🏠 People & Appearance in Chinese
Your Family Tree of Words!
Imagine you’re building a family photo album in Chinese! Each word is like a picture that tells a story about the people around you. Let’s meet everyone!
👨👩👧👦 Family Members
Think of your family as a tree. Each branch has a special name!
Close Family (Your Inner Circle)
| Person | Chinese | Pinyin | Memory Trick |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mom | 妈妈 | māma | Sounds like “mama”! |
| Dad | 爸爸 | bàba | Sounds like “papa”! |
| Older Brother | 哥哥 | gēge | “Gē” sounds like “go” - he goes first! |
| Older Sister | 姐姐 | jiějie | “Jie” - like “jay” the bird, older and wise |
| Younger Brother | 弟弟 | dìdi | “Dì” - little “D” for little bro |
| Younger Sister | 妹妹 | mèimei | “Mei” sounds like “may” - she may be younger! |
Story Time: Little Ming wants to introduce his family:
“这是我妈妈。” (Zhè shì wǒ māma.) = “This is my mom.”
Extended Family (The Bigger Picture)
| Person | Chinese | Pinyin |
|---|---|---|
| Grandpa (dad’s dad) | 爷爷 | yéye |
| Grandma (dad’s mom) | 奶奶 | nǎinai |
| Grandpa (mom’s dad) | 外公 | wàigōng |
| Grandma (mom’s mom) | 外婆 | wàipó |
| Uncle (dad’s brother) | 叔叔 | shūshu |
| Aunt (dad’s sister) | 姑姑 | gūgu |
Fun Fact: In Chinese, you know EXACTLY which grandparent someone means! No confusion!
💕 Relationships
People connect like puzzle pieces. Here’s how to describe those connections!
| Relationship | Chinese | Pinyin | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Friend | 朋友 | péngyou | 他是我的朋友 (He is my friend) |
| Husband | 丈夫 | zhàngfu | |
| Wife | 妻子 | qīzi | |
| Boyfriend | 男朋友 | nán péngyou | “Male friend” = boyfriend! |
| Girlfriend | 女朋友 | nǚ péngyou | “Female friend” = girlfriend! |
| Colleague | 同事 | tóngshì | |
| Classmate | 同学 | tóngxué | |
| Neighbor | 邻居 | línjū |
The Magic Formula:
- 男 (nán) = male/man
- 女 (nǚ) = female/woman
- Just add these to words to change meaning!
🎂 Age-Related Vocabulary
Ages in Chinese are like counting candles on a cake!
| Word | Chinese | Pinyin | Usage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Years old | 岁 | suì | 我五岁 (I am 5 years old) |
| Young | 年轻 | niánqīng | |
| Old | 老 | lǎo | |
| Child | 孩子 | háizi | |
| Adult | 大人 | dàren | “Big person” = adult! |
| Baby | 宝宝 | bǎobao | |
| Teenager | 青少年 | qīngshàonián | |
| Elderly | 老人 | lǎorén | “Old person” |
Asking Age:
“你几岁？” (Nǐ jǐ suì?) = “How old are you?” (for kids) “你多大？” (Nǐ duō dà?) = “How old are you?” (for adults)
🌍 Countries & Nationalities
Every country has its own special name! And to say “person from that country,” just add 人 (rén)!
| Country | Chinese | Nationality |
|---|---|---|
| China | 中国 (Zhōngguó) | 中国人 (Chinese) |
| America | 美国 (Měiguó) | 美国人 (American) |
| England | 英国 (Yīngguó) | 英国人 (British) |
| France | 法国 (Fǎguó) | 法国人 (French) |
| Japan | 日本 (Rìběn) | 日本人 (Japanese) |
| Korea | 韩国 (Hánguó) | 韩国人 (Korean) |
| Germany | 德国 (Déguó) | 德国人 (German) |
| India | 印度 (Yìndù) | 印度人 (Indian) |
The Pattern:
- Most countries end in 国 (guó) = “country”
- Add 人 (rén) = “person” for nationality
- 美 means “beautiful” → 美国 = “Beautiful Country” = America!
🧍 Body Parts
Your body is like a map! Let’s explore from top to bottom!
The Head Zone 👤
| Body Part | Chinese | Pinyin |
|---|---|---|
| Head | 头 | tóu |
| Hair | 头发 | tóufa |
| Face | 脸 | liǎn |
| Eyes | 眼睛 | yǎnjing |
| Nose | 鼻子 | bízi |
| Mouth | 嘴 | zuǐ |
| Ears | 耳朵 | ěrduo |
| Teeth | 牙齿 | yáchǐ |
The Body Zone 💪
| Body Part | Chinese | Pinyin |
|---|---|---|
| Hand | 手 | shǒu |
| Arm | 胳膊 | gēbo |
| Leg | 腿 | tuǐ |
| Foot | 脚 | jiǎo |
| Stomach | 肚子 | dùzi |
| Back | 背 | bèi |
| Heart | 心 | xīn |
Fun Phrase:
“我头疼。” (Wǒ tóu téng.) = “My head hurts.”
🎨 Colors
Colors are like crayons in a box! Each one paints your world!
| Color | Chinese | Pinyin | Memory Trick |
|---|---|---|---|
| Red | 红色 | hóngsè | Lucky color in China! 🧧 |
| Blue | 蓝色 | lánsè | Like the "lan"d and sky |
| Yellow | 黄色 | huángsè | |
| Green | 绿色 | lǜsè | |
| White | 白色 | báisè | “Bái” = blank/white |
| Black | 黑色 | hēisè | |
| Pink | 粉色 | fěnsè | |
| Orange | 橙色 | chéngsè | Like the fruit! |
| Purple | 紫色 | zǐsè | |
| Brown | 棕色 | zōngsè | |
| Gray | 灰色 | huīsè |
Color Formula:
- Color word + 色 (sè) = the color
- 色 means “color”
- You can also use colors without 色 in casual speech!
Example:
“我喜欢蓝色。” (Wǒ xǐhuan lánsè.) = “I like blue.”
👕 Clothing Items
Getting dressed is like building an outfit puzzle!
Upper Body 👔
| Clothing | Chinese | Pinyin |
|---|---|---|
| Shirt | 衬衫 | chènshān |
| T-shirt | T恤 | T xù |
| Jacket | 夹克 | jiákè |
| Coat | 大衣 | dàyī |
| Sweater | 毛衣 | máoyī |
Lower Body 👖
| Clothing | Chinese | Pinyin |
|---|---|---|
| Pants | 裤子 | kùzi |
| Shorts | 短裤 | duǎnkù |
| Skirt | 裙子 | qúnzi |
| Dress | 连衣裙 | liányīqún |
Accessories 👟
| Item | Chinese | Pinyin |
|---|---|---|
| Shoes | 鞋子 | xiézi |
| Hat | 帽子 | màozi |
| Glasses | 眼镜 | yǎnjìng |
| Watch | 手表 | shǒubiǎo |
| Socks | 袜子 | wàzi |
| Belt | 皮带 | pídài |
| Bag | 包 | bāo |
Notice the Pattern?
- Many clothing words end in 子 (zi)!
- 裤子, 裙子, 鞋子, 帽子, 袜子…
Shopping Phrase:
“这件衣服多少钱？” (Zhè jiàn yīfu duōshao qián?) = “How much is this clothing?”
🧠 Quick Review Flow
graph TD A["👨👩👧👦 Family"] --> B["Learn who's who] B --> C[💕 Relationships] C --> D[Connect people] D --> E[🎂 Ages] E --> F[🌍 Countries] F --> G[🧍 Body Parts] G --> H[🎨 Colors] H --> I[👕 Clothes] I --> J[🎉 You're Ready!"]
💡 Memory Tips
- Family words often repeat syllables: 妈妈, 爸爸, 哥哥, 姐姐
- Countries use 国 (country) + 人 (person) for nationality
- Colors end in 色 (color)
- Clothing often ends in 子
- Practice with photos - point and say!
🌟 You Did It!
You just learned over 80 essential Chinese words about people and appearance! That’s like unlocking a whole new world of conversation!
Next Step: Try describing your own family, what you’re wearing, and what colors you like!
“加油！” (Jiāyóu!) = “Keep going! You can do it!”