石油 (shí yóu) — oil in Mandarin
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#1336 most common word · HSK 6 · CEFR C1
Pinyin colour key: tone 1 (high flat), tone 2 (rising), tone 3 (dipping), tone 4 (falling), neutral.
Tone breakdown
石油 is pronounced shí yóu. Tap any syllable’s row to hear the whole word.
In a sentence
Zhōngguó měi nián jìnkǒu dàliàng shí yóu.
China imports large quantities of oil every year.
Hear it, then say it right
Reading pinyin only gets you halfway. ToneDeck plays native audio for 石油 and thousands more words, then scores your pronunciation so your tones land. HSK 1 is free, no install.
Start freeFrequently asked questions
What does 石油 mean?+
石油 (shí yóu) means "oil" in Mandarin Chinese.
How do you pronounce 石油?+
石油 is pronounced shí yóu. It uses the tone 2 (rising). Tap the character on this page to hear native audio.
How common is 石油 in Mandarin?+
石油 is the #1336 most frequent word in spoken Mandarin, so it is one of the first words worth learning.
Where 石油 fits
Every HSK 6 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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