Kitchen Items in Chinese: 100 Essential Words, Pronunciation, and Examples

Key takeaways

• Chinese kitchen vocabulary divides naturally into five categories: appliances, cookware, utensils, tableware, and storage.
• Several kitchen items, like the rice cooker and wok, are central to Chinese cooking culture and appear constantly in everyday conversation.
• Every noun in this article comes with pinyin and tone marks so you can practice correct pronunciation from the start.
• Example sentences show how these words appear in real speech, not just on vocabulary lists.
• Knowing kitchen vocabulary opens up recipe reading, cooking shows, and conversations about food, all of which are high-frequency in Chinese daily life.

You studied the grammar. You know the rules. And you still freeze when someone in the kitchen asks 你用筷子吗 (nǐ yòng kuàizi ma: do you use chopsticks?) and you have no idea what half the objects around you are called.

Kitchen vocabulary sits in a strange gap: too everyday to be taught in formal textbooks, but too important to ignore in real life. If you are cooking with Chinese friends, watching Chinese cooking shows, or reading a recipe in Mandarin, you need these words.

italki connects Mandarin learners with experienced Chinese tutors who can help you use these words in natural sentences and build the kind of vocabulary that sticks. This guide covers 100 essential kitchen items in Chinese across five categories: cooking appliances, cookware, utensils, tableware, and storage, plus example sentences and cultural notes on the items that matter most in Chinese cooking.

Cooking appliances (items 1-20)

These are the powered or heat-generating tools found in a Chinese kitchen. The rice cooker (电饭锅 diànfànguō) and the range hood are particularly common in Chinese homes.

Chinese characters	Pinyin (with tones)	English
冰箱	bīngxiāng	refrigerator
冰柜	bīngguì	freezer
微波炉	wēibōlú	microwave oven
烤箱	kǎoxiāng	oven
电饭锅	diànfànguō	rice cooker
电磁炉	diàncílú	induction cooktop
煤气灶	méiqìzào	gas stove
油烟机	yóuyānjī	range hood / exhaust fan
洗碗机	xǐwǎnjī	dishwasher
豆浆机	dòujiāngjī	soy milk maker
榨汁机	zhàzhījī	juicer
搅拌机	jiǎobànjī	blender
电热水壶	diànrèshuǐhú	electric kettle
面包机	miànbāojī	bread maker
烤面包机	kǎomiànbāojī	toaster
空气炸锅	kōngqì zhàguō	air fryer
压力锅	yālìguō	pressure cooker
电烤箱	diànkǎoxiāng	electric oven
消毒柜	xiāodúguì	sterilizer cabinet
净水器	jìngshuǐqì	water purifier

Cookware (items 21-40)

Cookware refers to the pots, pans, and vessels used directly for cooking. The wok (炒锅 chǎoguō) is the most important item here: it is used for stir-frying, steaming, deep-frying, and braising, making it one of the most versatile tools in any Chinese kitchen.

Chinese characters	Pinyin (with tones)	English
炒锅	chǎoguō	wok
汤锅	tāngguō	soup pot
蒸锅	zhēngguō	steamer pot
砂锅	shāguō	clay pot / earthenware casserole
平底锅	píngdǐguō	flat-bottomed pan / frying pan
奶锅	nǎiguō	milk saucepan
蒸笼	zhēnglóng	bamboo steamer
锅盖	guōgài	pot lid
不粘锅	bùzhān guō	non-stick pan
铸铁锅	zhùtiě guō	cast iron pot
电蒸锅	diàn zhēngguō	electric steamer
火锅	huǒguō	hot pot (the cooking vessel)
双耳锅	shuāng’ěr guō	double-handled pot
烤盘	kǎopán	baking tray / roasting pan
蒸盘	zhēngpán	steaming tray
深底锅	shēndǐ guō	deep-sided pot
煎锅	jiānguō	skillet
锅具套装	guōjù tàozhuāng	cookware set
蒸架	zhēngjià	steaming rack
锅铲架	guōchǎn jià	spatula / pan rest

Utensils (items 41-60)

Kitchen utensils are the hand tools used for preparation and cooking. Chopsticks (筷子 kuàizi) are the most culturally significant, while the Chinese cleaver (菜刀 càidāo) is a fundamental preparation tool.

Chinese characters	Pinyin (with tones)	English
筷子	kuàizi	chopsticks
勺子	sháozi	spoon / ladle
锅铲	guōchǎn	spatula / wok turner
菜刀	càidāo	kitchen knife / cleaver
水果刀	shuǐguǒdāo	fruit knife / paring knife
剪刀	jiǎndāo	kitchen scissors
砧板	zhēnbǎn	cutting board
擀面杖	gǎnmiànzhàng	rolling pin
漏勺	lòusháo	slotted spoon / strainer spoon
汤勺	tāngsháo	soup ladle
打蛋器	dǎdànqì	egg beater / whisk
夹子	jiāzi	kitchen tongs
刨丝器	bàosīqì	grater
开瓶器	kāipíngqì	bottle opener
开罐器	kāiguànqì	can opener
量杯	liàngbēi	measuring cup
量勺	liàngsháo	measuring spoon
削皮器	xiāopíqì	peeler
研磨器	yánmóqì	grinder / mortar
筛网	shāiwǎng	sieve / strainer

Tableware (items 61-80)

Tableware covers everything used to serve and eat food at the table. Chinese tableware differs from Western tableware in several respects: individual rice bowls (碗 wǎn) rather than plates are the default serving vessel, and chopstick rests (筷子架 kuàizijià) are common at formal tables.

Chinese characters	Pinyin (with tones)	English
碗	wǎn	bowl
盘子	pánzi	plate
碟子	diézi	small dish / saucer
杯子	bēizi	cup / glass
茶杯	chábēi	teacup
茶壶	cháhú	teapot
马克杯	mǎkèbēi	mug
水杯	shuǐbēi	water glass
筷子架	kuàizijià	chopstick rest
勺子架	sháozi jià	spoon rest
餐巾	cānjīn	table napkin
餐垫	cāndian	placemat
锅垫	guōdiàn	pot holder / trivet
汤碗	tāngwǎn	soup bowl
饭碗	fànwǎn	rice bowl
调料碟	tiáoliào dié	condiment dish
醋壶	cùhú	vinegar bottle
酱油瓶	jiàngyóu píng	soy sauce bottle
糖罐	tángguàn	sugar jar
盐罐	yánguàn	salt shaker / salt jar

Storage and other kitchen items (items 81-100)

This final category covers containers, cleaning tools, and miscellaneous items found in a complete Chinese kitchen.

Chinese characters	Pinyin (with tones)	English
保鲜盒	bǎoxiān hé	food storage container
保鲜袋	bǎoxiān dài	plastic wrap / zip-lock bag
保温桶	bǎowēn tǒng	insulated flask / thermos
垃圾桶	lājī tǒng	rubbish bin
水槽	shuǐcáo	kitchen sink
洗碗布	xǐwǎn bù	dishcloth
洗碗刷	xǐwǎn shuā	dish brush
洗洁精	xǐjié jīng	dish soap / washing-up liquid
抹布	mābù	cleaning cloth
厨房手套	chúfáng shǒutào	oven gloves / kitchen gloves
围裙	wéiqún	apron
收纳盒	shōunà hé	organizer box
调料架	tiáoliào jià	spice rack
米桶	mǐtǒng	rice storage container
面包盒	miànbāo hé	bread box
纸巾架	zhǐjīn jià	paper towel holder
菜篮	càilán	vegetable basket
漏水架	lòushuǐ jià	dish drying rack
厨房秤	chúfáng chèng	kitchen scale
计时器	jìshíqì	kitchen timer

Example sentences for common kitchen items

These sentences show how kitchen words appear in natural Mandarin. Each is written in Chinese characters with pinyin and a translation.

Using 电饭锅 (diànfànguō: rice cooker): 我每天用电饭锅煮饭。 (Wǒ měitiān yòng diànfànguō zhǔ fàn.) I cook rice every day using the rice cooker.

Using 炒锅 (chǎoguō: wok): 这道菜需要用大火和炒锅。 (Zhè dào cài xūyào yòng dàhuǒ hé chǎoguō.) This dish needs a high flame and a wok.

Using 筷子 (kuàizi: chopsticks): 你会用筷子吗？ (Nǐ huì yòng kuàizi ma?) Can you use chopsticks?

Using 砧板 (zhēnbǎn: cutting board): 请把蔬菜放在砧板上切。 (Qǐng bǎ shūcài fàng zài zhēnbǎn shàng qiē.) Please put the vegetables on the cutting board and cut them.

Using 碗 (wǎn: bowl): 我想再来一碗饭。 (Wǒ xiǎng zài lái yī wǎn fàn.) I would like another bowl of rice.

Using 保鲜盒 (bǎoxiān hé: food storage container): 把剩菜放进保鲜盒里吧。 (Bǎ shèngcài fàng jìn bǎoxiān hé lǐ ba.) Put the leftovers into the storage container.

Using 调料架 (tiáoliào jià: spice rack): 调料架上有盐、糖和酱油。 (Tiáoliào jià shàng yǒu yán, táng hé jiàngyóu.) The spice rack has salt, sugar, and soy sauce on it.

Cultural notes: items at the heart of chinese cooking

Several items in this list deserve extra attention because they carry cultural significance and appear in Chinese food conversations constantly.

电饭锅 (diànfànguō: rice cooker): In Chinese households, the rice cooker is as central as the kettle is in British homes. Rice is the staple grain across much of China, and the automatic rice cooker is a symbol of everyday domestic life. Knowing this word matters for any conversation about Chinese cooking or kitchen life.

炒锅 (chǎoguō: wok): The wok is the most versatile piece of cookware in Chinese cooking. Its curved shape and thin walls allow for rapid high-heat cooking, which is essential for 炒 (chǎo: stir-frying), the dominant cooking method in Chinese cuisine. You will see 炒锅 and the verb 炒 (chǎo) together in almost every Chinese recipe.

筷子 (kuàizi: chopsticks): Chopsticks are the primary eating utensil across China and much of East Asia. They are used at the table, but also for cooking: flipping items in a pan, testing oil temperature, and mixing ingredients. Knowing the word 筷子 and basic etiquette around chopsticks (do not stick them upright in rice, do not point with them) is important cultural knowledge for any learner.

蒸笼 (zhēnglóng: bamboo steamer): Bamboo steamers are used to make dim sum dishes like 包子 (bāozi: steamed buns) and 饺子 (jiǎozi: dumplings). They stack on top of a wok and allow multiple items to steam at the same time. If you are reading a Chinese recipe for dim sum, you will encounter 蒸笼 regularly.

砂锅 (shāguō: clay pot): The clay pot is used for slow-cooked soups and braises. It retains heat well and is associated with comfort food in Chinese culture, particularly in Cantonese and northern cooking traditions.

To extend your Chinese vocabulary beyond the kitchen, take a look at related guides including Chinese measure words, which you will need to count kitchen items correctly, and how to tell time in Chinese for following recipe timings. You may also find it useful to explore Chinese travel phrases if you plan to shop at Chinese markets or cook abroad.

Understanding kitchen vocabulary is also connected to broader food culture: knowing the names for items pairs well with knowing Chinese numbers for quantities and fruits in Chinese for ingredient shopping.

Kitchen vocabulary sounds simple on paper, but using these words naturally in conversation takes practice. A Mandarin teacher online can run role-plays set in the kitchen, correct your tone when you say 炒锅 (chǎoguō) versus 草锅, and help you form sentences that match the register of everyday Chinese conversation. With 10M+ learners on italki and 30,000+ tutors available, you can find someone who specializes in everyday conversational vocabulary. Book a trial lesson and bring a few words from this list to your first session.

FAQ

Do Chinese people use ovens as frequently as Western kitchens?

Ovens (烤箱 kǎoxiāng) are becoming more common in Chinese homes, especially in urban areas and among younger generations who bake. However, traditional Chinese cooking relies more on stovetop methods: stir-frying, steaming, boiling, and braising. The wok and rice cooker remain far more central to daily cooking than the oven.

What is the correct measure word for kitchen items in Chinese?

It depends on the item. For most utensils and small tools, 把 (bǎ) is used: 一把刀 (yī bǎ dāo: one knife), 一把筷子 (yī bǎ kuàizi: one pair of chopsticks). For bowls and cups, 个 (gè) or 只 (zhī) are used: 一个碗 (yī gè wǎn: one bowl). For pots and pans, 口 (kǒu) or 个 (gè) is common: 一口炒锅 (yī kǒu chǎoguō: one wok). Learning measure words alongside vocabulary helps you use words correctly from the start.

How do I ask where something is in a Chinese kitchen?

A useful sentence structure is: [item] 在哪里？([item] zài nǎlǐ?: Where is the [item]?). For example, 筷子在哪里 (kuàizi zài nǎlǐ: Where are the chopsticks?) or 锅铲在哪里 (guōchǎn zài nǎlǐ: Where is the spatula?). You can also ask 我可以用[item]吗 (wǒ kěyǐ yòng [item] ma: May I use the [item]?).