来源 (lái yuán) — source in Mandarin

lái​ yuán
“source”

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#729 most common word · HSK 6 · CEFR C2

Pinyin colour key: tone 1 (high flat), tone 2 (rising), tone 3 (dipping), tone 4 (falling), neutral.

Tone breakdown

来源 is pronounced lái yuán. Tap any syllable’s row to hear the whole word.

lái
second tone (rising, ˊ)
yuán
second tone (rising, ˊ)

In a sentence

zhè tiáo xìn xī de lái yuán shì shé me?

What is the source of this information?

Hear it, then say it right

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Frequently asked questions

What does 来源 mean?+

来源 (lái yuán) means "source" in Mandarin Chinese.

How do you pronounce 来源?+

来源 is pronounced lái yuán. It uses the tone 2 (rising). Tap the character on this page to hear native audio.

How common is 来源 in Mandarin?+

来源 is the #729 most frequent word in spoken Mandarin, so it is one of the first words worth learning.

Where 来源 fits

HSK 6 · CEFR C2
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Every HSK 6 word with tone-coloured pinyin and audio.

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Browse more on the Mandarin vocabulary hub, or read how to learn Mandarin tones.