朋友 (péngyǒu) — friend in Mandarin
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#263 most common word · HSK 1 · CEFR A1
Pinyin colour key: tone 1 (high flat), tone 2 (rising), tone 3 (dipping), tone 4 (falling), neutral.
Tone breakdown
朋友 is pronounced péngyǒu. Tap any syllable’s row to hear the whole word.
In a sentence
tā shì wǒ de péngyǒu
He is my friend.
Hear it, then say it right
Reading pinyin only gets you halfway. ToneDeck plays native audio for 朋友 and thousands more words, then scores your pronunciation so your tones land. HSK 1 is free, no install.
Start freeFrequently asked questions
What does 朋友 mean?+
朋友 (péngyǒu) means "friend" in Mandarin Chinese.
How do you pronounce 朋友?+
朋友 is pronounced péngyǒu. It uses the tone 2 (rising), then the tone 3 (rising/dipping). Tap the character on this page to hear native audio.
How common is 朋友 in Mandarin?+
朋友 is the #263 most frequent word in spoken Mandarin, so it is one of the first words worth learning.
Where 朋友 fits
Every HSK 1 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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