Chinese for English speakers
A free Anki deck of Chinese words with English translations, built in your browser.
3,357 words · 36 modules · Anki deck: AnkiGen::中文 (English)
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AnkiGen builds free Anki decks right in your browser: words by topic, each with its translation and example sentences. Choose the modules and what each card shows, then download an .apkg file for Anki or AnkiDroid. No account, nothing to install.
What the cards show
Each card shows the word you are learning and its translation. You choose what else it shows, and on which side:
- Romanization
- The word in Latin letters: Hepburn (Japanese), pinyin (Chinese), Revised Romanization (Korean), transliteration (Russian, Armenian, Greek). For Chinese it also controls pinyin in example sentences.
- Measure word / counter
- The classifier used when counting this noun (一本书, 鉛筆を三本).
- Key forms
- The few forms you need to use the word: plural, genitive, past tense, aspect partner, verb class… not full tables.
- Examples
- Example sentences with the word highlighted. Use the slider to choose how many (0–3).
- Example translations
- Shows each example in your language when a matching translation exists. Some examples are written natively and have no translation.
- Antonyms & related
- Opposites and closely related words, in the language you are learning.
- Part of speech
- noun, verb, adjective…
- Register
- Marks informal, formal, vulgar or offensive words.
- Emoji
- A picture hint for concrete words (💧 water). Most abstract words have none.
- Concept ID
- A tiny code at the bottom of the card (e.g. word-water). If you find a mistake while studying in Anki, include this code in your report so we can find the exact entry.
- Reverse cards
- Adds a second card per word: your language → the language you learn. On reverse cards everything about the learned word moves to the answer side so nothing gives the answer away.
- Type the answer
- On reverse cards you type the word instead of just recalling it. Anki compares your spelling with the main form (articles included, stress marks ignored).
Modules
A word that belongs to several modules is in the deck once. Each module opens AnkiGen with just that module chosen; you can add more there.
Foundations
-
Core I 500 words
The ~500 most frequent words shared by all languages.
- 我 — I
- 明天 — tomorrow
- 盒子 — box
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Core II 498 words
The next ~500 most frequent words.
- 一月 — January
- 冰淇淋 — ice cream
- 而是 — instead
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Core III 797 words
The next ~800 most frequent words.
- 接受 — accept
- 国际 — international
- 通知 (verb) — inform
-
Numbers & math 116 words
Cardinal and ordinal numbers, fractions, arithmetic, measurements.
- 百万 — million
- 乘以 — times · multiplied by
- 厘米 — centimeter
-
Time & calendar 124 words
Days, months, seasons, clock time, dates, frequency.
- 休息日 — day off · free day
- 准时 — on time · punctually
- 时区 — time zone
Communication
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Survival phrases 121 words
Greetings, politeness and whole sentences for everyday situations.
- 欢迎 (phrase) — welcome (greeting a guest)
- 我需要帮助 — I need help
- 我有预订 — I have a reservation
Words only this language has: 1 word, such as 辛苦了. Other languages have no exact word for these, so your cards explain them in your language.
-
Countries, nationalities & languages 133 words
Major countries, their people, adjectives and languages.
- 欧洲 — Europe
- 奥地利 — Austria
- 荷兰语 — Dutch
-
Language learning 122 words
Talking about language: grammar terms, pronunciation, asking for help.
- 名词 — noun
- 语法性别 — grammatical gender · gender
- 习语 — idiom
Daily life
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Family & relationships 109 words
Relatives, partners, friends, life events.
- 奶奶 — grandmother (father's side) · grandma
- 舅舅 — uncle (mother's side)
- 新娘 — bride
-
Feelings & character 131 words
Emotions, moods, personality traits.
- 喜悦 — joy
- 惭愧 — ashamed
- 有抱负 — ambitious
-
Food & drinks 215 words
Groceries, dishes, drinks, eating out.
- 樱桃 — cherry
- 莳萝 — dill
- 汉堡 — burger · hamburger
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Cooking & kitchen 103 words
Cooking verbs, utensils, appliances, recipes.
- 水壶 — kettle
- 汤匙 — tablespoon
- 揉面 — knead
-
Shopping & clothing 170 words
Shops, payment, sizes, clothes, returns.
- 收银员 — cashier
- 跳蚤市场 — flea market
- 袖子 — sleeve
-
Housing & renting 83 words
Renting, contracts, landlords, utilities, rooms.
- 房东 — landlord
- 单身公寓 — studio apartment · studio
- 看房 — viewing · showing
-
Household & repair 169 words
Chores, furniture, tools, repairs, plumbing, electricity.
- 洗衣机 — washing machine · washer
- 漂白剂 — bleach
- 锯子 — saw (cutting tool)
-
Weather & nature 144 words
Weather, climate, landscape, plants.
- 酷暑 — heat (hot weather) · heat wave
- 橡树 — oak · oak tree
- 悬崖 — cliff
-
Pets & animals 100 words
Pets, pet care, vet visits, common animals.
- 宠物 — pet
- 喵喵叫 — meow
- 鲸鱼 — whale
Getting around
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City & directions 110 words
Places in town, asking and giving directions.
- 市政府 — city hall · town hall
- 美术馆 — art gallery · gallery
- 步行街 — pedestrian zone · pedestrian area
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Transport & travel 135 words
Public transport, tickets, airports, hotels, luggage.
- 铁路 — railroad · railway
- 值机 — check-in
- 渡轮 — ferry
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Driving & road rules 144 words
Car parts, traffic rules, road signs, license exams, fines, accidents.
- 方向盘 — steering wheel
- 减速 — slow down
- 酒驾 — drunk driving · DUI
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Signs & notices 59 words
What you read on doors, shops and streets: Push, Exit, Out of order.
- 推 (phrase) — push (door sign)
- 已预订 — reserved
- 免费入场 — free entry · free admission
Living abroad
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Residence & legalization 108 words
Visas, permits, registration, documents, offices — plus country-specific terms.
- 签证 — visa
- 海牙认证 — apostille
- 批准 — approve
Words only this language has: 2 words, such as 户口. Other languages have no exact word for these, so your cards explain them in your language.
-
Money & banking 110 words
Accounts, cards, transfers, taxes, loans.
- 自动取款机 — ATM · cash machine
- 付款 — payment
- 诈骗 — fraud
-
Work & employment 165 words
Jobs, contracts, salary, office life, job hunting.
- 简历 — resume · CV
- 升职 — promotion
- 客户 — client
Words only this language has: 1 word, such as 辛苦了. Other languages have no exact word for these, so your cards explain them in your language.
-
Post, phone & internet 65 words
Parcels, SIM cards, mobile plans, internet, accounts.
- 挂号信 — registered letter · registered mail
- 手机流量 — mobile data · cellular data
- 退出登录 — log out · sign out
-
Education 91 words
School, university, courses, exams.
- 小学 — elementary school · grade school
- 尺子 — ruler
- 论文 — thesis
Health & safety
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Health & medicine 198 words
Body, symptoms, doctors, pharmacy, insurance.
- 额头 — forehead
- 便秘 — constipation
- 妇科医生 — gynecologist
-
Emergencies 108 words
Police, fire, ambulance, accidents, disasters.
- 紧急情况 — emergency
- 疏散 — evacuate
- 失踪人员 — missing person
Interests
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Hobbies 116 words
Common pastimes, crafts, collecting, outdoor activities.
- 园艺 — gardening
- 木工 — woodworking
- 空闲时间 — free time · spare time, leisure time
-
Sports 101 words
Sports, equipment, competitions, fitness.
- 足球 — soccer · football
- 冲浪 — surfing
- 球网 — net (sports)
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Music 68 words
Instruments, genres, playing and listening.
- 吉他 — guitar
- 和弦 — chord
- 乐谱 — sheet music
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Video games 93 words
Gaming vocabulary for playing and chatting.
- 电子游戏 — video game · computer game
- 道具 — item
- 赛车游戏 — racing game
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Tabletop games 79 words
Dice, cards, turns and rules — for game nights.
- 骰子 — dice
- 象 — bishop (chess)
- 多米诺骨牌 — dominoes
-
Tech & computers 133 words
Devices, software, the web, troubleshooting.
- 键盘 — keyboard
- 上网搜索 — search online · look up online
- 智能手机 — smartphone
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Science 101 words
Basic vocabulary of physics, chemistry, biology, astronomy.
- 天文学 — astronomy
- 重力 — gravity
- 火星 — Mars
18+
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Profanity 18+ 30 words
Swear words and insults, matched by strength across languages.
How it works
- Choose the modules you want. Each one shows how many words it has for your pair.
- Choose what each card shows, and on which side. The preview shows real cards as you go.
- Download the .apkg file and open it with Anki (File → Import), or tap it on your phone to open it in AnkiDroid.
Changed fields, added modules, or want newer data? Download again and import the new file into Anki (File → Import) with the default options. Anki updates your existing notes and their layout, adds new words to the same deck, and keeps your review progress.
About the vocabulary
Words, translations and example sentences were drafted with an AI model and are being checked by people, language by language. If something looks wrong, select it on a preview card in AnkiGen and press Ctrl+Enter (⌘+Enter on a Mac), or use the Feedback button there. Every report helps fix the deck for everyone.
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