10 Interesting Facts About Earth

Planet Earth. That shiny blue marble that has fascinated humanity since they first began to walk across its surface. And why shouldn’t it fascinate us? In addition to being our home and the place where life as we know it originated, it remains the only planet we know of where life thrives. And over the course of the past few centuries, we have learned much about Earth, which has only deepened our fascination with it.

But how much does the average person really know about the planet Earth? You’ve lived on Planet Earth all of your life, but how much do you really know about the ground underneath your feet? You probably have lots of interesting facts rattling around in your brain, but here are 10 more interesting facts about Earth that you may, or may not know.

1. Plate Tectonics Keep the Planet Comfortable:

Earth is the only planet in the Solar System with plate tectonics. Basically, the outer crust of the Earth is broken up into regions known as tectonic plates. These are floating on top of the magma interior of the Earth and can move against one another. When two plates collide, one plate will subduct (go underneath another), and where they pull apart, they will allow fresh crust to form.

The Earth’s Tectonic Plates. Credit: msnucleus.org

This process is very important, and for a number of reasons. Not only does it lead to tectonic resurfacing and geological activity (i.e. earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, mountain-building, and oceanic trench formation), it is also intrinsic to the carbon cycle. When microscopic plants in the ocean die, they fall to the bottom of the ocean.

Over long periods of time, the remnants of this life, rich in carbon, are carried back into the interior of the Earth and recycled. This pulls carbon out of the atmosphere, which makes sure we don’t suffer a runaway greenhouse effect, which is what happened on Venus. Without the action of plate tectonics, there would be no way to recycle this carbon, and the Earth would become an overheated, hellish place.

2. Earth is Almost a Sphere:

Many people tend to think that the Earth is a sphere. In fact, between the 6th cenury BCE and the modern era, this remained the scientific consensus. But thanks to modern astronomy and space travel, scientists have since come to understand that the Earth is actually shaped like a flattened sphere (aka. an oblate spheroid).

This shape is similar to a sphere, but where the poles are flattened and the equator bulges. In the case of the Earth, this bulge is due to our planet’s rotation. This means that the measurement from pole to pole is about 43 km less than the diameter of Earth across the equator. Even though the tallest mountain on Earth is Mount Everest, the feature that’s furthest from the center of the Earth is actually Mount Chimborazoin Ecuador.

The Earth’s layers, showing the Inner and Outer Core, the Mantle, and Crust. Credit: discovermagazine.com

3. Earth is Mostly Iron, Oxygen and Silicon:

If you could separate the Earth out into piles of material, you’d get 32.1 % iron, 30.1% oxygen, 15.1% silicon, and 13.9% magnesium. Of course, most of this iron is actually located at the core of the Earth. If you could actually get down and sample the core, it would be 88% iron. And if you sampled the Earth’s crust, you’d find that 47% of it is oxygen.

4. 70% of the Earth’s Surface is Covered in Water:

When astronauts first went into the space, they looked back at the Earth with human eyes for the first time. Based on their observations, the Earth acquired the nickname the “Blue Planet:. And it’s no surprise, seeing as how 70% of our planet is covered with oceans. The remaining 30% is the solid crust that is located above sea level, hence why it is called the “continental crust”.

5. The Earth’s Atmosphere Extends to a Distance of 10,000 km:

Earth’s atmosphere is thickest within the first 50 km from the surface or so, but it actually reaches out to about 10,000 km into space. It is made up of five main layers – the Troposphere, the Stratosphere, the Mesosphere, the Thermosphere, and the Exosphere. As a rule, air pressure and density decrease the higher one goes into the atmosphere and the farther one is from the surface.

Earth, as viewed from the cabin of the Apollo 11 spacecraft. Credit: NASA

The bulk of the Earth’s atmosphere is down near the Earth itself. In fact, 75% of the Earth’s atmosphere is contained within the first 11 km above the planet’s surface. However, the outermost layer (the Exosphere) is the largest, extending from the exobase – located at the top of the thermosphere at an altitude of about 700 km above sea level – to about 10,000 km (6,200 mi). The exosphere merges with the emptiness of outer space, where there is no atmosphere.

The exosphere is mainly composed of extremely low densities of hydrogen, helium and several heavier molecules – including nitrogen, oxygen and carbon dioxide. The atoms and molecules are so far apart that the exosphere no longer behaves like a gas, and the particles constantly escape into space. These free-moving particles follow ballistic trajectories and may migrate in and out of the magnetosphere or with the solar wind.

Want more planet Earth facts? We’re halfway through. Here come 5 more!

6. The Earth’s Molten Iron Core Creates a Magnetic Field:

The Earth is like a great big magnet, with poles at the top and bottom near to the actual geographic poles. The magnetic field it creates extends thousands of kilometers out from the surface of the Earth – forming a region called the “magnetosphere“. Scientists think that this magnetic field is generated by the molten outer core of the Earth, where heat creates convection motions of conducting materials to generate electric currents.

Artist’s impression of the Earth’s protective magnetic field and the dynamo effect in its core that gives rise to it. Credit: ESA/ATG medialab

Be grateful for the magnetosphere. Without it, particles from the Sun’s solar wind would hit the Earth directly, exposing the surface of the planet to significant amounts of radiation. Instead, the magnetosphere channels the solar wind around the Earth, protecting us from harm. Scientists have also theorized that Mars’ thin atmosphere is due to it having a weak magnetosphere compared to Earth’s, which allowed solar wind to slowly strip it away.

7. Earth Doesn’t Take 24 Hours to Rotate on its Axis:

It actually takes 23 hours, 56 minutes and 4 seconds for the Earth to rotate once completely on its axis, which astronomers refer to as a Sidereal Day. Now wait a second, doesn’t that mean that a day is 4 minutes shorter than we think it is? You’d think that this time would add up, day by day, and within a few months, day would be night, and night would be day.

But remember that the Earth orbits around the Sun. Every day, the Sun moves compared to the background stars by about 1° – about the size of the Moon in the sky. And so, if you add up that little motion from the Sun that we see because the Earth is orbiting around it, as well as the rotation on its axis, you get a total of 24 hours.

This is what is known as a Solar Day, which – contrary to a Sidereal Day – is the amount of time it takes the Sun to return to the same place in the sky. Knowing the difference between the two is to know the difference between how long it takes the stars to show up in the same spot in the sky, and the it takes for the sun to rise and set once.

8. A year on Earth isn’t 365 days:

It’s actually 365.2564 days. It’s this extra .2564 days that creates the need for a Leap Year once ever four years. That’s why we tack on an extra day in February every four years – 2004, 2008, 2012, etc. The exceptions to this rule is if the year in question is divisible by 100 (1900, 2100, etc), unless it divisible by 400 (1600, 2000, etc).

9. Earth has 1 Moon and 2 Co-Orbital Satellites:

As you’re probably aware, Earth has 1 moon (aka. The Moon). Plenty is known about this body and we have written many articles about it, so we won’t go into much detail there. But did you know there are 2 additional asteroids locked into a co-orbital orbits with Earth? They’re called 3753 Cruithne and 2002 AA29, which are part of a larger population of asteroids known as Near-Earth Objects (NEOs).

The asteroid known as 3753 Cruithnemeasures 5 km across, and is sometimes called “Earth’s second moon”. It doesn’t actually orbit the Earth, but has a synchronized orbit with our home planet. It also has an orbit that makes it look like it’s following the Earth in orbit, but it’s actually following its own, distinct path around the Sun.

Meanwhile, 2002 AA29 is only 60 meters across and makes a horseshoe orbit around the Earth that brings it close to the planet every 95 years. In about 600 years, it will appear to circle Earth in a quasi-satellite orbit. Scientists have suggested that it might make a good target for a space exploration mission.

10. Earth is the Only Planet Known to Have Life:

We’ve discovered past evidence of waterand organic molecules on Mars, and the building blocks of life on Saturn’s moon Titan. We can see amino acids in nebulae in deep space. And scientists have speculated about the possible existence of life beneath the icy crust of Jupiter’s moon Europa and Saturn’s moon Titan. But Earth is the only place life has actually been discovered.

But if there is life on other planets, scientists are building the experiments that will help find it. For instance, NASA just announced the creation of the Nexus for Exoplanet System Science (NExSS), which will spend the coming years going through the data sent back by the Kepler space telescope (and other missions that have yet to be launched) for signs of life on extra-solar planets.

Europa’s cracked, icy surface imaged by NASA’s Galileo spacecraft in 1998. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/SETI Institute.

Giant radio dishes are currently scan distant stars, listening for the characteristic signals of intelligent life reaching out across interstellar space. And newer space telescopes, such as NASA’s James Webb Telescope, the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS), and the European Space Agency’s Darwin missionmight just be powerful enough to sense the presence of life on other worlds.

But for now, Earth remains the only place we know of where there’s life. Now that is an interesting fact!

We have written many interesting articles about planet Earth here on Universe Today. Here’s What is the Highest Place on Earth?, What is the Diameter of the Earth?, What is the Closest Planet to Earth?, What is the Surface Temperature of Earth? and The Rotation of the Earth?

Other articles include how fast the Earth rotates, and here’s an article about the closest star to Earth. If you’d like more info on Earth, check out NASA’s Solar System Exploration Guide on Earth. And here’s a link to NASA’s Earth Observatory.

And there’s even an Astronomy Cast episode on the subject of planet Earth.

Top 10 Facts About The Solar System

1: Solar System is 4.6 Billion Years Old

The solar system is 4.6 billion years old and 99.86% of its mass is contained in our Sun, a rotating yellow dwarf star whose powerful gravity causes numerous objects to revolve  around it in nearly circular orbits including the planets, moons, comets, asteroids, meteoroids, dust and gas.

2: Sunlight Takes Around 8 Minutes To Reach Earth

The Earth is located 93 million miles (150 million kms) away from the Sun, a distance known to astronomers as an astronomical units or AU. Traveling at the speed of light (186,282 miles per second), sunlight is able to cross this vast distance in around 8 minutes 20 seconds.

3: Solar System 2 Light-years Across

The size of a solar system is determined by how far its sun’s gravity overpowers other objects in the region, which in the case of the Sun extends to the Oort Cloud, a reservoir of cometary material located between 5,000 and 50,000 AU away. That boundary would give the solar system a diameter of around 2 light-years across.

4: Planets Are Made of Rock or Gas

The 8 planets in our solar system are divided into the inner planets of Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars, which are basically made of rock and metal; and the outer planets of Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune, which are made of hydrogen, helium and other gases. Despite being referred to as gas giants, intense heat and pressure towards their centres cause their gases to compress into liquid metal or rock.

5: Most Asteroids Found Between Mars and Jupiter

Asteroids are usually rocky or metallic in nature and in our solar system most can be found orbiting the Sun between Mars and Jupiter in an area known as the asteroid belt(2.7 AU). It is believed that in the early evolution of the solar system, this region once contained enough material to form a planet but Jupiter’s intense gravity stopped the materials from successfully coalescing into a planet.

6: The Closer To The Sun, The Hotter The Planet

In general the closer the planet is to the Sun the hotter is its average temperature. The average temperature of Mercury is a blistering +427 Celsius, but the planet Neptune’s average temperature is a chilly -200 Celsius. However, Venus (460c) is actually hotter than Mercurythanks to its thick carbon dioxide atmosphere which creates a greenhouse effect, whilst Mercury has a very thin atmosphere and so cannot trap the Sun’s heat very easily.

7: One Year Different On Each Planet

The closer the planet is to the Sun, the quicker is its annual orbit around our star. Whereas the Earth takes one year to revolve around the Sun, for instance, Mercury would complete its orbit in 88 days, while distant Neptune would complete its annual trek in 165 years.

8: Comets We See Originate From Within Our Solar System

The comets we see in the night sky come from our solar system and are either short-period, in which case they originate in the Kuiper belt (30 To 50 AU), or longer-period comets, in which case they originate in the Oort cloud. Comets are made of ice and dust and as they approach the Sun their surfaces warms up causing their materials to vaporize, thus producing a comet’s characteristic tail. In the process, numerous meteoroids are shed and spread out along the orbit of the comet such that whenever the Earth’s atmosphere passes this dust trail a meteor shower occurs, such as the Geminids and Leonids.

9: Nearest Star To Earth is Proxima Centauri

Outside of our own solar system, the nearest star to Earth is a red dwarf star called Proxima Centauri (4.24 light-years), followed by Barnard’s Star in the constellation of Ophiuchus (6 light-years). The brightest star in the night sky, Sirius (-1.46 magnitude) in the constellation of Canis Major, is the 5th closest star to Earth at a distance of 8.6 light years.

10: There Are 100 Billion Solar Systems In Milky Way Galaxy

In ancient times, the solar system was considered to represent the entire universe and the planets were believed to be ‘wandering stars‘ orbiting the Earth along with the Sun and stars. With the advent of the scientific revolution beginning in 1543, the Earth was later included in the list of planets but until recently astronomers still knew of only one solar system in the universe. Within the last 10 years or so, however, over 550 planets orbiting distant stars have been found and scientists now estimate that there may be as many as 100 billion solar systems in our own Milky Way galaxy, alone.

What are the 9 Planets of the Solar System?

What are the 9 Planets of the Solar System?

Almost all of us have looked up into the sky and wondered what is there. Well, there are lots of fascinating objects revolving out of space. Humans have left the earth in space ships to explore the solar system that surrounds it. It’s known as the solar system since everything in it revolves around the Sun and solar means the Sun.

Eight known planets, the moon, as well as comets, asteroids and other space objects, revolve around the sun. The Sun is the largest object in the solar system. In fact, it accounts for 99% of the solar systems’ mass. Astronomers estimate that the solar system is more than 4.5 billion years old. Here is a rundown on the 9 planets of the solar system:

1. Mercury

Mercury is the smallest planet in the solar system, approximately 3000 miles (4850 km) in diameter, hardly larger than the moon. Despite being the smallest, it’s extremely dense. In fact, it’s the second densest planet after Earth. It’s also the closest planet to the sun, making it dangerous to explore. Mercury is 48 million miles from the earth.

Since it’s the nearest planet to the sun, surface temperatures can go up to a scorching 800 degrees Fahrenheit to a freezing -300 degrees below zero. Mercury orbits the sun every 88 days, faster than any planet, by far. It’s characterized by short year. Despite its short year, a single day on Mercury is equivalent to about 59 Earth days. Mercury is thought to be more than two-thirds metallic and a third silicon or rock.

2. Venus

Venus is the second planet from the sun, and close to the earth, which is why it’s often referred to as our sister planet. It’s similar size to the Earth, about 7300 miles (12,000 kilometers). It’s nicknamed ‘’the morning star,” and thought to be the most inhabitable planet. Surface temperatures of Venus approach 900 degrees Fahrenheit, hot enough to melt the surface of the earth. Venus has a characteristic thick atmosphere, composed mainly of sulphuric acid and carbon dioxide.

Humans could not breathe in Venus since the atmosphere would be severely toxic. In fact, Venus’ atmosphere has more acid per cubic centimeters than a car battery. This atmosphere is the reason why Venus appears brownish-yellow. Venus rotates relatively slowly. It takes 243 days to make a complete turn. Mercury and Venus are the only planets that do not have moons.

3. Earth

Earth is a unique plant in the entire solar system because it teems with life, including millions of aquatic and terrestrial animal and plant species. It has active plate movement and humans also live on this planet. Earth’s core is almost entirely composed of iron. The inner core is solid, while the outer core is liquid.

The next layer is called the mantle and is made up of rock, mostly viscous or semi-liquid state. The surface is formed of a thin rocky crust. Earth is the 5th largest planet in the solar system (12,000 kilometers in diameter) and is thought to be 4.6 billion years old. The earth revolves around its axis every 24 hours and orbits the sun every 365 days (a year). The earth consists of one moon.

4. Mars

It often called the red planet and nicknamed Roman god of war. Mars is a little bigger than the earth (about 6,790 kilometers in diameter). It has almost similar characteristics to earth such as mountain ranges, rolling plains, gigantic canyons, and volcanoes.

Mars takes 687 days to orbit once around the sun, and its rotation speed is equal to the earth’s (24.6hrs). The surface is mostly covered by iron-rich volcanic rock. The rock is sprinkled with iron oxide, which gives the planet its characteristic red tint. Mars has a relatively thin atmosphere, and consists of two small moons.

5. Jupiter

Jupiter is the largest of all the planetsin the solar systems (142,980 kilometers in diameter) and more than 11 times wider than Planet Earth. Jupiter rotates around the sun once each 12 years. Despite its sheer size, Jupiter rotates on its axis pretty fast (in 9hrs and 19 min). Jupiter is made up of gas and liquid, and has no solid. It’s 90% hydrogen and 10% helium, as well as traces of methane, water, and ammonia. This means that if you were to land on the surface, you would sink into it.

Theoretical evidence stipulates that Jupiter‘s core is made up of metallic hydrogen and rock. The exterior gaseous part is split into bands of brown, red, yellow and white clouds. Jupiter consists of four rings mainly made up of dust. The surface also experiences oval-shaped storms. As of 2016, Jupiter encompasses 67 known satellites, plus the 4 large Galilean moons (Io, Europa, Callisto, and Ganymede), as wells as numerous small ones, which remain unnamed.

6. Saturn

Saturn is the 6th planet away from the sun. It’s one of the largest and brightest planets, nine times the size of the earth (120,536 kilometers), and orbited by numerous objects. Saturn is recognizable by its system of three rings. It orbits the sun in 12 years and rotates slightly more than 10 hours. Saturn has a relatively small and solid dense core, composed mainly of ice and rock. It’s surrounded by a layer of liquid metallic hydrogen. The exterior layer is composed of helium, molecular hydrogen and traces of water, methane, and ammonia.

As opposed to other planets, Saturn has no definable surface. As an alternative, there is a slow transition from a gaseous atmosphere to liquid interiors. Its core is extremely hot (21, 00 degrees Fahrenheit). In fact, Saturn is thought to radiate 2.5 times more energy than it receives from the sun. Its surface appears branded, and consists of a brown-yellow, butterscotch color. Saturn consists of 62 moons as of 2016 statistics. It’s nicknamed the Roman god of agriculture.

7. Uranus

Uranus is the 7th planet from the sun. It’s the third-largest planet in the solar system, 4.4 times the size of planet earth (51,118 kilometers). Uranus orbits the sun relatively slowly. It takes 84 years to complete a single orbit, rotating on its axis much faster than the earth (17 hours). Uranus can be seen with the naked eye and has a characteristic blue color. Like Jupiter and Saturn, Uranus has no solid outer surface, which means the entire surface is made up of gases, with a fairly uniform blue-green color.

However, the core is solid and rocky, and since it’s too far from the sun, the core is surrounded by a mantle of ice, which is why this planet is referred to as an ice triad. As of 2016, Uranus has 27 moons and is wrapped around by a system of nine rings. Uranium is nicknamed “grandfather of Jupiter.”

8. Neptune

Neptune is a little smaller than Uranus, and 17 times bigger than earth. It has a measurement of 49, 500 kilometers in diameter. Neptune is the 8th and furthest planet from the sun. It orbits the sun once each 165 years. It has almost similar structure and composition as Neptune, as its outer surface appears blue, and characterized by large dark blue storm systems. A system of five rings surrounds Neptune and consists of 14 moons. It’s nicknamed the Roman god of the ocean.

9. Pluto

Pluto is found 3.7 billion miles from the sun. It’s half the size of the earth’s moon, which is why it was renamed dwarf planet. Pluto is composed of chiefly rock and ice. The surface is made up of almost completely frozen methane, nitrogen, and carbon monoxide. It orbits the sun in 28 years and rotates in a duration of 6.4 days. It’s composed of one large moon and nicknamed the Roman god of outer darkness.

10 Facts You Should Know about Chinese New Year

10 Facts You Should Know about Chinese New Year

1

The festival date changes every year.

This is because it follows the lunar calendar, based on the movement of the moon. Usually, it falls on a day between mid-January and mid-February. In 2019, Chinese New Year falls on February 5.

 See more about Chinese New Year 2019: Dates & Calendar

2

It is also called Spring Festival.

                  

The festival usually falls after the solar term, Beginning of Spring (Li Chun), and is a festival in the spring, hence the name.

3

Chinese New Year starts a new animal’s zodiac year.

In China, each lunar cycle has 60 years and 12 years is regarded as a small cycle. Each of the 12 years is defined by an animal sign: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Sheep, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Pig. 2019 is the Year of the Pig.

 Read more about Chinese Zodiac

4

The celebration lasts for 15 days till Lantern Festival.

The peak time of the entire celebration is on Chinese New Year's Eve and the first day of the lunar new year. The 15th day is called Lantern Festival, marking the end of the celebration.

5

One sixth of the world’s people celebrate it.

It is not only celebrated in Mainland China, but also observed in Hong Kong, Taiwan, Vietnam, Singapore and some other Asian countries as well as Chinatowns around the world.

In recent years, the celebrations in New York, London, Vancouver, Sydney and other overseas cities have spread out of Chinatowns. Chinese New Year has become one of the world’s most celebrated festivals.

 See more about Celebrations around the World

6

It is the longest public holiday and the whole country is on the move.

Most employees have 7-12 days off the work, and students have one month winter vacation. The 2019 Chinese New Year holiday is from February 4th to 10th.

No matter where they are, people try their best to return home for a family reunion, like westerners attempting to spend Christmas with their families. Meanwhile, some families travel together during the holiday. This makes the world’s largest annual migration, known as the Spring Festival Travel Rush. The total trips made by plane, train, bus and ship can reach nearly 3 billion.

7

Reunion dinner is a ritual.

The reunion dinner on Chinese New Year's Eve is a big feast to commemorate the past year. This is the most important time to be with families.

After the reunion dinner, families sit together to watch the CCTV New Year's Gala while chatting. As the most watched TV program, the gala collects various well-selected performances, targeting audiences of different generations.

8

Then comes the annual largest usage of fireworks on the planet.

Fireworks are an indispensable part of the celebration to liven up the air of Spring Festival. All families set off fireworks to celebrate the festival. The biggest firework show is on Lunar New Year's Eve.

9

The celebration decorations are mostly in red.

Houses are decorated with red Spring Festival couplets, red lanterns, and red paper cuttings; city streets are lit up by red lanterns; and numerous people are dressed in red. This is because red in Chinese culture is the symbol of happiness, wealth and prosperity, and can ward off evil spirits and bring good luck. These red decorations are to the festival what Christmas trees are to Christmas.

 Read more about How to Decorate for Chinese New Year.

10

“Guo Nian Hao” is one of the most used greetings.

This is like the westerners saying “Merry Christmas” to each other on Christmas Day. It means “Happy New Year”.

Why is the celebration also called "Guo Nian"? "Nian”is the Chinese word for year. In folk culture, the Spring Festival celebration is also called “Guo Nian” (meaning “passing a year”). In a Chinese New Year story, “Nian” is a fierce and cruel monster which eats livestock and kids, but it is scared of red color and cracker sound. Therefore, people use red decorations and fireworks to drive away “Nian”.

Common Chinese Words: Facts and Figures

Common Chinese Words: Facts and Figures

The Chinese language is one of the most ancient languages in the world and its beauty lies in its words.

The Chinese language is estimated to be made out of a total of 500000 words with the largest Chinese dictionary having over 370000 words. This can seem a really big and frightening number to someone wanting to start learning Chinese, but here's the good news: you only need to know roughly 5% of the total words to be fluent in Chinese. This means that focusing your efforts on learning the most common Chinese words you will be fluent in Chinese in no time.

What’s even more encouraging is that knowing as little as 100 words helps you understand half of the words in an article or book written in Chinese. Learn the most common 1000 words and you get to a 75% understanding of texts in Chinese. Also, each new word you learn helps you guess the meaning of up to 185 words you have never seen before. This means that knowing only 1000 words helps you guess up to 185000 Chinese words. Doesn't seem that frightening now, right?

When you know the most common 100 Chinese words

You can understand 50% of the texts written in Chinese

Top 10 cool and common Chinese words pronounced by native Chinese speakers

1. 你好 = Hello.

Let's naturally start with "你好" which means "Hello" in Chinese. This is one of the most known words in Chinese and a great way to start a conversation with someone from China.

2. 爱 = Love

Love is a universal feeling and we definitely had to talk about it here. Chinese people have a lovely way of saying they love someone or something through the word "爱".

3. 幸福 = Happiness

When there's love, there's definitely happiness. We are all chasing "幸福" as Chinese speaking people would say.

4. 猫 = Cat

Let's talk pets. There are two types of people in the world: cat people and dog people. We are going to talk about cats first or how people in Hong Kong would say: "猫".

5. 狗 = Dog

But let's not forget our lovely and loyal companions, dogs. A dog in Chinese is "狗", a really useful word for dog lovers worldwide.

6. 微笑 = Smile

Now it is time to smile or how someone from China would say "微笑". Smiling makes us happy and helps us stay healthy, so that's why we all need to smile everyday.

7. 中国人 = Chinese

Next, let’s see how people in China call Chinese people. The correct answer is "中国人".

8. 是的 = Yes.

Yes, we have arrived at number 8 where “yes” is the subject to be discussed. Chinese speakers say “yes” by simply saying "是".

9. 谢谢你 = Thank you.

Thank you for reading this far or should I say "谢谢你" as they say in Chinese.

10. 再见 = Good-bye.

No polite conversation can end without a good old goodbye or "再见" how Chinese people usually say.

Chinese words spoken by native speakers

It’s been proven that you learn any language faster when you hear natives speak. That’s why our linguists have made listening to natives an essential part of the learning experience. All phrases within the app are recorded by professional Chinese speakers so you can sit back and absorb the correct pronunciation of the most common Chinese words effortlessly.

Now, let’s explore the ultimate goal of learning Chinese: having real conversations. That’s exactly why we’ve made speaking exercises an essential part of our lessons so you can practice the cool Chinese words you just learned. You have to try our Voice Chatbot, a computer program so advanced you can actually have an intelligent conversation with. Just engage in a conversation and you get asked questions, you respond and the Chatbot understands what you're saying and continues the chat. It’s a remarkable technology that made millions of people fall in love with Mondly.

Did you know?

Learning the Mandarin Chinese characters is probably the most difficult part of learning Chinese. This is mostly because there are a whooping 50000 characters in the Chinese language. The good news is that you only need to know around 2500 characters to be able to read over 95% of texts in Chinese. By knowing only 2000 characters you can read a Chinese magazine. More importantly, learning even your first 10 characters is extremely rewarding. The Chinese characters are visually pleasing, knowing even a few of them makes you feel smart and using them in writing gives you an insight into the Chinese culture and way of life.

What’s the most complicated Mandarin Chinese character? It’s called “Biang”, has 57 strokes and describes a type of Shaanxi noodles. Yes, a lot of work for some noodles. This character is so complex that it cannot be used on a computer. That’s why substitutes like “bàng bàng miàn” (棒棒麵) or “bāng bāng miàn” (梆梆麵) have been created to replace the character and make it easier to write with the help of a keyboard.

The benefits of learning the most common Chinese words first

Make Chinese learning fun and easier

Starting with the Chinese basics means you will begin by learning the easiest words first and gradually increase difficulty. This way you will feel great while learning and see how your language knowledge broadens.

Have basic Chinese conversations in no time

You'll be able to speak to someone from Beijing or Shanghai about regular topics like weather, politics or family. This will make you confident in your Chinese skills and eager to learn more.

Become fluent in Chinese faster

By learning the most common Mandarin words first you are learning the smart way. Why learn the most unusual words in Chinese when you might never use them in real life?

You improve your Chinese vocabulary

Each new Chinese word you learn piles up until your vocabulary builds stronger and stronger. Each lesson gets you one step closer to fluency.