Kitchen & Utensils in Chinese 厨房
chúfáng
Kitchen in Chinese is 厨房 (chú fáng).
Also searched for as: kitchen, kitchen utensils, cooking tools, kitchen items.
Where does it all get made? 15 essential the kitchen 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 kitchen in Chinese is 厨房 (chú fáng), and the vocabulary around it covers the appliances, utensils and chores of everyday home life. You'll use 冰箱 (bīng xiāng), literally 'ice box', for the fridge, 碗 (wǎn) for the bowls Chinese meals are eaten from, and 洗碗 (xǐ wǎn), literally 'wash bowls', for the washing-up that someone always has to do afterwards.
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 厨房 | chú fáng | kitchen |
| 冰箱 | bīng xiāng | fridge |
| 微波炉 | wēi bō lú | microwave |
| 烤箱 | kǎo xiāng | oven |
| 炉子 | lú zi | cooker; stove |
| 水池 | shuǐ chí | sink |
| 刀 | dāo | knife |
| 菜板 | cài bǎn | chopping board |
| 碗 | wǎn | bowl |
| 盘子 | pán zi | plate |
| 杯子 | bēi zi | cup |
| 叉子 | chā zi | fork |
| 洗碗 | xǐ wǎn | to wash up |
| 洗碗机 | xǐ wǎn jī | dishwasher |
| 垃圾 | lā jī | rubbish |
Usage tips
- Knives and forks take the measure word 把 (bǎ), as in 一把刀 (yī bǎ dāo), and 碗 (wǎn) can itself be a measure word, as in 一碗饭 (yī wǎn fàn), a bowl of rice.
- 洗碗 (xǐ wǎn) means doing all the washing-up, not just the bowls, so 我来洗碗 (wǒ lái xǐ wǎn) is a natural way to offer to wash up after a meal.
- 垃圾 (lā jī), rubbish, is pronounced lè sè by many speakers in Taiwan, so don't be thrown if you hear it that way.
Common mistakes
- Describing a sharp knife with 尖 (jiān) means it is pointed, not sharp; say 这把刀很快 (zhè bǎ dāo hěn kuài) or use the more formal 锋利 (fēng lì).
- Leaving off the location word, as in 牛奶在冰箱; objects used as places need 里 (lǐ) or 上 (shàng), so say 牛奶在冰箱里 (niú nǎi zài bīng xiāng lǐ).
Mini dialogue
- A碗都在水池里，谁洗碗？Wǎn dōu zài shuǐ chí lǐ, shéi xǐ wǎn?The bowls are all in the sink. Who's washing up?
- B今天轮到你了！Jīn tiān lún dào nǐ le!It's your turn today!
- A好吧。盘子放进洗碗机可以吗？Hǎo ba. Pán zi fàng jìn xǐ wǎn jī kě yǐ ma?Fine. Can the plates go in the dishwasher?
- B可以，不过刀要用手洗。Kě yǐ, bù guò dāo yào yòng shǒu xǐ.Yes, but the knives need washing by hand.
Example sentences
- 妈妈在厨房做饭。Mum is cooking in the kitchen.
- 牛奶在冰箱里。The milk is in the fridge.
- 用微波炉热一下饭吧。Heat the rice up in the microwave.
- 蛋糕还在烤箱里。The cake is still in the oven.
- 炉子上还煮着汤。There's still soup cooking on the stove.
- 水池里有很多脏碗。There are lots of dirty bowls in the sink.
- 小心，这把刀很快。Careful, this knife is very sharp.
- 切完肉要洗菜板。Wash the chopping board after cutting meat.
- 把碗放进柜子里吧。Put the bowls in the cupboard.
- 请把盘子放到桌上。Please put the plates on the table.
- 杯子都在柜子里。The cups are all in the cupboard.
- 孩子还不会用筷子，给他一把叉子。The child can't use chopsticks yet, give him a fork.
- 今天轮到你洗碗了。It's your turn to wash up today.
- 有了洗碗机，方便多了。It's much more convenient with a dishwasher.
- 请把垃圾拿出去。Please take the rubbish out.
Practise speaking
Ready to use these words? The The kitchen speaking island has 8 everyday questions about the kitchen to prepare your own answers to.