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意识 (yì shí) — consciousness in Mandarin

shí
consciousness

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#851 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

意识 is pronounced yì shí. Tap any syllable’s row to hear the whole word.

fourth tone (sharp falling, ˋ)
shí
second tone (rising, ˊ)

In a sentence

Rén de yìshi juéding le tā de xíngdòng.

Human consciousness determines their actions.

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Frequently asked questions

What does 意识 mean?+

意识 (yì shí) means "consciousness" in Mandarin Chinese.

How do you pronounce 意识?+

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

How common is 意识 in Mandarin?+

意识 is the #851 most frequent word in spoken Mandarin, so it is one of the first words worth learning.

Where 意识 fits

HSK 6 · CEFR C1
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Browse more on the Mandarin vocabulary hub, or read how to learn Mandarin tones.