It’s true that living in a country where English is not the primary language is difficult. But that shouldn’t scare away newcomers in Beijing as staying here can be a learning experience. New expats, and even those who’ve been here for quite a time, mostly find it hard to find common household items in stores because of the language barrier. So here’s a list of some items and their Chinese names to help you (clue: you can copy-paste these words and then shop in any Chinese online stores and you’ll be amazed by the wealth of choices!)
House
Ceiling – 房顶儿 fángdǐngr
Door – 门 mén
Floor – 地板 dìbǎn
Light – 灯 dēng
Roof – 屋顶 wūdǐng
Room – 房间 fángjiān
Wall – 墙 qiáng
Window – 窗口 chuāngkǒu
Bedroom – 房间 fángjiān
Bed – 床 chuáng
Bed sheet – 床单 chuángdān
Cabinet – 柜子 guìzi
Desk – 书桌 shūzhuō
Desk calendar – 台历 táilì
Pillow – 枕头 zhěntou
Stool – 凳子 dèngzǐ
Kitchen
Kitchen stuff
Chair – 椅子 yǐzi
Dishwasher – 洗碗机 xǐ wǎn jī
Freezer – 冰柜 bīngguì
Microwave oven – 微波炉 wéibōlú
Oven – 烤箱 kǎoxiāng
Pitcher – 瓶罐 píng guàn
Refrigerator – 冰箱 bīngxiāng
Stove – 音箱 yīnxiāng
Table – 桌子 zhuōzi
Items for cooking and food preparation
Blender – 搅拌机 jiǎobànjī
Bottle – 瓶子 píngzi
Bowl – 碗 wǎn
Chopsticks – 筷子 kuàizi
Cup – 杯子 bēizi
Fork – 叉子 chāzi
Frying pan – 平底锅 píngdǐ guō
Glass – 玻璃杯 bōlí bēi
Juicer – 榨汁器 zhà zhī qì
Kettle – 水壶 shuǐhú
Knife – 刀子 dāozi
Ladle – 汤壳 tāng ké
Napkin – 餐巾纸 cānjīnzhǐ
Plate – 盘子 pánzi
Sauce pan – 炖锅 dùn guō
Spoon – 勺子 sháozi
Living Room
Electronics
Air conditioner – 空调 kòngtiáo
DVD player – DVD机 DVD jī
Heater – 暖气 nuǎnqì
Flat iron – 晕头 yūn tóu
Television – 电视 diànshì
Vacuum cleaner – 吸尘器 xīchénqì
Other items
Broom – 扫帚 sàozhǒu
Coat rack – 衣帽架 yī mào jià
Curtain – 窗帘 chuānglián
Dust pan – 簸箕 bòji
Hanger – 衣架 yījià
Ironing board – 熨衣板 yùn yī bǎn
Mop – 拖把 tuōbǎ
Rag – 抹布 mābù
Sofa – 沙发 shāfā
Trash can – 垃圾桶 lèsè tǒng
Toilet, comfort room, restroom – 卫生间 wèishēngjiān
Bath tub – 浴缸 yùgāng
Bucket – 桶 tǒng
Clothes dryer – 烘干机 hōng gān jī
Mirror – 镜子 jìngzi
Paper towel – 纸巾 zhǐjīn
Plunger – 搋子 chuāi zi
Scale – 秤 chèng
Toilet – 马桶 mǎtǒng
Toothbrush 牙刷 yáshuā
Toothpaste 牙膏 yágāo
Shampoo – 洗发水 xǐ fǎ shuǐ
Shower – 淋浴 línyù
Sink – 水槽 shuǐcáo
Soap bar 肥皂 féizào
Towel – 毛巾 máojīn
Washing machine – 洗衣机 xǐyījī
Photo: Pexels, tiniiiii, jarmoluk, 5288973 via Pixabay
This story first appeared on beijingkids as part of my weekly Mandarin Monday column. See more of my stories here.
Email: andypenafuerte@beijing-kids.com
Instagram: @coolkidandy