人生 (rén shēng) — life in Mandarin
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#1135 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
人生 is pronounced rén shēng. Tap any syllable’s row to hear the whole word.
In a sentence
Tā de rénshēng chōngmǎn le tiǎozhàn.
His life is full of challenges.
Hear it, then say it right
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Start freeFrequently asked questions
What does 人生 mean?+
人生 (rén shēng) means "life" in Mandarin Chinese.
How do you pronounce 人生?+
人生 is pronounced rén shēng. 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 人生 in Mandarin?+
人生 is the #1135 most frequent word in spoken Mandarin, so it is one of the first words worth learning.
Where 人生 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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