Furniture in Chinese: 130 Essential Words to Win (In & Outdoor)

Regardless of what a home means to you, a house isn’t much without furniture inside. Knowing the Chinese furniture vocabulary can be very useful as we use and talk about them every day, especially if you’re living in China.

Well, in this guide, you’ll learn all the essentials for talking about furniture in Mandarin Chinese. We aren’t just talking tables, chairs, and beds, oh no. Here you’ll discover the name for every piece of furniture in Chinese and some super useful examples to learn how to use all of them.

With this fun guide to furniture in Chinese, we guarantee that visiting your friends and family will be a whole lot more pleasant as you compliment their place and open up topics of conversation!

Sound good? Let’s get started.

Furniture in Chinese

First and foremost, let’s learn how to say “furniture” in Chinese.

The general word for furniture in Chinese is 家具 (jiājù). When you are referring to a piece of furniture, you can say 一件家具 (yí jiàn jiājù). 件 (jiàn) is one of the most common measure words in Chinese that’s used for furniture, utensils as well as clothes, among other things.

家具 (jiājù) is a typical compound word in Chinese. If you break the word into characters, 家 (jiā) means home or household, and 具 (zuò) means appliance. Together, they express the notion of “furniture”. This word is easy to confuse with 工具 (gōngjù), which means tool.

General Chinese Furniture Vocabulary

Now that you know how to say “furniture” in Chinese, we’ll help you to build your essential furniture vocabulary.

There are lots of terms we want to share with you. Here’s a list of the most basic vocabulary words, expressions, and verbal phrases to get you started on talking about furniture in Chinese.

Chinese	Pinyin Pronunciation	English
家具店	jiājù diàn	furniture store
家具厂	jiājù chǎng	furniture factory
房子	fángzi	house
公寓	gōngyù	apartment
促销	cùxiāo	sale
布置	bùzhì	to furnish
购买	gòumǎi	to purchase
买	mǎi	to buy
卖	mài	to sell
设计	shèjì	to design
做	zuò	to make
换	huàn	to change/replace
修	xiū	to fix
修复	xiūfù	to restore
退	tuì	to return
下单	xiàdān	to order
送货	sònghuò	to deliver
安装	ānzhuāng	to install
新	xīn	new
旧	jiù	old
二手	èrshǒu	second-hand
现成	xiànchéng	readily available
定制	dìngzhì	custom-made
漂亮	piàoliang	beautiful
丑	chǒu	ugly
实用	shíyòng	practical
宜家	Yíjiā	Ikea

Example Sentences to Talk about Furniture in Chinese:

我们得为我们的新公寓购买一些家具。
Wǒmen děi wèi wǒmen de xīn gōngyù gòumǎi yīxiē jiājù.
We need to buy some furniture for our new apartment.

房东留给我们的家具又旧又丑，我想把它们都换了。
Fángdōng liú gěi wǒmen de jiājù yòu jiù yòu chǒu, wǒ xiǎng bǎ tāmen dōu huàn le.
The furniture our landlord left us is old and ugly. I’d like to change them all.

宜家下周有促销，要不我们去看看？
Yíjiā xià zhōu yǒu cùxiāo, yàobù wǒmen qù kànkan?
There is a sale at Ikea next week. Shall we go and have a look?

这件家具是现成的吗？如果我现在下单，什么时候能送货？
Zhè jiàn jiājù shì xiànchéng de ma? Rúguǒ wǒ xiànzài xiàdān, shénme shíhòu néng sònghuò?
Is this piece of furniture readily available? If I place an order now, when will it be delivered?

你们的家具真漂亮。是哪里买的？
Nǐmen de jiājù zhēn piàoliang. Shì nǎli mǎi de?
Your furniture is so beautiful. Where did you buy it?

是我自己设计然后找家具厂定制的。
Shì wǒ zìjǐ shèjì ránhòu zhǎo jiājù chǎng dìngzhì de.
I designed it myself and then found a furniture factory to custom-make it.

Ikea in Chinese — *宜家 (Yíjiā) – the catchy Chinese name of Ikea means “suitable for home” and appeals to young Chinese looking to furnish their apartment.*

Room-Specific Furniture in Chinese

It’s easier to remember new words when we associate them with daily places. Before we get into learning the names of various pieces of furniture in Chinese, it’s helpful to first know the rooms in the house.

Here’s a quick rundown of the room names in Chinese.

English	Chinese	Pinyin
living room	客厅	kètīng
dining room	餐厅	cāntīng
kitchen	厨房	chúfáng
bathroom	卫生间	wèishēngjiān
laundry room	洗衣间	xǐyījiān
bedroom	卧室	wòshì
office	办公室	bàngōngshì
study	书房	shūfáng
balcony	阳台	yángtái
terrace	露台	lùtái
garden	花园	huāyuán

If you are interested, we’ve written an in-depth guide to help you learn more about the different parts and areas of the house in Chinese.

Below is a comprehensive vocabulary list for furniture in Chinese in each room of the house that’s complete with characters and Pinyin pronunciation. We also provide the corresponding measure word for each piece of furniture to help you use the words properly.

Note that there could be multiple terms for several pieces of furniture on this list. For example, there are two words for “table” in Chinese: 桌子 (zhuōzi) and 台子 (táizi). These words can be used interchangeably.

Living Room Furniture in Chinese – 客厅家具 (kètīng jiājù)

There’s nothing like taking your shoes off and chilling on the commodity of your own sofa after a long day at work! Here’s the vocabulary you need to talk about the living room furniture in Chinese!

English	Chinese	Pinyin	Measure Word
armchair	扶手椅	fúshǒuyǐ	张(zhāng)/把( bǎ)
blinds	百叶帘	bǎiyèlián	副(fù)
cabinet	橱柜	chúguì	个(gè)
carpet/rug	地毯	dìtǎn	条(tiáo)/块(kuài)
chair	椅子	yǐzi	张(zhāng)/把(bǎ)
chandelier	吊灯	diàodēng	盏(zhǎn)
clock	钟	zhōng	面(miàn)
coffee table	咖啡桌/茶几	chájī	张(zhāng)
curtains	窗帘	chuānglián	副(fù)
cushion	靠枕/垫子	kàozhěn/diànzi	个(gè)
display cabinet	展示柜	zhǎnshìguì	个(gè)
fireplace	壁炉	bìlú	个(gè)
floor lamp	落地灯	luòdìdēng	盏(zhǎn)
shelf	架子	jiàzi	个(gè)/排(pái)
side table	边桌/边几	biānzhuō/biānjī	张(zhāng)
sofa	沙发	shāfā	张(zhāng)
sofa bed	沙发床	shāfāchuáng	张(zhāng)
stool	凳子	dèngzi	张(zhāng)
table	桌子/台子	zhuōzi/táizi	张(zhāng)
TV	电视机	diànshìjī	台(tái)
TV cabinet	电视柜	diànshìguì	个(gè)

Note that sometimes people use different measure words to quantify the same piece of furniture in Chinese and the choice would depend on which characteristic they wish to emphasize. For instance, 张 (zhāng) is commonly used for flat chairs while 把 (bǎ) is used for chairs with arms.

Example Sentences:

这张沙发太舒服了！
Zhè zhāng shāfā tài shūfu le!
This sofa is really comfy!

我喜欢客厅的吊灯。
Wǒ xǐhuan kètīng de diàodēng.
I like the chandelier in the living room.

不要把脚放在咖啡桌上。
Búyào bǎ jiǎo fàng zài kāfēizhuō shàng.
Don’t put your feet on the coffee table.

Dining Room Furniture in Chinese – 餐厅家具 (cāntīng jiājù)

Chinese people are pretty serious about food and eating. In Chinese homes, the dining room and living room are usually connected. Watching or using the TV as background noise while eating is extremely common in China.

Here’s how you name the dining room furniture in Chinese.

English	Chinese	Pinyin	Measure Word
bar stool	吧椅	bāyǐ	张(zhāng)/把(bǎ)
bar table	吧台	bātái	张(zhāng)
tableware	餐具	cānjù	件(jiàn)
buffet	餐具柜	cānjùguì	个(gè)
dining chair	餐椅	cānyǐ	张(zhāng)/把(bǎ)
dining table	餐桌	cānzhuō	张(zhāng)
wine rack	酒架	jiǔjià	个(gè)/排(pái)

Example Sentences:

这张吧椅不够高。
Zhè zhāng bāyǐ bú gòu gāo.
This bar stool is not tall enough.

我们的餐桌可以坐八个人。
Wǒmen de cānzhuō kěyǐ zuò bā gè rén.
Our dining table can seat up to 8 people.

这里还需要两把餐椅。
Zhèli hái xūyào liǎng bǎ cānyǐ.
We need two more dining chairs here.

Kitchen Furniture in Chinese – 厨房家具 (chúfáng jiājù)

While the living room may be the heart of the Chinese home, the kitchen is where the action is! Here is a list of Chinese vocabulary words for common kitchen furniture.

English	Chinese	Pinyin	Measure Word
counter	柜台	guìtái	个(gè)
cupboard	橱柜	chúguì	个(gè)
dishwasher	洗碗机	xǐwǎnjī	台(tái)
drawer	抽屉	chōuti	个(gè)
fridge	冰箱	bīngxiāng	台(tái)
island	中岛	zhōngdǎo	个(gè)
sink	水槽/水斗	shuǐcáo/shuǐdòu	个(gè)
microwave	微波炉	wēibōlú	台(tái)
oven	烤箱	kǎoxiāng	台(tái)
range hood	油烟机	yóuyānjī	台(tái)
stove	炉灶	lúzào	个(gè)
trash can	垃圾桶	lājītǒng	个(gè)
trolley	推车	tuīchē	辆(liàng)

Example Sentences:

洗碗机虽然很实用，但一般中国人家里不会安装。
Xǐwǎnjī suīrán hěn shíyòng, dàn yìbān Zhōngguórén jiā lǐ bú huì ānzhuāng.
Though the dishwasher is very practical, it’s generally not installed in Chinese homes.

我们需要一个更大的橱柜来储藏食物。
Wǒmen xūyào yí gè gèng dà de chúguì lái chǔcáng shíwù.
We need a bigger cupboard to store food.

垃圾桶满了，去倒一下吧。
Lājītǒng mǎn le, qù dào yíxià ba.
The trash can is full. Go and empty it.

Bathroom Furniture in Chinese – 卫生间家具 (wèishēngjiān jiājù)

The home bathroom or 卫生间 (wèishēngjiān) is also commonly referred to as 浴室 (yùshì) in Chinese if it has a tub or shower in it. The below table includes all the bathroom furniture vocabulary words in Chinese you’ll likely want to know.

English	Chinese	Pinyin	Measure Word
bathtub	浴缸	yùgāng	个(gè)
bath mat	地垫	dìdiàn	块(kuài)
faucet	水龙头	shuǐlóngtou	个(gè)
laundry basket	洗衣篮	xǐyīlán	个(gè)
mirror	镜子	jìngzi	块(kuài)
shower kits	淋浴	línyù	套(tào)
toilet	马桶	mǎtǒng	个(gè)
urinal	小便池	xiǎobiànchí	个(gè)
washing machine	洗衣机	xǐyījī	台(tái)
scale	秤	chèng	台(tái)
washbasin	台盆	táipén	个(gè)

Example Sentences:

我们的浴室不够大，否则可以装一个浴缸。
Wǒmen de yùshì bú gòu dà, fǒuzé kěyǐ zhuāng yí gè yùgāng.
Our bathroom is not big enough. Otherwise, we could have installed a tub.

马桶堵了。好尴尬。
Mǎtǒng dǔ le. Hǎo gāngà.
The toilet is clogged. It’s awkward.

台盆漏水了，当心地滑！
Táipén lòu shuǐ le, dāngxīn dì huá!
There’s a leak in the bathroom sink. Be careful of the slippery floor!

Bedroom Furniture in Chinese – 卧室家具 (wòshì jiājù)

The bedroom is the most comfortable and cozy room in the house. It’s your haven from the outside world, where you can watch Chinese drama in peace or bury your head in a good book.

Whether you want to describe your bedroom or add more furniture to it, we have the right vocabulary words in Chinese for you!

English	Chinese	Pinyin	Measure Word
bed	床	chuáng	张(zhāng)
single bed	单人床	dānrén chuáng	张(zhāng)
double bed	双人床	shuāngrén chuáng	张(zhāng)
bedspread	床罩	chuángzhào	个(gè)
bed linen	床上用品	chuángshàng yòngpǐn	套(tào)
blanket	毯子	tǎnzi	条(tiáo)
chest of drawers	抽屉柜	chōutìguì	个(gè)
clothes rack	衣帽架	yīmàojià	个(gè)
cradle	摇篮	yáolán	个(gè)
duvet	被子	bèizi	条(tiáo)
footstool	脚凳	jiǎodèng	张(zhāng)
makeup vanity	梳妆台	shūzhuāngtái	张(zhāng)
mattress	床垫	chuángdiàn	张(zhāng)
nightstand	床头柜	chuángtóuguì	个(gè)
pillow	枕头	zhěntou	个(gè)
pillow case	枕套	zhěntào	个(gè)
sheet	床单	chuángdān	条(tiáo)
table lamp	台灯	táidēng	盏(zhǎn)
wardrobe	衣橱/衣柜	yīchú/yīguì	个(gè)

Example Sentences:

我想买张软一点的双人床床垫。
Wǒ xiǎng mǎi zhāng ruǎn yìdiǎn de shuāngrénchuáng chuángdiàn.
I’d like to buy a soft mattress for the double bed.

我把眼镜放在床头柜上了。
Wǒ bǎ yǎnjìng fàng zài chuángtóuguì shàng le.
I left my glasses on the nightstand.

你能帮我从衣柜里拿件外套吗？
Nǐ néng bāng wǒ cóng yīguì lǐ ná jiàn wàitào ma?
Could you hand me a coat from the wardrobe?

Office & Study Furniture in Chinese – 办公室与书房家具 (bàngōngshì yǔ shūfáng jiājù)

Home office and study space are more desirable than ever in our post-pandemic world. Here are some Chinese vocabulary terms for the furniture that you are likely to find in an office or study.

English	Chinese	Pinyin	Measure Word
bookcase	书橱/书柜	shūchú/shūguì	个(gè)
bookshelf	书架	shūjià	个(gè)/排(pái)
computer	电脑	diànnǎo	台(tái)
desk	书桌/办公桌	shūzhuō/xiězìtái	张(zhāng)
desk chair	书椅/办公椅	shūyǐ/bàngōngyǐ	张(zhāng)/把(bǎ)
file cabinet	文件柜	wénjiànguì	个(gè)
laptop	笔记本	bǐjìběn	台(tái)
work lamp	工作灯	gōngzuòdēng	盏(zhǎn)

Example Sentences:

有空的时候整理一下你的书桌吧。太乱了！
Yǒu kòng de shíhou zhěnglǐ yíxià nǐ de shūzhuō ba. Tài luàn le!
Organize your desk when you have a moment. What a mess!

我的办公椅不舒服。我要买把新的。
Wǒ de bàngōngyǐ bù shūfú. Wǒ yào mǎi bǎ xīn de.
My desk chair is uncomfortable. I need to buy a new one.

书柜里放不下更多书了。
Shūguì lǐ fàng bú xià gèng duō shū le.
The bookcase can’t fit any more books.

Outdoor Furniture in Chinese – 户外家具 (hùwài jiājù)

If you have an outdoor living space to enjoy with your family and friends, this vocabulary list is perfect for you!

English	Chinese	Pinyin	Measure Word
bench	长凳	chángdèng	条(tiáo)
folding chair	折叠椅	zhédiéyǐ	张(zhāng)/把(bǎ)
gazebo	凉亭	liángtíng	个(gè)
hammock	吊床	diàochuáng	张(zhāng)
outdoor BBQ grill	户外烧烤架	hùwài shāokǎo jià	个(gè)
parasol	遮阳伞	zhēyángsǎn	把(bǎ)
sun lounger	躺椅	tǎngyǐ	张(zhāng)
swing	秋千	qiūqiān	个(gè)

Example Sentences:

你在吊床上睡着了！
Nǐ zài diàochuáng shàng shuì zháo le.
You fell asleep on the hammock!

我什么都不想做，只想在躺椅上平躺。
Wǒ shénme dōu bù xiǎng zuò, zhǐ xiǎng zài tǎngyǐ shàng píng tǎng.
I don’t want to do anything but lie flat on the sun lounger.

孩子们非常喜欢露台上的秋千。
Háizimen fēicháng xǐhuan huāyuán lǐ de qiūqiān.
The kids love the swing in the garden!

Furniture Materials in Chinese

Hooray! You’ve named every piece of furniture in Chinese! While you’re at it, you might also want to learn the names of common materials in Chinese to describe the kind of furniture you have or want to purchase.

English	Chinese	Pinyin
copper	铜	tóng
glass	玻璃	bōli
iron	铁	tiě
leather	皮	pí
metal	金属	jīnshǔ
plastic	塑料	sùliào
steel	钢	gāng
wood	木头	mùtou

You can use these words as adjectives before the furniture, like

我买了一张玻璃茶几。
Wǒ mǎi le yì zhāng bōli chájī.
I bought a glass coffee table.

我更喜欢木头桌子。
Wǒ gèng xǐhuan mùtou zhuōzi.
I prefer wooden tables.

You can also use the 是…的 (shì…de) structure to describe what each piece of furniture is made of.

For example,

这把椅子是塑料的。
Zhè bǎ yǐzi shì sùliào de.
This chair is made of plastic.

那张沙发不是皮的。
Nà zhāng shāfā bú shì pí de.
That sofa is not made of leather.

Wanna 3X Your Chinese Progress?

There you go! Everything you wanted to know about furniture in Chinese! A great way to remember these vocabulary words is to go around your house and name things in Chinese. You could even write down a label and put it around if your family members don’t mind!

Now, if you’re learning Chinese, you should make the best out of ImproveMandarin.com, one of the world’s largest sites dedicated to Mandarin learning.

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