Gakuda - Chinese, Japanese & Korean

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[Gakuda - Chinese, Japanese & Korean @Gakudalanguages]

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[Gakuda - Chinese, Japanese & Korean @Gakudalanguages]

Stop always saying 紧张 👀

紧张 (jǐnzhāng) means “nervous” or “tense.” Sometimes you can describe the feeling more precisely.

Depending on the situation, try:

不安 (bù’ān) → uneasy
焦虑 (jiāolǜ) → anxious
忐忑 (tǎntè) → apprehensive, often about an uncertain outcome
有压力 (yǒu yālì) → under pressure
手心出汗 (shǒuxīn chū hàn) → palms are sweating

等结果的时候，我有点忐忑。
Děng jiéguǒ de shíhou, wǒ yǒu diǎn tǎntè.
“I feel a little apprehensive while waiting for the result.”

最近工作太多，我很有压力。
Zuìjìn gōngzuò tài duō, wǒ hěn yǒu yālì.
“I’ve been under a lot of pressure because of work
lately.”

一上台，我就手心出汗。
Yí shàng tái, wǒ jiù shǒuxīn chū hàn.
“My palms start sweating as soon as I go on stage.”

You can name the feeling, explain the pressure, or describe your physical reaction.

Which sounds most like you before a presentation?

[Gakuda - Chinese, Japanese & Korean @Gakudalanguages]

At the airport in Chinese ✈️

Airport: 机场 (jīchǎng)

Flight: 航班 (hángbān)

Boarding pass: 登机牌 (dēngjīpái)

Boarding gate: 登机口 (dēngjīkǒu)

Security check: 安检 (ānjiǎn)

Suitcase: 行李箱 (xínglixiāng)

Seat: 座位 (zuòwèi)

Departure: 出发 (chūfā)

Arrival: 到达 (dàodá)

Delay: 延误 (yánwù)

Where would you like to fly next?

[Gakuda - Chinese, Japanese & Korean @Gakudalanguages]

Useful vocab with 海 (hǎi)

海 (hǎi) sea / ocean

海边 (hǎibiān) seaside

海水 (hǎishuǐ) seawater

海鲜 (hǎixiān) seafood

海洋 (hǎiyáng) ocean

海豚 (hǎitún) dolphin

海报 (hǎibào) poster

Which character should we cover next?

[Gakuda - Chinese, Japanese & Korean @Gakudalanguages]

Rooms in Chinese 🏠

Living room: 客厅 (kètīng)

Bedroom: 卧室 (wòshì)

Kitchen: 厨房 (chúfáng)

Bathroom: 浴室 (yùshì)

Toilet: 卫生间 (wèishēngjiān)

Dining room: 餐厅 (cāntīng)

Study: 书房 (shūfáng)

Garage: 车库 (chēkù)

Basement: 地下室 (dìxiàshì)

Attic: 阁楼 (gélóu)

Which room do you spend the most time in?

[Gakuda - Chinese, Japanese & Korean @Gakudalanguages]

Useful vocab with 房 (fáng)

房 (fáng) house / room

房子 (fángzi) house

房间 (fángjiān) room

厨房 (chúfáng) kitchen

书房 (shūfáng) study / home office

房租 (fángzū) rent

房东 (fángdōng) landlord

Which character should we cover next?

[Gakuda - Chinese, Japanese & Korean @Gakudalanguages]

Stop always saying 奇怪 👀

奇怪 (qíguài) means “strange,” but something unusual isn’t always something wrong.

Depending on what you mean, try:

奇特 (qítè) → unusual / distinctive
古怪 (gǔguài) → odd / eccentric
不寻常 (bù xúncháng) → out of the ordinary
反常 (fǎncháng) → unlike the usual behaviour or pattern
莫名其妙 (mò míng qí miào) → baffling / hard to explain

这座建筑的设计很奇特。
Zhè zuò jiànzhù de shèjì hěn qítè.
“This building has a very unusual design.”

他今天特别安静，有点反常。
Tā jīntiān tèbié ānjìng, yǒu diǎn fǎncháng.
“He’s unusually quiet today. That’s unlike him.”

他莫名其妙地生气了。
Tā mò míng qí miào de shēngqì le.
“He got angry for no apparent reason.”

奇特 can describe something interesting. 反常 compares it with what normally happens.

What kind of “strange” do you mean?

[Gakuda - Chinese, Japanese & Korean @Gakudalanguages]

Accessories in Chinese 👜

Bag: 包 (bāo)

Wallet: 钱包 (qiánbāo)

Watch: 手表 (shǒubiǎo)

Glasses: 眼镜 (yǎnjìng)

Sunglasses: 太阳镜 (tàiyángjìng)

Necklace: 项链 (xiàngliàn)

Ring: 戒指 (jièzhi)

Earrings: 耳环 (ěrhuán)

Bracelet: 手链 (shǒuliàn)

Belt: 腰带 (yāodài)

Which accessory do you wear every day?

[Gakuda - Chinese, Japanese & Korean @Gakudalanguages]

Useful vocab with 脚 (jiǎo)

脚 (jiǎo) foot

脚步 (jiǎobù) footsteps / pace

脚印 (jiǎoyìn) footprint

脚趾 (jiǎozhǐ) toe

脚踝 (jiǎohuái) ankle

山脚 (shānjiǎo) foot of a mountain

赤脚 (chìjiǎo) barefoot

Which character should we cover next?

[Gakuda - Chinese, Japanese & Korean @Gakudalanguages]

Stop always saying 聪明 👀

聪明 (cōngming) means “smart,” but people can impress you in different ways.

Depending on what you mean, try:

机灵 (jīling) → quick-witted / sharp
反应快 (fǎnyìng kuài) → quick to react
有头脑 (yǒu tóunǎo) → sensible / has good judgment
有才华 (yǒu cáihuá) → talented
记性好 (jìxing hǎo) → has a good memory

这孩子很机灵。
Zhè háizi hěn jīling.
“This child is very sharp.”

她很有才华，自己写歌。
Tā hěn yǒu cáihuá, zìjǐ xiě gē.
“She’s very talented. She writes her own songs.”

你记性真好，我都忘了！
Nǐ jìxing zhēn hǎo, wǒ dōu wàng le!
“You have such a good memory! I’d completely forgotten!”

Talent, quick thinking and a good memory aren’t the same skill.

Make your compliment more specific.

[Gakuda - Chinese, Japanese & Korean @Gakudalanguages]

Sea animals in Chinese 🐬

Dolphin: 海豚 (hǎitún)

Whale: 鲸鱼 (jīngyú)

Shark: 鲨鱼 (shāyú)

Octopus: 章鱼 (zhāngyú)

Jellyfish: 水母 (shuǐmǔ)

Sea turtle: 海龟 (hǎiguī)

Seahorse: 海马 (hǎimǎ)

Starfish: 海星 (hǎixīng)

Crab: 螃蟹 (pángxiè)

Seal: 海豹 (hǎibào)

Which one is your favourite?

[Gakuda - Chinese, Japanese & Korean @Gakudalanguages]

Useful vocab with 知 (zhī)

知 (zhī) to know

知道 (zhīdào) to know

知识 (zhīshi) knowledge

通知 (tōngzhī) to notify / notice

知名 (zhīmíng) well-known / famous

知己 (zhījǐ) close friend / confidant

无知 (wúzhī) ignorant / ignorance

Which character should we cover next?

[Gakuda - Chinese, Japanese & Korean @Gakudalanguages]

Stop always saying 难过 👀

难过 (nánguò) means “sad” or “upset.” But different situations bring different feelings.

Depending on what you mean, try:

伤心 (shāngxīn) → sad / heartbroken
失落 (shīluò) → disappointed / feeling let down
沮丧 (jǔsàng) → discouraged / down
委屈 (wěiqu) → hurt by unfair treatment
心疼 (xīnténg) → feel distressed for someone you care about

没收到邀请，我有点失落。
Méi shōudào yāoqǐng, wǒ yǒu diǎn shīluò.
“I feel a little let down because I didn’t get an invitation.”

明明不是我的错，我觉得很委屈。
Míngmíng bú shì wǒ de cuò, wǒ juéde hěn wěiqu.
“It wasn’t my fault at all. I feel unfairly treated.”

看你这么累，我很心疼。
Kàn nǐ zhème lèi, wǒ hěn xīnténg.
“It hurts to see you so exhausted.”

These words help explain what’s behind the sadness.

Which one was new to you?

[Gakuda - Chinese, Japanese & Korean @Gakudalanguages]

Insects in Chinese 🦋

Butterfly: 蝴蝶 (húdié)

Bee: 蜜蜂 (mìfēng)

Ant: 蚂蚁 (mǎyǐ)

Mosquito: 蚊子 (wénzi)

Fly: 苍蝇 (cāngying)

Dragonfly: 蜻蜓 (qīngtíng)

Ladybird: 瓢虫 (piáochóng)

Grasshopper: 蚱蜢 (zhàměng)

Cricket: 蟋蟀 (xīshuài)

Firefly: 萤火虫 (yínghuǒchóng)

Have you ever seen a firefly?

[Gakuda - Chinese, Japanese & Korean @Gakudalanguages]

Useful vocab with 爱 (ài)

爱 (ài) to love / love

爱情 (àiqíng) romantic love

爱好 (àihào) hobby / interest

爱心 (àixīn) kindness / compassion

可爱 (kě’ài) cute / lovely

亲爱 (qīn’ài) dear / beloved

热爱 (rè’ài) to love deeply / to be passionate about

Which character should we cover next?

[Gakuda - Chinese, Japanese & Korean @Gakudalanguages]

Stop always saying 不喜欢 👀

不喜欢 (bù xǐhuan) means “don’t like.” But your reaction might be mild, strong, or simply a matter of taste.

Depending on what you mean, try:

不感兴趣 (bù gǎn xìngqù) → not interested
不太适合我 (bú tài shìhé wǒ) → doesn’t really suit me
不合我的口味 (bù hé wǒ de kǒuwèi) → isn’t to my taste
讨厌 (tǎoyàn) → dislike strongly / hate
受不了 (shòu bu liǎo) → can’t stand

我对足球不感兴趣。
Wǒ duì zúqiú bù gǎn xìngqù.
“I’m not interested in football.”

这道菜不太合我的口味。
Zhè dào cài bú tài hé wǒ de kǒuwèi.
“This dish isn’t really to my taste.”

我受不了这么大的噪音。
Wǒ shòu bu liǎo zhème dà de zàoyīn.
“I can’t stand this much noise.”

Not being interested is a mild response. 讨厌 and 受不了 are much stronger.

Choose the expression that matches how you actually feel.

[Gakuda - Chinese, Japanese & Korean @Gakudalanguages]

Time words in Chinese ⏰

Today: 今天 (jīntiān)

Tomorrow: 明天 (míngtiān)

Yesterday: 昨天 (zuótiān)

The day before yesterday: 前天 (qiántiān)

The day after tomorrow: 后天 (hòutiān)

Now: 现在 (xiànzài)

Just now: 刚才 (gāngcái)

Later / in a moment: 一会儿 (yíhuìr)

Before / in the past: 以前 (yǐqián)

Afterwards / in the future: 以后 (yǐhòu)

Can you use one of these in a sentence?

[Gakuda - Chinese, Japanese & Korean @Gakudalanguages]

Useful vocab with 用 (yòng)

用 (yòng) to use

用法 (yòngfǎ) usage / way of using

有用 (yǒuyòng) useful

使用 (shǐyòng) to use

费用 (fèiyòng) cost / expense

作用 (zuòyòng) effect / function

信用 (xìnyòng) credit / trustworthiness

Which character should we cover next?

[Gakuda - Chinese, Japanese & Korean @Gakudalanguages]

Stop always saying 害怕 👀

害怕 (hàipà) means “afraid.” But sometimes you’re worried, nervous, or just startled.

Depending on what you mean, try:

担心 (dānxīn) → worried
紧张 (jǐnzhāng) → nervous
恐惧 (kǒngjù) → fear / dread, stronger
不敢 (bù gǎn) → don’t dare to
吓了一跳 (xià le yí tiào) → got a fright / was startled

我有点担心明天的考试。
Wǒ yǒu diǎn dānxīn míngtiān de kǎoshì.
“I’m a little worried about tomorrow’s exam.”

我不敢一个人进去。
Wǒ bù gǎn yí ge rén jìnqù.
“I don’t dare go in alone.”

你突然出现，吓了我一跳！
Nǐ tūrán chūxiàn, xià le wǒ yí tiào!
“You appeared out of nowhere and startled me!”

担心 focuses on what might happen. 不敢 explains what you’re afraid to do. 吓了一跳 describes a sudden reaction.

Which expression would you use most?

[Gakuda - Chinese, Japanese & Korean @Gakudalanguages]

Household chores in Chinese 🧹

Wash clothes: 洗衣服 (xǐ yīfu)

Wash dishes: 洗碗 (xǐ wǎn)

Sweep the floor: 扫地 (sǎo dì)

Mop the floor: 拖地 (tuō dì)

Take out the rubbish: 倒垃圾 (dào lājī)

Make the bed: 铺床 (pū chuáng)

Tidy the room: 收拾房间 (shōushi fángjiān)

Wipe the table: 擦桌子 (cā zhuōzi)

Water the plants: 浇花 (jiāo huā)

Hang up the laundry: 晾衣服 (liàng yīfu)

Which chore do you dislike most?

[Gakuda - Chinese, Japanese & Korean @Gakudalanguages]

Useful vocab with 高 (gāo)

高 (gāo) high / tall

高兴 (gāoxìng) happy / pleased

高中 (gāozhōng) senior high school

高手 (gāoshǒu) expert / highly skilled person

高温 (gāowēn) high temperature

身高 (shēngāo) height

提高 (tígāo) to improve / to raise

Which character should we cover next?