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未来 (wèi lái) — future in Mandarin

wèi lái
future

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#501 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

未来 is pronounced wèi lái. Tap any syllable’s row to hear the whole word.

wèi
fourth tone (sharp falling, ˋ)
lái
second tone (rising, ˊ)

In a sentence

Wǒ duì wèi lái chōngmǎn xīwàng.

I am full of hope for the future.

Hear it, then say it right

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Frequently asked questions

What does 未来 mean?+

未来 (wèi lái) means "future" in Mandarin Chinese.

How do you pronounce 未来?+

未来 is pronounced wèi lái. It uses the tone 4 (falling), then the tone 2 (rising). Tap the character on this page to hear native audio.

How common is 未来 in Mandarin?+

未来 is the #501 most frequent word in spoken Mandarin, so it is one of the first words worth learning.

Where 未来 fits

HSK 5 · CEFR B2
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Browse more on the Mandarin vocabulary hub, or read how to learn Mandarin tones.