16 tips to improve Chinese vocabulary

Vocabulary plays a crucial role in learning a foreign language. To learn Mandarin well, you should pay attention to improving your Mandarin vocabulary. Draw a tree of Chinese vocabulary. Began with a topic that interests you, such as playing sports or shopping. Write down this main topic of your interest in the middle of a big sheet of paper. Add branches from the key topic and use related words or phrases as the titles.

For any words you want to use but have not learned, look them up in a dictionary. You should use an up-to-date dictionary that includes phonetics. That will give you the vocabulary list that you can review quickly.

1, Use Chinese vocabulary flashcards

One of the most effective ways of fast learning Chinese vocabulary is to make your own flashcards. By creating your own flashcards will make you able to memorize the details better, such as the correct stroke order of the characters. It also involves you more than if you buy flashcards; however, buying flashcards is still more supportive than avoiding using flashcards altogether.

In addition to building your understanding of Chinese characters, flashcards are an excellent method for knowing and recognizing the voice of each character. Flashcards will assist you in becoming more familiar with Chinese as you use them frequently and add to your collection as your vocabulary enlarges. You can do flashcards for a few seconds, and you can do them for several hours at the time of your final exam. Getting a few flashcards done is a good option for spending study time, because it is flexible, and can always be a part of your Chinese study habits.

Flashcards are also useful for scheduling function. You can add things to your flashcards deck and know that it will come up for review later or sooner.

2, Actively processing what we learn and making it meaningful

We forget characters because we effort to cram meaningless data into our brains passively. In short, we need to memorize by Individual characters, Character components, words, and Characters, Combining the three. When revising your flashcards, you should study any cards that you have difficulty with. Repetition alone is not enough; you must actively use what you have learned, or you will forget it.

3, Reading out loud Chinese vocabulary will help you learn better

You will not only visually processing the information, but also you will practice speaking and will have the auditory memory to help you. Reading from media such as magazines, newspapers, and books will help you get a better sense of how The Chinese language is used in different contexts.

Your Chinese vocabulary will increase as you read more challenging material. To stay motivated, choose subjects of your interest, such as a magazine about your favorite hobby.

4, Improve your Chinese vocabulary by watching Chinese movies

This is an excellent way to learn Mandarin because you will have more fun than if you take a Chinese course. When you pay attention to the dialogue, you will hear and pick up on new vocabulary words and even everyday sayings. You will also naturally improve a better understanding of Chinese grammar.

Another essential thing to notice while watching Chinese movies is the different tones used; this will help you to perfect your accent. The advantage of watching Chinese film is that you can even see how the native speakers move their mouths when speaking—which is challenging to do when only listening to audio clips in Mandarin.

5, Labeling

Make labels in Mandarin for everything in your house. For instance, you can check your dictionary to find out the word for ‘mirror’ and write that on a note that you put on your mirror.

When you check your reflection in the mirror, look at the label you have put on it. You can begin with pinyin labels at first, and then move on to only using Chinese characters once you are acquainted with the word.

6, Children’s books

Some libraries carry kid’s picture books in Mandarin. Such books are perfect for Mandarin learners. Things like classic stories of Ancient China are good choices.

For advanced learners, you can read some idiom stories, which help you understand Chinese culture and simultaneously improve your Chinese essay-writing ability. They are not hard to find online, either.

7, Take advantage of every opportunity

For instance, when you go to Chinese restaurants, try to read the dishes’ names on the menu; talk to communicate with people in Chinese. Many people who run Chinese restaurants can speak Chinese and are friendly to those who learn Chinese.

8, Read Chinese

Flashcards are perfect for increasing your vocabulary. But another critical aspect of learning Mandarin is stretching yourself and taking on material that you have not seen before.

The top recommendation for increasing vocabulary is reading, which works well for all ages of people and interests. By reading, you can enhance your cognitive ability because this hobby allows for continuous learning. One of the best ways is reading Chinese to get that unpredictable element because it is difficult to zone out and ignore the parts you do not understand.

When you are listening, it is easy just to ignore and forget about the harder parts, but that is harder to do with reading. This one may be less handy than flashcards, but if you are at a computer with an internet connection, you have got access to several lifetimes’ worth of Chinese reading material. Type some random things into Baidu and see if you can make sense of the result. You can also install numerous reading apps on your tablet or smartphone.

Kindle with an Amazon account can be lovely, and there are plenty of Chinese reading apps with free eBooks. If you have got the technology, then it is pretty relaxed to keep Chinese reading material with. You can also buy some of those book things. You do not even have to stop checking Chinese vocabulary while reading, you can understand it according to the context, which enriches your vocabulary immensely.

9, Use a tablet tool

Reading e-book rather than hard copies has one benefit in particular. You can use the dictionary tool on a tablet. So when you read an e-book, pay attention to words that you do not know, pick them out, and look them in the dictionary. Most of the tablets have dictionary function, so you do not have to leave the page you are reading.

This dictionary feature helps you expand your vocabulary in a completely natural way. Many e-books have this feature, and if you read a lot, it will be beneficial for you.

At the same time, you can check the cchaty words list and cchatty idiom list to expand your Chinese vocabulary knowledge.

10, Get listening going

This one is easy to keep accessible at all times and is valuable throughout your Chinese learning career. Listening is useful because it can be super low-effort or very intense. It can also combine with other activities you are doing without getting in the way. If you are at a computer, then search around for some Mandarin internet radio.

We suggest finding some favorite stations that you can always go to without having to think about it. If you are in a Chinese-speaking region, just use FM radio - one switch, and you have got Chinese listening practice.

To make sure you have Chinese listening materials available on the go, you can keep various podcasts on your phone and sometimes use the FM radio as well. The point is to make it easy to get listening going so that you do not have to put any thought into it.

11, Watching TV

If you do not have the energy to read, then the second option is to watch Chinese series or movies. This is not just a pleasant way to relax; it can also increase your vocabulary.

Watching television and reading the same subject is an efficient way to learn. This phenomenon known is ‘dual coding’ is when you read something and then see it on screen. This will help you to remember the content better because it is a visual enhancement of what you have read.

Even if you feel that you do not learn well visually, this method is beneficial. ‘Home with Kids’ is a highly recommended show on YouTube, which has a simple storyline and easy to follow while being funny and delightful. This show has been written as a textbook for teaching Chinese as a foreign language. That is why it is the right choice for self-study.

12, Watching Cartoons

Though cartoons are mainly for kids, they can be excellent resources for learning Chinese vocabulary too. While watching movies and TV programs are useful for increasing your vocabulary, but it may seem too fast-paced if you are new to Mandarin Chinese.

However, the alternative is watching cartoons that use everyday language and can help you to learn basic Chinese vocabulary that you need as a foundation for understanding Chinese. You can watch Teletubbies or Jackie Chan Adventures.

13, Learn Chinese Songs

The best method for remembering information is to say it out loud. In this case, singing out loud is good. Some people can learn every lyric to all of their favorite songs. For those who love to sing along to music, try applying this method to learning new Chinese vocabulary words.

If you memorize Chinese songs, it can stimulate your interest in learning Mandarin. Learning to sing Mandarin songs has a more in-depth theoretical foundation. It is beneficial as listening exercise as it can train your ear and stimulate your brain to retain new information more effectively.

14, Travel

For those learners who can travel, it is a highly beneficial way to improve your vocabulary knowledge. In case you travel and experience something new, you will naturally, learn new knowledge.

You can learn by simply going to a museum or walk down a street in a new place. If you meet strangers and look for new experiences, you will encounter many useful words.

People who are curious about learning about the world around them become more knowledgeable than those who are not interested and not exposed to new information. What you need is to choose the destination that interests you and then set off for your new adventure.

15, Chinese input method

Another effective way to improve your Chinese vocabulary is the Chinese input method. Choose a few of these study tips to help you effectively learn more vocabulary depending on your preferred learning style.

Whether it is singing, reading, watching movies or exploring China, you must pick a handful of vocabulary words that are not common in textbooks. These methods have the potential to improve your vocabulary and learning experience and allow you to enjoy the process. 

16, Regularly review words that you have learned

A useful rule to enhance your memory of the words is to view words again and again. It is hard to write down every new word, especially the word that has different meanings.

It is recommended that to use a Chinese learning app and create your own list of vocabulary and add new words to your list. So then, you will be able to review all the words on your list. It will also be convenient for you to add notes to the words.

You could also write a sentence with the word for better understanding. Writing the words is also very beneficial for improving your vocabulary, and some of the Chinese learning apps have the writing feature to practice your writing and learn the word.