Chinese reference

The most common Chinese nouns

The 300 nouns you will meet most often in Chinese, ordered by frequency rather than by textbook chapter. Between them they account for 8.7% of everyday speech.

300nouns
8.7%of everyday speech
#24rank of the commonest
#WordEnglishSay itShare
24人person; peoplerén0.580%
44上up; uppershàng0.340%
52事matter; thingshì0.290%
55现在now; at presentxiàn zài0.260%
68里lining; interiorlǐ0.190%
81时候time; length of timeshí hòu0.160%
82下down; downwardsxià0.150%
92先生teacher; gentlemanxiān shēng0.140%
110话speech; words; what someone sayshuà0.120%
115孩子childhái zi0.110%
125中within; amongzhōng0.100%
130问题question; problemwèn tí0.100%
139时间timeshí jiān0.090%
143工作to work; to operategōng zuò0.090%
147钱coin; moneyqián0.090%
150事情affair; mattershì qíng0.080%
165朋友friendpéng yǒu0.080%
166妈妈mama; mommymā mā0.080%
168前front; forwardqián0.080%
173今天today; the present timejīn tiān0.070%
178时o'clock; timeshí0.070%
180地方region; regionaldì fāng0.070%
188后back; behindhòu0.070%
189爸爸father; dadbà bà0.070%
193感觉feeling; impressiongǎn jué0.060%
199对不起I'm sorry; excuse meduì bù qǐ0.060%
200问to ask; to inquirewèn0.060%
214意思idea; opinionyì si0.060%
218电话telephone; phone calldiàn huà0.050%
223妈ma; mommā0.050%
239过来to come over; to manageguò lái0.050%
243生活to live; lifeshēng huó0.050%
247医生doctoryī shēng0.050%
248最后final; lastzuì hòu0.050%
249之前before; prior tozhī qián0.050%
250伙计partner; fellowhuǒ jì0.040%
251手hand; to holdshǒu0.040%
255上帝Godshàng dì0.040%
256女人womannǚ rén0.040%
257名字namemíng zì0.040%
260今晚tonightjīn wǎn0.040%
264家伙guy; fellow (casual, like "dude")jiā huo0.040%
270过去past; formerguò qù0.040%
278女孩girl; lassnǚ hái0.040%
282下来to come downxià lái0.040%
283成to succeed; to finishchéng0.040%
286父亲fatherfù qīn0.040%
287以前before; formerlyyǐ qián0.040%
296枪gun; firearmqiāng0.040%
297狗doggǒu0.040%
299世界worldshì jiè0.030%
300小时hourxiǎo shí0.030%
304男人a man; a malenán rén0.030%
305头head; hair styletóu0.030%
306机会opportunity; chancejī huì0.030%
309活to live; alivehuó0.030%
312打电话to make a telephone calldǎ diàn huà0.030%
319儿子sonér zi0.030%
320之后after; behindzhī hòu0.030%
329比赛competition; matchbǐ sài0.030%
331情况circumstances; state of affairsqíng kuàng0.030%
333关系relation; relationshipguān xì0.030%
335女士lady; madamnǚ shì0.030%
345里面inside; interiorlǐ miàn0.030%
350明天tomorrowmíng tiān0.030%
353公司company; firmgōng sī0.030%
365晚上evening; nightwǎn shàng0.030%
366安全safe; secureān quán0.030%
368没什么nothing; it doesn't matterméi shén me0.030%
370回家to return homehuí jiā0.030%
374计划plan; projectjì huà0.030%
375爸father; dadbà0.030%
379他妈的damn it!; fuckingtā mā de0.030%
382心heart; mindxīn0.030%
386门gate; doormén0.030%
388谈谈to discuss; to have a chattán tán0.030%
391以后after; lateryǐ hòu0.030%
392管to take care; to controlguǎn0.030%
393照片photograph; picturezhào piān0.030%
396兄弟brothers; younger brotherxiōng dì0.030%
399嘴mouth; beakzuǐ0.030%
402女儿daughternǚ ér0.030%
407消息news; informationxiāo xī0.020%
412队squadron; teamduì0.020%
413无法unable to; incapable ofwú fǎ0.020%
414房子house; buildingfáng zi0.020%
416衣服clothesyī fú0.020%
420办法means; methodbàn fǎ0.020%
424人们peoplerén men0.020%
425晚evening; nightwǎn0.020%
430原因cause; originyuán yīn0.020%
431下去to go down; to descendxià qù0.020%
439水water; rivershuǐ0.020%
440混蛋scoundrel; bastardhùn dàn0.020%
443学校schoolxué xiào0.020%
445信letter; mailxìn0.020%
451麻烦trouble; inconveniencemá fán0.020%
454电影movie; filmdiàn yǐng0.020%
456身上on the body; at handshēn shàng0.020%
457房间roomfáng jiān0.020%
460书book; lettershū0.020%
463球ball; sphereqiú0.020%
469结果outcome; resultjié guǒ0.020%
473小心to be careful; to take carexiǎo xīn0.020%
475路road; journeylù0.020%
479当时then; at that timedāng shí0.020%
483怎么办what's to be donezěn me bàn0.020%
485马horsemǎ0.020%
488长官senior official; senior officerzhǎng guān0.020%
492律师lawyerlǜ shī0.020%
505儿child; sonér0.020%
506故事old practicegù shì0.020%
514妻子wife and childrenqī zǐ0.020%
516内inside; innernèi0.020%
521案子long table; counteràn zi0.020%
522行动operation; actionxíng dòng0.020%
526酒wine; liquorjiǔ0.020%
528调查investigation; inquirydiào chá0.020%
530歌song; to singgē0.020%
535约会appointment; engagementyuē huì0.020%
536节目program; itemjié mù0.020%
538之间between; amongzhī jiān0.020%
540学to learn; to studyxué0.020%
542母亲mothermǔ qīn0.020%
544主意plan; ideazhǔ yì0.020%
546丈夫husbandzhàng fū0.020%
554联系connection; contactlián xì0.020%
557证明proof; certificatezhèng míng0.020%
560生命life; living beingshēng mìng0.020%
561有点a littleyǒu diǎn0.020%
564办公室office; business premisesbàn gōng shì0.020%
568生to be born; to give birthshēng0.020%
570男malenán0.020%
574游戏game; to playyóu xì0.020%
576指finger; to point at or tozhǐ0.020%
577危险danger; dangerouswēi xiǎn0.020%
580眼睛eyeyǎn jīng0.020%
581外面outside; surfacewài miàn0.020%
582处place; locationchù0.020%
583国家country; nationguó jiā0.020%
585总统presidentzǒng tǒng0.020%
589最近recently; soonzuì jìn0.020%
590声音voice; soundshēng yīn0.020%
598事实上in fact; in realityshì shí shàng0.020%
604昨晚yesterday evening; last nightzuó wǎn0.020%
606医院hospitalyī yuàn0.020%
610上面on top of; above-mentionedshàng miàn0.020%
611样子appearance; manneryàng zi0.020%
615没关系it doesn't matterméi guān xì0.020%
619部分part; sharebù fèn0.020%
630证据evidence; proofzhèng jù0.020%
632脸faceliǎn0.020%
635夫人lady; madamfū rén0.020%
636父母father and mother; parentsfù mǔ0.020%
640事实factshì shí0.010%
641飞机airplanefēi jī0.010%
642家庭family; householdjiā tíng0.010%
643象elephant; shapexiàng0.010%
645秘密secret; privatemì mì0.010%
646法law; methodfǎ0.010%
647尸体dead body; corpseshī tǐ0.010%
649季season; the last month of a seasonjì0.010%
650检查inspection; to examinejiǎn chá0.010%
651早上early morningzǎo shàng0.010%
653任务mission; assignmentrèn wù0.010%
654现场the scene; the spotxiàn chǎng0.010%
657博士doctor; court academicianbó shì0.010%
663小子boy; jokerxiǎo zi0.010%
664电视television; TVdiàn shì0.010%
670药medicine; drugyào0.010%
672男孩boynán hái0.010%
673音乐musicyīn yuè0.010%
674身体the body; one's healthshēn tǐ0.010%
675血bloodxuè0.010%
677方式way; mannerfāng shì0.010%
681监狱prisonjiān yù0.014%
692家里homejiā lǐ0.014%
694身body; lifeshēn0.013%
696后面the back; the rearhòu miàn0.016%
697性nature; characterxìng0.016%
699昨天yesterdayzuó tiān0.016%
702记录to record; recordjì lù0.016%
703点儿a little; a bitdiǎn ér0.016%
704老兄elder brother; old chaplǎo xiōng0.016%
707大学university; collegedà xué0.016%
709太太married woman; Mrstài tài0.016%
711本来original; originallyběn lái0.016%
720记to record; to notejì0.016%
727店inn; old-style hoteldiàn0.013%
728酷ruthless; strongkù0.013%
733警to alert; to warnjǐng0.013%
734船boat; vesselchuán0.013%
738步a step; a pacebù0.013%
740鬼disembodied spirit; ghostguǐ0.013%
741咖啡coffeekā fēi0.013%
744想象to imagine; to envisionxiǎng xiàng0.012%
746方法method; wayfāng fǎ0.012%
750能力capability; abilitynéng lì0.012%
754目标target; goalmù biāo0.012%
757有关related to; connected withyǒu guān0.012%
758精神spirit; mindjīng shén0.012%
765凶手murderer; assassinxiōng shǒu0.012%
767命life; fatemìng0.012%
768外outside; in additionwài0.012%
771梦dream; to dreammèng0.012%
773系统systemxì tǒng0.012%
777礼物gift; presentlǐ wù0.012%
781错误mistaken; falsecuò wù0.012%
782子noun suffixzi0.012%
784头发hairtóu fà0.012%
785藏to conceal; to hide awaycáng0.012%
786关心to care aboutguān xīn0.012%
787底background; bottomdǐ0.012%
789兴趣interest; hobbyxìng qù0.012%
790情feelings; emotionqíng0.012%
791报告to inform; to reportbào gào0.012%
795经历experience; to experiencejīng lì0.012%
797飞to flyfēi0.012%
798老师teacherlǎo shī0.012%
799气gas; airqì0.012%
801小孩childxiǎo hái0.012%
802人类humanity; human racerén lèi0.011%
806星期week; day of the weekxīng qī0.011%
807脚foot; legjiǎo0.011%
809生气to get angry; to take offenseshēng qì0.011%
810建议to propose; to suggestjiàn yì0.011%
814屁股buttocks; bottompì gǔ0.011%
815生日birthdayshēng rì0.011%
816晚安Good night!; Good evening!wǎn ān0.011%
818画to draw; to painthuà0.011%
819病illness; diseasebìng0.011%
820线thread; stringxiàn0.011%
821光light; rayguāng0.011%
823神god; deityshén0.011%
826下面below; underxià miàn0.011%
827姑娘girl; young womangū niáng0.011%
830钥匙keyyào shi0.011%
831法官judgefǎ guān0.011%
833腿legtuǐ0.011%
836信息information; newsxìn xī0.011%
838投票to vote; votetóu piào0.011%
840手术operation; surgeryshǒu shù0.011%
842身边at one's side; on handshēn biān0.011%
844票ticket; ballotpiào0.011%
846武器weapon; armswǔ qì0.011%
847痛苦pain; sufferingtòng kǔ0.011%
848全部whole; allquán bù0.011%
849手机cell phone; mobile phoneshǒu jī0.011%
854照according to; in accordance withzhào0.011%
860个人individual; personalgè rén0.011%
861代表representative; delegatedài biǎo0.011%
863意义sense; meaningyì yì0.011%
864楼building; floor (of a building)lóu0.011%
867理由reason; groundslǐ yóu0.011%
869局office; situationjú0.011%
870政府governmentzhèng fǔ0.011%
873火fire; urgenthuǒ0.011%
875猫cat; to hide oneselfmāo0.011%
880卡to stop; to blockkǎ0.010%
883干什么doing what?gàn shén me0.010%
884事儿one's employment; businessshì ér0.010%
886犯罪to commit a crime; crimefàn zuì0.010%
890信任to trust; to have confidence inxìn rèn0.010%
891新闻newsxīn wén0.010%
892未来future; tomorrowwèi lái0.010%
898病人sick person; patientbìng rén0.010%
899案case; incidentàn0.010%
908婚礼wedding ceremony; weddinghūn lǐ0.010%
909弟弟younger brotherdì di0.010%
911见面to meet upjiàn miàn0.010%
914老板boss; business proprietorlǎo bǎn0.010%
915合作to cooperate; to collaboratehé zuò0.010%
919词word; statementcí0.010%
922差不多almost; nearlychà bu duō0.010%
924老婆wifelǎo pó0.010%
925中心center; heartzhōng xīn0.010%
927笔pen; pencilbǐ0.010%
929假fake; falsejiǎ0.010%
931研究research; a studyyán jiū0.010%
932意识consciousness; awarenessyì shí0.010%
933附近nearby; neighboringfù jìn0.010%
936好运good luckhǎo yùn0.010%
937线索trail; cluesxiàn suǒ0.010%
938面前in front of; facingmiàn qián0.010%
939消失to disappear; to fade awayxiāo shī0.010%
940妹妹younger sister; young womanmèi mèi0.010%
946街streetjiē0.010%
947电脑computerdiàn nǎo0.010%
948区area; regionqū0.010%
954力量power; forcelì liàng0.009%
955命令order; commandmìng lìng0.009%
958威胁to threaten; to menacewēi xié0.009%
960号码numberhào mǎ0.009%
961日子day; a daterì zi0.009%
969战争war; conflictzhàn zhēng0.009%
973影响influence; effectyǐng xiǎng0.009%
974利用to exploit; to make use oflì yòng0.009%
976杀人homicide; to murdershā rén0.009%
982法律lawfǎ lǜ0.009%
983训练to train; to drillxùn liàn0.009%

Learn these in the order you'll actually hear them

Lernlang teaches the most common words first, and its placement test skips the ones you already know. Six languages, free to start.

Get Lernlang