Elections in Chinese 选举
xuǎnjǔ
Election in Chinese is 选举 (xuǎn jǔ).
Also searched for as: election, vote, president.
Who gets your vote? 15 words and phrases for Elections in Mandarin Chinese, with pinyin and English. Open it in the app to hear each word, tick off the ones you know and turn them into flashcards.
An election in Chinese is 选举 (xuǎn jǔ), and the verb you'll use most is 投票 (tóu piào), to vote, literally 'to cast a ticket'. These words let you follow election coverage and talk about the process in any country: the 候选人 (hòu xuǎn rén), candidates, the campaigns, the 民意调查 (mín yì diào chá), opinion polls, and the long night of 计票 (jì piào), counting the votes. They're as useful for Chinese-language news from Taiwan, Singapore or Malaysia as for elections in the UK or US.
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 选举 | xuǎn jǔ | election |
| 投票 | tóu piào | to vote |
| 选民 | xuǎn mín | voter |
| 候选人 | hòu xuǎn rén | candidate |
| 竞选 | jìng xuǎn | to run for office; campaign |
| 政党 | zhèng dǎng | political party |
| 投票站 | tóu piào zhàn | polling station |
| 选票 | xuǎn piào | ballot paper |
| 选区 | xuǎn qū | constituency |
| 民意调查 | mín yì diào chá | opinion poll |
| 投票率 | tóu piào lǜ | turnout |
| 辩论 | biàn lùn | debate |
| 计票 | jì piào | vote counting |
| 当选 | dāng xuǎn | to be elected |
| 出口民调 | chū kǒu mín diào | exit poll |
Usage tips
- Polls are usually shortened to 民调 (mín diào) in headlines and speech, as in 出口民调 (chū kǒu mín diào), exit poll.
- 竞选 (jìng xuǎn) and 当选 (dāng xuǎn) are followed directly by the post: 竞选市长 (jìng xuǎn shì zhǎng), to run for mayor, and 当选总统 (dāng xuǎn zǒng tǒng), to be elected president.
- 'Vote for someone' is 投票给 (tóu piào gěi) plus the person, or 投某人一票 (tóu mǒu rén yī piào), to give someone your vote.
Common mistakes
- Reading 投票率 as tóu piào shuài: 率 is lǜ when it means a rate, as in 效率 (xiào lǜ), efficiency, and shuài in words like 率领 (shuài lǐng), to lead.
- Mixing up 选举 (xuǎn jǔ), election, with 选择 (xuǎn zé), to choose; you take part in a 选举 but make a 选择.
Mini dialogue
- A你明天去投票吗？Nǐ míng tiān qù tóu piào ma?Are you going to vote tomorrow?
- B去，投票站就在我家旁边。Qù, tóu piào zhàn jiù zài wǒ jiā páng biān.Yes, the polling station's right next to my house.
- A你决定投给哪个候选人了吗？Nǐ jué dìng tóu gěi nǎ ge hòu xuǎn rén le ma?Have you decided which candidate you're voting for?
- B还没有，我想先看看今晚的辩论。Hái méi yǒu, wǒ xiǎng xiān kàn kan jīn wǎn de biàn lùn.Not yet. I want to watch tonight's debate first.
- A民意调查说两个人差不多。Mín yì diào chá shuō liǎng gè rén chà bù duō.The polls say the two of them are neck and neck.
- B那这次的投票率应该会很高。Nà zhè cì de tóu piào lǜ yīng gāi huì hěn gāo.Then turnout should be high this time.
Example sentences
- 下个月举行选举。There's an election next month.
- 你去投票了吗？Did you go and vote?
- 年轻选民越来越多。There are more and more young voters.
- 这次有三个候选人。There are three candidates this time.
- 他在竞选市长。He's running for mayor.
- 你支持哪个政党？Which party do you support?
- 投票站早上七点开门。Polling stations open at 7 a.m.
- 在选票上画一个叉。Put a cross on the ballot paper.
- 我们选区的议员是谁？Who's the MP for our constituency?
- 民意调查显示两党差不多。The polls show the two parties neck and neck.
- 这次的投票率很高。Turnout was high this time.
- 昨晚的电视辩论你看了吗？Did you see last night's TV debate?
- 计票要到半夜。The count goes on until midnight.
- 她当选了总统。She was elected president.
- 出口民调十点公布。The exit poll is released at ten.
Practise speaking
Ready to use these words? The Elections speaking island has 8 everyday questions about Elections to prepare your own answers to.