Reading & Books in Chinese 阅读
yuèdú
Book / to read in Chinese are 书 / 看书 (shū / kàn shū).
Also searched for as: book, read, novel, reading.
Hobby specifics: reading. 14 essential reading & books 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 formal word for reading in Chinese is 阅读 (yuè dú), but in conversation people just say 看书 (kàn shū), literally 'look at books'. These words cover what you read, from a 小说 (xiǎo shuō), novel, to magazines, comics and poems, and where you read it, whether in the 图书馆 (tú shū guǎn), library, or a cosy bookshop. You'll also learn the difference between reading silently and reading aloud.
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 书 | shū | book |
| 看书 | kàn shū | to read |
| 读 | dú | to read (aloud) |
| 小说 | xiǎo shuō | novel |
| 作者 | zuò zhě | author |
| 杂志 | zá zhì | magazine |
| 图书馆 | tú shū guǎn | library |
| 书店 | shū diàn | bookshop |
| 故事 | gù shi | story |
| 章 | zhāng | chapter |
| 诗 | shī | poem |
| 漫画 | màn huà | comic |
| 页 | yè | page |
| 借 | jiè | to borrow |
Usage tips
- 看 (kàn) is for reading silently, while 读 (dú) suggests reading aloud or studying, as in 读课文 (dú kè wén); 读书 (dú shū) can also mean being at school or university.
- Use 本 (běn) for books and magazines and 首 (shǒu) for poems: 一本小说 (yī běn xiǎo shuō), 一首诗 (yī shǒu shī).
- To say how far you've got, use 看到 (kàn dào): 我看到第五章了 (wǒ kàn dào dì wǔ zhāng le), 'I've got to chapter five'.
Common mistakes
- Mixing up 'borrow' and 'lend' with 借 (jiè) → 借 covers both, so show the direction: 我跟你借书 (wǒ gēn nǐ jiè shū) is 'I borrow a book from you', and 我借给你 (wǒ jiè gěi nǐ) is 'I'll lend it to you'.
- Using 故事 (gù shi) for a news story → 故事 is a tale you tell or read; a news story is 新闻 (xīn wén) or 报道 (bào dào).
Mini dialogue
- A你在看什么书？Nǐ zài kàn shén me shū?What book are you reading?
- B一本小说，是我朋友送的。我已经看到第五章了。Yī běn xiǎo shuō, shì wǒ péng you sòng de. Wǒ yǐ jīng kàn dào dì wǔ zhāng le.A novel a friend gave me. I've already got to chapter five.
- A好看吗？Hǎo kàn ma?Is it good?
- B很好看，故事很有意思。看完了我借给你吧。Hěn hǎo kàn, gù shi hěn yǒu yì si. Kàn wán le wǒ jiè gěi nǐ ba.Really good, the story's very interesting. I'll lend it to you when I've finished.
Example sentences
- 这本书是我朋友送的。This book was a gift from a friend.
- 我睡觉前喜欢看书。I like reading before going to sleep.
- 老师让我读一下这段课文。The teacher asked me to read this passage aloud.
- 这本小说我看了三遍。I've read this novel three times.
- 这本书的作者很年轻。The author of this book is very young.
- 她在飞机上看杂志。She's reading a magazine on the plane.
- 我下午在图书馆看书。I'm reading in the library this afternoon.
- 学校旁边有一家小书店。There's a small bookshop next to the school.
- 妈妈每天晚上给我讲故事。Mum tells me a story every night.
- 我已经看到第五章了。I've already got to chapter five.
- 这首诗很短，但是很美。This poem is short but beautiful.
- 弟弟上课偷偷看漫画。My younger brother secretly reads comics in class.
- 请打开书，翻到第十页。Please open your books to page ten.
- 我可以借你的书看看吗？Can I borrow your book to have a look?
Practise speaking
Ready to use these words? The Reading & books speaking island has 8 everyday questions about reading & books to prepare your own answers to.