On TV in Chinese 电视上
diànshì shàng
TV in Chinese is 电视 (diàn shì).
Also searched for as: tv programmes, tv, tv series, channel.
What's on tonight? 15 essential On TV 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 phrase for 'on TV' in Chinese is 电视上 (diàn shì shang), and the word you'll use most is 节目 (jié mù), a programme. These words cover everything you might flick through: the 新闻 (xīn wén), news, weather forecasts, variety shows, reality TV and live sport. You'll also meet 春晚 (Chūn wǎn), the Spring Festival Gala, which many families watch together on Chinese New Year's Eve.
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 节目 | jié mù | programme |
| 频道 | pín dào | channel |
| 新闻 | xīn wén | the news |
| 天气预报 | tiān qì yù bào | weather forecast |
| 综艺节目 | zōng yì jié mù | variety show |
| 电视剧 | diàn shì jù | TV series |
| 集 | jí | episode |
| 广告 | guǎng gào | advert |
| 主持人 | zhǔ chí rén | presenter; host |
| 直播 | zhí bō | live broadcast |
| 动画片 | dòng huà piàn | cartoon |
| 真人秀 | zhēn rén xiù | reality show |
| 春晚 | chūn wǎn | Spring Festival Gala |
| 重播 | chóng bō | repeat; rerun |
| 声音大一点儿 | shēng yīn dà yī diǎnr | turn it up a bit |
Usage tips
- 综艺节目 (zōng yì jié mù), variety shows built around games, challenges and celebrity guests, are hugely popular in China and are usually packed with on-screen captions and sound effects.
- To change the channel say 换台 (huàn tái) or 换个频道 (huàn ge pín dào); 台 (tái) also means a TV station, as in 电视台 (diàn shì tái).
- 春晚 (Chūn wǎn) is short for 春节联欢晚会 (Chūn jié lián huān wǎn huì), a long evening of songs, sketches and dances that is part of New Year's Eve for many families.
Common mistakes
- Using 新闻 (xīn wén) to mean a newspaper → 新闻 is the news itself; a newspaper is 报纸 (bào zhǐ).
- Saying 声音高一点儿 for 'turn it up' → volume is 大 or 小, so say 声音大一点儿 (shēng yīn dà yī diǎnr); 高 refers to pitch.
Mini dialogue
- A今晚有什么好节目？Jīn wǎn yǒu shén me hǎo jié mù?Is there anything good on tonight?
- B八点有足球直播。Bā diǎn yǒu zú qiú zhí bō.There's a live football match at eight.
- A我不想看球，换个频道吧。Wǒ bù xiǎng kàn qiú, huàn ge pín dào ba.I don't want to watch football, change the channel.
- B那看这个综艺节目？主持人很幽默。Nà kàn zhè ge zōng yì jié mù? Zhǔ chí rén hěn yōu mò.How about this variety show, then? The presenter is really funny.
- A好，不过广告太多了！Hǎo, bù guò guǎng gào tài duō le!OK, but there are far too many adverts!
Example sentences
- 今晚有什么好节目？Is there anything good on tonight?
- 换个频道吧。Change the channel.
- 我每天晚上看新闻。I watch the news every evening.
- 看看明天的天气预报。Let's check tomorrow's forecast.
- 这个综艺节目很火。This variety show is a big hit.
- 这部电视剧有四十集。This series has forty episodes.
- 我一晚上看了五集。I watched five episodes in one night.
- 广告太多了！There are too many adverts!
- 这个主持人很幽默。This presenter is very funny.
- 今晚有足球直播。There's a live football match tonight.
- 孩子们在看动画片。The kids are watching cartoons.
- 我不太喜欢看真人秀。I'm not really into reality shows.
- 除夕全家一起看春晚。The whole family watches the Spring Festival Gala on New Year's Eve.
- 这是昨天的重播。This is a repeat of yesterday's.
- 把声音开大一点儿。Turn the volume up a bit.
Practise speaking
Ready to use these words? The On TV speaking island has 8 everyday questions about On TV to prepare your own answers to.