This random Chinese word generator deals everyday Mandarin words of two or more characters, in simplified characters with pinyin. Say what each one means, then tap its cover to check the meaning and the part of speech.
Read the full guide
Read, say, then tap
Press Pick 5 new Chinese words. Read each word aloud from its pinyin, say the meaning, then tap Show meaning. The Word type list under the button narrows the draw to nouns, verbs, adjectives, time and place words, greetings and small words, or phrases and idioms.
Phrases and idioms
The last group holds fixed expressions such as 生日快乐 (shēngrì kuàilè, happy birthday) and four-character idioms such as 熟能生巧 (shúnéngshēngqiǎo, practice makes perfect). For random Chinese phrases only, choose Phrases and idioms. Each has a dictionary entry of its own; none is a sentence we composed.
Tips
Marks over the vowels are tones; the unmarked last syllable of 朋友 (péngyou) has the neutral tone.
Random Chinese words stick better said aloud: read all five before you uncover any.
Questions and answers
Why is the pinyin written with tone marks?
Mandarin has four main tones and a neutral one, and each syllable has a tone. Pinyin shows the four with a mark over a vowel and leaves the neutral tone unmarked.
Are the words simplified or traditional?
Simplified characters, the standard in mainland China, Malaysia and Singapore. Where the traditional spelling differs, the dictionary entry we checked is filed under it, and the card still prints the simplified word.
What is a four-character idiom?
A chengyu: a traditional set phrase, most of them four characters long. 入乡随俗 (rùxiāngsuísú) means when in Rome, do as the Romans do. The card gives the meaning its dictionary entry gives.
Where do the readings and meanings come from?
From each word's entry on English Wiktionary: the pinyin, the part of speech and the meaning. A word stays only if the CC-CEDICT dictionary gives the same pinyin. The choice of words is ours, from no exam list.
对牛弹琴 (duìniútánqín)To talk about something one's listener cannot understand. Verb.
各种各样 (gèzhǒnggèyàng)All kinds of. Idiom.
画龙点睛 (huàlóngdiǎnjīng)To add the finishing touch. Idiom.
画蛇添足 (huàshétiānzú)To add something unnecessary; to gild the lily. Idiom.
脚踏实地 (jiǎotàshídì)To have one's feet on the ground; realistic and steady. Idiom.
加油 (jiāyóu)To cheer someone on; to make an extra effort; to refuel. Verb.
井底之蛙 (jǐngdǐzhīwā)A person with a narrow view (a frog at the bottom of a well). Idiom.
锦上添花 (jǐnshàngtiānhuā)To make what is perfect still more perfect. Idiom.
九牛一毛 (jiǔniúyīmáo)A drop in the bucket. Idiom.
理所当然 (lǐsuǒdāngrán)As a matter of course. Idiom.
乱七八糟 (luànqībāzāo)In a mess. Idiom.
没问题 (méiwèntí)No problem. Interjection.
莫名其妙 (mòmíngqímiào)Baffling; for no clear reason. Idiom.
全力以赴 (quánlìyǐfù)To go all out. Idiom.
人山人海 (rénshānrénhǎi)Very crowded with people. Idiom.
入乡随俗 (rùxiāngsuísú)When in Rome, do as the Romans do. Idiom.
塞翁失马 (sàiwēngshīmǎ)A blessing in disguise. Idiom.
三心二意 (sānxīn'èryì)Half-hearted; of two minds. Idiom.
生日快乐 (shēngrì kuàilè)Happy birthday. Phrase.
守株待兔 (shǒuzhūdàitù)To wait idly for a stroke of luck. Idiom.
熟能生巧 (shúnéngshēngqiǎo)Practice makes perfect. Idiom.
亡羊补牢 (wángyángbǔláo)To act belatedly; to close the stable door after the horse has bolted. Idiom.
万事如意 (wànshìrúyì)May all your hopes be fulfilled; all the best. Idiom.
五颜六色 (wǔyánliùsè)Of many colors. Idiom.
无忧无虑 (wúyōuwúlǜ)Carefree. Idiom.
小心翼翼 (xiǎoxīnyìyì)With great care. Idiom.
兴高采烈 (xìnggāocǎiliè)Elated; delighted. Idiom.
新年快乐 (xīnnián kuàilè)Happy New Year. Phrase.
心想事成 (xīnxiǎngshìchéng)May your wishes come true. Proverb.
雪中送炭 (xuězhōngsòngtàn)To give help when it is most needed. Idiom.
掩耳盗铃 (yǎn'ěrdàolíng)To fool oneself; to bury one's head in the sand. Idiom.
一帆风顺 (yīfānfēngshùn)To go smoothly all the way. Idiom.
一举两得 (yījǔliǎngdé)To gain two things with one action. Idiom.
一路平安 (yīlùpíng'ān)Have a safe trip. Interjection.
一心一意 (yīxīnyīyì)Wholeheartedly. Idiom.
愚公移山 (yúgōngyíshān)To be resolute, whatever the hardship. Idiom.
自言自语 (zìyánzìyǔ)To talk to oneself. Verb.
自由自在 (zìyóuzìzài)Free and at ease. Idiom.
How this list was compiled: Everyday Mandarin words of two or more characters, in simplified characters, with fixed phrases and four-character idioms in a group of their own. Each word's part of speech and meaning come from its own entry on English Wiktionary (wikitext read through https://en.wiktionary.org/w/api.php on 2026-10-01, 40 titles to a request, text under CC BY-SA 4.0; the entry's address is in x.src), Chinese section; where the page for the simplified spelling only points to the traditional one, the check followed the pointer, x.src names the page read and x.trad gives that spelling. The pinyin is the Mandarin reading in the entry's pronunciation box (its first reading; where the box writes 一 or 不 inside a reading, the character's own reading yī or bù stands, so the tones are the dictionary tones and not the changed tones of speech). Every reading was then compared with CC-CEDICT (https://www.mdbg.net/chinese/dictionary?page=cc-cedict, file of 2026-09-30, CC BY-SA 4.0), used as a check and not as the source: a word stays only if CC-CEDICT gives the same reading. For 13 words the entry marks a second reading with a toneless last syllable and CC-CEDICT prints that one (学生 xuésheng, 太阳 tàiyang), so the card prints it too; words on which the two disagree outright (星星, 着急, 马马虎虎, 一模一样, 好久不见) are left out. A word of our meaning also stands in CC-CEDICT's definition for 394 of the 404 words, and every part of every meaning stands in the Wiktionary entry or in CC-CEDICT. Phrases and idioms are fixed expressions that have a dictionary entry of their own; no sentence was composed, and nobody on this project reads Chinese, so nothing here rests on our own judgment of the language. The list is our own choice of everyday vocabulary and is copied from no exam body's or course's list. The English meanings are our own short wording; a script then checked that a word of each meaning stands in a definition line under the same part-of-speech heading of the entry, and words that failed were left out. Every English meaning was read for a general audience that includes children: no slang, insult, swear word, alcohol or adult term. After the file was written a script read it back and checked every row against the saved entry text again. Licence: own work