Chinese Words

Chinese Words

Basic Words

Yes: shì
No: bú shì
Thank you: xìe xìe
Thank you very much: fei- cháng gàn xìe / henv gàn xìe
You're welcome: bu yong xie
Please: qíng
Excuse me: qivng ràng, dui bu qi
Hello: Ni hao
Goodbye: zài jiàn
Good morning: zaov an.
Good afternoon: wuv an.
Good evening: wanv shàng haov.
Good night: wanv an.

Days of the Week

The modern Chinese names for the days of the week are based on a simple numerical sequence. The word for 'week' is followed by a number indicating the day: 'Monday' is literally 'week one', 'Tuesday' is 'week two', etc. The exception is Sunday, where "tian" or "ri", both meaning 'day', are used instead of a number ( "ri" is somewhat more formal than "tian"). The officially preferred term for 'week' is "xing-qi".
Monday: xing- qi- yi-.
Tuesday: xing- qi- èr
Wednesday: xing- qi- san-.
Thursday: xing- qi- sì
Friday: xing- qi- wuv.
Saturday: xing- qi- liù
Sunday: xing- qi- rì / xing- qi- tiàn

Months

Chinese Philosophy has developed 64 Hexagrams (sets of 6 lines of Yin and Yang) made up from all the possible combinations of pairs of the Trigrams. Each Hexagram has a specific interpretation which is used to determine the likely effect of different choices and changes in the life of the diviner.

In particular the Chinese link 12 of the Hexagrams (The Sovereign Hexagrams) to the 12 months of the year. These hexagrams reflect the cycle of Yin and Yang as they increase and decrease during the year.
December: Fu (hexagram 24)
January: Lin (hexagram 19)
February: T'ai (hexagram 11)
March: Ta Chuang (hexagram 34)
April: Kuai (hexagram 43)
May: Ch'ien (hexagram 1)
June: Kou (hexagram 44)
July: Tun (hexagram 33)
August: P'i (hexagram 12)
September: Kuan (hexagram 20)
October: Po (hexagram 23)
November: K'un (hexagram 2)

Eating

Bread: miàn bao-.
Beverage: yinv liào
Coffee: ka- fei-.
Tea: chá
Juice: guov zhi-.
Water: shuiv.
Beer: pí jiuv.
Wine: jiuv.
Salt: yán
Pepper: hú jiao-.
Meat: roù
Beef: niú roù
Pork: zhu- roù
Fish: yú
Poultry: jia- qinv.
Vegetable: cài
Fruit: shuiv guov.
Potato: mav líng shuv.
Salad: sa- là
Dessert: tián pinv.
Ice cream: bing- qi- lín / xuev gào

Family

Wife: qi- ziv.
Husband: zhàng fu-.
Daughter: nüv er
Son: ér zi
Mother: ma- ma
Father: ba- ba
Friend: péng youv.

Directions

Left: zuov.
Right: yòu
Straight: zhí
Up: shàng
Down: xià
Far: yuanv.
Near: jìn
Long: cháng
Short: duanv.
Map: dì tù

In the city

Tourist Information: liuv yóu wèn xún chù
Post office: yóu jú
Museum: bó wú guanv.
Bank: yín háng
Police station: jingv chá jú
Hospital: yi- yuàn
Pharmacy, Chemists: yào fáng
Store, Shop: diàn
Restaurant: jiuv lóu
School: xúe xiáo
Church: jiào táng
Restrooms: xiv shouv jian-.
Street: jie-.
Square: fang-, guang chang
Tower: tav.
Bridge: qiáo

Colours

heisè: black
huisè: grey
yínsè: silver
misè: beige
báisè: white
hóngsè: red
chéngsè: orange
jinsè: gold
huángsè: yellow
lusè: green
tianlán: sky blue
haijunlán: navy blue
lánsè: blue
wèilán: azure
fenhóngsè: pink
zisè: purple
zongsè: brown

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