城市 (chéngshì) — City in Mandarin

ché​ngshì
“City”

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#246 most common word · HSK 3 · CEFR B1

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

Tone breakdown

城市 is pronounced chéngshì. Tap any syllable’s row to hear the whole word.

ché
second tone (rising, ˊ)
ngshì
fourth tone (sharp falling, ˋ)

In a sentence

Wǒ zhùzài yīgè dà chéngshì.

I live in a big city.

Hear it, then say it right

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Frequently asked questions

What does 城市 mean?+

城市 (chéngshì) means "City" in Mandarin Chinese.

How do you pronounce 城市?+

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

How common is 城市 in Mandarin?+

城市 is the #246 most frequent word in spoken Mandarin, so it is one of the first words worth learning.

Where 城市 fits

HSK 3 · CEFR B1
See the full HSK 3 vocabulary list

Every HSK 3 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.