曾经 (céng jīng) — once in Mandarin
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#665 most common word · HSK 5 · CEFR C1
Pinyin colour key: tone 1 (high flat), tone 2 (rising), tone 3 (dipping), tone 4 (falling), neutral.
Tone breakdown
曾经 is pronounced céng jīng. Tap any syllable’s row to hear the whole word.
In a sentence
Tā céng jīng shì yī míng zhí yè yǎn yuán。
He was once a professional actor.
Hear it, then say it right
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Start freeFrequently asked questions
What does 曾经 mean?+
曾经 (céng jīng) means "once" in Mandarin Chinese.
How do you pronounce 曾经?+
曾经 is pronounced céng jīng. It uses the tone 2 (rising), then the tone 1 (high flat). Tap the character on this page to hear native audio.
How common is 曾经 in Mandarin?+
曾经 is the #665 most frequent word in spoken Mandarin, so it is one of the first words worth learning.
Where 曾经 fits
Every HSK 5 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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