The Mandarin Chinese language has over 50,000 characters (although you don’t need to learn that many!) and there are probably over 300,000 Chinese words. But just like characters, you don’t need to learn that much vocabulary. To learn Chinese vocabulary, you can study the conventional HSK books, or follow special courses developed by GoEast, such as Spoken Chinese Language and Business Chinese. But there will always be words that fall outside of any category, which is why we made this article.

Chinese HSK vocabulary (1 to 6)

The official Chinese language learning, HSK, is both popular and clever, and beginner-friendly. The amount of words double each level, so after finishing HSK1 you’ll know 150 Chinese words. The amount of Chinese vocabulary you’ll know after subsequent levels: HSK2 300, HSK3 600, HSK4 1200, HSK5 2500, HSK6 5000. Don’t be too daunted by the seemingly impossible task of learning 5000 words for HSK6: it’s definitely easy to learn 2500 words if you’ve already learned 2500.

At GoEast Mandarin we’ve developed a full HSK vocabulary list for you. The list is rather big: 5000 words, including Chinese Hanzi characters, Pinyin pronunciation, and English translation. Leave your email here and we’ll send it to you, along with weekly learning tips (you can always unsubscribe).

Extracurricular Chinese vocabulary

On our social media channels, we’ve often posted vocabulary cards with Chinese words on a specific topic. Here we list them out for you!

Scroll down for vocabulary in Chinese for:

• Star Wars
• Pokémon
• Yoga and meditation
• Job hunting
• Working from home
• Romantic
• LGBT terms
• Back to school
• Spring terms
• Summer vocabulary
• Teacher Day
• Mother’s Day
• International Woman’s Day
• Halloween
• Werewolves
• Coronavirus
• Car names
• (Alternative) military terms
• Hotpot

Star Wars vocabulary in Chinese

Here’s the Chinese Star Wars vocabulary you are looking for. This will be less funny if you’re aren’t into Wookies and Star Destroyers, but you can still use these words when your Chinese friends insist to talk about the latest Star Wars movie with you.

Pokémon names in Chinese

You know Psyduck and Pikachu, but do you know their Mandarin names? More about Pokémon in Chinese here.

Yoga and meditation terms in Chinese

Because who doesn’t need some calming down these days?

Chinese job-hunting words

Are you learning Chinese to help your job prospects? Here are some useful vocabulary terms.

Working from home vocab

It’s what everybody is doing these days, no? Well, now you can talk about it in Mandarin.

Romantic Chinese vocabulary

Here are some of the best of the worst pick-up lines & vocab for Valentine’s Day, 520, or any date you have. (We give no guarantees all this smooth-talking will get you anywhere, but at least your Mandarin words will be correct.)

LGBT vocabulary in Mandarin in Chinese

This list isn’t all-inclusive, but hopefully, it’ll help you to talk in a more accurate and respectful way when chatting about LGBT topics in Mandarin — so you’re not left in the dark as your friends and colleagues discuss more diverse topics.

Back to school vocabulary

Go back to school well-prepared with these Chinese words.

Chinese spring vocabulary

For when spring is in the air: time of lambs and hayfever. Learn to express your joy in Chinese words.

Chinese Summer vocabulary

Learn to complain about the hot temperatures in Chinese with this vocabulary list.

Teacher’s Day in Chinese words

How to call teachers around the world in Chinese. Just add thank you and a gift!

Mother’s Day Chinese vocabulary

How to call all sorts of mommies in Chinese.

International Women’s Day

Lost for words to describe an amazing woman? We’re here to help (ahead of International Woman’s Day).

Halloween Chinese vocabulary

Getting dressed up for Halloween? Make sure you’re not just 可怕kěpà, but also linguistically correct. Know the right Chinese words with this Halloween list.

Werewolves vocabulary in Chinese

Here’s vocabulary for this game in Chinese, which we also play in our online events.

Novel coronavirus in Mandarin

It’s what’s everybody is thinking and talking about at the beginning of 2020. Here are some terms in Chinese Hanzi & Pinyin for you to learn about the novel coronavirus.

Car (nick)names in Chinese

“Fat dragon”, “Don’t touch me” and other car nicknames in Chinese.

Military vocabulary in Chinese

Military vocabulary for the Military Parade in China. But while we like men and women in suits, we’re not a huge fan of guns and everything. So here are some alternative terms instead.

Chinese Hotpot vocabulary

See the list of hotpot vocabulary in more detail in this article.

Football vocabulary in Chinese

Know what to say in Chinese to the telly or your friends. Shout it in Mandarin Chinese, but do it amicably.

Olympic Games vocabulary in Chinese

The Olympic Games, with more than two hundred countries participating, are considered the world’s biggest sports competition. How’s your home country doing? Use these words to talk about it in Mandarin with Chinese friends.