Flashcards
Tap a card to flip it. Mark each word Know it or Still learning, star the hard ones, and shuffle the deck. Turn on auto audio to hear every card.
Vocabulary Practice
Chinese Flash Cards
Study Mandarin words the way they stick: see the Hanzi, say it, flip the card, and hear it spoken. Every card shows pinyin, English and Urdu, with audio.
Practise 24 starter words
Students: choose your class below and enter its password.
Write
See the front of a card and type the answer: pinyin, English or Urdu. Pinyin is accepted with or without tone marks, and missed words come back at the end.
Match
Match Hanzi to meanings against the clock. A quick round of six pairs is a good warm-up before class and shows which words you still mix up.
Test
Build a short test with multiple choice, written and true/false questions. Your recent scores are saved on your device so you can see progress.
Starter vocabulary: 24 everyday Chinese words
These are some of the first words beginners need in real conversations: greetings, people, food and time. They are also in the starter flash card deck, so you can read them here and then practise them with audio.
| Hanzi | Pinyin | English | Urdu |
|---|---|---|---|
| 你好 | nǐ hǎo | hello | ہیلو، سلام |
| 谢谢 | xièxie | thank you | شکریہ |
| 不客气 | bú kèqi | you are welcome | کوئی بات نہیں |
| 再见 | zàijiàn | goodbye | خدا حافظ |
| 我 | wǒ | I, me | میں |
| 你 | nǐ | you | تم، آپ |
| 他 | tā | he, him | وہ (مرد) |
| 她 | tā | she, her | وہ (عورت) |
| 是 | shì | to be (is, am, are) | ہونا، ہے |
| 不 | bù | not, no | نہیں |
| 有 | yǒu | to have | پاس ہونا |
| 吃 | chī | to eat | کھانا |
| 喝 | hē | to drink | پینا |
| 水 | shuǐ | water | پانی |
| 茶 | chá | tea | چائے |
| 米饭 | mǐfàn | cooked rice | چاول |
| 朋友 | péngyou | friend | دوست |
| 老师 | lǎoshī | teacher | استاد |
| 学生 | xuésheng | student | طالب علم |
| 中国 | Zhōngguó | China | چین |
| 学习 | xuéxí | to study, to learn | پڑھنا، سیکھنا |
| 今天 | jīntiān | today | آج |
| 明天 | míngtiān | tomorrow | کل (آنے والا) |
| 多少 | duōshao | how many, how much | کتنا، کتنے |
How to study Chinese with flash cards
Flash cards work because they make you recall a word instead of just reading it again. Trying to remember, even when you get it wrong, is what moves a word into long-term memory. A short routine every day beats one long session a week.
- Say it before you flip. Look at the Hanzi, say the word out loud, then flip the card and check the pinyin and tone.
- Listen and repeat. Press the speaker and copy the audio. Pay attention to the tone more than to speed.
- Be honest with “Still learning”. If you hesitated, mark it as still learning. The filter then lets you review only those words.
- Switch direction. Once Chinese → meaning is easy, swap the cards so you see English or Urdu first and must produce the Chinese.
- Finish with Write or Test. Typing the answer is harder than recognising it, so it shows what you really know.
Why Hanzi, pinyin, English and Urdu together
Pinyin tells you how a word sounds, but Chinese is read in characters. Putting the Hanzi on the front trains you to recognise characters, while pinyin on the back keeps your pronunciation and tones correct. The Urdu meaning helps learners in Pakistan connect a new word to a language they already think in, and the English meaning matches most textbooks and HSK word lists.
If tones are new to you, spend a few minutes with the pinyin chart with audio first. To learn how to write the characters on your cards, make a practice sheet with the stroke order worksheet maker.
Tips for remembering more words
- Keep decks small. Ten to twenty new words at a time is easier to finish than a list of a hundred.
- Review the next day. Words you knew yesterday fade quickly; a quick review the next day and again a few days later keeps them.
- Learn words in phrases. 喝茶 (hē chá, drink tea) is easier to remember and use than 喝 and 茶 on their own.
- Use the words. Put new words into a short sentence and check it with the free Chinese translation tool.
Frequently asked questions
Are these Chinese flash cards free?
Yes. The starter deck on this page is free for everyone. Students in a Learn Chinese with Abdul class also get the vocabulary lists for their lessons here.
How do I open my class word lists?
In the app above, choose your class and enter the password your teacher gave you. Your lists then stay open on that device.
Is my progress saved?
Yes, on your device. Known words, starred words and test scores are saved in your browser, so use the same phone or computer to keep your progress.
Can I hear the words?
Yes. Press the speaker on any card to hear the Chinese word and its meanings. Turn on auto audio and each card is read out as you go. If audio cannot load, your device's built-in voice is used instead.
Learn more
Watch the vocabulary and pinyin lessons on the YouTube videos page, read the HSK 1 vocabulary list, or download the free Chinese eBooks for more words to practise.
