故事 (gùshì) — Story in Mandarin
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#384 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
故事 is pronounced gùshì. Tap any syllable’s row to hear the whole word.
In a sentence
Zhè shì yī ge yǒuqù de gùshi.
This is an interesting story.
Hear it, then say it right
Reading pinyin only gets you halfway. ToneDeck plays native audio for 故事 and thousands more words, then scores your pronunciation so your tones land. HSK 1 is free, no install.
Start freeFrequently asked questions
What does 故事 mean?+
故事 (gùshì) means "Story" in Mandarin Chinese.
How do you pronounce 故事?+
故事 is pronounced gùshì. It uses the tone 4 (falling). Tap the character on this page to hear native audio.
How common is 故事 in Mandarin?+
故事 is the #384 most frequent word in spoken Mandarin, so it is one of the first words worth learning.
Where 故事 fits
Every HSK 3 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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Browse more on the Mandarin vocabulary hub, or read how to learn Mandarin tones.