Home › Chinese › Glossary › switch
Chinese vocabulary · Beginner
How do you say "switch" in Chinese?
开关
kāi guān
In Chinese, "switch" is 开关 (kāi guān).
Listen to the pronunciation:
Free Chinese learning game. No sign-up, play in browser. See all games
Pronunciation
Aim for "kāi guān" when you say it, "kāi" is flat and level, held steady (tone 1), then "guān" is flat and level, held steady (tone 1).
Writing and usage
开关 is written using hanzi. It's a noun, part of the vocabulary taught in the Noun Town language learning game.
Example sentence
她关掉了灯。
tā guān diào le dēng 。
She flicked the light switch off.
Test your Chinese knowledge in our free browser games.
How to remember 开关
Say "kāi guān" out loud three times fast — the repetition alone tends to cement "开关" (kāi guān) in memory.
Related words
Browse all Chinese words in the glossary.
Questions about 开关
How do you pronounce 开关?
Aim for "kāi guān" when you say it, "kāi" is flat and level, held steady (tone 1), then "guān" is flat and level, held steady (tone 1).
Is 开关 formal or casual?
开关 is a neutral, everyday word that works in both casual and polite speech.
How is 开关 used in Chinese?
开关 is used the same way as the equivalent English noun. For example: 她关掉了灯。 (She flicked the light switch off.).
Where can I practice Chinese words for free?
You can play free Chinese minigames in your browser on the Noun Town online games page, no sign-up required. Every word in the Chinese glossary also has native audio and an example sentence you can revisit any time.
"Switch" in other languages
Curated by Jack Ratcliffe
This word is part of the vocabulary taught in the Chinese language learning game Noun Town, where words are introduced through play rather than memorisation. Want to play the full game? Get Noun Town on Steam.
Noun Town on PC, Mac & VR
These browser games are just a taste. The full Noun Town is a bigger, deeper 3D world: explore a living town, talk to its characters and learn thousands of words in immersive VR, Mixed Reality, or on your computer. It's an award-winning game with 590+ reviews on Steam and 12 languages to learn.
See the full game ▶Spot an error? Email us at contact@noun.town