Chongqing Dialect: 18 Common Words and What They Mean

Chongqing speech, or 重庆话, is the Mandarin spoken in the main urban area of Chongqing, the big river city in southwest China, by about 5.4 million people. It belongs to the same family as the speech of Chengdu, so many words on this list are also heard across Sichuan.

How Chongqing Speech Changes Standard Mandarin

Most of the change is in a few common words, plus two habits: some words flip their two characters, and more nouns take 子.

Question Words and Everyday Talk

You'll hear these short words in most Chongqing conversations.

啥子

WhatStandard Mandarin: 什么你说啥子？ means "What did you say?"

啷个

How, whyStandard Mandarin: 怎么啷个走？ asks how to get somewhere, and 你啷个不来？ asks why someone didn't come.

没得

There isn't any, don't haveStandard Mandarin: 没有有没得 asks whether something exists, like 有没有.

晓得

To knowStandard Mandarin: 知道我晓得了 means "Got it, I know."

要得

OK, sounds goodStandard Mandarin: 好的Some people drag it out as 要——得——, and a busy restaurant owner snaps out a quick 要得.

二回

Next time, laterStandard Mandarin: 下次二回再来 means "come again next time".

别个

Other peopleStandard Mandarin: 别人别个都晓得 means "everyone else knows."

各人

Oneself, your ownStandard Mandarin: 自己各人的事 means "your own business".

Words for Everyday Life

巴适 and 安逸 both mean something is great, and 造孽 looks like a Standard Mandarin word but means something else.

巴适

Comfortable, greatStandard Mandarin: 舒服People in Chongqing say 巴适得很, "really great," all the time.

安逸

Comfortable, niceStandard Mandarin: 舒服It can praise food too: 这碗面安逸得很 means "this bowl of noodles is great."

耍

To have fun, to hang outStandard Mandarin: 玩来耍 is a friendly "come over and hang out".

相因

CheapStandard Mandarin: 便宜这个相因 means "this one is cheap".

闹热

Lively, busyStandard Mandarin: 热闹This is one of the flipped words from the table above.

脑壳

HeadStandard Mandarin: 头脑壳痛 means "I have a headache."

盐巴

SaltStandard Mandarin: 盐放点盐巴 means "add a little salt."

摆龙门阵

To chat, to tell storiesStandard Mandarin: 聊天It means a long, easy chat, often full of stories.

造孽

Pitiful, poor thingStandard Mandarin: 可怜这个娃儿好造孽 means "this poor kid." Standard Mandarin uses the same word for doing evil.

雄起

Come on! Go for it!Standard Mandarin: 加油It is a shout of support for someone trying hard.

How Chongqing Speech Sounds

Chongqing's four tones sit at different pitches from Standard Mandarin's. The second tone is low and falling, and words that once had a short, clipped old tone, called the entering tone, now all use it.

男 and 蓝 can sound the same, 街 sounds like 该, and 鞋 sounds like 孩.

For Chongqing voices, watch Useful Chongqing Expressions from Serena's Mandarin Classroom, or the beginner lesson 重庆话教学之入门篇 from 乱谈时刻.

Practice Chongqing Speech in Lessons

Poppy, your AI tutor, writes the dialogue in each Bubblegum lesson in Chongqing speech at your level, so a noodle-shop owner answers 要得 and a friend asks 你说啥子？

Before you pick an app, read best apps to learn the Chongqing dialect, which also lists tutors.

Common Questions