Consoles & PC gaming in Chinese 主机和电脑
zhǔjī hé diànnǎo
Games console in Chinese is 游戏机 (yóu xì jī).
Also searched for as: video game consoles, PC gaming, gaming PC, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch, Xbox.
PlayStation, Switch or a gaming PC: pick your platform. 15 essential Consoles & PC gaming 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 a games console in Chinese is 主机 (zhǔ jī), literally 'main machine', though 游戏机 (yóu xì jī) is the everyday term many people grew up with. PC gamers have their own vocabulary too, from 显卡 (xiǎn kǎ, graphics card) and 配置 (pèi zhì, specs) to 装机 (zhuāng jī), building your own computer. These words help you shop for hardware and compare platforms with other players.
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 主机 | zhǔ jī | console |
| 游戏机 | yóu xì jī | games console |
| 手柄 | shǒu bǐng | controller |
| 任天堂 | Rèn tiān táng | Nintendo |
| 索尼 | Suǒ ní | Sony |
| 独占 | dú zhàn | exclusive (game) |
| 游戏本 | yóu xì běn | gaming laptop |
| 显卡 | xiǎn kǎ | graphics card |
| 配置 | pèi zhì | specs |
| 装机 | zhuāng jī | to build a PC |
| 帧数 | zhēn shù | frame rate |
| 画质 | huà zhì | graphics quality |
| 键盘 | jiàn pán | keyboard |
| 鼠标 | shǔ biāo | mouse |
| 端游 | duān yóu | PC game |
Usage tips
- 主机 (zhǔ jī) can also mean the tower of a desktop computer, so 主机游戏 (zhǔ jī yóu xì) is the clearer way to say console games; PC games are 端游 (duān yóu) or 电脑游戏 (diàn nǎo yóu xì).
- Console brands are usually called by their Chinese names in speech, such as 任天堂 (Rèn tiān táng) for Nintendo and 索尼 (Suǒ ní) for Sony, while the consoles themselves often keep their English names.
- When a game stutters, gamers say it's 卡 (kǎ), and 掉帧 (diào zhēn) means dropping frames because the 帧数 (zhēn shù, frame rate) is too low.
Common mistakes
- Calling a controller a 遥控器 (yáo kòng qì) → that's a TV remote; a game controller is 手柄 (shǒu bǐng).
- Reading 帧 as zhèng because it looks similar to other characters → it's first tone, zhēn, as in 帧数 (zhēn shù).
Mini dialogue
- A你玩主机还是电脑？Nǐ wán zhǔ jī hái shì diàn nǎo?Do you play on console or PC?
- B电脑，我自己装的机。Diàn nǎo, wǒ zì jǐ zhuāng de jī.PC, I built it myself.
- A配置怎么样？画质能开到最高吗？Pèi zhì zěn me yàng? Huà zhì néng kāi dào zuì gāo ma?What are the specs like? Can you max out the graphics?
- B可以，帧数也很稳，就是显卡太贵了。Kě yǐ, zhēn shù yě hěn wěn, jiù shì xiǎn kǎ tài guì le.Yes, and the frame rate is steady. The graphics card was just really expensive.
- A我还是买游戏机吧，接上手柄就能玩。Wǒ hái shì mǎi yóu xì jī ba, jiē shàng shǒu bǐng jiù néng wán.I think I'll get a console, you just plug in a controller and play.
Example sentences
- 你玩主机还是电脑？Do you play on console or PC?
- 我小时候最想要一台游戏机。As a kid I wanted a games console more than anything.
- 电脑也可以接手柄玩。You can plug a controller into a PC too.
- 任天堂的游戏很适合全家一起玩。Nintendo games are great for the whole family.
- 索尼的主机叫PlayStation。Sony's console is called the PlayStation.
- 这款游戏是主机独占的。This game is console-exclusive.
- 这台游戏本太重了。This gaming laptop is too heavy.
- 显卡太贵了，买不起。Graphics cards are too expensive, I can't afford one.
- 你电脑配置怎么样？What are your PC specs like?
- 我自己装机，比买现成的便宜。I build my own PC, it's cheaper than buying one.
- 帧数太低，玩起来很卡。The frame rate's too low, it's really choppy.
- 把画质调到最高。Turn the graphics up to max.
- 机械键盘打游戏手感很好。Mechanical keyboards feel great for gaming.
- 这个鼠标是专门打游戏用的。This mouse is made specially for gaming.
- 手游没有端游玩得爽。Mobile games aren't as fun as PC games.
Practise speaking
Ready to use these words? The Consoles & PC gaming speaking island has 8 everyday questions about Consoles & PC gaming to prepare your own answers to.