Park in Chinese 公园里
gōngyuán lǐ
Park in Chinese is 公园 (gōng yuán).
Also searched for as: park, playground, at the park.
Fancy getting some fresh air? 15 essential at the park words 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.
The word for park in Chinese is 公园 (gōng yuán), literally a 'public garden'. Chinese parks are busy from dawn to dusk, so these words cover far more than benches and lakes: you'll see older people 打太极 (dǎ tài jí), doing tai chi, and groups of aunties dancing 广场舞 (guǎng chǎng wǔ) in the evenings. There are also words for flying kites, walking the dog, boating and simply sitting 晒太阳 (shài tài yáng) in the sun.
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 公园 | gōng yuán | park |
| 散步 | sàn bù | to go for a walk |
| 长椅 | cháng yǐ | bench |
| 湖 | hú | lake |
| 喷泉 | pēn quán | fountain |
| 野餐 | yě cān | picnic |
| 放风筝 | fàng fēng zheng | to fly a kite |
| 草坪 | cǎo píng | lawn |
| 跑步 | pǎo bù | to run; to go jogging |
| 打太极 | dǎ tài jí | to do tai chi |
| 广场舞 | guǎng chǎng wǔ | square dancing |
| 遛狗 | liù gǒu | to walk the dog |
| 划船 | huá chuán | to go boating |
| 鸽子 | gē zi | pigeon; dove |
| 晒太阳 | shài tài yáng | to sit in the sun |
Usage tips
- Tai chi takes the verb 打 (dǎ), as in 打太极 (dǎ tài jí), while kites are 'released' with 放 (fàng): 放风筝 (fàng fēng zheng).
- 广场舞 (guǎng chǎng wǔ) is group dancing to music in parks and squares, especially popular with middle-aged and older women, who are often called 阿姨 (ā yí) or 大妈 (dà mā).
- Doubling a verb softens it, so 散散步 (sàn san bù) means 'go for a little stroll'; you'll hear it in gentle suggestions like 饭后散散步 (fàn hòu sàn san bù).
Common mistakes
- Using 走路 (zǒu lù) for 'going for a walk' → 走路 is walking as a way of getting somewhere; a leisurely walk is 散步 (sàn bù).
- Saying 走狗 for 'walk the dog' → that means a lackey; the verb for walking an animal is 遛 (liù): 遛狗 (liù gǒu).
Mini dialogue
- A今天天气真好，我们去公园散散步吧。Jīn tiān tiān qì zhēn hǎo, wǒ men qù gōng yuán sàn san bù ba.The weather's lovely today, let's go for a stroll in the park.
- B好啊。我们可以坐在湖边的长椅上晒太阳。Hǎo a. Wǒ men kě yǐ zuò zài hú biān de cháng yǐ shang shài tài yáng.Sure. We can sit on a bench by the lake and enjoy the sun.
- A你看，那些老人在打太极。Nǐ kàn, nà xiē lǎo rén zài dǎ tài jí.Look, those older people are doing tai chi.
- B晚上阿姨们还会在这儿跳广场舞呢。Wǎn shang ā yí men hái huì zài zhèr tiào guǎng chǎng wǔ ne.And in the evening the aunties come here to do square dancing.
Example sentences
- 我们去公园散步吧。Let's go for a walk in the park.
- 饭后散散步。Take a little stroll after dinner.
- 我们坐在长椅上休息。We rested on a bench.
- 公园里有一个小湖。There's a small lake in the park.
- 孩子们在喷泉旁边玩。The kids are playing by the fountain.
- 周末去公园野餐吧！Let's have a picnic in the park this weekend!
- 春天适合放风筝。Spring is good for flying kites.
- 请不要踩草坪。Please keep off the grass.
- 我每天早上在公园跑步。I jog in the park every morning.
- 老人们在打太极。The old folks are doing tai chi.
- 阿姨们晚上跳广场舞。The aunties do square dancing in the evenings.
- 很多人在公园遛狗。Lots of people walk their dogs in the park.
- 我们在湖上划船。We went boating on the lake.
- 广场上有很多鸽子。There are lots of pigeons in the square.
- 我们坐在草地上晒太阳。We sat on the grass in the sun.
Practise speaking
Ready to use these words? The At the park speaking island has 8 everyday questions about at the park to prepare your own answers to.