For expat students living in China, understanding Chinese characters for home life and daily chores (家庭生活, jiātíng shēnghuó) is essential to manage your apartment or house, communicate with roommates or family members, and handle daily routines smoothly. From cleaning (打扫, dǎsǎo) to cooking (做饭, zuò fàn), these words will make everyday life easier and help you feel at home.
In this post, we will cover practical vocabulary, useful phrases, and example sentences for typical home life situations.
Basic Home Vocabulary
When you first move into a home, it’s important to know words for different rooms and furniture. Common words include home (家, jiā), bedroom (卧室, wòshì), living room (客厅, kètīng), kitchen (厨房, chúfáng), and bathroom (浴室, yùshì). Example sentences:
我的家很温馨 (wǒ de jiā hěn wēnxīn) – My home is very cozy.
卧室里有一张大床 (wòshì lǐ yǒu yī zhāng dà chuáng) – There is a big bed in the bedroom.
客厅里有一台电视 (kètīng lǐ yǒu yī tái diànshì) – There is a TV in the living room.
厨房里有很多锅和碗 (chúfáng lǐ yǒu hěn duō guō hé wǎn) – There are many pots and bowls in the kitchen.
Daily Chores
Managing chores is a big part of daily life. Words like clean (打扫, dǎsǎo), wash (洗, xǐ), sweep (扫, sǎo), mop (拖地, tuōdì), and laundry (洗衣服, xǐ yīfú) are useful. Example sentences:
我每天早上打扫房间 (wǒ měitiān zǎoshang dǎsǎo fángjiān) – I clean my room every morning.
请洗碗后放回橱柜 (qǐng xǐ wǎn hòu fàng huí chúguì) – Please wash the dishes and put them back in the cabinet.
妈妈在扫地 (māma zài sǎodì) – Mom is sweeping the floor.
晚上我拖地保持干净 (wǎnshàng wǒ tuōdì bǎochí gānjìng) – I mop the floor at night to keep it clean.
Cooking and Food Preparation
Cooking is an important part of home life. Words like cook (做饭, zuò fàn), chop (切, qiē), boil (煮, zhǔ), fry (炒, chǎo), and ingredients (食材, shícái) are essential. Example sentences:
我今天做晚饭 (wǒ jīntiān zuò wǎnfàn) – I am cooking dinner today.
请切蔬菜 (qǐng qiē shūcài) – Please chop the vegetables.
妈妈在煮汤 (māma zài zhǔ tāng) – Mom is boiling soup.
我喜欢炒饭 (wǒ xǐhuān chǎofàn) – I like fried rice.
冰箱里有很多新鲜的食材 (bīngxiāng lǐ yǒu hěn duō xīnxiān de shícái) – There are many fresh ingredients in the fridge.
Home Maintenance and Organization
Maintaining and organizing your home is part of everyday life. Words like organize (整理, zhěnglǐ), repair (修理, xiūlǐ), furniture (家具, jiājù), and decoration (装饰, zhuāngshì) are commonly used. Example sentences:
我整理了书架 (wǒ zhěnglǐ le shūjià) – I organized the bookshelf.
房子里有一些东西需要修理 (fángzi lǐ yǒu yīxiē dōngxī xūyào xiūlǐ) – Some things in the house need repair.
新家具很漂亮 (xīn jiājù hěn piàoliang) – The new furniture is beautiful.
墙上有漂亮的装饰 (qiáng shàng yǒu piàoliang de zhuāngshì) – There is beautiful decoration on the wall.
Shopping and Supplies for Home
To maintain a home, shopping for supplies is necessary. Words like grocery (杂货, záhuò), supermarket (超市, chāoshì), buy (买, mǎi), price (价格, jiàgé), and receipt (收据, shōujù) are important. Example sentences:
我去超市买杂货 (wǒ qù chāoshì mǎi záhuò) – I go to the supermarket to buy groceries.
这个蔬菜的价格很便宜 (zhège shūcài de jiàgé hěn piányí) – The price of this vegetable is very cheap.
请给我收据 (qǐng gěi wǒ shōujù) – Please give me the receipt.
我们需要买洗衣液和清洁用品 (wǒmen xūyào mǎi xǐyī yè hé qīngjié yòngpǐn) – We need to buy laundry detergent and cleaning supplies.
Practical Communication at Home
Communicating with family or roommates requires phrases like Can you help me? (你能帮我吗, nǐ néng bāng wǒ ma), Please take out the trash (请把垃圾拿出去, qǐng bǎ lājī ná chūqù), and I’m cooking dinner (我在做饭, wǒ zài zuò fàn). Example sentences:
你能帮我洗碗吗 (nǐ néng bāng wǒ xǐ wǎn ma) – Can you help me wash the dishes?
请把垃圾拿出去 (qǐng bǎ lājī ná chūqù) – Please take out the trash.
我在做晚饭，等我一下 (wǒ zài zuò wǎnfàn, děng wǒ yīxià) – I’m cooking dinner, wait for me.
我们一起整理客厅吧 (wǒmen yīqǐ zhěnglǐ kètīng ba) – Let’s organize the living room together.
Relaxation and Leisure at Home
Home life also includes leisure activities. Words like watch TV (看电视, kàn diànshì), read book (看书, kàn shū), play game (玩游戏, wán yóuxì), and rest (休息, xiūxí) are useful. Example sentences:
我喜欢晚上看电视 (wǒ xǐhuān wǎnshàng kàn diànshì) – I like watching TV at night.
周末我会在阳台看书 (zhōumò wǒ huì zài yángtái kàn shū) – I read books on the balcony on weekends.
孩子们在房间里玩游戏 (háizimen zài fángjiān lǐ wán yóuxì) – The kids are playing games in the room.
累了一天后，我们需要休息 (lèi le yī tiān hòu, wǒmen xūyào xiūxí) – After a long day, we need to rest.
New Words
- 打扫 (dǎsǎo) – clean
- 做饭 (zuò fàn) – cook
- 洗衣服 (xǐ yīfú) – do laundry
- 拖地 (tuōdì) – mop
- 厨房 (chúfáng) – kitchen
- 客厅 (kètīng) – living room
- 家具 (jiājù) – furniture
- 杂货 (záhuò) – grocery
- 收据 (shōujù) – receipt
- 装饰 (zhuāngshì) – decoration