---
title: "Chinese nouns: 72 Everyday Nouns by Kind, With Pinyin and Audio"
description: "72 everyday Chinese nouns by kind (people, places, time, things, ideas and events, place words), each with pinyin, meaning and sound, and where they go in a sentence. Keep them in one press or print them as flashcards."
canonical: "https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-nouns"
author: "Mandarin The Wild"
---

Free · 72 nouns

# Chinese nouns

The everyday ones by kind, most common first.

[Print as flashcards](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-flashcards?level=mine&words=%E4%BA%BA%20%E5%AD%A9%E5%AD%90%20%E6%9C%8B%E5%8F%8B%20%E5%AD%A6%E7%94%9F%20%E8%80%81%E5%B8%88%20%E5%A5%B3%E4%BA%BA%20%E5%A6%88%E5%A6%88%20%E7%94%B7%E4%BA%BA%20%E5%8C%BB%E7%94%9F%20%E5%90%8C%E5%AD%A6%20%E7%88%B8%E7%88%B8%20%E8%80%81%E6%9D%BF%20%E5%AE%B6%E4%BA%BA%20%E5%AE%A2%E4%BA%BA%20%E5%85%AC%E5%8F%B8%20%E5%AE%B6%20%E5%9B%BD%E5%AE%B6%20%E5%9C%B0%E6%96%B9%20%E5%9F%8E%E5%B8%82%20%E8%B7%AF%20%E6%88%BF%E9%97%B4%20%E5%AD%A6%E6%A0%A1%20%E5%8C%BB%E9%99%A2%20%E9%93%B6%E8%A1%8C%20%E6%9C%BA%E5%9C%BA%20%E5%95%86%E5%BA%97%20%E9%A5%AD%E5%BA%97%20%E5%B9%B4%20%E6%9C%88%20%E6%97%B6%E9%97%B4%20%E6%97%B6%E5%80%99%20%E5%A4%A9%20%E4%BB%8A%E5%A4%A9%20%E5%B0%8F%E6%97%B6%20%E6%99%9A%E4%B8%8A%20%E6%98%A8%E5%A4%A9%20%E6%98%8E%E5%A4%A9%20%E6%97%A9%E4%B8%8A%20%E5%91%A8%E6%9C%AB%20%E6%98%9F%E6%9C%9F%20%E6%89%8B%E6%9C%BA%20%E8%BD%A6%20%E6%B0%B4%20%E9%92%B1%20%E4%B8%9C%E8%A5%BF%20%E9%97%A8%20%E4%B9%A6%20%E7%85%A7%E7%89%87%20%E8%A1%A3%E6%9C%8D%20%E7%94%B5%E8%84%91%20%E9%A5%AD%20%E7%A5%A8%20%E6%A1%8C%E5%AD%90%20%E5%B7%A5%E4%BD%9C%20%E9%97%AE%E9%A2%98%20%E7%94%9F%E6%B4%BB%20%E4%B8%96%E7%95%8C%20%E6%96%87%E5%8C%96%20%E5%85%B3%E7%B3%BB%20%E4%BA%8B%E6%83%85%20%E6%9C%BA%E4%BC%9A%20%E5%90%8D%E5%AD%97%20%E7%BB%8F%E9%AA%8C%20%E5%8A%9E%E6%B3%95%20%E6%84%8F%E6%80%9D%20%E8%AF%AD%E8%A8%80%20%E6%97%81%E8%BE%B9%20%E4%B8%AD%E9%97%B4%20%E5%AF%B9%E9%9D%A2%20%E5%B7%A6%E8%BE%B9%20%E5%8F%B3%E8%BE%B9%20%E5%A4%96%E8%BE%B9)

## People

- [人rénperson; people](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E4%BA%BA)
- [孩子háizichild; kid](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E5%AD%A9%E5%AD%90)
- [朋友péngyoufriend](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E6%9C%8B%E5%8F%8B)
- [学生xuéshēngstudent; pupil](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E5%AD%A6%E7%94%9F)
- [老师lǎoshīteacher](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E8%80%81%E5%B8%88)
- [女人nǚrénwoman](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E5%A5%B3%E4%BA%BA)
- [妈妈māmamom; mother](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E5%A6%88%E5%A6%88)
- [男人nánrénman; men](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E7%94%B7%E4%BA%BA)
- [医生yīshēngdoctor](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E5%8C%BB%E7%94%9F)
- [同学tóngxuéclassmate; fellow student](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E5%90%8C%E5%AD%A6)
- [爸爸bàbadad; father](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E7%88%B8%E7%88%B8)
- [老板lǎobǎnboss; owner (of a shop or business)](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E8%80%81%E6%9D%BF)
- [家人jiārénfamily member; one's family](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E5%AE%B6%E4%BA%BA)
- [客人kèrénguest; visitor](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E5%AE%A2%E4%BA%BA)

## Places

- [公司gōngsīcompany; firm](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E5%85%AC%E5%8F%B8)
- [家jiāhome; family](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E5%AE%B6)
- [国家guójiācountry; nation; state](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E5%9B%BD%E5%AE%B6)
- [地方dìfangplace](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E5%9C%B0%E6%96%B9)
- [城市chéngshìcity; town](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E5%9F%8E%E5%B8%82)
- [路lùroad; path](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E8%B7%AF)
- [房间fángjiānroom](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E6%88%BF%E9%97%B4)
- [学校xuéxiàoschool](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E5%AD%A6%E6%A0%A1)
- [医院yīyuànhospital](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E5%8C%BB%E9%99%A2)
- [银行yínhángbank](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E9%93%B6%E8%A1%8C)
- [机场jīchǎngairport](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E6%9C%BA%E5%9C%BA)
- [商店shāngdiànstore; shop](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E5%95%86%E5%BA%97)
- [饭店fàndiànrestaurant](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E9%A5%AD%E5%BA%97)

## Time

- [年niányear](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E5%B9%B4)
- [月yuèmonth](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E6%9C%88)
- [时间shíjiāntime (a point in time or an amount of time)](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E6%97%B6%E9%97%B4)
- [时候shíhoutime; moment; when](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E6%97%B6%E5%80%99)
- [天tiānday](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E5%A4%A9)
- [今天jīntiāntoday](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E4%BB%8A%E5%A4%A9)
- [小时xiǎoshíhour](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E5%B0%8F%E6%97%B6)
- [晚上wǎnshangevening; night](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E6%99%9A%E4%B8%8A)
- [昨天zuótiānyesterday](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E6%98%A8%E5%A4%A9)
- [明天míngtiāntomorrow](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E6%98%8E%E5%A4%A9)
- [早上zǎoshangmorning](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E6%97%A9%E4%B8%8A)
- [周末zhōumòweekend](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E5%91%A8%E6%9C%AB)
- [星期xīngqīweek](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E6%98%9F%E6%9C%9F)

## Things

- [手机shǒujīmobile phone; cell phone](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E6%89%8B%E6%9C%BA)
- [车chēcar; vehicle](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E8%BD%A6)
- [水shuǐwater](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E6%B0%B4)
- [钱qiánmoney](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E9%92%B1)
- [东西dōngxithing; stuff](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E4%B8%9C%E8%A5%BF)
- [门méndoor; gate](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E9%97%A8)
- [书shūbook](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E4%B9%A6)
- [照片zhàopiànphoto; picture](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E7%85%A7%E7%89%87)
- [衣服yīfuclothes; clothing](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E8%A1%A3%E6%9C%8D)
- [电脑diànnǎocomputer](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E7%94%B5%E8%84%91)
- [饭fànmeal](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E9%A5%AD)
- [票piàoticket](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E7%A5%A8)
- [桌子zhuōzitable; desk](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E6%A1%8C%E5%AD%90)

## Ideas and events

- [工作gōngzuòwork; job](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E5%B7%A5%E4%BD%9C)
- [问题wèntíproblem; issue](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E9%97%AE%E9%A2%98)
- [生活shēnghuólife](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E7%94%9F%E6%B4%BB)
- [世界shìjièworld](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E4%B8%96%E7%95%8C)
- [文化wénhuàculture](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E6%96%87%E5%8C%96)
- [关系guānxìrelation; relationship](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E5%85%B3%E7%B3%BB)
- [事情shìqingmatter; affair; thing; business](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E4%BA%8B%E6%83%85)
- [机会jīhuìopportunity; chance](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E6%9C%BA%E4%BC%9A)
- [名字míngziname](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E5%90%8D%E5%AD%97)
- [经验jīngyànexperience](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E7%BB%8F%E9%AA%8C)
- [办法bànfǎway; method; means](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E5%8A%9E%E6%B3%95)
- [意思yìsimeaning; idea](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E6%84%8F%E6%80%9D)
- [语言yǔyánlanguage](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E8%AF%AD%E8%A8%80)

## Place words

- [旁边pángbiānbeside; next to; nearby](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E6%97%81%E8%BE%B9)
- [中间zhōngjiānmiddle; center](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E4%B8%AD%E9%97%B4)
- [对面duìmiànopposite; across the way](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E5%AF%B9%E9%9D%A2)
- [左边zuǒbianleft; left side](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E5%B7%A6%E8%BE%B9)
- [右边yòubianright side; the right](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E5%8F%B3%E8%BE%B9)
- [外边wàibianoutside](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E5%A4%96%E8%BE%B9)

## Do Chinese nouns have a plural?

No. 书 (shū) is “book” and “books”; the number or the context says how many. Only words for people can add 们 for a group: 朋友们 (péngyoumen, friends), 老师们 (teachers). Nouns have no gender and no articles either, so there is no “a” or “the”.

## Why is there a word between a number and a noun?

Chinese counts with a measure word: 一本书 (yì běn shū, a book), 两个人 (liǎng ge rén, two people), 三张票 (three tickets). 个 works with most nouns; the right one sounds natural.

## How do place words like 上边 and 里边 work?

They come after the noun, not before it: 桌子上边 (on the table), 房间里边 (in the room), 学校旁边 (next to the school). With 在 the phrase says where: 书在桌子上 (the book is on the table).

## More words

- [Chinese measure words](https://mandarinthewild.com/measure-words)
- [Chinese words by topic](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-vocabulary)
- [Chinese adjectives](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-adjectives)

Ordered by our own count of Chinese web text (FineWeb-2, ODC-By). Meanings from our own dictionary.