Top 5,000 Chinese words

1901. 1,901印yìnto print; to mark
1902. 1,902无所谓wú suǒ wèito be indifferent; not to matter
1903. 1,903变化biàn huà(intransitive) to change; to vary; change; variation (CL:個|个[gè])
1904. 1,904表达biǎo dáto express; to convey
1905. 1,905大约dà yuēapproximately; probably
1906. 1,906一辈子yī bèi zi(for) a lifetime
1907. 1,907东dōngeast; host (i.e. sitting on east side of guest)
1908. 1,908仅仅jǐn jǐnbarely; only
1909. 1,909华盛顿Huá shèng dùnWashington (name); George Washington (1732-1799), first US president
1910. 1,910造zàoto make; to build
1911. 1,911姐妹jiě mèisisters; siblings
1912. 1,912实现shí xiànto achieve; to implement; to realize; to bring about
1913. 1,913神秘shén mìmysterious; mystery
1914. 1,914市shìmarket; city
1915. 1,915政治zhèng zhìpolitics; political
1916. 1,916维wéito preserve; to maintain
1917. 1,917症zhèngdisease; illness
1918. 1,918魔鬼mó guǐdevil
1919. 1,919孤独gū dúlonely; solitary
1920. 1,920蒂dìstem (of fruit)
1921. 1,921内容nèi róngcontent; substance
1922. 1,922巨大jù dàhuge; immense
1923. 1,923宝宝bǎo baodarling; baby
1924. 1,924惩罚chéng fápenalty; punishment
1925. 1,925加上jiā shàngplus; to put in
1926. 1,926开门kāi ménto open a door (lit. and fig.); to open for business
1927. 1,927蓝色lán sèblue (color)
1928. 1,928退出tuì chūto withdraw; to abort
1929. 1,929前进qián jìnto go forward; to forge ahead
1930. 1,930对手duì shǒuopponent; rival
1931. 1,931怎zěnhow
1932. 1,932鬼魂guǐ húnghost
1933. 1,933乔治Qiáo zhìGeorge (name)
1934. 1,934神奇shén qímagical; mystical
1935. 1,935牧师mù shīchaplain; churchman
1936. 1,936年级nián jígrade; year (in school, college etc)
1937. 1,937代dàito substitute; to act on behalf of others
1938. 1,938提到tí dàoto mention; to raise (a subject)
1939. 1,939杂种zá zhǒnghybrid; mixed breed
1940. 1,940环境huán jìngenvironment; circumstances
1941. 1,941登dēngto scale (a height); to ascend
1942. 1,942刺激cì jīto provoke; to irritate; to upset; to stimulate; to excite; irritant
1943. 1,943凭píngto lean against; to rely on
1944. 1,944规定guī dìngto stipulate; to specify; to prescribe; to fix (a price); to set (a quota); regulations; rules; provisions; stipulations
1945. 1,945好多hǎo duōmany; quite a lot
1946. 1,946雨yǔrain; CL:陣|阵[zhèn],場|场[cháng]
1947. 1,947磅bàngscale (instrument for weighing); to weigh
1948. 1,948最佳zuì jiāoptimum; optimal
1949. 1,949受害人shòu hài rénvictim
1950. 1,950废话fèi huànonsense; rubbish; superfluous words; You don't say!; No kidding! (gently sarcastic)
1951. 1,951伤口shāng kǒuwound; cut
1952. 1,952效果xiào guǒresult; effect
1953. 1,953咯gē(phonetic)
1954. 1,954魔法mó fǎenchantment; magic
1955. 1,955独自dú zìalone
1956. 1,956夺duóto seize; to take away forcibly
1957. 1,957现金xiàn jīncash
1958. 1,958掌握zhǎng wòto grasp (often fig.); to control
1959. 1,959儿童ér tóngchild
1960. 1,960麦克mài kèmicrophone (loanword)
1961. 1,961女孩子nǚ hái zigirl
1962. 1,962强大qiáng dàbig and strong; formidable; powerful
1963. 1,963分开fēn kāito separate; to part
1964. 1,964租zūto hire; to rent
1965. 1,965杰jié(bound form) hero; heroic
1966. 1,966佬lǎomale; man (Cantonese)
1967. 1,967承诺chéng nuòto promise; to undertake to do something
1968. 1,968好看hǎo kàngood-looking; nice-looking
1969. 1,969检察官jiǎn chá guānpublic prosecutor; public procurator (judicial officer whose job may involve both criminal investigation and public prosecution)
1970. 1,970脖子bó zineck; CL:個|个[gè]
1971. 1,971间谍jiàn diéspy
1972. 1,972篇piānsheet; piece of writing
1973. 1,973玩具wán jùplaything; toy
1974. 1,974机器人jī qì rénrobot; android
1975. 1,975满足mǎn zúto satisfy; to meet (the needs of)
1976. 1,976打败dǎ bàito defeat; to overpower
1977. 1,977不管怎样bù guǎn zěn yàngin any case; no matter what
1978. 1,978不见bù jiànnot to see; not to meet
1979. 1,979传统chuán tǒngtradition; traditionalIn context
1980. 1,980确信què xìnto be convinced; to be sure
1981. 1,981科kēbranch of study; administrative section
1982. 1,982浪漫làng mànromantic
1983. 1,983哼hēngto groan; to snort
1984. 1,984念niànto read; to study (a subject)
1985. 1,985巴黎Bā líParis, capital of France
1986. 1,986和平hé píngpeace; peaceful
1987. 1,987欣赏xīn shǎngto appreciate; to enjoy; to admire
1988. 1,988重复chóng fùto repeat; to duplicate
1989. 1,989天气tiān qìweather
1990. 1,990绑bǎngto tie; bind or fasten together
1991. 1,991一一yī yīone by one; one after another
1992. 1,992守shǒuto guard; to defend
1993. 1,993尴尬gān gàawkward; embarrassed
1994. 1,994态度tài dumanner; bearing
1995. 1,995诺nuòto consent; to promise
1996. 1,996你好nǐ hǎohello; hi
1997. 1,997林lín(bound form) woods; forest; (bound form) circle(s) (i.e. specific group of people)
1998. 1,998难以nán yǐhard to (predict, imagine etc)
1999. 1,999拼pīnto piece together; to join together
2000. 2,000支票zhī piàocheck (bank); cheque

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.