The 200 highest-leverage Chinese words — printable
Ranked by leverage — how much language each word lets you GET, not how often it appears. These 85% of what a learner actually says. In rank order: learn them top to bottom.
| The 200 highest-leverage Chinese words — printable · graphchinese.com — free HSK word lists, dictionary and curriculum | ||
|---|---|---|
| Word | Pinyin | English |
| 这 | zhè | pronoun this; these |
| 个 | gè | generic classifier; individual; single |
| 什么 | shén me | what? |
| 不 | bù | no; not so |
| 是 | shì | to be |
| 一 | yī | one |
| 吗 | ma | question particle for yes |
| 你 | nǐ | you |
| 的 | de | of; ~'s |
| 人 | rén | person; people |
| 叫 | jiào | to be called; to call |
| 那 | nà | that; those |
| 了 | le | completed action marker |
| 真 | zhēn | really; true |
| 好 | hǎo | good |
| 对 | duì | right; correct |
| 大 | dà | big; large; great |
| 得 | de | structural particle after verb |
| 地 | de | adverbial particle -ly |
| 能 | néng | can; to be able to |
| 东西 | dōng xi | thing; stuff |
| 来 | lái | to come |
| 上 | shàng | up; above; to go up; previous |
| 点 | diǎn | o'clock; point; a little |
| 怎么 | zěn me | how? |
| 里 | lǐ | lining; interior; inside |
| 长 | cháng | long; length |
| 多 | duō | many; much |
| 为 | wèi | for; because of |
| 小 | xiǎo | small |
| 高 | gāo | high; tall; loud |
| 很 | hěn | adverb of degree |
| 哪 | nǎ | which? |
| 有 | yǒu | to have; there is |
| 意思 | yì si | idea; meaning |
| 听 | tīng | to listen; to hear; to obey |
| 次 | cì | time; occurrence |
| 下 | xià | down |
| 看 | kàn | to see; to look at; to watch; to read |
| 种 | zhǒng | kind; type |
| 再 | zài | again; once more; re- |
| 跟 | gēn | with; and; to follow |
| 呢 | ne | particle indicating that a previously asked… |
| 快 | kuài | fast; rapid |
| 发 | fā | to send out |
| 东 | dōng | east |
| 几 | jǐ | how many; several; a few |
| 白 | bái | white; clear; blank |
| 慢 | màn | slow |
| 后来 | hòu lái | afterwards; later |
| 西 | xī | west |
| 谁 | shéi | who |
| 为什么 | wèi shén me | why? |
| 时候 | shí hou | time |
| 觉得 | jué de | to think that ...; to feel that ... |
| 懂 | dǒng | to understand |
| 我 | wǒ | I; me; my |
| 类 | lèi | kind, category |
| 然后 | rán hòu | then; after that; afterwards |
| 嗯 | ēn | a groaning sound |
| 啊 | ā | interjection of surprise |
| 哦 | é | to chant |
| 在 | zài | at; in; on; to be at |
| 您 | nín | you |
| 分 | fēn | minute; to divide; to separate |
| 字 | zì | character; word |
| 无 | wú | not to have |
| 重 | chóng | again; once more |
| 行 | xíng | to walk; to go; capable; OK |
| 开 | kāi | to open |
| 用 | yòng | to use |
| 会 | huì | can; to have the skill; to know how to |
| 出 | chū | to go out |
| 方 | fāng | square; direction; side; method |
| 当 | dāng | serve as; act as |
| 名字 | míng zi | name |
| 过 | guò | to pass; to cross |
| 正 | zhēng | first |
| 口 | kǒu | mouth |
| 到 | dào | to reach; to arrive |
| 要 | yào | to want; to need; will; important |
| 本 | běn | classifier for books; root; origin |
| 别 | bié | don't; other; to leave; to distinguish |
| 家 | jiā | home; family |
| 光 | guāng | only; merely |
| 想 | xiǎng | to think |
| 信 | xìn | letter |
| 难 | nán | difficult |
| 着 | zhe | aspect particle indicating a continuing stat… |
| 以 | yǐ | to use; by means of; according to |
| 和 | hé | and; together with; with |
| 平 | píng | flat; level; even |
| 节 | jié | festival; section; joint; node |
| 干 | gàn | do |
| 还是 | hái shi | or; still; had better |
| 年 | nián | year |
| 交 | jiāo | to hand over |
| 收 | shōu | to receive |
| 包 | bāo | bag; to wrap; to include |
| 指 | zhǐ | to point at |
| 比 | bǐ | to compare; than; ratio |
| 做 | zuò | to make; to produce |
| 爱 | ài | to love; to be fond of; to like |
| 关 | guān | to close; to shut; relation |
| 水 | shuǐ | water |
| 而 | ér | and |
| 件 | jiàn | item |
| 太 | tài | too; excessively |
| 写 | xiě | to write |
| 问 | wèn | to ask; to inquire |
| 提 | dī | in 提防 |
| 进 | jìn | to go forward; to enter |
| 日 | rì | day; sun |
| 放 | fàng | to put |
| 念 | niàn | to read aloud |
| 可以 | kě yǐ | can; may |
| 举 | jǔ | to lift; to raise |
| 先 | xiān | first; beforehand |
| 外 | wài | outside |
| 新 | xīn | new; newly |
| 位 | wèi | polite classifier for people; position; seat |
| 布 | bù | cloth, fabric |
| 接 | jiē | to meet; to receive; to connect |
| 断 | duàn | to break |
| 老 | lǎo | old; elderly |
| 条 | tiáo | classifier for long, narrow things; item |
| 还 | hái | still; also; even |
| 教 | jiāo | to teach |
| 请 | qǐng | to ask |
| 近 | jìn | near |
| 往 | wǎng | toward, in the direction of |
| 场 | chǎng | classifier for events, shows and games |
| 向 | xiàng | towards; direction; to face |
| 算 | suàn | to regard as |
| 除 | chú | to get rid of |
| 也 | yě | also; too |
| 假 | jià | holiday; vacation; leave of absence |
| 从 | cóng | from |
| 数 | shù | to count |
| 便 | biàn | convenient; then, in that case |
| 支 | zhī | to support |
| 装 | zhuāng | to pretend; to install; to load |
| 切 | qiē | to cut, slice |
| 留 | liú | to stay |
| 热 | rè | hot |
| 推 | tuī | to push |
| 个人 | gè rén | individual, personal |
| 回 | huí | to return; to go back |
| 完 | wán | to finish |
| 所 | suǒ | particle: forms 所+verb nominal phrases |
| 题 | tí | topic; question; subject |
| 使 | shǐ | to make |
| 书 | shū | book; to write |
| 差 | chà | to differ from; poor; to lack |
| 取 | qǔ | pick up; collect |
| 少 | shǎo | few |
| 吃 | chī | to eat; to consume |
| 笑 | xiào | to laugh; to smile |
| 住 | zhù | to live |
| 忙 | máng | busy |
| 系 | xì | department |
| 之 | zhī | possessive particle, literary equivalent of… |
| 片 | piàn | slice; piece |
| 满 | mǎn | full; packed; to fill; completely |
| 紧 | jǐn | tight |
| 元 | yuán | yuan; first; primary |
| 盛 | shèng | abundant; flourishing |
| 刻 | kè | quarter |
| 折 | zhé | to break; to fold; to discount |
| 极 | jí | extremely |
| 深 | shēn | deep |
| 火 | huǒ | fire |
| 没 | méi | negative prefix for verbs have not; not |
| 最 | zuì | most; -est |
| 更 | gèng | more; even more |
| 就 | jiù | then; just; precisely |
| 花 | huā | flower; to spend |
| 只 | zhǐ | only |
| 非 | fēi | Africa; not, non- |
| 等 | děng | to wait; etc. |
| 连 | lián | to connect; even; in succession |
| 直 | zhí | straight; direct |
| 号 | hào | number; day of the month; size |
| 端 | duān | end; to carry with both hands |
| 票 | piào | ticket |
| 苦 | kǔ | bitter |
| 怎么样 | zěn me yàng | how is it?; how about it? |
| 中文 | Zhōng wén | Chinese language |
| 现在 | xiàn zài | now |
| 声音 | shēng yīn | sound; voice |
| 闻 | wén | to smell |
| 越 | yuè | to exceed; to surpass; the more... |
| 他 | tā | he; him |
| 树 | shù | tree |
| 摸 | mō | to touch, feel with the hand |
| 贵 | guì | expensive |
| 张 | zhāng | to open; to spread; sheet |
| 班 | bān | class; team; shift |
| 内 | nèi | inside |
| 存 | cún | to save, store |
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