Chinese reference

The 100 most common Chinese words

Ranked by how often they actually appear. Together these 100 words account for about 56% of everything said and written in Chinese — which is why the order you learn vocabulary in matters more than the number of words you know.

100words
56%of everyday speech
5.0%the single commonest word
#WordEnglishSay itShareRunning total
1的of; ~'sde5.020%5.0%
2我I; mewǒ5.010%10.0%
3你younǐ3.960%14.0%
4是to be; correctshì2.830%16.8%
5了action completed / change of state (no direct English word)le2.820%19.6%
6不no; not sobù2.050%21.7%
7在to exist; to be alivezài1.280%23.0%
8他he; himtā1.190%24.2%
9我们we; uswǒ men1.110%25.3%
10好good; appropriatehǎo1.000%26.3%
11有to have; there isyǒu0.860%27.1%
12这this; thesezhè0.860%28.0%
13就in that case; thenjiù0.820%28.8%
14会can; to have the skillhuì0.790%29.6%
15吗question word (turns a statement into a yes/no question)ma0.740%30.3%
16要to want; to needyào0.710%31.1%
17什么what?; somethingshén me0.710%31.8%
18说to speak; to talkshuō0.680%32.4%
19她shetā0.660%33.1%
20想to think; to think ofxiǎng0.630%33.7%
21一one; singleyī0.610%34.3%
22很adverb of degree; quitehěn0.600%34.9%
23知道to know; to become aware ofzhī dào0.590%35.5%
24人person; peoplerén0.580%36.1%
25吧suggestion word, like adding "...right?" or "let's..."ba0.580%36.7%
26那that; thenà0.570%37.3%
27来to comelái0.550%37.8%
28都all; bothdōu0.530%38.3%
29个general counting word (measure word) used before most nounsgè0.520%38.9%
30能can; to be able tonéng0.500%39.4%
31去to go; to go toqù0.490%39.9%
32没have not; notméi0.480%40.3%
33和and; together withhé0.450%40.8%
34他们theytā men0.420%41.2%
35到to reach; to arrivedào0.420%41.6%
36对right; correctduì0.400%42.0%
37也also; both ... andyě0.390%42.4%
38啊oh! (softens or adds feeling to a sentence)a0.390%42.8%
39还still; still in progresshái0.390%43.2%
40把to hold; to graspbǎ0.370%43.6%
41让to yield; to permitràng0.370%43.9%
42做to make; to producezuò0.360%44.3%
43给to; forgěi0.350%44.6%
44上up; uppershàng0.340%45.0%
45你们younǐ men0.340%45.3%
46过to cross; to go overguò0.340%45.7%
47没有haven't; hasn'tméi yǒu0.320%46.0%
48得to obtain; to getdé0.310%46.3%
49看to see; to look atkàn0.310%46.6%
50真really; trulyzhēn0.310%46.9%
51着-ing / in the middle of doing somethingzhe0.300%47.2%
52事matter; thingshì0.290%47.5%
53这个thiszhè ge0.270%47.8%
54怎么how?; what?zěn me0.270%48.0%
55现在now; at presentxiàn zài0.260%48.3%
56可以can; maykě yǐ0.240%48.5%
57点point; dotdiǎn0.230%48.8%
58呢and you? (bounces a question back) / softens a questionne0.230%49.0%
59如果if; in caserú guǒ0.230%49.2%
60只only; merelyzhǐ0.220%49.5%
61别to leave; to partbié0.210%49.7%
62哦ohó0.210%49.9%
63但but; yetdàn0.200%50.1%
64被quilt; to coverbèi0.200%50.3%
65走to walk; to gozǒu0.190%50.5%
66太highest; greatesttài0.190%50.6%
67这样this kind of; sozhè yàng0.190%50.8%
68里lining; interiorlǐ0.190%51.0%
69跟heel; to follow closelygēn0.190%51.2%
70告诉to tellgào sù0.180%51.4%
71因为because; owing toyīn wèi0.180%51.6%
72自己oneself; one's ownzì jǐ0.170%51.8%
73再again; once morezài0.170%51.9%
74听to listen to; to heartīng0.160%52.1%
75这里herezhè lǐ0.160%52.2%
76快rapid; quickkuài0.160%52.4%
77谁whoshuí0.160%52.6%
78但是but; howeverdàn shì0.160%52.7%
79多many; muchduō0.160%52.9%
80用to use; to employyòng0.160%53.0%
81时候time; length of timeshí hòu0.160%53.2%
82下down; downwardsxià0.150%53.4%
83已经alreadyyǐ jīng0.150%53.5%
84谢谢to thank; thanksxiè xiè0.150%53.6%
85为什么why?; for what reason?wèi shén me0.150%53.8%
86觉得to think that; to feel thatjué de0.150%54.0%
87天day; skytiān0.150%54.1%
88像to resemble; to be likexiàng0.150%54.2%
89这么so much; this muchzhè me0.150%54.4%
90它ittā0.150%54.5%
91从from; throughcóng0.140%54.7%
92先生teacher; gentlemanxiān shēng0.140%54.8%
93找to try to find; to look forzhǎo0.140%55.0%
94最most; the mostzuì0.140%55.1%
95喜欢to like; to be fond ofxǐ huān0.140%55.2%
96可can; maykě0.140%55.4%
97为because of; forwèi0.140%55.5%
98大big; largedà0.130%55.7%
99可能might; possiblekě néng0.130%55.8%
100需要to need; to wantxū yào0.130%55.9%

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