Everyday Chinese: 28 lessons, from hello to the news

river (CL:条 (tiáo),道 (dào)); (bound form) the Yellow River; (bound form) the Milky Way; (bound form) (on restaurant menus) rice noodles 河粉 (héfěn)

湖hú

lake

森林sēnlín

forest

树shù

tree; to cultivate; to set up

花huā

flower; blossom; fancy pattern; florid; to spend (money, time); (coll.) lecherous; lustful; also pr. wěi

草cǎo

grass; straw; manuscript; draft (of a document); careless; rough

沙shā

granule; hoarse; raspy; sand; powder; abbr. for Tsar or Tsarist Russia

石头shítou

stone

火huǒ

fire; urgent; ammunition; fiery or flaming; internal heat (Chinese medicine); hot (popular); classifier for military units (old); Kangxi radical 86

空气kōngqì

air; atmosphere

自然zìrán

nature; natural; naturally

island

field; farm

world

country; nation; state

阴天yīntiān

cloudy day; overcast sky

台风táifēng

stage presence, poise; typhoon

地震dìzhèn

earthquake

温度wēndù

temperature

度dù

to pass; to spend (time); measure; limit; extent; degree of intensity; degree (angles, temperature etc); kilowatt-hour; classifier for events and occurrences

fog; mist

animal

dog

cat (CL:只 (zhī)); (dialect) to hide oneself; (loanword) (coll.) modem

鸟niǎo

bird; "bird" radical in Chinese characters (Kangxi radical 196); (dialect) to pay attention to; (intensifier) damned; goddamn

马mǎ

horse; horse or cavalry piece in Chinese chess; knight in Western chess

牛niú

ox; cow; bull; newton (abbr. for 牛顿 (niúdùn)); (slang) awesome

羊yáng

sheep; goat

猪zhū

hog; pig; swine

鸡jī

fowl; chicken; (slang) prostitute

猴子hóuzi

monkey

熊xióng

bear; (coll.) to scold; to rebuke; (coll.) weak; incapable

熊猫xióngmāo

panda

狼láng

wolf

狐狸húli

fox; (fig.) sly or crafty person

兔子tùzi

hare; rabbit

老鼠lǎoshǔ

rat; mouse (CL:只 (zhī))

snake; serpent

bee; honeybee

butterfly

insect; bug; worm

mosquito

elephant

lion

tiger

Chinese dragon; loong; (fig.) emperor; dragon; (bound form) dinosaur

乌龟wūguī

tortoise; cuckold

鸭子yāzi

duck (CL:只 (zhī)); (slang) male prostitute

宠物chǒngwù

house pet

养yǎng

to raise (animals); to bring up (children); to keep (pets); to support; to give birth

公司gōngsī

company; firm; corporation

经理jīnglǐ

manager; director

老师lǎoshī

teacher

学生xuésheng

student; schoolchild

课kè

subject; course; class; lesson; to levy; tax; form of divination

教室jiàoshì

classroom

书shū

book; letter; document; to write

本子běnzi

book; notebook; Japanese-style self-published comic (esp. an erotic one), aka "dōjinshi"; edition

笔bǐ

writing brush; writing implement (pen, pencil etc) (CL:支 (zhī),枝 (zhī)); brushstroke; stroke (in painting or calligraphy); (bound form) style of writing; literary manner; technique of brushwork; (classifier) stroke of a Chinese character; (classifier) sum of money; financial transaction; piece of business; (literary) to write (with a brush or pen)

铅笔qiānbǐ

(lead) pencil

电脑diànnǎo

computer

电话diànhuà

telephone; phone call; phone number

信xìn

letter; mail; to trust; to believe; to profess faith in; truthful; confidence; trust; at will; at random

考试kǎoshì

to take an exam; exam

问题wèntí

question; problem; issue; topic

答案dá'àn

answer; solution

办法bànfǎ

way of handling sth; means; measure; (practical) solution to a problem

意思yìsi

idea; opinion; meaning; wish; desire; interest; fun; token of appreciation, affection etc; to give as a small token; to do sth as a gesture of goodwill etc

教jiāo

to teach; to instruct

学xué

to learn; to study; to imitate; science; -ology

解释jiěshì

explanation; to explain; to interpret; to resolve

记得jìde

to remember

忘记wàngjì

to forget

开会kāihuì

to hold a meeting; to attend a meeting