Chinese word frequency

Top 1,000 Chinese words

The 1,000 most frequent dictionary entries in SUBTLEX-CH subtitles, with pinyin and English definitions.

Words 1–100

Ordered by frequency
  1. 的deof; ~'s (possessive particle); (used after an attribute)
  2. 我wǒI; me; my
  3. 你nǐyou (informal, as opposed to courteous 您[nín])
  4. 是shìto be (followed by substantives only); correct; right; true
  5. 了le(completed action marker); (modal particle indicating change of state, situation now)
  6. 不bùno; not so; (bound form) not; un-
  7. 在zàito exist; to be alive; (of sb or sth) to be (located) at
  8. 他tāhe; him (used for either sex when the sex is unknown or unimportant); (used before sb's name for emphasis)
  9. 我们wǒ menwe; us; ourselves; our
  10. 好hǎogood; appropriate; proper
  11. 有yǒuto have; there is; (bound form) having; with; -ful; -ed; -al (as in 有意[yǒuyì] intentional)
  12. 这zhè(pronoun) this; these; (bound form) this; the (followed by a noun)
  13. 就jiù(after a suppositional clause) in that case; then; (after a clause of action) as soon as; immediately after
  14. 会huìcan; to have the skill; to know how to; to be likely to; to be sure to
  15. 吗má(coll.) what?
  16. 要yāo(bound form) to demand; to coerce
  17. 什么shén mewhat?; something; anything
  18. 说shuìto persuade
  19. 她tāshe
  20. 想xiǎngto think (about); to think of; to devise
  21. 一yīone; single
  22. 很hěnvery; quite; (also, often used before an adjective without intensifying its meaning, i.e. as a meaningless syntactic element)
  23. 知道zhī dàoto know; to become aware of; also pr. [zhīdao]
  24. 人rénperson; people; CL:個|个[gè],位[wèi]
  25. 吧bābar (loanword) (serving drinks, or providing Internet access etc); to puff (on a pipe etc)
  26. 那nà(specifier) that; the; those (colloquial pr. [nèi]); (pronoun) that (referring to persons, things or situations)
  27. 来láito come; (used as a substitute for a more specific verb)
  28. 都dōuall; both; entirely; (used for emphasis) even
  29. 个gěused in 自個兒|自个儿[zì gě r]
  30. 能néngcan; to be able to
  31. 去qùto go; to go to (a place)
  32. 没méi(negative prefix for verbs) have not; not
  33. 和hé(joining two nouns) and; together with; with (Taiwan pr. [hàn]); (math.) sum
  34. 他们tā menthey; them
  35. 到dàoto reach; to arrive; to leave for; to go to
  36. 对duìright; correct; towards; at; for
  37. 也yě(adverb) also; both ... and ... (before predicates only); (literary) particle having functions similar to 啊[a]
  38. 啊āinterjection of surprise; Ah!
  39. 还háistill; still in progress
  40. 把bǎto hold; to grasp; to hold a baby in position to help it urinate or defecate
  41. 让ràngto yield; to permit
  42. 做zuòto make; to produce; to write; to compose
  43. 给gěito; for
  44. 上shǎngused in 上聲|上声[shǎng shēng]
  45. 你们nǐ menyou (plural)
  46. 过guòto cross; to go over
  47. 没有méi yǒuhaven't; hasn't
  48. 得déto obtain; to get
  49. 看kānto look after; to take care of
  50. 真zhēnreally; truly
  51. 着zhāo(chess) move; trick
  52. 事shìmatter; thing
  53. 这个zhè ge(pronoun) this; (adjective) this
  54. 怎么zěn mehow?; what?
  55. 现在xiàn zàinow; at present
  56. 可以kě yǐcan; may
  57. 点diǎnpoint; dot
  58. 呢neparticle indicating that a previously asked question is to be applied to the preceding word ("What about ...?", "And ...?"); particle for inquiring about location ("Where is ...?")
  59. 如果rú guǒif; in case
  60. 只zhǐonly; merely; just
  61. 别biéto leave; to part (from); (literary) to differentiate; to distinguish
  62. 哦éto chant
  63. 但dànbut; yet; however; still; merely; only; just
  64. 被bèiquilt; to cover (with)
  65. 走zǒuto walk; to go
  66. 太tàihighest; greatest
  67. 这样zhè yàngthis kind of; so
  68. 里lǐli, ancient measure of length, approx. 500 m; neighborhood
  69. 跟gēnheel; to follow closely
  70. 告诉gào sùto press charges; to file a complaint
  71. 因为yīn wèibecause; owing to
  72. 自己zì jǐoneself; one's own
  73. 再zàiagain; once more; re-; second; another
  74. 听yǐnsmile (archaic)
  75. 这里zhè lǐhere
  76. 快kuàirapid; quick
  77. 谁shéiwho; also pr. [shuí]
  78. 但是dàn shìbut; however
  79. 多duōmany; much; too many; in excess
  80. 用yòngto use; to employ
  81. 时候shí houtime; length of time
  82. 下xiàdown; downwards
  83. 已经yǐ jīngalready
  84. 谢谢xiè xieto thank; thanks
  85. 为什么wèi shén mewhy?; for what reason?
  86. 觉得jué deto think that ...; to feel that ...; to feel (uncomfortable etc)In context
  87. 天tiānday; sky
  88. 像xiàngto resemble; to be like
  89. 这么zhè meso much; this much
  90. 它tāit
  91. 从cóngfrom; through; via; (bound form) to follow
  92. 先生xiān shengteacher; gentleman; sir; mister (Mr.)
  93. 找zhǎoto try to find; to look for
  94. 最zuìmost; the most
  95. 喜欢xǐ huanto like; to be fond of
  96. 可kě(prefix) can; may; able to; -able; to approve; to permit
  97. 为wéias (in the capacity of); to take sth as
  98. 大dàbig; large; great; older (than another person)
  99. 可能kě néngmight (happen); possible
  100. 需要xū yàoto need; to want; to demand; to require; needs

Based on SUBTLEX-CH film and TV subtitles. These lists include words with an exact simplified-spelling match in CC-CEDICT. Positions count dictionary entries; the original corpus rank is shown on each word’s page. Words with equal counts are ordered by spelling. Frequency here describes these subtitles, not every kind of Chinese.