目前 (mù qián) — at the present time in Mandarin
🔊 Tap to hear it
#268 most common word · HSK 5 · CEFR B2
Pinyin colour key: tone 1 (high flat), tone 2 (rising), tone 3 (dipping), tone 4 (falling), neutral.
Tone breakdown
目前 is pronounced mù qián. Tap any syllable’s row to hear the whole word.
In a sentence
Mù qián wǒ zhèng zài xué xí hàn yǔ, jìn dù hěn kuài.
At present, I'm studying Chinese and making good progress.
Hear it, then say it right
Reading pinyin only gets you halfway. ToneDeck plays native audio for 目前 and thousands more words, then scores your pronunciation so your tones land. HSK 1 is free, no install.
Start freeFrequently asked questions
What does 目前 mean?+
目前 (mù qián) means "at the present time" in Mandarin Chinese.
How do you pronounce 目前?+
目前 is pronounced mù qián. It uses the tone 4 (falling), then the tone 2 (rising). Tap the character on this page to hear native audio.
How common is 目前 in Mandarin?+
目前 is the #268 most frequent word in spoken Mandarin, so it is one of the first words worth learning.
Where 目前 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.
Coming to iOS & Android
The mobile app is on the way. The trainer works right now.
ToneDeck for iPhone and Android is launching soon, and your progress syncs across every device. Meanwhile the full tone trainer runs in your browser today — no install, free to start.
Browse more on the Mandarin vocabulary hub, or read how to learn Mandarin tones.