小说 (xiǎo shuō) — novel in Mandarin
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#722 most common word · HSK 4 · CEFR B2
Pinyin colour key: tone 1 (high flat), tone 2 (rising), tone 3 (dipping), tone 4 (falling), neutral.
Tone breakdown
小说 is pronounced xiǎo shuō. Tap any syllable’s row to hear the whole word.
In a sentence
Wǒ hěn xǐhuān dú xiǎo shuō.
I like reading novels very much.
Hear it, then say it right
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Start freeFrequently asked questions
What does 小说 mean?+
小说 (xiǎo shuō) means "novel" in Mandarin Chinese.
How do you pronounce 小说?+
小说 is pronounced xiǎo shuō. It uses the tone 3 (rising/dipping), then the tone 1 (high flat). Tap the character on this page to hear native audio.
How common is 小说 in Mandarin?+
小说 is the #722 most frequent word in spoken Mandarin, so it is one of the first words worth learning.
Where 小说 fits
Every HSK 4 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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