How to Say "Chair" in Chinese

椅子

yǐzi/i²¹⁴ d͡z̥ɹ̩⁴/

The English word chair is translated into Chinese as 椅子 (yǐzi). Wiktionary also lists 凳子 (dèngzi).

Meaning: furniture (noun)

Ways to say it

“chair” in Chinese
Chinese	Romanization (Wiktionary)	IPA	Note
椅子	yǐzi	/i²¹⁴ d͡z̥ɹ̩⁴/ (Mandarin, Standard Chinese, Sinological IPA) /i⁵³ t͡sɹ̩⁵³⁻²¹/ (Mandarin, Chengdu, Sinological IPA)
凳子	dèngzi	/tɤŋ⁵¹ d͡z̥ɹ̩¹/ (Mandarin, Standard Chinese, Sinological IPA) /təŋ⁵⁵ t͡sɹ̩/ (Mandarin, Xi'an, Sinological IPA)	colloquial
椅仔	í-á	/i⁵³⁻⁴⁴ a⁵³/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Sinological IPA, Xiamen) /i⁵⁵⁴⁻²⁴ a⁵⁵⁴/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Sinological IPA, Quanzhou)	Hokkien

The term refers to a piece of furniture designed for sitting.

The character 椅 is the core morpheme meaning chair, while the 子 in 椅子 is a common noun suffix in Mandarin.

While 椅子 refers to a standard chair, 凳子 specifically refers to a stool or a chair without a backrest.

In northern China, particularly in Beijing, the informal term 椅儿 (yǐr) is commonly used.

When counting chairs or referring to a single chair, the classifier 把 is used.

The romanization is yǐzi and the IPA is /i²¹⁴ dz̥ɹ̩⁴/.

In ancient China, sitting on a 椅子 was once a sign of high status, while ordinary people sat on floor mats or low platforms.
When using the classifier 把 (bǎ) for chairs, you are actually using a word that literally means 'handle' or 'grip'.
The character 椅 (yǐ) is composed of the radical for 'wood', which reflects the historical reality that most chairs were constructed from timber.

再拿把椅子！
Get another chair!
This example shows how to use 椅子 when requesting an item.
Tatoeba #9054579 by xjjAstrus, translation #14029044 by LeviHighway
椅子上沒有人。
The chair is empty.
This example uses 椅子 to describe the state of a seat.
Tatoeba #6056492 by xjjAstrus, translation #13949860 by frpzzd
給湯姆把椅子。
Give Tom a chair.
This example uses 椅子 to describe giving an object to someone.
Tatoeba #6119426 by verdastelo9604, translation #3151432 by CK
请给我一把椅子。
Please give me a chair.
办公室里的椅子很舒适。
The chairs in the office are very comfortable.
这凳子很结实。
This chair is sturdy.
55 more sentences on Tatoeba

A living room where a guest is arriving.

伟 Wei

請坐這把椅子。
Qǐng zuò zhè bǎ yǐzi.
Please sit on this chair.
梓涵 Zihan

謝謝，這把椅子很舒服。
Xièxiè, zhè bǎ yǐzi hěn shūfú.
Thank you, this chair is very comfortable.
伟 Wei

梓涵，妳想要喝茶嗎？
Zǐhán, nǐ xiǎng yào hē chá ma?
Zihan, do you want to drink tea?
梓涵 Zihan

好啊，謝謝你。
Hǎo a, xièxiè nǐ.
Sure, thank you.

Sources

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