: This negates the verb “to be” and is used to say “no” or “is not.”
Understanding numbers is fundamental as they are used in various contexts such as telling time, counting, and handling money. Below are the numbers from 1 to 10.
ไธ (yฤซ) – One
ไบ (รจr) – Two
ไธ (sฤn) – Three
ๅ (sรฌ) – Four
ไบ (wว) – Five
ๅ ญ (liรน) – Six
ไธ (qฤซ) – Seven
ๅ ซ (bฤ) – Eight
ไน (jiว) – Nine
ๅ (shรญ) – Ten
Once you master these, you can start combining them to form larger numbers. For example, 11 is “ๅไธ” (shรญ yฤซ), 20 is “ไบๅ” (รจr shรญ), and so on.
Verbs are action words that are essential for forming sentences. Below are some of the most commonly used verbs in Mandarin Chinese.
ๅ (chฤซ) – To eat: This verb is useful in various contexts, especially when discussing food.
ๅ (hฤ) – To drink: This is another essential verb, particularly in social settings.
ๅป (qรน) – To go: “ๅป” is used to indicate movement or travel to a place.
ๆฅ (lรกi) – To come: This verb is often used in conjunction with “ๅป.”
็ (kร n) – To see/To watch: This verb can be used for both seeing and watching, such as watching TV.
ๅฌ (tฤซng) – To listen: This verb is used for listening, whether itโs music, a conversation, or instructions.
่ฏด (shuล) – To speak: “่ฏด” is used for speaking or saying something.
่ฏป (dรบ) – To read: This verb is used when reading books, articles, or any written material.
ๅ (xiฤ) – To write: This is the verb for writing, whether itโs a letter, email, or essay.
Nouns are words that represent people, places, or things. Here are some basic nouns that you will find useful.
ไบบ (rรฉn) – Person: This is a general term for a person.
ๅฎถ (jiฤ) – Home/Family: This noun can refer to both your home and your family.
ๅญฆๆ ก (xuรฉ xiร o) – School: This is the word for school, an essential term for students.
ไนฆ (shลซ) – Book: This noun is useful when talking about reading and studying.
ๆฐด (shuว) – Water: A basic yet important word, especially when asking for a drink.
้ฃ็ฉ (shรญ wรน) – Food: This is a general term for food.
ๆๅ (pรฉng yวu) – Friend: A word you will use often in social contexts.
่ๅธ (lวo shฤซ) – Teacher: An important term for anyone in a learning environment.
ๅญฆ็ (xuรฉ shฤng) – Student: This noun is used to describe someone who is studying.
็ซ (mฤo) – Cat: A common household pet.
็ (gวu) – Dog: Another common household pet.
Understanding how to express time and date is crucial for making plans and scheduling activities.
ไปๅคฉ (jฤซn tiฤn) – Today: This word is used to refer to the current day.
ๆๅคฉ (mรญng tiฤn) – Tomorrow: This word is used to refer to the next day.
ๆจๅคฉ (zuรณ tiฤn) – Yesterday: This word is used to refer to the previous day.
ๆๆ (xฤซng qฤซ) – Week: This word is used to refer to the week. For example, “ๆๆไธ” (xฤซng qฤซ yฤซ) means Monday.
ๆ (yuรจ) – Month: This word is used to refer to the month. For example, “ไธๆ” (yฤซ yuรจ) means January.
ๅนด (niรกn) – Year: This word is used to refer to the year. For example, “ไปๅนด” (jฤซn niรกn) means this year.
ๅฐๆถ (xiวo shรญ) – Hour: This word is used to refer to an hour.
ๅ้ (fฤn zhลng) – Minute: This word is used to refer to a minute.
็ง (miวo) – Second: This word is used to refer to a second.
Knowing how to ask for and understand directions can be very helpful, especially when traveling.
ๅทฆ (zuว) – Left: This word is used to indicate the left direction.
ๅณ (yรฒu) – Right: This word is used to indicate the right direction.
ๅ (qiรกn) – Front: This word is used to indicate the front direction.
ๅ (hรฒu) – Back: This word is used to indicate the back direction.
ไธ (shร ng) – Up: This word is used to indicate the upward direction.
ไธ (xiร ) – Down: This word is used to indicate the downward direction.
Colors are another basic yet essential category of vocabulary. Here are some common colors:
็บข่ฒ (hรณng sรจ) – Red
่่ฒ (lรกn sรจ) – Blue
็ปฟ่ฒ (lว sรจ) – Green
้ป่ฒ (huรกng sรจ) – Yellow
้ป่ฒ (hฤi sรจ) – Black
็ฝ่ฒ (bรกi sรจ) – White
็ฐ่ฒ (huฤซ sรจ) – Gray
ๆฉ่ฒ (chรฉng sรจ) – Orange
็ดซ่ฒ (zว sรจ) – Purple
Talking about family is a common topic in any language. Here are some basic words for family members:
็ธ็ธ (bร ba) – Father
ๅฆๅฆ (mฤ ma) – Mother
ๅฅๅฅ (gฤ ge) – Older brother
ๅผๅผ (dรฌ di) – Younger brother
ๅงๅง (jiฤ jie) – Older sister
ๅฆนๅฆน (mรจi mei) – Younger sister
็ท็ท (yรฉ ye) – Grandfather (paternal)
ๅฅถๅฅถ (nวi nai) – Grandmother (paternal)
ๅคๅ ฌ (wร i gลng) – Grandfather (maternal)
ๅคๅฉ (wร i pรณ) – Grandmother (maternal)
Adjectives help describe nouns and add detail to your conversations. Here are some common adjectives in Mandarin:
ๅคง (dร ) – Big
ๅฐ (xiวo) – Small
ๅฅฝ (hวo) – Good
ๅ (huร i) – Bad
้ซ (gฤo) – Tall/High
็ฎ (วi) – Short/Low
้ฟ (chรกng) – Long
็ญ (duวn) – Short
ๅฟซ (kuร i) – Fast
ๆ ข (mร n) – Slow
Being able to ask questions is crucial for effective communication. Here are some useful question words and phrases:
ไปไน (shรฉn me) – What: This is used to ask for information. For example, “่ฟๆฏไปไน?” (zhรจ shรฌ shรฉn me?) means “What is this?”
่ฐ (shuรญ/shรฉi) – Who: This is used to ask about people. For example, “ไปๆฏ่ฐ?” (tฤ shรฌ shuรญ?) means “Who is he?”
ๅช้ (nว lว) – Where: This is used to ask about locations. For example, “ไฝ ๅจๅช้?” (nว zร i nว lว?) means “Where are you?”
ไปไนๆถๅ (shรฉn me shรญ hรฒu) – When: This is used to ask about time. For example, “ไฝ ไปไนๆถๅๆฅ?” (nว shรฉn me shรญ hรฒu lรกi?) means “When are you coming?”
ไธบไปไน (wรจi shรฉn me) – Why: This is used to ask for reasons. For example, “ไฝ ไธบไปไนๅญฆไธญๆ?” (nว wรจi shรฉn me xuรฉ zhลng wรฉn?) means “Why are you learning Chinese?”
ๆไน (zฤn me) – How: This is used to ask about the manner or method. For example, “ไฝ ๆไนๅปๅญฆๆ ก?” (nว zฤn me qรน xuรฉ xiร o?) means “How do you go to school?”
ๅคๅฐ (duล shวo) – How many/How much: This is used to ask about quantity. For example, “่ฟไธชๅคๅฐ้ฑ?” (zhรจ ge duล shวo qiรกn?) means “How much is this?”
Conjunctions are words that connect clauses or sentences. Here are some basic conjunctions in Mandarin:
ๅ (hรฉ) – And: This is used to connect words or phrases. For example, “ๆๅไฝ ” (wว hรฉ nว) means “you and I.”
ไฝๆฏ (dร n shรฌ) – But: This is used to introduce a contrast. For example, “ๆๅๆฌขไฝ ๏ผไฝๆฏๆไธ็ฑไฝ ใ” (wว xว huan nว, dร n shรฌ wว bรน ร i nว) means “I like you, but I don’t love you.”
ๅ ไธบ (yฤซn wรจi) – Because: This is used to give a reason. For example, “ๆ่ฟๅฐไบ๏ผๅ ไธบๆ็ก่ฟๅคดไบใ” (wว chรญ dร o le, yฤซn wรจi wว shuรฌ guรฒ tรณu le) means “I was late because I overslept.”
ๆไปฅ (suว yว) – Therefore/So: This is used to show a result. For example, “ๆ็็ ไบ๏ผๆไปฅๆไธ่ฝๅปไธๅญฆใ” (wว shฤng bรฌng le, suว yว wว bรน nรฉng qรน shร ng xuรฉ) means “I am sick, so I can’t go to school.”
Prepositions are used to show relationships between different elements in a sentence. Here are some basic prepositions in Mandarin:
ๅจ (zร i) – At/In/On: This is used to indicate location. For example, “ๆๅจๅฎถใ” (wว zร i jiฤ) means “I am at home.”
ไป (cรณng) – From: This is used to indicate the starting point. For example, “ๆไป็พๅฝๆฅใ” (wว cรณng mฤi guรณ lรกi) means “I come from the USA.”
ๅฐ (dร o) – To/Until: This is used to indicate the end point. For example, “ๆไปฌๅฐๅไบฌไบใ” (wว men dร o bฤi jฤซng le) means “We have arrived in Beijing.”
่ท (gฤn) – With: This is used to indicate accompaniment. For example, “ๆ่ทไฝ ไธ่ตทๅปใ” (wว gฤn nว yฤซ qว qรน) means “I will go with you.”
ไธบไบ (wรจi le) – For: This is used to indicate purpose. For example, “ไธบไบไฝ ๏ผๆๆฟๆๅไปปไฝไบใ” (wรจi le nว, wว yuร n yรฌ zuรฒ rรจn hรฉ shรฌ) means “For you, I am willing to do anything.”
Mastering these A1 level Chinese words will give you a strong foundation to build upon as you continue your language learning journey. Remember that practice and repetition are key. Try to incorporate these words into your daily conversations and written exercises. As you become more comfortable with this vocabulary, you will find it easier to progress to more complex aspects of the Chinese language. Happy learning!
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