Hi, my name is Mojca. I am from Slovenia in Europe and I work as a student advisor at our Beihai school.The Ultimate Guide to Geography in Chinese || 104 Words & Phrases
From the Coast to the Mountains || 104 Words & Phrases to Learn
China is known for having some of the most beautiful landscapes and scenery, but did you ever wonder how to say them in Chinese?
Before you go exploring the local flora and fauna, it may be useful to brush up on your Chinese Geography Vocabulary skills.
Let’s learn our first word…
Geography in Chinese is 地理 dìlǐ
USEFUL VOCAB | When travelling, you may also find it useful to know in which direction you’re headed, which you can do by using a 指南针 zhǐnánzhēn (compass) and a 地图 dìtú (map), or as many people do, your 电话 diànhuà (phone).
If you ever wondered about the difference between Western and Chinese maps, then head over to our Chinese map blog post for interesting trivia!
In this post you will find all the need-to know key words for your Chinese Geography vocabulary from the coast to the mountains!
Chinese Geography Vocabulary || Directions
Chinese Geography Vocabulary || The Continents
Chinese Geography Vocabulary || Oceans, Seas & Lakes
Chinese Geography Vocabulary || The Coast
Chinese Geography Vocabulary || Nature
Chinese Geography Vocabulary || Mountains
Chinese Geography Vocabulary || FAQ’s
Chinese Geography Vocabulary || Directions
To start off, let’s figure out in which direction you’re headed.
Are you going North, South, East or West?
| Vocabulary | Character | Pinyin |
|---|---|---|
| Direction | 方向 | fāng xiàng |
| North | 北 | běi |
| East | 东 | dōng |
| South | 南 | nán |
| West | 西 | xī |
| Centre | 中 | zhōng |
| Compass | 指南针 | zhǐnánzhēn |
Here are some useful phrases when asking for directions!
北方在哪里？- Where is North?
Běifāng zài nǎlǐ?
东北在哪里？- Where is North East?
dōngběi zài nǎlǐ?
TOP TIP | Did you notice how in Chinese East 东 comes first, and then North 北?
That’s because in Chinese directions are given as east-west and then north-south, rather than the English north-south followed by east-west.
So if you want to say South West in Chinese, all you have to do is simply switch South with West and you’ll get 西南 xīnán.
Here are some more important keywords about geography in Chinese.
| Vocabulary | Character | Pinyin |
|---|---|---|
| Country | 国家 | guójiā |
| County | 县 | xiàn |
| Province | 省 | shěng |
| City | 城市 | chéngshì |
| Town | 镇 | zhèn |
| Suburb | 郊区 | jiāoqū |
| Village | 村庄 | cūnzhuāng |
| Border | 边界 | biānjiè |
北京在上海的南边吗? Is Beijing south of Shanghai?
běijīng zài shànghǎi de nánbian ma?
不对，北京在上海的西北. No, Beijing is north-west of Shanghai.
bùduì, běijīng zài shànghǎi de xīběi
Chinese Geography Vocabulary || Continents
We know that there are 7 continents, but how do we say their names in Chinese?
Let’s check them out here:
| Vocabulary | Character | Pinyin |
|---|---|---|
| Continent | 大洲 | dàzhōu |
| Asia | 亚洲 | yàzhōu |
| Africa | 非洲 | fēizhōu |
| North America | 北美洲 | běiměizhōu |
| South America | 南美洲 | nánměizhōu |
| Antarctica | 南极洲 | nán jízhōu |
| Europe | 欧洲 | ōuzhōu |
| Australia | 澳洲 | àozhōu |
BONUS | If you’re curious about the names of the various countries within these continents, why not check out our guide to countries in Chinese?
Chinese Geography Vocabulary || Oceans, Seas, Lakes & More
Moving away from direction and continents it’s time to take a look at the various bodies of water on our planet.
Check out the vocabulary table below to learn about them:
| Vocabulary | Character | Pinyin |
|---|---|---|
| Ocean | 海洋 | hǎiyáng |
| Pacific Ocean | 太平洋 | tàipíngyáng |
| Atlantic Ocean | 大西洋 | dàxīyáng |
| Indian Ocean | 印度洋 | yìndùyáng |
| Arctic Ocean | 北冰洋 | běibīngyáng |
| Southern Ocean | 南冰洋 | nánhǎiyáng |
| Canal | 运河 | yùnhé |
| Glacier | 冰川 | bīngchuān |
| Gulf | 海湾 | hǎiwān |
| Harbour | 港口 | gǎngkǒu |
| Lagoon | 泻湖 | xièhú |
| Lake | 湖 | hú |
| Pond | 池塘 | chítáng |
| River | 河 | hé |
| Sea | 海 | hǎi |
Are you interested in finding out what animals live in these bodies of water.
Check out our article about the different types of animals!
Chinese Geography Vocabulary || The Coast
DID YOU KNOW | China has the world’s 10th largest coastline in the world!
On that note, let’s learn some more similar and related words.
| Vocabulary | Character | Pinyin |
|---|---|---|
| Coastline | 海岸线 | hǎi’ànxiàn |
| Beach | 海滩 | hǎitān |
| Cave | 洞穴 | dòngxué |
| Cliff | 悬崖 | xuányá |
| Dune | 沙丘 | shāqiū |
| Current | 海流 | hǎiliú |
| Landform | 地形 | dìxíng |
| Salt Marsh | 盐沼 | yánzhǎo |
| Wave | 海浪 | hǎilàng |
| Wind | 风 | fēng |
| Fjord | 峡湾 | xiáwān |
| Groyne | 防波堤 | fángbōdī |
| Estuary | 河口 | hékǒu |
| Delta | 三角洲 | sānjiǎozhōu |
For more beach related vocabulary check out our beach in Chinese post!
Let’s Hit the Seaside // All The Chinese Beach Vocabulary You Need
The ultimate guide to Chinese beach vocabulary! Let’s hit the beach in Chinese! Learn all our need-to-know words and phrases, and speak like a native.
Chinese Geography Vocabulary || Nature
DID YOU KNOW | China is one of the 17 mega-diverse countries, meaning that it has a vast amount of various different wildlife and plants!
Here is some vocabulary for talking about nature in Chinese!
| Vocabulary | Character | Pinyin |
|---|---|---|
| Nature | 自然 | zìrán |
| Woods | 树木 | shùmù |
| Forest | 森林 | sēnlín |
| Jungle | 丛林 | cónglín |
| Tree | 树 | shù |
| Bonsai | 盆景 | pénjǐng |
| Cactus | 仙人掌 | xiānrénzhǎng |
| Grass | 草 | cǎo |
| Plant | 植物 | zhíwù |
| Flower | 花 | huā |
| Branch | 枝 | zhī |
| Leaf | 叶子 | yèzi |
| Lichen | 地衣 | dìyī |
| Moss | 苔 | tái |
| Rock | 岩石 | yánshí |
| Shrub | 灌木 | guànmù |
| Palm Tree | 棕榈 | zōnglǘ |
| China Fir | 杉木 | shānmù |
| Plum Blossom | 梅花 | méihuā |
| Willow Tree | 柳树 | liǔshù |
| Pine Tree | 松树 | sōngshù |
| Oak Tree | 橡木 | xiàngmù |
| Maple Tree | 枫树 | fēngshù |
| Bamboo | 竹子 | zhúzi |
BONUS | Check out our post about the stunning must-see nature scenery in China for interesting information!
Chinese Geography Vocabulary || Mountains
DID YOU KNOW | China is home to some of the tallest mountains in the world, including the Sacred Mountains of China, which are made up of The Five Great Mountains, The Four Sacred Mountains of Buddhism and the Four Sacred Mountains of Taoism.
These mountains have held great importance throughout history, especially as places of worship and pilgrimage, dating all the way back to the Qin Dynasty!
INTERESTING FACT | The Chinese expression for “pilgrimage” is 朝拜圣山 cháobài shèng shān, which literally translates to “worshiping the holy mountain”.
Some of these mountains are part of the World Heritage Sites, and you can find more fascinating information in our blog post about the most amazing 15 World Heritage Sites in China!
| Vocabulary | Character | Pinyin |
|---|---|---|
| Mountain | 山 | shān |
| Five Great Mountains | 五岳 | wǔyuè |
| Mount. Tai | 泰山 | tàishān |
| Mount. Hua | 华山 | huàshān |
| Mount. Heng (Hunan) | 衡山 | héngshān |
| Mount. Heng (Shanxi) | 恒山 | héngshān |
| Mount. Song | 嵩山 | sōngshān |
| The Four Sacred Mountains of Buddhism | 四大佛教名山 | sìdàfójiàomíngshān |
| Mount. Wutai | 五台山 | wǔtáishān |
| Mount. Emei | 峨嵋山 | éméishān |
| Mount. Jiuhua | 九华山 | jǐuhuáshān |
| Mount. Putuo | 普陀山 | pǔtuóshān |
| The Four Sacred Mountains of Taoism | 四大道教名山 | sìdàdàojiàomíngshān |
| Mount. Wudang | 武当山 | wǔdāngshān |
| Mount. Qiyun | 齐云山 | qíyúnshān |
| Mount. Longhu | 龙虎山 | lónghŭshān |
| Mount. Qingcheng | 青城山 | qīngchéngshān |
That concludes our guide to some of the most useful words and phrases related to geography in Chinese.
Did we miss any out? Let us know in the comments below and we’ll be sure to add them.
Geography in Chinese || FAQs
How do you say Geography in Chinese?
Geography in Chinese is 地理 dìlǐ.
How do you say Ocean in Chinese?
Ocean in Chinese is 海洋 hǎiyáng.
What does 国家 mean?
国家 means country.
What does 大洲 mean?
大洲 means continent.
How do you say Pacific Ocean in Chinese?
Pacific Ocean in Chinese is 太平洋 (tàipíngyáng).
What mountains do the Sacred Mountains include?
The Five Great Mountains, The Four Sacred Mountains of Buddhism and the Four Sacred Mountains of Taoism!
When talking about directions in Chinese, do horizontal or vertical directions come first?
You would mention horizontal before, and then vertical.
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