自由 (zìyóu) — Free in Mandarin

zìyóu

“Free”

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#292 most common word · HSK 5 · CEFR B2

Pinyin colour key: tone 1 (high flat), tone 2 (rising), tone 3 (dipping), tone 4 (falling), neutral.

Tone breakdown

自由 is pronounced zìyóu. Tap any syllable’s row to hear the whole word.

zì

fourth tone (sharp falling, ˋ)

yóu

second tone (rising, ˊ)

In a sentence

Wǒ xiǎngyào zìyóu.

I want freedom.

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Frequently asked questions

What does 自由 mean?+

自由 (zìyóu) means "Free" in Mandarin Chinese.

How do you pronounce 自由?+

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

How common is 自由 in Mandarin?+

自由 is the #292 most frequent word in spoken Mandarin, so it is one of the first words worth learning.

Where 自由 fits

HSK 5 · CEFR B2

See the full HSK 5 vocabulary list

Every HSK 5 word with tone-coloured pinyin and audio.

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那些

nàxiē

Those

Master the tones first

Mandarin tones explained

What each tone sounds like and why it matters.

Tone sandhi rules

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.