Chinese Vocabulary · 中文词汇
Country, Language and Transportation Words in Chinese
国家、语言与交通词汇 guójiā, yǔyán yǔ jiāotōng cíhuì
Before we get to the vocabulary, a quick story: if you like riding a bicycle, you will fall in love with Taiwan. Taipei’s Ubike bike-sharing stations are all over the city, many within walking distance of MRT stations and tourist spots — and there’s even a dedicated bikeway that circles the entire island. If your dream is to bike around a whole country, Taiwan is the place to do it.
Where in the world
Country Words in Chinese
| Chinese | Pinyin | English | Korean | Japanese |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 国家 | Guójiā | Country | 국가 | 国 |
| 台湾 | Táiwān | Taiwan | 대만 | 台湾 |
| 中国 | Zhōngguó | China | 중국 | 中国 |
| 美国 | Měiguó | USA | 미국 | アメリカ |
| 英国 | Yīngguó | UK | 영국 | イギリス |
| 韩国 | Hánguó | South Korea | 한국 | 韓国 |
| 法国 | Fǎguó (also heard as Fàguó in Taiwan) | France | 프랑스 | フランス |
| 德国 | Déguó | Germany | 독일 | ドイツ |
| 日本 | Rìběn | Japan | 일본 | 日本 |
Putting it all together
Examples
你覺得台灣是不是一個國家？你觉得台湾是不是一个国家？ Do you think Taiwan is a country?
Naming a language
Language Words in Chinese
| Chinese | Pinyin | English | Korean | Japanese |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 中文 | Zhōngwén | Chinese | 중국어 | 中国語 |
| 汉语 | Hànyǔ | Mandarin | 중국어 | 中国語 |
| 英文 | Yīngwén | English | 영어 | 英語 |
| 韩文 | Hánwén | Korean | 한국어 | 韓国語 |
| 法文 | Fǎwén (also heard as Fàwén in Taiwan) | French | 프랑스어 | フランス語 |
| 德文 | Déwén | German | 독일어 | ドイツ語 |
| 日文 | Rìwén | Japanese | 일본어 | 日本語 |
💡 Confused about the difference between hànyǔ, zhōngwén, guóyǔ, and huáyǔ? This article breaks it down.
Putting it all together
Examples
全世界有1,284,000,000人說中文全世界有1,284,000,000人说中文 1,284,000,000 people speak Chinese around the world.
Getting from A to B
Transportation Words in Chinese
| Chinese | Pinyin | English | Korean | Japanese |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 车(子) | chē(zi) | Car | 자동차 | 車 |
| 地铁 | dìtiě | Subway | 지하철 | 地下鉄 |
| 飞机 | fēijī | Airplane | 비행기 | 飛行機 |
| 公交车 | gōngjiāochē | Bus | 버스 | バス |
| 火车 | huǒchē | Train | 기차 | 電車 |
| 自行车 | zìxíngchē | Bicycle | 자전거 | 自転車 |
| 出租车 | chūzūchē | Taxi | 택시 | タクシー |
💡 Bus, bicycle, and taxi aren’t just written differently in Taiwan and China — they’re completely different words, not simplified/traditional versions of the same one. Taiwan says 公车, 脚踏车, and 计程车; China says 公交车, 自行车, and 出租车.
Putting it all together
Examples
天氣那麼熱，我們搭計程車去吧天气那么热，我们搭出租车去吧 It is so hot, let’s take a cab!
Test yourself
Vocabulary Quiz
