Chinese Vocabulary · 中文词汇
Location Words in Chinese
地点词汇 dìdiǎn cíhuì
Before we get into the vocab, two words are worth explaining first. (gōngyù) in Chinese usually means a low-rise building without an elevator — it gets translated as “apartment,” but the two aren’t really the same thing. The other word is 乡下 (xiāngxia): in Taiwan, anywhere that isn’t a big city gets called xiāngxia. So around Chinese New Year, lots of people working in Taipei will say they’re heading back to xiāngxia — but if you go with them, you’ll find it’s usually just a smaller city, not literal countryside.
💡 Curious about renting an apartment in Taiwan? Check out this post.
Around the house
Location Words in Chinese Part 1
| Chinese | Pinyin | English | Korean | Japanese |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 公寓 | gōngyù | Apartment | 아파트 | アパート |
| 大楼 | dàlóu | Building | 빌딩 | ビルディング |
| 卧室 | wòshì | Bedroom | 침실 | 寝室 |
| 花园 | huāyuán | Flower garden | 화원 | 花園 |
| 浴室 | yùshì | Bathroom | 욕실 | お風呂 |
| 宿舍 | sùshè | Dormitory | 기숙사 | 寮 |
| 操场 | cāochǎng | Schoolyard | 운동장 | 運動場 |
| 广场 | guǎngchǎng | Public square | 광장 | 広場 |
| 城市 | chéngshì | City | 도시 | 都 |
| 乡下 | xiāngxia | Countryside | 시골 | 田舎 |
💡 卧室 (wòshì) is the formal word for “bedroom.” In everyday speech, people also say 房间 (fángjiān) a lot.
Putting it all together
Examples
我媽媽家有5間臥室3間浴室我妈妈家有5间卧室3间浴室 My mother’s house has 5 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms.
我家住在這棟大樓的18樓我家住在这栋大楼的18楼 My family lives on the 18th floor of the building.
Out and about
Location Words in Chinese Part 2
| Chinese | Pinyin | English | Korean | Japanese |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 药房 | yàofáng | Pharmacy | 약국 | 薬屋 |
| 書店 | shūdiàn | Bookstore | 서점 | 本屋 |
| 超(级)市(场) | chāo(jí) shì(chǎng) | Supermarket | 슈퍼마켓 | スーパー |
| 动物园 | dòngwùyuán | Zoo | 동물원 | 動物園 |
| 地铁站 | dìtiězhàn | Subway station | 지하철 역 | 地下鉄の駅 |
| 停车场 | tíngchēchǎng | Parking lot | 주차장 | 駐車場 |
| 博物馆 | bówùguǎn | Museum | 박물관 | 博物館 |
| 教堂 | jiàotáng | Church | 교회 | 教会 |
| 球场 | qiúchǎng | Court | 경기장 | コート |
| 体育馆 | tǐyùguǎn | Gym | 체육관 | 体育館 |
| 校园 | xiàoyuán | Campus | 교정 | 校庭 |
A little extra
教堂 vs 教会
There are two words for “church” in Chinese, and they’re not interchangeable. (jiàotáng) refers to a Catholic church, while 教会 (jiàohuì) refers to a Christian/Protestant church.
Putting it all together
Examples
李先生每個星期天都會上教堂李先生每个星期天都会上教堂 Mr. Lee attends church every Sunday.
請問這附近有書店嗎请问这附近有书店吗 Excuse me, is there a bookstore near here?
Test yourself
Vocabulary Quiz
