The 1000 most common Mandarin Chinese words

Ranked by spoken frequency · with native audio

Not all words are worth the same effort. A small core of high-frequency words accounts for most of everyday Mandarin, so learning them first buys you the most comprehension for the least time. This list ranks the top 1000 words by how often they actually appear in spoken Chinese — start at #1 and work down.

Every word shows tone-coloured pinyin and its English meaning, and you can tap the character to hear native audio — no sign-up needed. Words in the top 1,500 link to a full page with a per-syllable tone breakdown and an example sentence.

Pinyin colour key: tone 1 (high flat), tone 2 (rising), tone 3 (dipping), tone 4 (falling), neutral.

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Words 1–100

(possessive particle)

country; nation; state

Words 101–250

to believe; to think; to consider; to feel

121

chéng wéi

to become; to turn into

circumstances; state of affairs; situation

to happen; to occur; to take place; to break out

to pass through; to get through

for; for the purpose of; in order to

to notice; to become aware of

to think that ...; to feel that ...

company; firm; enterprise; corporation

technology; technique; skill

although; even though

thus; consequently; as a result

Words 251–500

to obtain; to receive; to get

regarding; as far as is concerned; with regard to

way; manner; style; mode; pattern

to build; to construct; to establish; to develop…

to produce; to manufacture

to save; to economize; to be frugal

Ziyuan county in Guilin 林, Guangxi

to stipulate; to specify; to prescribe; to fix ;…

mission; assignment; task; duty; role

to solve; to resolve; to settle

feeling; impression; sensation

to handle; to deal with

417

Shí dài

Time, US weekly news magazine

actually; in fact; really

to press charges; to file a complaint

to arise; to come into being; to come about

base; foundation; basis

media, esp. news media

to reach; to achieve; to attain

to withdraw the mandate of heaven

a decade of a century

Words 501–1000

to oppose; to be against; to object to

standard; norm; criterion

condition; circumstance; term; factor

to propose; to suggest; to recommend

other people; others; other person

556

bù jǐn

not just; not limited to

person; personage; figure

to discuss; to talk over

to part; to leave each other

for example; for instance; such as

606

mín zú

nationality; ethnic group

easy; straightforward

equipment; facilities; installations

almost; nearly; practically

to unify; to integrate

purpose; aim; goal; target; objective

to give rise to; to lead to; to cause; to arouse

684

chóng xīn

again; once more; re-

occupation; profession; vocation

to comprehend; to understand

727

Xiàn dài

Hyundai, South Korean company

trade; profession; industry; business

to lessen; to decrease; to reduce; to lower

mistaken; false; wrong

condition; state; state of affairs

surname Huang or Hwang

770

jīng cháng

frequently; constantly; regularly; often

still; as before; yet

773

cǎi qǔ

to adopt or carry out

to engage in ; to run; to operate

to deal; to trade; to transact

especially; particularly

Heping District of Shenyang city 沈阳市, Liaoning

no matter what or how

to bring forth new ideas; to blaze new trails

to set up; to establish

sudden; abrupt; unexpected

822

fāng xiàng

direction; orientation

to make; to manufacture

correct; sound; right; proper

839

zhì zào

to manufacture; to make

degree; level; extent

condition; state; situation

to refuse; to decline; to reject

to draw up a plan; to map out a program

to renounce; to abandon; to give up

it seems; seemingly; as if

to be concerned about

thereupon; as a result; consequently; thus; hence

to criticize; criticism

977

tíng zhǐ

to stop; to halt; to cease

to hold a governmental office or post

to make better; to improve

to replace the old with new

Frequently asked questions

How many words do you need to understand Mandarin?+

Word frequency in any language follows a steep curve: a small core of words covers most of everyday speech. Learning the 1000 most common Mandarin words first gives you the highest comprehension for the least effort, because these are the words you actually hear and read most often.

What are the most common words in Chinese?+

The very top of the list is dominated by function words and basic verbs — 的, 是, 不, 我, 你 and the like. This page ranks the top 1000 by real spoken frequency so you can work down from the most useful.

Should I learn Chinese words by frequency or by HSK level?+

Both help. HSK groups words by exam level, while a frequency list orders them by how often they actually come up in speech. Many learners use frequency order to decide what to drill first, then use the HSK lists to track formal progress. Every word here links to its HSK level where one applies.

How do I learn these words so they stick?+

Hearing and saying a word beats silently reading pinyin. Tap any character above to hear native audio. ToneDeck pairs this frequency list with spaced-repetition review and a pronunciation check so the words — and their tones — stay with you.

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Keep going

Words by tone

First, second, third and fourth-tone word lists with audio.

HSK vocabulary lists

Every word, grouped by official HSK level 1–6.

Mandarin tones explained

The four tones (and the neutral) that every word above uses.

Train your ear

Hear a tone, guess it, and watch your accuracy climb.

Back to the Mandarin vocabulary hub.