Geography: Vocabulary for places, directions, and location words

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Pinyin is the standard romanisation used to show Mandarin pronunciation using the Latin alphabet. You’ll often see tone marks on the vowels to show the four tones (plus the neutral tone), for example mā / má / mǎ / mà / ma. “Numbered pinyin” shows the same tones using a number after the syllable instead of tone marks, for example ma1 / ma2 / ma3 / ma4 / ma (sometimes written as ma5 for the neutral tone). Numbered pinyin is handy when you can’t easily type tone marks, while tone-mark pinyin is usually easier to read once you’re used to it.

北

• Pinyin: běi
• Numbered pinyin: bei3
• English translation: north

北边

• Pinyin: běi bian
• Numbered pinyin: bei3 bian5
• English translation: north side

北京

• Pinyin: Běi jīng
• Numbered pinyin: bei3 jing1
• English translation: Beijing

地

• Pinyin: dì
• Numbered pinyin: di4
• English translation: ground, land

地点

• Pinyin: dì diǎn
• Numbered pinyin: di4 dian3
• English translation: location

地方

• Pinyin: dì fang
• Numbered pinyin: di4 fang5
• English translation: place

地上

• Pinyin: dì shàng
• Numbered pinyin: di4 shang5
• English translation: on the ground

地图

• Pinyin: dì tú
• Numbered pinyin: di4 tu2
• English translation: map

东

• Pinyin: dōng
• Numbered pinyin: dong1
• English translation: east

东边

• Pinyin: dōng bian
• Numbered pinyin: dong1 bian5
• English translation: east side

国

• Pinyin: guó
• Numbered pinyin: guo2
• English translation: country

国家

• Pinyin: guó jiā
• Numbered pinyin: guo2 jia1
• English translation: country, nation

国外

• Pinyin: guó wài
• Numbered pinyin: guo2 wai4
• English translation: abroad

后

• Pinyin: hòu
• Numbered pinyin: hou4
• English translation: back, behind

后边

• Pinyin: hòu bian
• Numbered pinyin: hou4 bian5
• English translation: back side

机场

• Pinyin: jī chǎng
• Numbered pinyin: ji1 chang3
• English translation: airport

里

• Pinyin: lǐ
• Numbered pinyin: li3
• English translation: inside

里边

• Pinyin: lǐ bian
• Numbered pinyin: li3 bian5
• English translation: inside, within

路

• Pinyin: lù
• Numbered pinyin: lu4
• English translation: road

路口

• Pinyin: lù kǒu
• Numbered pinyin: lu4 kou3
• English translation: intersection

路上

• Pinyin: lù shang
• Numbered pinyin: lu4 shang5
• English translation: on the road

马路

• Pinyin: mǎ lù
• Numbered pinyin: ma3 lu4
• English translation: street, road

那边

• Pinyin: nà bian
• Numbered pinyin: na4 bian5
• English translation: that side

那里

• Pinyin: nà lǐ
• Numbered pinyin: na4 li3
• English translation: there

那儿

• Pinyin: nàr
• Numbered pinyin: nar4
• English translation: there

南

• Pinyin: nán
• Numbered pinyin: nan2
• English translation: south

南边

• Pinyin: nán bian
• Numbered pinyin: nan2 bian5
• English translation: south side

旁边

• Pinyin: páng biān
• Numbered pinyin: pang2 bian1
• English translation: side, beside

前

• Pinyin: qián
• Numbered pinyin: qian2
• English translation: front, before

前边

• Pinyin: qián bian
• Numbered pinyin: qian2 bian5
• English translation: front side

商场

• Pinyin: shāng chǎng
• Numbered pinyin: shang1 chang3
• English translation: shopping mall

商店

• Pinyin: shāng diàn
• Numbered pinyin: shang1 dian4
• English translation: shop

上边

• Pinyin: shàng bian
• Numbered pinyin: shang4 bian5
• English translation: upper side

外

• Pinyin: wài
• Numbered pinyin: wai4
• English translation: outside

外边

• Pinyin: wài bian
• Numbered pinyin: wai4 bian5
• English translation: outside

外国

• Pinyin: wài guó
• Numbered pinyin: wai4 guo2
• English translation: foreign country

西

• Pinyin: xī
• Numbered pinyin: xi1
• English translation: west

西边

• Pinyin: xī bian
• Numbered pinyin: xi1 bian5
• English translation: west side

下边

• Pinyin: xià bian
• Numbered pinyin: xia4 bian5
• English translation: lower side

医院

• Pinyin: yī yuàn
• Numbered pinyin: yi1 yuan4
• English translation: hospital

一边

• Pinyin: yī biān
• Numbered pinyin: yi1 bian1
• English translation: one side

右

• Pinyin: yòu
• Numbered pinyin: you4
• English translation: right (side)

右边

• Pinyin: yòu bian
• Numbered pinyin: you4 bian5
• English translation: right side

这边

• Pinyin: zhè bian
• Numbered pinyin: zhe4 bian5
• English translation: this side

这里

• Pinyin: zhè lǐ
• Numbered pinyin: zhe4 li3
• English translation: here

这儿

• Pinyin: zhèr
• Numbered pinyin: zher4
• English translation: here

中

• Pinyin: zhōng
• Numbered pinyin: zhong1
• English translation: middle, in

中国

• Pinyin: Zhōng guó
• Numbered pinyin: Zhong1 guo2
• English translation: China

中间

• Pinyin: zhōng jiān
• Numbered pinyin: zhong1 jian1
• English translation: middle

左

• Pinyin: zuǒ
• Numbered pinyin: zuo3
• English translation: left

左边

• Pinyin: zuǒ bian
• Numbered pinyin: zuo3 bian5
• English translation: left side

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