Games & Video Games in Chinese 游戏
yóuxì
Game in Chinese is 游戏 (yóu xì).
Also searched for as: play game, video games, gaming, game.
Hobby specifics: playing. 12 essential games 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 game in Chinese is 游戏 (yóu xì), and to play one is 玩游戏 (wán yóu xì). These words cover video and mobile games, with their levels and players, as well as traditional pastimes such as 麻将 (má jiàng), mahjong, and 下棋 (xià qí), playing chess, which you'll still see in parks and at family gatherings. You'll also find the essential words for winning and losing.
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 游戏 | yóu xì | game |
| 玩游戏 | wán yóu xì | to play games |
| 电子游戏 | diàn zǐ yóu xì | video game |
| 手机游戏 | shǒu jī yóu xì | mobile game |
| 玩家 | wán jiā | player |
| 关 | guān | level (in a game) |
| 赢 | yíng | to win |
| 输 | shū | to lose |
| 扑克 | pū kè | cards (poker) |
| 麻将 | má jiàng | mahjong |
| 棋 | qí | chess; board game |
| 打牌 | dǎ pái | to play cards |
Usage tips
- Different games take different verbs: 玩游戏 (wán yóu xì), 打麻将 (dǎ má jiàng), 打牌 (dǎ pái) for cards and 下棋 (xià qí) for chess.
- 关 (guān) is a level in a game, so 过关 (guò guān) means getting through a level, and the phrase is also used for passing any test or check.
- 局 (jú) counts rounds of cards, mahjong or video games, while 盘 (pán) is common for a game of chess: 下一盘棋 (xià yī pán qí).
Common mistakes
- Saying 玩棋 or 玩麻将 → use the set verbs: 下棋 (xià qí) and 打麻将 (dǎ má jiàng).
- Assuming 游戏 (yóu xì) only means video games → it covers games of all kinds, including children's games, so say 电子游戏 (diàn zǐ yóu xì) or 手机游戏 (shǒu jī yóu xì) when you mean screen games specifically.
Mini dialogue
- A你会打麻将吗？Nǐ huì dǎ má jiàng ma?Can you play mahjong?
- B会一点儿。过年的时候我常常和家里人一起打。Huì yī diǎnr. Guò nián de shí hou wǒ cháng cháng hé jiā li rén yī qǐ dǎ.A little. I often play with my family at New Year.
- A那我们来一局吧！Nà wǒ men lái yī jú ba!Let's play a round, then!
- B好，不过输了不能生气哦。Hǎo, bù guò shū le bù néng shēng qì o.OK, but no getting cross if you lose.
- A放心，我肯定会赢！Fàng xīn, wǒ kěn dìng huì yíng!Don't worry, I'm definitely going to win!
Example sentences
- 这个游戏很简单。This game is very easy.
- 他一回家就玩游戏。He plays games as soon as he gets home.
- 很多孩子喜欢玩电子游戏。Lots of children like playing video games.
- 地铁上很多人在玩手机游戏。Lots of people on the underground are playing mobile games.
- 这个游戏有很多玩家。This game has lots of players.
- 我终于过了这一关！I've finally got past this level!
- 这局我又赢了！I won this round again!
- 玩游戏输了也没关系。It doesn't matter if you lose a game.
- 你会玩扑克吗？Can you play poker?
- 过年的时候，家里人一起打麻将。At New Year the family plays mahjong together.
- 这盘棋下了两个小时。This game of chess lasted two hours.
- 爷爷和朋友在公园打牌。Grandpa is playing cards with friends in the park.
Practise speaking
Ready to use these words? The Games speaking island has 8 everyday questions about games to prepare your own answers to.