Furniture in Chinese: 130 Essential Words to Win (In & Outdoor)
Furniture in Chinese: 130 Essential Words to Win (In & Outdoor)
Regardless of what a home means to you, a house isn’t much without furniture inside. Knowing the Chinese furniture vocabulary can be very useful as we use and talk about them every day, especially if you’re living in China.
Well, in this guide, you’ll learn all the essentials for talking about furniture in Mandarin Chinese. We aren’t just talking tables, chairs, and beds, oh no. Here you’ll discover the name for every piece of furniture in Chinese and some super useful examples to learn how to use all of them.
With this fun guide to furniture in Chinese, we guarantee that visiting your friends and family will be a whole lot more pleasant as you compliment their place and open up topics of conversation!
Sound good? Let’s get started.
Furniture in Chinese
First and foremost, let’s learn how to say “furniture” in Chinese.
The general word for furniture in Chinese is 家具 (jiājù). When you are referring to a piece of furniture, you can say 一件家具 (yí jiàn jiājù). 件 (jiàn) is one of the most common measure words in Chinese that’s used for furniture, utensils as well as clothes, among other things.
家具 (jiājù) is a typical compound word in Chinese. If you break the word into characters, 家 (jiā) means home or household, and 具 (zuò) means appliance. Together, they express the notion of “furniture”. This word is easy to confuse with 工具 (gōngjù), which means tool.
General Chinese Furniture Vocabulary
Now that you know how to say “furniture” in Chinese, we’ll help you to build your essential furniture vocabulary.
There are lots of terms we want to share with you. Here’s a list of the most basic vocabulary words, expressions, and verbal phrases to get you started on talking about furniture in Chinese.
Chinese
Pinyin Pronunciation
English
家具店
jiājù diàn
furniture store
家具厂
jiājù chǎng
furniture factory
房子
fángzi
house
公寓
gōngyù
apartment
促销
cùxiāo
sale
布置
bùzhì
to furnish
购买
gòumǎi
to purchase
买
mǎi
to buy
卖
mài
to sell
设计
shèjì
to design
做
zuò
to make
换
huàn
to change/replace
修
xiū
to fix
修复
xiūfù
to restore
退
tuì
to return
下单
xiàdān
to order
送货
sònghuò
to deliver
安装
ānzhuāng
to install
新
xīn
new
旧
jiù
old
二手
èrshǒu
second-hand
现成
xiànchéng
readily available
定制
dìngzhì
custom-made
漂亮
piàoliang
beautiful
丑
chǒu
ugly
实用
shíyòng
practical
宜家
Yíjiā
Ikea
Example Sentences to Talk about Furniture in Chinese:
我们得为我们的新公寓购买一些家具。
Wǒmen děi wèi wǒmen de xīn gōngyù gòumǎi yīxiē jiājù.
We need to buy some furniture for our new apartment.
房东留给我们的家具又旧又丑，我想把它们都换了。
Fángdōng liú gěi wǒmen de jiājù yòu jiù yòu chǒu, wǒ xiǎng bǎ tāmen dōu huàn le.
The furniture our landlord left us is old and ugly. I’d like to change them all.
宜家下周有促销，要不我们去看看？
Yíjiā xià zhōu yǒu cùxiāo, yàobù wǒmen qù kànkan?
There is a sale at Ikea next week. Shall we go and have a look?
这件家具是现成的吗？如果我现在下单，什么时候能送货？
Zhè jiàn jiājù shì xiànchéng de ma? Rúguǒ wǒ xiànzài xiàdān, shénme shíhòu néng sònghuò?
Is this piece of furniture readily available? If I place an order now, when will it be delivered?
你们的家具真漂亮。是哪里买的？
Nǐmen de jiājù zhēn piàoliang. Shì nǎli mǎi de?
Your furniture is so beautiful. Where did you buy it?
是我自己设计然后找家具厂定制的。
Shì wǒ zìjǐ shèjì ránhòu zhǎo jiājù chǎng dìngzhì de.
I designed it myself and then found a furniture factory to custom-make it.
Room-Specific Furniture in Chinese
It’s easier to remember new words when we associate them with daily places. Before we get into learning the names of various pieces of furniture in Chinese, it’s helpful to first know the rooms in the house.
Here’s a quick rundown of the room names in Chinese.
English
Chinese
Pinyin
living room
客厅
kètīng
dining room
餐厅
cāntīng
kitchen
厨房
chúfáng
bathroom
卫生间
wèishēngjiān
laundry room
洗衣间
xǐyījiān
bedroom
卧室
wòshì
office
办公室
bàngōngshì
study
书房
shūfáng
balcony
阳台
yángtái
terrace
露台
lùtái
garden
花园
huāyuán
If you are interested, we’ve written an in-depth guide to help you learn more about the different parts and areas of the house in Chinese.
Below is a comprehensive vocabulary list for furniture in Chinese in each room of the house that’s complete with characters and Pinyin pronunciation. We also provide the corresponding measure word for each piece of furniture to help you use the words properly.
Note that there could be multiple terms for several pieces of furniture on this list. For example, there are two words for “table” in Chinese: 桌子 (zhuōzi) and 台子 (táizi). These words can be used interchangeably.
Living Room Furniture in Chinese – 客厅家具 (kètīng jiājù)
There’s nothing like taking your shoes off and chilling on the commodity of your own sofa after a long day at work! Here’s the vocabulary you need to talk about the living room furniture in Chinese!
English
Chinese
Pinyin
Measure Word
armchair
扶手椅
fúshǒuyǐ
张(zhāng)/把( bǎ)
blinds
百叶帘
bǎiyèlián
副(fù)
cabinet
橱柜
chúguì
个(gè)
carpet/rug
地毯
dìtǎn
条(tiáo)/块(kuài)
chair
椅子
yǐzi
张(zhāng)/把(bǎ)
chandelier
吊灯
diàodēng
盏(zhǎn)
clock
钟
zhōng
面(miàn)
coffee table
咖啡桌/茶几
chájī
张(zhāng)
curtains
窗帘
chuānglián
副(fù)
cushion
靠枕/垫子
kàozhěn/diànzi
个(gè)
display cabinet
展示柜
zhǎnshìguì
个(gè)
fireplace
壁炉
bìlú
个(gè)
floor lamp
落地灯
luòdìdēng
盏(zhǎn)
shelf
架子
jiàzi
个(gè)/排(pái)
side table
边桌/边几
biānzhuō/biānjī
张(zhāng)
sofa
沙发
shāfā
张(zhāng)
sofa bed
沙发床
shāfāchuáng
张(zhāng)
stool
凳子
dèngzi
张(zhāng)
table
桌子/台子
zhuōzi/táizi
张(zhāng)
TV
电视机
diànshìjī
台(tái)
TV cabinet
电视柜
diànshìguì
个(gè)
Note that sometimes people use different measure words to quantify the same piece of furniture in Chinese and the choice would depend on which characteristic they wish to emphasize. For instance, 张 (zhāng) is commonly used for flat chairs while 把 (bǎ) is used for chairs with arms.
floor lamp
落地灯
luòdìdēng
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TV cabinet
电视柜
diànshìguì
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sofa
沙发
shāfā
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chandelier
吊灯
diàodēng
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chair
椅子
yǐzi
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coffee table
咖啡桌
kāfēizhuō
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side table
边桌
biānzhuō
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carpet
地毯
dìtǎn
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curtains
窗帘
chuānglián
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Example Sentences:
这张沙发太舒服了！
Zhè zhāng shāfā tài shūfu le!
This sofa is really comfy!
我喜欢客厅的吊灯。
Wǒ xǐhuan kètīng de diàodēng.
I like the chandelier in the living room.
不要把脚放在咖啡桌上。
Búyào bǎ jiǎo fàng zài kāfēizhuō shàng.
Don’t put your feet on the coffee table.
Dining Room Furniture in Chinese – 餐厅家具 (cāntīng jiājù)
Chinese people are pretty serious about food and eating. In Chinese homes, the dining room and living room are usually connected. Watching or using the TV as background noise while eating is extremely common in China.
Here’s how you name the dining room furniture in Chinese.
English
Chinese
Pinyin
Measure Word
bar stool
吧椅
bāyǐ
张(zhāng)/把(bǎ)
bar table
吧台
bātái
张(zhāng)
tableware
餐具
cānjù
件(jiàn)
buffet
餐具柜
cānjùguì
个(gè)
dining chair
餐椅
cānyǐ
张(zhāng)/把(bǎ)
dining table
餐桌
cānzhuō
张(zhāng)
wine rack
酒架
jiǔjià
个(gè)/排(pái)
Example Sentences:
这张吧椅不够高。
Zhè zhāng bāyǐ bú gòu gāo.
This bar stool is not tall enough.
我们的餐桌可以坐八个人。
Wǒmen de cānzhuō kěyǐ zuò bā gè rén.
Our dining table can seat up to 8 people.
这里还需要两把餐椅。
Zhèli hái xūyào liǎng bǎ cānyǐ.
We need two more dining chairs here.
Kitchen Furniture in Chinese – 厨房家具 (chúfáng jiājù)
While the living room may be the heart of the Chinese home, the kitchen is where the action is! Here is a list of Chinese vocabulary words for common kitchen furniture.
English
Chinese
Pinyin
Measure Word
counter
柜台
guìtái
个(gè)
cupboard
橱柜
chúguì
个(gè)
dishwasher
洗碗机
xǐwǎnjī
台(tái)
drawer
抽屉
chōuti
个(gè)
fridge
冰箱
bīngxiāng
台(tái)
island
中岛
zhōngdǎo
个(gè)
sink
水槽/水斗
shuǐcáo/shuǐdòu
个(gè)
microwave
微波炉
wēibōlú
台(tái)
oven
烤箱
kǎoxiāng
台(tái)
range hood
油烟机
yóuyānjī
台(tái)
stove
炉灶
lúzào
个(gè)
trash can
垃圾桶
lājītǒng
个(gè)
trolley
推车
tuīchē
辆(liàng)
cupboard
橱柜
chúguì
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sink
水槽
shuǐcáo
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microwave
微波炉
wēibōlú
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range hood
油烟机
yóuyānjī
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drawers
抽屉
chōuti
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stove
炉灶
lúzào
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counter
柜台
guìtái
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oven
烤箱
kǎoxiāng
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fridge
冰箱
bīngxiāng
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Example Sentences:
洗碗机虽然很实用，但一般中国人家里不会安装。
Xǐwǎnjī suīrán hěn shíyòng, dàn yìbān Zhōngguórén jiā lǐ bú huì ānzhuāng.
Though the dishwasher is very practical, it’s generally not installed in Chinese homes.
我们需要一个更大的橱柜来储藏食物。
Wǒmen xūyào yí gè gèng dà de chúguì lái chǔcáng shíwù.
We need a bigger cupboard to store food.
垃圾桶满了，去倒一下吧。
Lājītǒng mǎn le, qù dào yíxià ba.
The trash can is full. Go and empty it.
Bathroom Furniture in Chinese – 卫生间家具 (wèishēngjiān jiājù)
The home bathroom or 卫生间 (wèishēngjiān) is also commonly referred to as 浴室 (yùshì) in Chinese if it has a tub or shower in it. The below table includes all the bathroom furniture vocabulary words in Chinese you’ll likely want to know.
English
Chinese
Pinyin
Measure Word
bathtub
浴缸
yùgāng
个(gè)
bath mat
地垫
dìdiàn
块(kuài)
faucet
水龙头
shuǐlóngtou
个(gè)
laundry basket
洗衣篮
xǐyīlán
个(gè)
mirror
镜子
jìngzi
块(kuài)
shower kits
淋浴
línyù
套(tào)
toilet
马桶
mǎtǒng
个(gè)
urinal
小便池
xiǎobiànchí
个(gè)
washing machine
洗衣机
xǐyījī
台(tái)
scale
秤
chèng
台(tái)
washbasin
台盆
táipén
个(gè)
shelf
架子
jiàzi
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shower
淋浴
línyù
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faucet
水龙头
shuǐlóngtou
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mirror
镜子
jìngzi
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cabinet
柜子
guìzi
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toilet
马桶
mǎtǒng
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bathtub
浴缸
yùgāng
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washbasin
台盆
táipén
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Example Sentences:
我们的浴室不够大，否则可以装一个浴缸。
Wǒmen de yùshì bú gòu dà, fǒuzé kěyǐ zhuāng yí gè yùgāng.
Our bathroom is not big enough. Otherwise, we could have installed a tub.
马桶堵了。好尴尬。
Mǎtǒng dǔ le. Hǎo gāngà.
The toilet is clogged. It’s awkward.
台盆漏水了，当心地滑！
Táipén lòu shuǐ le, dāngxīn dì huá!
There’s a leak in the bathroom sink. Be careful of the slippery floor!
Bedroom Furniture in Chinese – 卧室家具 (wòshì jiājù)
The bedroom is the most comfortable and cozy room in the house. It’s your haven from the outside world, where you can watch Chinese drama in peace or bury your head in a good book.
Whether you want to describe your bedroom or add more furniture to it, we have the right vocabulary words in Chinese for you!
English
Chinese
Pinyin
Measure Word
bed
床
chuáng
张(zhāng)
single bed
单人床
dānrén chuáng
张(zhāng)
double bed
双人床
shuāngrén chuáng
张(zhāng)
bedspread
床罩
chuángzhào
个(gè)
bed linen
床上用品
chuángshàng yòngpǐn
套(tào)
blanket
毯子
tǎnzi
条(tiáo)
chest of drawers
抽屉柜
chōutìguì
个(gè)
clothes rack
衣帽架
yīmàojià
个(gè)
cradle
摇篮
yáolán
个(gè)
duvet
被子
bèizi
条(tiáo)
footstool
脚凳
jiǎodèng
张(zhāng)
makeup vanity
梳妆台
shūzhuāngtái
张(zhāng)
mattress
床垫
chuángdiàn
张(zhāng)
nightstand
床头柜
chuángtóuguì
个(gè)
pillow
枕头
zhěntou
个(gè)
pillow case
枕套
zhěntào
个(gè)
sheet
床单
chuángdān
条(tiáo)
table lamp
台灯
táidēng
盏(zhǎn)
wardrobe
衣橱/衣柜
yīchú/yīguì
个(gè)
bed
床
chuáng
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chest of drawers
抽屉柜
chōutìguì
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wardrobe
衣柜
yīguì
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duvet
被子
bèizi
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pillows
枕头
zhěntou
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nightstand
床头柜
chuángtóuguì
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rug
地毯
dìtǎn
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armchair
扶手椅
fúshǒuyǐ
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drapes
窗帘
chuānglián
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Example Sentences:
我想买张软一点的双人床床垫。
Wǒ xiǎng mǎi zhāng ruǎn yìdiǎn de shuāngrénchuáng chuángdiàn.
I’d like to buy a soft mattress for the double bed.
我把眼镜放在床头柜上了。
Wǒ bǎ yǎnjìng fàng zài chuángtóuguì shàng le.
I left my glasses on the nightstand.
你能帮我从衣柜里拿件外套吗？
Nǐ néng bāng wǒ cóng yīguì lǐ ná jiàn wàitào ma?
Could you hand me a coat from the wardrobe?
Office & Study Furniture in Chinese – 办公室与书房家具 (bàngōngshì yǔ shūfáng jiājù)
Home office and study space are more desirable than ever in our post-pandemic world. Here are some Chinese vocabulary terms for the furniture that you are likely to find in an office or study.
English
Chinese
Pinyin
Measure Word
bookcase
书橱/书柜
shūchú/shūguì
个(gè)
bookshelf
书架
shūjià
个(gè)/排(pái)
computer
电脑
diànnǎo
台(tái)
desk
书桌/办公桌
shūzhuō/xiězìtái
张(zhāng)
desk chair
书椅/办公椅
shūyǐ/bàngōngyǐ
张(zhāng)/把(bǎ)
file cabinet
文件柜
wénjiànguì
个(gè)
laptop
笔记本
bǐjìběn
台(tái)
work lamp
工作灯
gōngzuòdēng
盏(zhǎn)
Example Sentences:
有空的时候整理一下你的书桌吧。太乱了！
Yǒu kòng de shíhou zhěnglǐ yíxià nǐ de shūzhuō ba. Tài luàn le!
Organize your desk when you have a moment. What a mess!
我的办公椅不舒服。我要买把新的。
Wǒ de bàngōngyǐ bù shūfú. Wǒ yào mǎi bǎ xīn de.
My desk chair is uncomfortable. I need to buy a new one.
书柜里放不下更多书了。
Shūguì lǐ fàng bú xià gèng duō shū le.
The bookcase can’t fit any more books.
Outdoor Furniture in Chinese – 户外家具 (hùwài jiājù)
If you have an outdoor living space to enjoy with your family and friends, this vocabulary list is perfect for you!
English
Chinese
Pinyin
Measure Word
bench
长凳
chángdèng
条(tiáo)
folding chair
折叠椅
zhédiéyǐ
张(zhāng)/把(bǎ)
gazebo
凉亭
liángtíng
个(gè)
hammock
吊床
diàochuáng
张(zhāng)
outdoor BBQ grill
户外烧烤架
hùwài shāokǎo jià
个(gè)
parasol
遮阳伞
zhēyángsǎn
把(bǎ)
sun lounger
躺椅
tǎngyǐ
张(zhāng)
swing
秋千
qiūqiān
个(gè)
Example Sentences:
你在吊床上睡着了！
Nǐ zài diàochuáng shàng shuì zháo le.
You fell asleep on the hammock!
我什么都不想做，只想在躺椅上平躺。
Wǒ shénme dōu bù xiǎng zuò, zhǐ xiǎng zài tǎngyǐ shàng píng tǎng.
I don’t want to do anything but lie flat on the sun lounger.
孩子们非常喜欢露台上的秋千。
Háizimen fēicháng xǐhuan huāyuán lǐ de qiūqiān.
The kids love the swing in the garden!
Furniture Materials in Chinese
Hooray! You’ve named every piece of furniture in Chinese! While you’re at it, you might also want to learn the names of common materials in Chinese to describe the kind of furniture you have or want to purchase.
English
Chinese
Pinyin
copper
铜
tóng
glass
玻璃
bōli
iron
铁
tiě
leather
皮
pí
metal
金属
jīnshǔ
plastic
塑料
sùliào
steel
钢
gāng
wood
木头
mùtou
You can use these words as adjectives before the furniture, like
我买了一张玻璃茶几。
Wǒ mǎi le yì zhāng bōli chájī.
I bought a glass coffee table.
我更喜欢木头桌子。
Wǒ gèng xǐhuan mùtou zhuōzi.
I prefer wooden tables.
You can also use the 是…的 (shì…de) structure to describe what each piece of furniture is made of.
For example,
这把椅子是塑料的。
Zhè bǎ yǐzi shì sùliào de.
This chair is made of plastic.
那张沙发不是皮的。
Nà zhāng shāfā bú shì pí de.
That sofa is not made of leather.
Wanna 3X Your Chinese Progress?
There you go! Everything you wanted to know about furniture in Chinese! A great way to remember these vocabulary words is to go around your house and name things in Chinese. You could even write down a label and put it around if your family members don’t mind!
Now, if you’re learning Chinese, you should make the best out of ImproveMandarin.com, one of the world’s largest sites dedicated to Mandarin learning.
Here are some related articles for your learning pleasure:
Home in Chinese (25 Expressions to Expand Your Vocabulary)
97 House Vocabulary in Chinese (House Parts, Rooms & Objects)
Chinese Grammar Made Easy for the Overwhelmed Beginners
How to Learn Chinese Faster – An Actionable Guide
Pro tip: if you’re ready to get serious and want to become conversationally fluent in Chinese, you really should take a structured course instead of just reading odd bits and pieces here and there.
We’ve practically reviewed every Mandarin Chinese course out there on the internet. Some are fantastic while others are junk. Here are the best online Chinese courses we found in 2023.
The post Furniture in Chinese: 130 Essential Words to Win (In & Outdoor) appeared first on ImproveMandarin.
Regardless of what a home means to you, a house isn’t much without furniture inside. Knowing the Chinese furniture vocabulary can be very useful as we use and talk about them every day, especially if you’re living in China. Well, in this guide, you’ll learn all the essentials for talking about furniture in Mandarin Chinese. …
Furniture in Chinese: 130 Essential Words to Win (In & Outdoor) Read More »
The post Furniture in Chinese: 130 Essential Words to Win (In & Outdoor) appeared first on ImproveMandarin.
