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The 100 most common Chinese words

31% of the words on a Chinese web page, most common first.

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  1. 1的de(particle) marks possession or description: 's; of
  2. 2了le(particle) marks a completed action
  3. 3是shìis
  4. 4在zàito be present
  5. 5我wǒI
  6. 6和héand
  7. 7一yīone
  8. 8有yǒuto have
  9. 9你nǐyou
  10. 10也yěalso
  11. 11不bùnot
  12. 12个gèthe general measure word for people and things
  13. 13都dōuall
  14. 14这zhèthis
  15. 15就jiùthen
  16. 16人rénperson
  17. 17很hěnvery
  18. 18他tāhe
  19. 19上shàngup
  20. 20中zhōngmiddle
  21. 21年niányear
  22. 22多duōmany
  23. 23到dàoto arrive
  24. 24好hǎogood
  25. 25要yàoto want
  26. 26大dàbig
  27. 27会huìcan
  28. 28为wèibecause of
  29. 29可以kěyǐcan
  30. 30对duìright
  31. 31等děngto wait
  32. 32说shuōto speak
  33. 33还háialso
  34. 34被bèipassive 被: "by" — the subject has something done to it
  35. 35与yǔand
  36. 36着zhedurative 着: ongoing or continuous state — "-ing", "while"
  37. 37月yuèmonth
  38. 38来láito come
  39. 39我们wǒmenwe
  40. 40看kànto look at
  41. 41自己zìjǐoneself
  42. 42能néngcan
  43. 43将jiāngwill
  44. 44但dànbut
  45. 45去qùto go
  46. 46更gèngeven more
  47. 47最zuìmost
  48. 48而érand
  49. 49她tāshe
  50. 50日rìday
  51. 51后hòuafter
  52. 52之zhīof (formal/written 的)
  53. 53就是jiùshìexactly
  54. 54没有méiyǒunot have
  55. 55让ràngto yield
  56. 56以yǐwith
  57. 57那nàthen
  58. 58做zuòto do
  59. 59小xiǎosmall
  60. 60下xiàdown
  61. 61把bǎdisposal 把: marks the object and moves it before the verb — what is done to it
  62. 62地dìground
  63. 63给gěito give
  64. 64又yòuagain (it already happened again)
  65. 65两liǎngtwo (of something)
  66. 66想xiǎngto think
  67. 67啊amodal particle: adds feeling — surprise, emphasis, urging, friendliness
  68. 68用yòngto use
  69. 69中国zhōngguóChina
  70. 70新xīnnew
  71. 71从cóngfrom
  72. 72里lǐinside
  73. 73三sānthree
  74. 74时shítime
  75. 75工作gōngzuòwork
  76. 76并bìngand
  77. 77什么shénmewhat
  78. 78没méidid not
  79. 79或huòor
  80. 80吗maquestion particle: turns a statement into a yes/no question
  81. 81得déto obtain
  82. 82过guòto cross
  83. 83及jíin time for (as in 来得及)
  84. 84可kěbut
  85. 85吧bachecking a guess: "…, right?", "I suppose", "surely not …?"
  86. 86太tàitoo
  87. 87高gāohigh
  88. 88他们tāmenthey
  89. 89出chūto go out
  90. 90如果rúguǒif
  91. 91再zàiagain (later)
  92. 92公司gōngsīcompany
  93. 93可能kěnéngmay
  94. 94进行jìnxíngto carry out
  95. 95需要xūyàoto need
  96. 96知道zhīdàoto know
  97. 97问题wèntíproblem
  98. 98于yúat
  99. 99其qíhis
  100. 100还是háishistill

What is the most common Chinese word?

的 (de), which marks possession and description, like ’s or “of”: about one word in 18 on a Chinese web page. Then come 了 (le), 是 (shì, to be), 在 (zài, at) and 我 (wǒ, I).

How many Chinese words do you need to know?

The 100 most common words make up 31% of the words on a Chinese web page, the top 500 48% and the top 1,000 56%. The rest is spread over tens of thousands of words, which is why reading real Chinese is how the next thousands stick.

Where does this count come from?

Our own count of millions of pages of Chinese web text (FineWeb-2), read word by word by our parser, Simplified Chinese only. Each word links to its page with real sentences.

More of the list

Counted by our own parser over Chinese web text (FineWeb-2, ODC-By). Meanings from our own dictionary.