西 (xī) — Western in Mandarin
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#696 most common word · HSK 3 · CEFR B1
Pinyin colour key: tone 1 (high flat), tone 2 (rising), tone 3 (dipping), tone 4 (falling), neutral.
Tone breakdown
西 is pronounced xī. Tap any syllable’s row to hear the whole word.
In a sentence
Xībiān yǒu shān.
There are mountains to the west.
Hear it, then say it right
Reading pinyin only gets you halfway. ToneDeck plays native audio for 西 and thousands more words, then scores your pronunciation so your tones land. HSK 1 is free, no install.
Start freeFrequently asked questions
What does 西 mean?+
西 (xī) means "Western" in Mandarin Chinese.
How do you pronounce 西?+
西 is pronounced xī. It uses the tone 1 (high flat). Tap the character on this page to hear native audio.
How common is 西 in Mandarin?+
西 is the #696 most frequent word in spoken Mandarin, so it is one of the first words worth learning.
Where 西 fits
Every HSK 3 word with tone-coloured pinyin and audio.
Words at a similar frequency
Master the tones first
What each tone sounds like and why it matters.
Why some tones change in connected speech.
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Browse more on the Mandarin vocabulary hub, or read how to learn Mandarin tones.