How to say it in Chinese
An English word does not always have one Chinese translation. The right characters can depend on who you are talking about, what an object is used for, or whether you are speaking casually or writing formally. English “sister,” for example, leaves age unspecified, while everyday Mandarin usually distinguishes an older sister from a younger one. Even a familiar food word can change when you mean an ingredient rather than a prepared meal. These 10 guides group common words by topic so you can compare related meanings before choosing an expression. Each guide gives the Chinese characters, pinyin with tone marks, example sentences and practical usage notes. Read the whole example, including its English translation, to see what the word means in that situation. The notes below introduce the distinctions that matter most within each group.
Family
Chinese family terms often tell you more about a relationship than their English equivalents. 姐姐 (jiějie) means an older sister, while 妹妹 (mèimei) means a younger sister; 哥哥 (gēge) and 弟弟 (dìdi) make the same distinction for brothers. Names for grandparents, aunts and uncles can also distinguish the paternal and maternal sides of a family. 妈妈 (māma) and 爸爸 (bàba) are familiar everyday words, with a light second syllable. Forms of address sometimes add 老 or 小, as in 老王 and 小李, but their suitability depends on familiarity and relative age. These prefixes are not interchangeable labels for every relative. Begin with the relationship, then choose the word that describes it accurately.
People
朋友 (péngyou), meaning friend, combines 朋 and 友, two elements associated with companionship. This parallel compound brings related meanings together; it does not describe two separate people. In everyday Mandarin, the second syllable is normally light, so read the pinyin as a whole word. 老师 (lǎoshī), meaning teacher, illustrates a different pattern. Although 老 can mean old on its own, here it is an established word-forming prefix and does not tell you the teacher’s age. A young teacher is still a 老师. When addressing someone, a surname normally comes before the title, as in 王老师. Compare introducing a friend with addressing a teacher to notice how names and roles fit into a sentence.
Animals
猫 (māo) and 狗 (gǒu) are complete words with one character and one syllable each. You do not need to add another character simply because many Chinese nouns have two syllables. Their tones differ: 猫 has a level first tone, while 狗 has a third tone. When counting cats or dogs, place the measure word 只 (zhī) between the number and the animal: 一只猫 means one cat, and 两只狗 means two dogs. The noun itself does not change to mark the plural. Many animals use 只, but this is not a universal rule; horses commonly take 匹. Learn the animal and its counting phrase together rather than translating an English plural ending.
Food & Drinks
水 (shuǐ) is a single-character word for water, treated as a substance rather than an individually countable object. To specify an amount, name a container or measure: 一杯水 is a cup of water. Rice needs another distinction. 米 (mǐ) refers to uncooked rice, whereas 米饭 (mǐfàn) is cooked rice, commonly the plain rice served with a meal. A bowl of white rice is a familiar example, but the word does not require the rice to be white. 苹果 (píngguǒ), an apple, names a countable fruit and commonly takes 个. These differences matter when ordering food: choose the noun for the food’s actual form, then add a suitable amount if needed.
To use a guide, first check that its meaning matches the person, animal or food you have in mind. Read the pinyin aloud, then return to the characters and try the example sentence without looking at its translation. Pay attention to short syllables with no tone mark, as well as the marked tones. Next, change one detail in the example, such as the person or the quantity, while keeping the sentence pattern. If the result feels uncertain, check the usage notes and questions before memorising it. This gives you a phrase you can use in context instead of an isolated translation.
To practise related words together in picture scenes, explore the picture units or choose a topic on the homepage.