Evening at Home in Chinese 晚上在家
wǎnshang zàijiā
Evening in Chinese is 晚上 (wǎn shang).
Also searched for as: evening, night, relaxing at home.
What happens after you get home? 15 essential evening at home 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.
Evenings at home are full of small habits, and this list covers modern ones as well as the classics. 追剧 (zhuī jù), literally 'chasing a drama', means following or binge-watching a series, and 刷手机 (shuā shǒu jī) is the endless scroll through your phone. Traditional comforts like 泡脚 (pào jiǎo), soaking your feet in hot water, lead up to 晚安 (wǎn ān), 'good night', at the end of the day.
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 换衣服 | huàn yī fu | to get changed |
| 做晚饭 | zuò wǎn fàn | to cook dinner |
| 吃晚饭 | chī wǎn fàn | to have dinner |
| 追剧 | zhuī jù | to binge-watch a series |
| 刷手机 | shuā shǒu jī | to scroll on your phone |
| 洗澡 | xǐ zǎo | to have a bath or shower |
| 泡脚 | pào jiǎo | to soak your feet |
| 敷面膜 | fū miàn mó | to put on a face mask |
| 看书 | kàn shū | to read |
| 给家人打电话 | gěi jiā rén dǎ diàn huà | to call the family |
| 准备 | zhǔn bèi | to get ready |
| 放松 | fàng sōng | to relax |
| 早点儿睡 | zǎo diǎnr shuì | to go to bed early |
| 晚安 | wǎn ān | good night |
| 熬夜 | áo yè | to stay up late |
Usage tips
- 泡脚 (pào jiǎo) is a popular bedtime habit in China, especially in winter, and many people believe it helps them sleep; mentioning it shows real cultural knowledge.
- 熬夜 (áo yè) means staying up late, usually in an unhealthy way, and you'll often hear it as a gentle warning from family: 别熬夜了 (bié áo yè le).
- 刷 (shuā) literally means 'to brush', but it's also used for scrolling through screens, as in 刷手机 and 刷视频 (shuā shì pín), 'watch short videos'.
Common mistakes
- Using 晚安 (wǎn ān) as 'good evening' when you arrive somewhere: it means 'good night' when parting or going to bed. To greet someone in the evening, say 晚上好 (wǎn shang hǎo) or just 你好.
- Using 读书 for reading at bedtime: 读书 (dú shū) often means studying or being at school, so for reading for pleasure say 看书 (kàn shū).
Mini dialogue
- A你吃完晚饭一般做什么？Nǐ chī wán wǎn fàn yī bān zuò shén me?What do you usually do after dinner?
- B先洗澡，然后追剧。你呢？Xiān xǐ zǎo, rán hòu zhuī jù. Nǐ ne?Have a shower first, then watch my series. What about you?
- A我喜欢看书，有时候也刷手机。Wǒ xǐ huan kàn shū, yǒu shí hou yě shuā shǒu jī.I like reading, and sometimes I scroll on my phone.
- B别熬夜啊，明天还要上班。Bié áo yè a, míng tiān hái yào shàng bān.Don't stay up too late, we've got work tomorrow.
- A知道了，晚安！Zhī dào le, wǎn ān!I know, good night!
Example sentences
- 回家先换衣服。I get changed as soon as I get home.
- 今天谁做晚饭？Who's cooking dinner tonight?
- 我们七点吃晚饭。We have dinner at seven.
- 她每天晚上都在追剧。She binge-watches a series every night.
- 别躺在床上刷手机了。Stop scrolling on your phone in bed.
- 我先去洗澡。I'll go and have a shower first.
- 冬天晚上泡脚很舒服。Soaking your feet on winter nights feels great.
- 她一边敷面膜一边看电视。She's watching TV with a face mask on.
- 睡前我喜欢看书。I like reading before bed.
- 周日晚上我给家人打电话。I call my family on Sunday evenings.
- 睡前我准备好明天要穿的衣服。Before bed I get tomorrow's clothes ready.
- 晚上在家放松一下。Relax at home in the evening.
- 明天要早起，早点儿睡吧。You've got to get up early tomorrow, go to bed early.
- 晚安，做个好梦！Good night, sweet dreams!
- 别熬夜，对身体不好。Don't stay up late, it's bad for you.
Practise speaking
Ready to use these words? The Evening at home speaking island has 8 everyday questions about evening at home to prepare your own answers to.