字 (zì) — Word in Mandarin
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#743 most common word
Pinyin colour key: tone 1 (high flat), tone 2 (rising), tone 3 (dipping), tone 4 (falling), neutral.
Tone breakdown
字 is pronounced zì. Tap any syllable’s row to hear the whole word.
In a sentence
Zhège zì hěn nán xiě.
This character is difficult to write.
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Start freeFrequently asked questions
What does 字 mean?+
字 (zì) means "Word" in Mandarin Chinese.
How do you pronounce 字?+
字 is pronounced zì. It uses the tone 4 (falling). Tap the character on this page to hear native audio.
How common is 字 in Mandarin?+
字 is the #743 most frequent word in spoken Mandarin, so it is one of the first words worth learning.
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.