💬 Chinese Speaking & Communication Vocabulary 交流·言语行为

104 essential Mandarin Chinese words for the Speaking & Communication scene, each with pinyin, English meaning, HSK level and native speaker audio, plus example sentences. Tap 🔊 to listen.

开玩笑 kāi wán xiào HSK 1
to joke; to make fun of
他喜欢跟我开玩笑tā xǐ huan gēn wǒ kāi wán xiàoHe likes to joke with me.
谈话 tán huà HSK 3
to talk; to have a conversation; talk
校长找他谈话了。xiào zhǎng zhǎo tā tán huà le.The principal called him in for a talk.
请教 qǐng jiào HSK 3
to ask for advice; to consult
有个问题想向您请教。yǒu ge wèn tí xiǎng xiàng nín qǐng jiàoI have a question I'd like to ask you about.
转告 zhuǎn gào HSK 4
to pass on (a message); to relay
请你帮我转告他一声。qǐng nǐ bāng wǒ zhuǎn gào tā yì shēngPlease pass this message on to him for me.
沟通 gōu tōng HSK 5
to communicate with people; exchange of views
遇到问题要及时和同事沟通。yù dào wèn tí yào jí shí hé tóng shì gōu tōngWhen you run into problems, communicate with your colleagues promptly.
承诺 chéng nuò HSK 6
to promise; to pledge; commitment
他承诺一定会准时还钱。tā chéng nuò yí dìng huì zhǔn shí huán qiánHe promised he would definitely pay the money back on time.
说 shuō HSK 1
to speak; to say
你会说中文吗？nǐ huì shuō zhōng wén ma?Can you speak Chinese?
告诉 gào su HSK 1
to tell; to let know
请告诉我你的名字。qǐng gào su wǒ nǐ de míng ziPlease tell me your name.
叫 jiào HSK 1
to be called; to call; to shout
我叫李明wǒ jiào lǐ míngMy name is Li Ming.
说话 shuō huà HSK 1
to speak; to talk
请你大声说话qǐng nǐ dà shēng shuō huàPlease speak loudly.
问 wèn HSK 1
to ask; to inquire
我想问你一个问题wǒ xiǎng wèn nǐ yí ge wèn tíI want to ask you a question.
信 xìn HSK 2
letter; mail; to believe; to trust
我给妈妈写了一封信。wǒ gěi mā ma xiě le yì fēng xìnI wrote a letter to my mom.
求 qiú HSK 2
to seek; to request; to beg
我想求你帮个忙。wǒ xiǎng qiú nǐ bāng ge mángI'd like to ask you for a favor.
讲 jiǎng HSK 2
to speak; to tell; to explain
老师给我们讲了一个故事。lǎo shī gěi wǒ men jiǎng le yí gè gù shiThe teacher told us a story.
提出 tí chū HSK 2
to put forward; to propose; to raise
他在会上提出了一个好办法。tā zài huì shàng tí chū le yí ge hǎo bàn fǎHe put forward a good idea at the meeting.
喊 hǎn HSK 2
to yell; to shout; to call out
别在教室里大声喊。bié zài jiào shì lǐ dà shēng hǎnDon't shout loudly in the classroom.
讲话 jiǎng huà HSK 2
to speak; to talk; a speech
上课的时候别讲话。shàng kè de shí hou bié jiǎng huàDon't talk during class.
答应 dā ying HSK 2
to agree; to promise; to respond
他答应帮我搬家。tā dā ying bāng wǒ bān jiāHe agreed to help me move.
提到 tí dào HSK 2
to mention; to refer to
他刚才提到了你的名字。tā gāng cái tí dào le nǐ de míng ziHe just mentioned your name.
笑话 xiào hua HSK 2
a joke (讲笑话); as a verb: to laugh at sb.
他讲了一个很好笑的笑话。tā jiǎng le yí ge hěn hǎo xiào de xiào huaHe told a very funny joke.
商量 shāng liang HSK 2
to discuss; to consult; to talk over
这件事我们再商量一下。zhè jiàn shì wǒ men zài shāng liang yí xiàLet's discuss this matter a bit more.
笑话儿 xiào huar HSK 2
joke
他给我们讲了一个笑话儿。tā gěi wǒ men jiǎng le yí ge xiào huarHe told us a joke.
同意 tóng yì HSK 3
to agree; to consent
我同意你的看法。wǒ tóng yì nǐ de kàn fǎI agree with your opinion.
传 chuán HSK 3
to pass on; to spread; to transmit
请把这本书传给后面的同学。qǐng bǎ zhè běn shū chuán gěi hòu mian de tóng xuéPlease pass this book to the classmate behind you.
反对 fǎn duì HSK 3
to oppose; to object to
大家都反对这个决定。dà jiā dōu fǎn duì zhè ge jué dìngEveryone opposes this decision.
宣布 xuān bù HSK 3
to announce; to declare
老师宣布明天放假。lǎo shī xuān bù míng tiān fàng jiàThe teacher announced that tomorrow is a holiday.
发出 fā chū HSK 3
to issue; to send out; to produce (a sound)
机器发出了奇怪的声音。jī qì fā chū le qí guài de shēng yīnThe machine made a strange sound.
发言 fā yán HSK 3
to speak (at a meeting); to make a statement
会上他第一个发言。huì shàng tā dì yī ge fā yánHe was the first to speak at the meeting.
认可 rèn kě HSK 3
to approve; to acknowledge; approval
他的能力得到了大家的认可。tā de néng lì dé dào le dà jiā de rèn kěHis ability has been recognized by everyone.
传来 chuán lái HSK 3
(of sound/news) to come through; to be heard; to arrive
远处传来一阵歌声。yuǎn chù chuán lái yí zhèn gē shēngThe sound of singing came from far away.
联系 lián xì HSK 3
to contact; to get in touch; connection
有问题请联系我。yǒu wèn tí qǐng lián xì wǒIf you have questions, please contact me.
打听 dǎ ting HSK 3
to ask about; to inquire
我想向你打听一件事。wǒ xiǎng xiàng nǐ dǎ ting yí jiàn shìI'd like to ask you about something.
建议 jiàn yì HSK 3
to suggest; suggestion; proposal
我建议你早点休息。wǒ jiàn yì nǐ zǎo diǎn xiū xiI suggest you rest earlier.
谈 tán HSK 3
to talk; to discuss; to chat
我想跟你谈一件事。wǒ xiǎng gēn nǐ tán yí jiàn shìI want to talk with you about something.
提醒 tí xǐng HSK 4
to remind; to warn
谢谢你提醒我带雨伞。xiè xie nǐ tí xǐng wǒ dài yǔ sǎnThanks for reminding me to bring an umbrella.
回复 huí fù HSK 4
to reply; to respond; a reply
请尽快回复我的邮件。qǐng jǐn kuài huí fù wǒ de yóu jiànPlease reply to my email as soon as possible.
争论 zhēng lùn HSK 4
to argue; to debate; argument; controversy
他们为这个问题争论了很久。tā men wèi zhè ge wèn tí zhēng lùn le hěn jiǔThey argued about this issue for a long time.
保密 bǎo mì HSK 4
to keep secret; to maintain confidentiality
这件事请你一定要保密。zhè jiàn shì qǐng nǐ yí dìng yào bǎo mìPlease be sure to keep this matter confidential.
赞成 zàn chéng HSK 4
to approve; to agree; to endorse
我完全赞成你的看法。wǒ wán quán zàn chéng nǐ de kàn fǎI completely agree with your view.
征求 zhēng qiú HSK 4
to solicit; to seek (opinions)
我想征求一下大家的意见。wǒ xiǎng zhēng qiú yí xià dà jiā de yì jiànI'd like to seek everyone's opinion.
承认 chéng rèn HSK 4
to admit; to acknowledge; to recognize
他终于承认了自己的错误tā zhōng yú chéng rèn le zì jǐ de cuò wùHe finally admitted his mistake.
议论 yì lùn HSK 4
to comment on; to discuss; discussion
大家都在议论这件新闻。dà jiā dōu zài yì lùn zhè jiàn xīn wénEveryone is talking about this piece of news.
答 dá HSK 5
to answer (single char, as in 答对/答不上来)
这个问题我答不上来。zhè ge wèn tí wǒ dá bu shàng lái.I can't answer this question.
抱怨 bào yuàn HSK 5
to complain; to grumble
他总是抱怨工作太累。tā zǒng shì bào yuàn gōng zuò tài lèiHe's always complaining that work is too tiring.
询问 xún wèn HSK 5
to inquire; to ask about
他打电话询问航班的时间。tā dǎ diàn huà xún wèn háng bān de shí jiānHe called to inquire about the flight time.
劝 quàn HSK 5
to advise; to urge; to persuade
大家都劝他别喝那么多酒dà jiā dōu quàn tā bié hē nà me duō jiǔEveryone urged him not to drink so much.
提起 tí qǐ HSK 5
to mention; to bring up; to lift
他没有提起那件不愉快的事。tā méi yǒu tí qǐ nà jiàn bù yú kuài de shìHe didn't mention that unpleasant matter.
拒绝 jù jué HSK 5
to refuse; to reject; to decline
他拒绝了我们的邀请。tā jù jué le wǒ men de yāo qǐngHe refused our invitation.
联络 lián luò HSK 5
to contact; to get in touch; liaison
有消息我会马上联络你。yǒu xiāo xi wǒ huì mǎ shàng lián luò nǐI'll contact you right away if there's any news.
争议 zhēng yì HSK 5
controversy; dispute
这个决定引起了很大的争议。zhè ge jué dìng yǐn qǐ le hěn dà de zhēng yìThis decision caused a lot of controversy.
答复 dá fù HSK 5
to reply; answer; response
请尽快给我一个答复qǐng jǐn kuài gěi wǒ yí gè dá fùPlease give me a reply as soon as possible.
回信 huí xìn HSK 5
to reply (by letter); a letter in reply
收到信后我马上给他回信shōu dào xìn hòu wǒ mǎ shàng gěi tā huí xìnAfter getting the letter, I replied to him right away.
咨询 zī xún HSK 6
to consult; to seek advice; consultation
有问题可以随时咨询我们的客服。yǒu wèn tí kě yǐ suí shí zī xún wǒ men de kè fúIf you have questions, you can consult our customer service anytime.
暴露 bào lù HSK 6
to expose; to reveal; to lay bare
这件事暴露了他的真面目。zhè jiàn shì bào lù le tā de zhēn miàn mùThis incident exposed his true colors.
回应 huí yìng HSK 6
to respond; response
官方还没有对此作出回应。guān fāng hái méi yǒu duì cǐ zuò chū huí yìngThe authorities have not yet responded to this.
打断 dǎ duàn HSK 6
to interrupt; to break off; to snap
对不起，打断一下你的话。duì bu qǐ dǎ duàn yí xià nǐ de huàSorry, let me interrupt you for a moment.
听取 tīng qǔ HSK 6
to listen to; to hear (opinions, reports)
领导认真听取了大家的意见。lǐng dǎo rèn zhēn tīng qǔ le dà jiā de yì jiànThe leader carefully listened to everyone's opinions.
评 píng HSK 6
to comment; to judge; to review; to criticize
老师认真地评了每个人的作文。lǎo shī rèn zhēn de píng le měi ge rén de zuò wénThe teacher carefully commented on everyone's essay.
聊 liáo HSK 6
to chat; to talk casually
我们坐下来好好聊了一个下午wǒ men zuò xià lái hǎo hǎo liáo le yí gè xià wǔWe sat down and chatted for a whole afternoon.
透露 tòu lù HSK 6
to reveal; to disclose; to divulge
他不愿意透露任何内幕消息。tā bú yuàn yì tòu lù rèn hé nèi mù xiāo xiHe is unwilling to reveal any inside information.
聊天儿 liáo tiānr HSK 6
to chat (erhua variant of 聊天)
我们坐下来聊天儿吧。wǒ men zuò xià lai liáo tiānr baLet's sit down and chat.
自言自语 zì yán zì yǔ HSK 6
to talk to oneself; to mutter to oneself
他一个人自言自语，好像在想事情。tā yí gè rén zì yán zì yǔ hǎo xiàng zài xiǎng shì qíngHe was talking to himself, as if pondering something.
反问 fǎn wèn HSK 6
to ask in reply; to answer a question with a question
他没回答，反而反问了我一句。tā méi huí dá fǎn ér fǎn wèn le wǒ yí jùHe didn't answer, but instead asked me a question in reply.
话 huà HSK 1
words; speech; what one says
我听不懂他的话wǒ tīng bu dǒng tā de huàI can't understand what he says.
回答 huí dá HSK 1
to answer; to reply
请回答我的问题qǐng huí dá wǒ de wèn tíPlease answer my question.
对话 duì huà HSK 2
dialogue; conversation; to talk
我们来练习一段对话。wǒ men lái liàn xí yí duàn duì huàLet's practice a dialogue.
说明 shuō míng HSK 2
to explain; to illustrate; explanation; instructions
请你说明一下原因。qǐng nǐ shuō míng yí xià yuán yīnPlease explain the reason.
讨论 tǎo lùn HSK 2
to discuss; to talk over
我们一起讨论这个问题吧。wǒ men yì qǐ tǎo lùn zhè ge wèn tí baLet's discuss this problem together.
表达 biǎo dá HSK 3
to express; to convey
我不知道怎么表达我的感谢。wǒ bù zhī dào zěn me biǎo dá wǒ de gǎn xièI don't know how to express my thanks.
交流 jiāo liú HSK 3
to exchange; to communicate; communication
我们经常用中文交流。wǒ men jīng cháng yòng zhōng wén jiāo liúWe often communicate in Chinese.
话题 huà tí HSK 3
topic (of conversation); subject
我们换个话题聊吧。wǒ men huàn ge huà tí liáo baLet's change the topic and chat about something else.
谈判 tán pàn HSK 3
to negotiate; negotiation; talks
两家公司正在谈判合作。liǎng jiā gōng sī zhèng zài tán pàn hé zuòThe two companies are negotiating cooperation.
强调 qiáng diào HSK 3
to emphasize; to stress
老师强调了考试的重点。lǎo shī qiáng diào le kǎo shì de zhòng diǎnThe teacher emphasized the key points of the exam.
提问 tí wèn HSK 3
to ask a question; to raise a question
老师鼓励学生多提问。lǎo shī gǔ lì xué shēng duō tí wènThe teacher encourages students to ask more questions.
描述 miáo shù HSK 4
to describe; description
请你描述一下当时的情况。qǐng nǐ miáo shù yí xià dāng shí de qíng kuàngPlease describe the situation at that time.
解释 jiě shì HSK 4
to explain; explanation
老师给我们解释了这个语法。lǎo shī gěi wǒ men jiě shì le zhè ge yǔ fǎThe teacher explained this grammar to us.
演讲 yǎn jiǎng HSK 4
to give a speech; lecture; speech
校长在毕业典礼上演讲。xiào zhǎng zài bì yè diǎn lǐ shàng yǎn jiǎngThe principal gave a speech at the graduation ceremony.
形容 xíng róng HSK 4
to describe
那种美很难用语言形容。nà zhǒng měi hěn nán yòng yǔ yán xíng róngThat kind of beauty is hard to describe in words.
辩论 biàn lùn HSK 4
to debate; debate
他们正在辩论这个问题。tā men zhèng zài biàn lùn zhè ge wèn tíThey are debating this issue.
提示 tí shì HSK 5
to remind; to point out; hint; tip; reminder
老师提示我们注意标点符号。lǎo shī tí shì wǒ men zhù yì biāo diǎn fú hàoThe teacher reminded us to pay attention to punctuation.
来信 lái xìn HSK 5
incoming letter; to write (to someone)
我收到了朋友的来信。wǒ shōu dào le péng you de lái xìnI received a letter from my friend.
说法 shuō fǎ HSK 5
way of saying; statement; version
对这件事有不同的说法。duì zhè jiàn shì yǒu bù tóng de shuō fǎThere are different accounts of this matter.
探讨 tàn tǎo HSK 6
to explore; to discuss; to probe into
会上大家探讨了环保问题。huì shàng dà jiā tàn tǎo le huán bǎo wèn tíAt the meeting everyone discussed environmental protection issues.
解说 jiě shuō HSK 6
to explain; to narrate; commentary
导游耐心地为我们解说壁画的历史。dǎo yóu nài xīn de wèi wǒ men jiě shuō bì huà de lì shǐThe guide patiently explained the history of the murals to us.
小声 xiǎo shēng HSK 2
in a low voice; quietly; in a whisper
请你小声一点，别吵醒孩子。qǐng nǐ xiǎo shēng yì diǎn bié chǎo xǐng hái ziPlease speak a bit more quietly, don't wake the child.
沉默 chén mò HSK 4
silent; taciturn; to keep silent
听到这个消息，他沉默了很久。tīng dào zhè ge xiāo xi tā chén mò le hěn jiǔHearing this news, he was silent for a long time.
要求 yāo qiú HSK 2
to request; to require; requirement; demand
老师要求我们八点到。lǎo shī yāo qiú wǒ men bā diǎn dàoThe teacher requires us to arrive at eight.
听说 tīng shuō HSK 2
to hear (that); it is said that
我听说他要去中国。wǒ tīng shuō tā yào qù zhōng guóI heard that he is going to China.
请求 qǐng qiú HSK 2
to request; to ask
他向老师请求帮助。tā xiàng lǎo shī qǐng qiú bāng zhùHe asked the teacher for help.
保证 bǎo zhèng HSK 3
to guarantee; to ensure; guarantee
我保证明天准时到。wǒ bǎo zhèng míng tiān zhǔn shí dàoI guarantee I'll arrive on time tomorrow.
指出 zhǐ chū HSK 3
to point out; to indicate
老师指出了我的错误。lǎo shī zhǐ chū le wǒ de cuò wùThe teacher pointed out my mistake.
称为 chēng wéi HSK 3
to be called; to be known as
人们把北京称为古都。rén men bǎ běi jīng chēng wéi gǔ dūPeople call Beijing an ancient capital.
据说 jù shuō HSK 3
it is said that; reportedly
据说那家饭店的菜很好吃。jù shuō nà jiā fàn diàn de cài hěn hǎo chīIt is said that the food at that restaurant is delicious.
否认 fǒu rèn HSK 3
to deny; to repudiate
他否认自己做过这件事。tā fǒu rèn zì jǐ zuò guo zhè jiàn shìHe denies having done this.
误会 wù huì HSK 4
to misunderstand sb's intent; a personal misunderstanding
请不要误会我的意思。qǐng bú yào wù huì wǒ de yì siPlease don't misunderstand what I mean.
说服 shuō fú HSK 4
to persuade; to convince
我终于说服了父母同意。wǒ zhōng yú shuō fú le fù mǔ tóng yìI finally persuaded my parents to agree.
暗示 àn shì HSK 4
to hint; to suggest; hint
他用眼神暗示我别说话。tā yòng yǎn shén àn shì wǒ bié shuō huàHe hinted with his eyes for me not to speak.
警告 jǐng gào HSK 5
to warn; warning
老师警告他不要再迟到。lǎo shī jǐng gào tā bú yào zài chí dàoThe teacher warned him not to be late again.
会谈 huì tán HSK 5
talks; discussions; to hold talks
两国领导人举行了会谈。liǎng guó lǐng dǎo rén jǔ xíng le huì tánThe leaders of the two countries held talks.
传达 chuán dá HSK 5
to pass on; to convey; to relay
请把这个消息传达给大家。qǐng bǎ zhè gè xiāo xi chuán dá gěi dà jiāPlease pass this news on to everyone.
交代 jiāo dài HSK 5
to explain; to instruct; to hand over (duties)
老师交代我们明天带课本。lǎo shī jiāo dài wǒ men míng tiān dài kè běnThe teacher told us to bring our textbooks tomorrow.
说实话 shuō shí huà HSK 6
to be honest; frankly speaking
说实话，我并不太喜欢这份工作。shuō shí huà wǒ bìng bú tài xǐ huan zhè fèn gōng zuòTo be honest, I don't really like this job.
很难说 hěn nán shuō HSK 6
hard to say; it's difficult to tell
明天会不会下雨很难说。míngtiān huì bú huì xià yǔ hěn nán shuōIt's hard to say whether it will rain tomorrow.
面对面 miàn duì miàn HSK 6
face to face
有问题最好面对面沟通清楚。yǒu wèn tí zuì hǎo miàn duì miàn gōu tōng qīng chuIf there's a problem, it's best to communicate face to face.

FAQ

How many Chinese speaking & communication words are in this list?

104 words, including HSK 1: 8, HSK 2: 18, HSK 3: 25, HSK 4: 18, HSK 5: 18, HSK 6: 17. Every word has playable native audio and example sentences.

Are these words useful for the HSK?

Yes — every word is tagged with its HSK level (HSK 1–6 or 7+), so you can prioritise words for your target level.

What is the best way to memorise them?

Learn them as a scene group with spaced repetition: listen and repeat, study the example sentence, review the next day. The companion app has built-in SRS and four quiz types.

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