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Dictionary

Browse standard Chinglish tokens, Chinese mappings, pinyin and usage notes.

100 words

take

To pick up, hold, or carry an object, with a separate contextual transport mapping.

when

什么时候

shén me shí hou

A question token for an unknown time or occasion.

what

什么

shén me

A question token for an unknown thing, action, or item of information.

who

shuí

A question token used when the unknown semantic unit is a person.

tell

告诉

gào su

To communicate information to a person or group identified as recipient.

say

shuō

To express words or a statement without necessarily naming a recipient.

see

看见

kàn jiàn

To perceive or encounter someone or something visually.