Words & Vocabulary
Hot Pot in Chinese: Broths, Ingredients & Words for the Table
Learn how to order hot pot in Chinese, choose a broth and spice level, name ingredients and sauces, and practise with an illustrated interactive menu.
How to Order Bubble Tea in Chinese: Sugar, Ice & Toppings
Learn how to order bubble tea in Chinese, choose sugar and ice levels, and name your favorite toppings, with illustrated words and an interactive order builder.
Autumn Vocabulary in Chinese: 40 Words for Cozy Days
Learn 40 autumn words in Chinese, from maple leaves and scarves to chestnuts, walnuts, and hot tea, with illustrations, pinyin, and useful Mandarin sentences.
All 394 TOCFL Novice Words: Traditional Chinese List and Video
Study all 394 TOCFL Novice vocabulary entries in Traditional Chinese, with pinyin, English meanings, a Novice 1 and 2 guide, and a 92-minute video lesson.
Halloween Vocabulary in Chinese: A Night in Taipei
Learn Halloween vocabulary in Chinese with simplified and traditional characters, useful Mandarin phrases, and a street-level look at celebrations in Taiwan.
All 300 HSK 1 Words (HSK 3.0): List and Video
Explore all 300 HSK 1 words for HSK 3.0 with hanzi, pinyin, English meanings, practical study tips, and a 70-minute video lesson covering the full list.
Chinese Idioms You'll Actually Hear (Not the Dragon Stories)
The Chinese idioms native speakers actually say every day, and why textbooks keep teaching you 画蛇添足 instead. Real chengyu for mess, disbelief, and everything in between.
Chinese Vocabulary for the Market: Fruits, Vegetables, and Paying
Chinese vocabulary for an actual grocery run: fruits, vegetables, and the words for baskets, bags, and paying, illustrated and organized the way a real trip to the market goes.
Hiking in Chinese: The Vocabulary You Need on the Trail
Chinese vocabulary for hiking, illustrated: what's in your pack, what's on the trail, and what you might see, built around a narrated Chinese story you can watch.
36 Everyday Objects in Chinese: A Room-by-Room Illustrated Guide
Learn the Chinese words for the objects actually in your home, illustrated and organized room by room: living room, bedroom, bathroom, and kitchen.
Chinese Family Terms: The Complete Guide to Aunts, Uncles, and Cousins
Chinese family terms explained with diagrams: why 姑姑 and 阿姨 aren't the same word, why cousins split into 堂 and 表, and a family tree for every generation.
All 46 Asian Countries in Chinese — and the Five Names China Never Had to Translate
All 46 Asian countries in Chinese with pinyin and etymology, and why Japan, Korea, and Vietnam were never transliterated the way the rest of the list was.
All 54 African Countries in Chinese — and the One Character That Ends 14 of Them
All 54 African countries in Chinese with pinyin, etymology, and the character that closes more country names than Europe and the Americas combined.
All 35 Countries of the Americas in Chinese — and the One Character That Names 8 of Them
All 35 American countries in Chinese with pinyin, etymology, and the seven recurring characters that unlock most of the list, including the abbreviation that secretly means two countries.
All 45 European Countries in Chinese — and the 7 Characters Behind Most of Them
All 45 European countries in Chinese with pinyin, etymology, and the seven recurring characters that unlock dozens of names at once.
World Cup Mandarin: 22 Football Words, Two Characters
Two characters, 球 and 门, unlock 15 of the 22 Mandarin words you need to follow a World Cup match. A grouped vocabulary primer for HSK 2-4 learners.