改 (gǎi) — Change in Mandarin
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#1010 most common word
Pinyin colour key: tone 1 (high flat), tone 2 (rising), tone 3 (dipping), tone 4 (falling), neutral.
Tone breakdown
改 is pronounced gǎi. Tap any syllable’s row to hear the whole word.
In a sentence
Wǒ gǎi le zhǔyi.
I changed my mind.
Hear it, then say it right
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Start freeFrequently asked questions
What does 改 mean?+
改 (gǎi) means "Change" in Mandarin Chinese.
How do you pronounce 改?+
改 is pronounced gǎi. It uses the tone 3 (rising/dipping). Tap the character on this page to hear native audio.
How common is 改 in Mandarin?+
改 is the #1010 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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