消费 (xiāo fèi) — to consume in Mandarin
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#1189 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
消费 is pronounced xiāo fèi. Tap any syllable’s row to hear the whole word.
In a sentence
Tāmen měi yuè xiāo fèi hěn duō.
They spend a lot each month.
Hear it, then say it right
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Start freeFrequently asked questions
What does 消费 mean?+
消费 (xiāo fèi) means "to consume" in Mandarin Chinese.
How do you pronounce 消费?+
消费 is pronounced xiāo fèi. It uses the tone 1 (high flat), then the tone 4 (falling). Tap the character on this page to hear native audio.
How common is 消费 in Mandarin?+
消费 is the #1189 most frequent word in spoken Mandarin, so it is one of the first words worth learning.
Where 消费 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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