Evening & Bedtime
beginner晚间休息
Wind down your day in Chinese — from dinner and relaxation to bedtime routines, dreams, and saying goodnight.
43 words15 phrases2 dialogues~25 min study time
Vocabulary
43 words — click any row for an example sentence
Dinner
| Chinese | Pinyin | English | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 晚饭 | wǎnfàn | dinner; supper | noun |
| 做饭 | zuòfàn | to cook | verb |
| 外卖 | wàimài | takeout; food delivery | noun |
| 点菜 | diǎncài | to order food | verb |
| 饿 | è | hungry | adjective |
| 饱 | bǎo | full (after eating) | adjective |
| 吃饭 | chīfàn | to eat (a meal) | verb |
| 厨房 | chúfáng | kitchen | noun |
| 洗碗 | xǐwǎn | to wash the dishes | verb |
| 餐桌 | cānzhuō | dining table | noun |
Relaxation
| Chinese | Pinyin | English | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 休息 | xiūxi | to rest | verb |
| 看电视 | kàn diànshì | to watch TV | verb |
| 手机 | shǒujī | mobile phone | noun |
| 沙发 | shāfā | sofa; couch | noun |
| 聊天 | liáotiān | to chat | verb |
| 散步 | sànbù | to take a walk | verb |
| 音乐 | yīnyuè | music | noun |
| 读书 | dúshū | to read (a book) | verb |
| 放松 | fàngsōng | to relax | verb |
| 新闻 | xīnwén | news | noun |
Hygiene/Skincare
| Chinese | Pinyin | English | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 洗澡 | xǐzǎo | to take a bath/shower | verb |
| 洗头 | xǐtóu | to wash one's hair | verb |
| 护肤 | hùfū | skincare | noun |
| 卸妆 | xièzhuāng | to remove makeup | verb |
| 敷面膜 | fū miànmó | to apply a face mask | verb |
| 擦干 | cāgān | to dry off; to wipe dry | verb |
| 刷牙 | shuāyá | to brush one's teeth | verb |
Bedroom
| Chinese | Pinyin | English | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 卧室 | wòshì | bedroom | noun |
| 床 | chuáng | bed | noun |
| 枕头 | zhěntou | pillow | noun |
| 被子 | bèizi | blanket; quilt | noun |
| 灯 | dēng | light; lamp | noun |
| 窗帘 | chuānglián | curtain | noun |
| 空调 | kōngtiáo | air conditioner | noun |
Sleeping
| Chinese | Pinyin | English | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 睡觉 | shuìjiào | to sleep; to go to bed | verb |
| 困 | kùn | sleepy; drowsy | adjective |
| 失眠 | shīmián | insomnia; to have insomnia | noun |
| 做梦 | zuòmèng | to dream | verb |
| 打呼噜 | dǎ hūlu | to snore | verb |
| 晚安 | wǎn'ān | good night | phrase |
| 入睡 | rùshuì | to fall asleep | verb |
| 熬夜 | áoyè | to stay up late | verb |
| 设闹钟 | shè nàozhōng | to set an alarm | verb |
Key Phrases
Essential expressions
今天好累啊，终于可以回家了。
Jīntiān hǎo lèi a, zhōngyú kěyǐ huí jiā le.
I'm so tired today — finally I can go home.
Expressing exhaustion after a long day.
我们今晚吃什么？
Wǒmen jīnwǎn chī shénme?
What are we eating tonight?
Asking about dinner plans.
吃完饭我们出去走走吧。
Chī wán fàn wǒmen chūqù zǒuzou ba.
Let's go for a walk after dinner.
Suggesting an after-dinner activity.
该洗澡了，你先洗还是我先洗？
Gāi xǐzǎo le, nǐ xiān xǐ háishì wǒ xiān xǐ?
It's time to shower. Do you want to go first or shall I?
Negotiating bathroom time with family.
睡觉前记得刷牙。
Shuìjiào qián jìde shuāyá.
Remember to brush your teeth before bed.
A common reminder, especially from parents.
把灯关了吧，我要睡了。
Bǎ dēng guān le ba, wǒ yào shuì le.
Turn off the light — I'm going to sleep.
Asking someone to turn off the light.
你怎么还不睡？已经十二点了！
Nǐ zěnme hái bù shuì? Yǐjīng shí'èr diǎn le!
Why aren't you asleep yet? It's already midnight!
Scolding someone for staying up too late.
我昨晚失眠了，一夜没睡好。
Wǒ zuówǎn shīmián le, yī yè méi shuì hǎo.
I had insomnia last night — I didn't sleep well at all.
Talking about a bad night of sleep.
早点睡，明天还要上班呢。
Zǎodiǎn shuì, míngtiān hái yào shàngbān ne.
Go to bed early — you still have work tomorrow.
A practical reminder about the next day.
晚安，做个好梦。
Wǎn'ān, zuò ge hǎo mèng.
Good night, sweet dreams.
A standard good-night greeting.
我每天晚上十点半上床。
Wǒ měi tiān wǎnshang shí diǎn bàn shàng chuáng.
I go to bed at 10:30 every night.
Describing your bedtime routine.
睡前看手机对眼睛不好。
Shuì qián kàn shǒujī duì yǎnjing bù hǎo.
Looking at your phone before bed is bad for your eyes.
Health advice about screen time.
我给你倒杯热水，喝了暖和一些。
Wǒ gěi nǐ dào bēi rè shuǐ, hē le nuǎnhuo yīxiē.
I'll pour you a cup of hot water — you'll feel warmer after drinking it.
Offering warm water, a very common Chinese habit.
他一躺下就打呼噜。
Tā yī tǎng xià jiù dǎ hūlu.
He starts snoring the moment he lies down.
Complaining about a loud sleeper.
我设了六点的闹钟，明天要早起。
Wǒ shè le liù diǎn de nàozhōng, míngtiān yào zǎoqǐ.
I set a 6 o'clock alarm — I need to get up early tomorrow.
Preparing for the next morning.
Dialogues
Practice conversations
After Dinner
A family has just finished dinner. Mom and Dad chat with their child about the day.
Speaker A
今天的晚饭真好吃！妈，你做的红烧肉太棒了。
Speaker B
喜欢就好。你今天在学校怎么样？
Speaker A
还行，今天考了数学，我觉得考得不错。
Speaker B
很好！吃完了就去洗碗吧，今天轮到你了。
Speaker A
好吧……洗完碗我可以看会儿电视吗？
Speaker B
可以，但是不要看太晚，明天还要早起呢。
Speaker A
知道了，妈。吃完我去散步消消食。
Speaker B
好主意，爸爸也想出去走走，你们一起吧。
Cultural note: In Chinese families, eating dinner together is considered very important for family bonding. It is common for household chores like dishwashing to be assigned on a rotating basis among family members.
Can't Sleep
Two friends are texting late at night. One of them cannot fall asleep.
Speaker A
你还没睡吗？都一点了！
Speaker B
睡不着，我最近老是失眠。
Speaker A
是不是压力太大了？试试睡前听点轻音乐。
Speaker B
我试过了，没用。我还喝了热牛奶，也没有效果。
Speaker A
那你白天少喝咖啡，睡前别看手机，试试看。
Speaker B
好吧，我试试。晚安！
Cultural note: Insomnia is increasingly common among young people in China, often linked to the intense work culture (996) and heavy phone usage at night. Hot water and warm milk are traditional Chinese remedies for sleeplessness.
Cultural Notes
Context that textbooks miss
Test Yourself
8 questions covering vocabulary, phrases, and dialogue comprehension.
Take the Evening & Bedtime Quiz (8 questions)→HSK Level Overlap
27 of 43 words appear in HSK levels
Further Reading
Related articles from the blog