---
title: "The 100 Most Common Chinese Words, With Pinyin and Audio"
description: "The 100 most common Chinese words, counted in real Chinese web text, each with pinyin, meaning and sound. The top 100 make up 31% of the words on a page. Keep them in one press or print them as flashcards."
canonical: "https://mandarinthewild.com/most-common-chinese-words"
author: "Mandarin The Wild"
---

Free · 100 words

# The 100 most common Chinese words

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

[Print as flashcards](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-flashcards?level=mine&words=%E7%9A%84%20%E4%BA%86%20%E6%98%AF%20%E5%9C%A8%20%E6%88%91%20%E5%92%8C%20%E4%B8%80%20%E6%9C%89%20%E4%BD%A0%20%E4%B9%9F%20%E4%B8%8D%20%E4%B8%AA%20%E9%83%BD%20%E8%BF%99%20%E5%B0%B1%20%E4%BA%BA%20%E5%BE%88%20%E4%BB%96%20%E4%B8%8A%20%E4%B8%AD%20%E5%B9%B4%20%E5%A4%9A%20%E5%88%B0%20%E5%A5%BD%20%E8%A6%81%20%E5%A4%A7%20%E4%BC%9A%20%E4%B8%BA%20%E5%8F%AF%E4%BB%A5%20%E5%AF%B9%20%E7%AD%89%20%E8%AF%B4%20%E8%BF%98%20%E8%A2%AB%20%E4%B8%8E%20%E7%9D%80%20%E6%9C%88%20%E6%9D%A5%20%E6%88%91%E4%BB%AC%20%E7%9C%8B%20%E8%87%AA%E5%B7%B1%20%E8%83%BD%20%E5%B0%86%20%E4%BD%86%20%E5%8E%BB%20%E6%9B%B4%20%E6%9C%80%20%E8%80%8C%20%E5%A5%B9%20%E6%97%A5%20%E5%90%8E%20%E4%B9%8B%20%E5%B0%B1%E6%98%AF%20%E6%B2%A1%E6%9C%89%20%E8%AE%A9%20%E4%BB%A5%20%E9%82%A3%20%E5%81%9A%20%E5%B0%8F%20%E4%B8%8B%20%E6%8A%8A%20%E5%9C%B0%20%E7%BB%99%20%E5%8F%88%20%E4%B8%A4%20%E6%83%B3%20%E5%95%8A%20%E7%94%A8%20%E4%B8%AD%E5%9B%BD%20%E6%96%B0%20%E4%BB%8E%20%E9%87%8C%20%E4%B8%89%20%E6%97%B6%20%E5%B7%A5%E4%BD%9C%20%E5%B9%B6%20%E4%BB%80%E4%B9%88%20%E6%B2%A1%20%E6%88%96%20%E5%90%97%20%E5%BE%97%20%E8%BF%87%20%E5%8F%8A%20%E5%8F%AF%20%E5%90%A7%20%E5%A4%AA%20%E9%AB%98%20%E4%BB%96%E4%BB%AC%20%E5%87%BA%20%E5%A6%82%E6%9E%9C%20%E5%86%8D%20%E5%85%AC%E5%8F%B8%20%E5%8F%AF%E8%83%BD%20%E8%BF%9B%E8%A1%8C%20%E9%9C%80%E8%A6%81%20%E7%9F%A5%E9%81%93%20%E9%97%AE%E9%A2%98%20%E4%BA%8E%20%E5%85%B6%20%E8%BF%98%E6%98%AF)

1. [1的de(particle) marks possession or description: 's; of](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E7%9A%84)
2. [2了le(particle) marks a completed action](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E4%BA%86)
3. [3是shìis](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E6%98%AF)
4. [4在zàito be present](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E5%9C%A8)
5. [5我wǒI](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E6%88%91)
6. [6和héand](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E5%92%8C)
7. [7一yīone](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E4%B8%80)
8. [8有yǒuto have](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E6%9C%89)
9. [9你nǐyou](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E4%BD%A0)
10. [10也yěalso](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E4%B9%9F)
11. [11不bùnot](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E4%B8%8D)
12. [12个gèthe general measure word for people and things](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E4%B8%AA)
13. [13都dōuall](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E9%83%BD)
14. [14这zhèthis](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E8%BF%99)
15. [15就jiùthen](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E5%B0%B1)
16. [16人rénperson](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E4%BA%BA)
17. [17很hěnvery](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E5%BE%88)
18. [18他tāhe](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E4%BB%96)
19. [19上shàngup](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E4%B8%8A)
20. [20中zhōngmiddle](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E4%B8%AD)
21. [21年niányear](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E5%B9%B4)
22. [22多duōmany](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E5%A4%9A)
23. [23到dàoto arrive](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E5%88%B0)
24. [24好hǎogood](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E5%A5%BD)
25. [25要yàoto want](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E8%A6%81)
26. [26大dàbig](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E5%A4%A7)
27. [27会huìcan](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E4%BC%9A)
28. [28为wèibecause of](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E4%B8%BA)
29. [29可以kěyǐcan](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E5%8F%AF%E4%BB%A5)
30. [30对duìright](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E5%AF%B9)
31. [31等děngto wait](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E7%AD%89)
32. [32说shuōto speak](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E8%AF%B4)
33. [33还háialso](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E8%BF%98)
34. [34被bèipassive 被: "by" — the subject has something done to it](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E8%A2%AB)
35. [35与yǔand](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E4%B8%8E)
36. [36着zhedurative 着: ongoing or continuous state — "-ing", "while"](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E7%9D%80)
37. [37月yuèmonth](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E6%9C%88)
38. [38来láito come](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E6%9D%A5)
39. [39我们wǒmenwe](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E6%88%91%E4%BB%AC)
40. [40看kànto look at](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E7%9C%8B)
41. [41自己zìjǐoneself](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E8%87%AA%E5%B7%B1)
42. [42能néngcan](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E8%83%BD)
43. [43将jiāngwill](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E5%B0%86)
44. [44但dànbut](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E4%BD%86)
45. [45去qùto go](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E5%8E%BB)
46. [46更gèngeven more](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E6%9B%B4)
47. [47最zuìmost](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E6%9C%80)
48. [48而érand](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E8%80%8C)
49. [49她tāshe](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E5%A5%B9)
50. [50日rìday](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E6%97%A5)
51. [51后hòuafter](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E5%90%8E)
52. [52之zhīof (formal/written 的)](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E4%B9%8B)
53. [53就是jiùshìexactly](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E5%B0%B1%E6%98%AF)
54. [54没有méiyǒunot have](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E6%B2%A1%E6%9C%89)
55. [55让ràngto yield](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E8%AE%A9)
56. [56以yǐwith](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E4%BB%A5)
57. [57那nàthen](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E9%82%A3)
58. [58做zuòto do](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E5%81%9A)
59. [59小xiǎosmall](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E5%B0%8F)
60. [60下xiàdown](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E4%B8%8B)
61. [61把bǎdisposal 把: marks the object and moves it before the verb — what is done to it](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E6%8A%8A)
62. [62地dìground](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E5%9C%B0)
63. [63给gěito give](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E7%BB%99)
64. [64又yòuagain (it already happened again)](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E5%8F%88)
65. [65两liǎngtwo (of something)](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E4%B8%A4)
66. [66想xiǎngto think](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E6%83%B3)
67. [67啊amodal particle: adds feeling — surprise, emphasis, urging, friendliness](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E5%95%8A)
68. [68用yòngto use](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E7%94%A8)
69. [69中国zhōngguóChina](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E4%B8%AD%E5%9B%BD)
70. [70新xīnnew](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E6%96%B0)
71. [71从cóngfrom](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E4%BB%8E)
72. [72里lǐinside](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E9%87%8C)
73. [73三sānthree](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E4%B8%89)
74. [74时shítime](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E6%97%B6)
75. [75工作gōngzuòwork](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E5%B7%A5%E4%BD%9C)
76. [76并bìngand](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E5%B9%B6)
77. [77什么shénmewhat](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E4%BB%80%E4%B9%88)
78. [78没méidid not](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E6%B2%A1)
79. [79或huòor](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E6%88%96)
80. [80吗maquestion particle: turns a statement into a yes/no question](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E5%90%97)
81. [81得déto obtain](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E5%BE%97)
82. [82过guòto cross](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E8%BF%87)
83. [83及jíin time for (as in 来得及)](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E5%8F%8A)
84. [84可kěbut](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E5%8F%AF)
85. [85吧bachecking a guess: "…, right?", "I suppose", "surely not …?"](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E5%90%A7)
86. [86太tàitoo](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E5%A4%AA)
87. [87高gāohigh](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E9%AB%98)
88. [88他们tāmenthey](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E4%BB%96%E4%BB%AC)
89. [89出chūto go out](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E5%87%BA)
90. [90如果rúguǒif](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E5%A6%82%E6%9E%9C)
91. [91再zàiagain (later)](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E5%86%8D)
92. [92公司gōngsīcompany](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E5%85%AC%E5%8F%B8)
93. [93可能kěnéngmay](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E5%8F%AF%E8%83%BD)
94. [94进行jìnxíngto carry out](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E8%BF%9B%E8%A1%8C)
95. [95需要xūyàoto need](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E9%9C%80%E8%A6%81)
96. [96知道zhīdàoto know](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E7%9F%A5%E9%81%93)
97. [97问题wèntíproblem](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E9%97%AE%E9%A2%98)
98. [98于yúat](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E4%BA%8E)
99. [99其qíhis](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E5%85%B6)
100. [100还是háishistill](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E8%BF%98%E6%98%AF)

## 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

- [101 to 500](https://mandarinthewild.com/most-common-chinese-words/500)
- [501 to 1,000](https://mandarinthewild.com/most-common-chinese-words/1000)
- [The most common characters](https://mandarinthewild.com/most-common-chinese-characters)
- [Words by topic](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-vocabulary)

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