重要 (zhòng yào) — important in Mandarin
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#183 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
重要 is pronounced zhòng yào. Tap any syllable’s row to hear the whole word.
In a sentence
Zhè hěn zhòngyào.
This is very important.
Hear it, then say it right
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Start freeFrequently asked questions
What does 重要 mean?+
重要 (zhòng yào) means "important" in Mandarin Chinese.
How do you pronounce 重要?+
重要 is pronounced zhòng yào. It uses the tone 4 (falling). Tap the character on this page to hear native audio.
How common is 重要 in Mandarin?+
重要 is the #183 most frequent word in spoken Mandarin, so it is one of the first words worth learning.
Where 重要 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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