Every entry
| to be (identity) | ||
| to have; there is | ||
| to be at; to be doing | ||
| to go | ||
| to come | ||
| to return | ||
| to arrive; to reach | ||
| to walk; to leave | ||
| to run | ||
| to enter | ||
| to go out | ||
| to go up; to get on | ||
| to go down; to get off | ||
| to open; to drive | ||
| to close; to turn off | ||
| to sit; to travel by | ||
| to stand | ||
| to live; to stay | ||
| to travel | ||
| to travel for leisure | ||
| to look; to watch; to read | ||
| to see | ||
| to listen | ||
| to hear | ||
| to speak; to say | ||
| to talk | ||
| to ask | ||
| to answer | ||
| to call; to be named | ||
| to tell | ||
| to read aloud; to read | ||
| to write | ||
| to learn | ||
| to study; to learn | ||
| to teach | ||
| to know a fact | ||
| to know a person; to recognize | ||
| to understand | ||
| to understand clearly | ||
| to think; to want | ||
| to feel; to think | ||
| to consider; to believe | ||
| to remember | ||
| to forget | ||
| to hope | ||
| to like | ||
| to love | ||
| to want; to need | ||
| to need | ||
| can; to be able to | ||
| can (learned skill); will | ||
| may; can (permission or possibility) | ||
| to do; to make | ||
| to work; work | ||
| to help | ||
| to help; assistance | ||
| to use | ||
| to try | ||
| to practice; practice | ||
| to look for | ||
| to find | ||
| to wait | ||
| to begin | ||
| to finish; to end | ||
| to continue | ||
| to stop | ||
| to prepare | ||
| to decide | ||
| to choose | ||
| to buy | ||
| to sell | ||
| to pay | ||
| to spend (money or time) | ||
| to give; for | ||
| to take; to hold | ||
| to bring; to take along | ||
| to put; to place | ||
| to deliver; to give as a gift | ||
| to receive; to collect | ||
| to borrow; to lend | ||
| to change; to exchange | ||
| to eat | ||
| to drink | ||
| to cook a meal | ||
| to sleep | ||
| to sleep | ||
| to get out of bed | ||
| to wash | ||
| to wear; to put on clothing | ||
| to take off clothing | ||
| to play; to have fun | ||
| to hit; to play certain sports | ||
| to sing | ||
| to dance | ||
| to swim | ||
| to smile; to laugh | ||
| to cry | ||
| to become ill | ||
| to rest | ||
| to exercise; exercise | ||
| I; me | ||
| you | ||
| you (polite) | ||
| he; him | ||
| she; her | ||
| it | ||
| we; us | ||
| you (plural) | ||
| they; them (people) | ||
| oneself | ||
| this | ||
| that | ||
| here | ||
| there | ||
| who | ||
| what | ||
| which | ||
| where | ||
| how | ||
| why | ||
| when | ||
| how much; how many | ||
| how many (usually a small number) | ||
| marks possession or description | ||
| marks a completed event or changed situation | ||
| marks a yes/no question | ||
| question or continuation particle | ||
| suggestion or softening particle | ||
| and; with | ||
| also | ||
| all; both | ||
| not (general negation) | ||
| not (past event); without | ||
| do not have; there is not | ||
| very; links a subject to an adjective | ||
| too; very | ||
| still; also | ||
| again; also | ||
| again (next time) | ||
| then; just; already (context dependent) | ||
| only | ||
| from | ||
| toward; correct | ||
| with; to follow | ||
| marks the object affected by an action | ||
| marks a passive construction | ||
| than (comparison) | ||
| because | ||
| so; therefore | ||
| but; however | ||
| person; people | ||
| man | ||
| woman | ||
| child | ||
| boy | ||
| girl | ||
| adult | ||
| friend | ||
| family members | ||
| dad | ||
| mom | ||
| father | ||
| mother | ||
| son | ||
| daughter | ||
| older brother | ||
| younger brother | ||
| older sister | ||
| younger sister | ||
| paternal grandfather | ||
| paternal grandmother | ||
| husband | ||
| wife | ||
| Mr.; gentleman | ||
| Ms.; lady | ||
| teacher | ||
| student | ||
| classmate | ||
| colleague | ||
| doctor | ||
| nurse | ||
| driver | ||
| police officer | ||
| boss; business owner | ||
| service worker; waiter | ||
| name | ||
| age | ||
| body; physical health | ||
| head | ||
| face | ||
| eyes | ||
| ears | ||
| nose | ||
| mouth | ||
| hand | ||
| foot | ||
| heart; mind | ||
| illness | ||
| life; everyday living | ||
| world | ||
| home; family | ||
| house | ||
| room | ||
| bedroom | ||
| living room | ||
| kitchen | ||
| bathroom | ||
| toilet; restroom | ||
| door | ||
| window | ||
| wall | ||
| floor | ||
| building; floor of a building | ||
| stairs | ||
| elevator | ||
| bed | ||
| table; desk | ||
| chair | ||
| sofa | ||
| cabinet | ||
| refrigerator | ||
| washing machine | ||
| air conditioning | ||
| lamp; light | ||
| electricity | ||
| water | ||
| fire | ||
| key | ||
| towel | ||
| toothbrush | ||
| soap | ||
| clothing | ||
| shirt | ||
| pants | ||
| skirt | ||
| jacket; coat | ||
| shoe | ||
| sock | ||
| hat | ||
| glasses | ||
| bag; package | ||
| schoolbag | ||
| mobile phone | ||
| telephone; phone call | ||
| computer | ||
| television | ||
| book | ||
| paper | ||
| pen; writing instrument | ||
| photograph | ||
| meal; cooked rice | ||
| dish; vegetables | ||
| food | ||
| beverage | ||
| tea | ||
| coffee | ||
| milk | ||
| fruit juice | ||
| beer | ||
| wine | ||
| cooked rice | ||
| noodles | ||
| bread | ||
| steamed stuffed bun | ||
| dumpling | ||
| egg | ||
| meat | ||
| chicken meat | ||
| beef | ||
| pork | ||
| fish | ||
| tofu | ||
| vegetables | ||
| fruit | ||
| apple | ||
| banana | ||
| orange (fruit) | ||
| grapes | ||
| watermelon | ||
| potato | ||
| tomato | ||
| carrot | ||
| onion | ||
| salt | ||
| sugar; candy | ||
| oil | ||
| soup | ||
| cake | ||
| ice cream | ||
| chocolate | ||
| breakfast | ||
| lunch | ||
| dinner | ||
| menu | ||
| bowl | ||
| plate | ||
| cup; glass | ||
| chopsticks | ||
| spoon | ||
| restaurant; dining room | ||
| place | ||
| city | ||
| country | ||
| road; route | ||
| street | ||
| road; street | ||
| park | ||
| public square | ||
| sea | ||
| river | ||
| mountain | ||
| lake | ||
| tree | ||
| forest | ||
| school | ||
| university | ||
| company | ||
| office | ||
| hospital | ||
| pharmacy | ||
| shop | ||
| supermarket | ||
| market | ||
| bank | ||
| post office | ||
| library | ||
| museum | ||
| movie theater | ||
| hotel | ||
| restaurant; hotel (context dependent) | ||
| airport | ||
| station; stop | ||
| train station | ||
| subway station | ||
| parking lot | ||
| vehicle; car | ||
| car; automobile | ||
| city bus | ||
| taxi | ||
| train | ||
| subway | ||
| airplane | ||
| bicycle | ||
| boat; ship | ||
| ticket | ||
| money | ||
| price | ||
| address | ||
| map | ||
| direction | ||
| time | ||
| time; moment | ||
| year | ||
| month; moon | ||
| day; date | ||
| day; sky | ||
| week | ||
| hour | ||
| minute | ||
| second | ||
| today | ||
| yesterday | ||
| tomorrow | ||
| now | ||
| before; previously | ||
| after; in the future | ||
| morning | ||
| morning (before noon) | ||
| noon | ||
| afternoon | ||
| evening; night | ||
| Monday | ||
| Tuesday | ||
| Wednesday | ||
| Thursday | ||
| Friday | ||
| Saturday | ||
| Sunday | ||
| weekend | ||
| this year | ||
| last year | ||
| next year | ||
| spring | ||
| summer | ||
| autumn | ||
| winter | ||
| weather | ||
| sun | ||
| moon | ||
| star | ||
| rain | ||
| snow | ||
| wind | ||
| zero | ||
| one | ||
| two | ||
| three | ||
| four | ||
| five | ||
| six | ||
| good | ||
| bad | ||
| big | ||
| small | ||
| many; much | ||
| few; little | ||
| tall; high | ||
| short (height) | ||
| long | ||
| short (length) | ||
| new | ||
| old (used; not new) | ||
| young | ||
| old (age) | ||
| pretty; beautiful | ||
| beautiful | ||
| easy | ||
| difficult | ||
| simple | ||
| important | ||
| busy | ||
| tired | ||
| hungry | ||
| thirsty | ||
| full (after eating) | ||
| hot | ||
| cold | ||
| warm | ||
| pleasantly cool | ||
| fast | ||
| slow | ||
| early | ||
| late | ||
| expensive | ||
| cheap; inexpensive | ||
| far | ||
| near | ||
| clean | ||
| dirty | ||
| full | ||
| empty | ||
| quiet | ||
| safe | ||
| dangerous | ||
| healthy | ||
| happy; pleased | ||
| happy; joyful | ||
| sad; upset | ||
| comfortable | ||
| interesting | ||
| boring; bored | ||
| serious; attentive | ||
| clear | ||
| the same | ||
| different | ||
| correct | ||
| wrong | ||
| black | ||
| white | ||
| red | ||
| seven | ||
| eight | ||
| nine | ||
| ten | ||
| hundred | ||
| thousand | ||
| two (before most measure words) | ||
| general measure word | ||
| measure word for books | ||
| measure word for flat objects | ||
| measure word for clothing or matters | ||
| time (occurrence) | ||
| piece; yuan (informal currency unit) | ||
| yuan (currency unit) | ||
| o'clock; point | ||
| inside | ||
| outside | ||
| front; before | ||
| back; after | ||
| left | ||
| right | ||
| middle; between | ||
| nearby area | ||
| together | ||
| already | ||
| immediately; very soon | ||
| continuously; all along | ||
| often | ||
| sometimes | ||
| possibly; possible | ||
| really; genuine | ||
| very; extremely | ||
| relatively; to compare | ||
| most (superlative) | ||
| even more | ||
| please; to invite | ||
| thank you | ||
| sorry | ||
| it's all right; it doesn't matter | ||
| goodbye |
Selection method and sources
Original practical selection of common simplified-Chinese words, particles and expressions. This is not an official HSK level or exact top-500 corpus ranking. Word meanings and listening recognition are different from knowing the written characters. Toned pinyin is supplied as a bridge; knowing 500 entries does not establish proficiency. English glosses select useful senses; text only.
Pack content: CC BY-SA 4.0. Attribution: Assist With Languages and the sources below. Curated or adapted for learners; original sources retain their listed licenses.
- CC-CEDICT / MDBG Chinese-English dictionary (CC BY-SA 4.0). Dictionary reference for simplified forms, canonical pinyin and meanings. These entries adapt pronunciation and definitions into concise selected-sense learner glosses; selection, organization and teaching notes are modifications. Pinyin is stored as spaced numbered syllables; 5 is neutral tone. The interface renders tone marks. Pinyin shows dictionary tones, not every connected-speech tone change. Original travel phrases are supplied without recordings.
- Official HSK syllabus (late-2025 edition) (Reference only; no open compilation license confirmed). Used only to understand curriculum scope and separate vocabulary, character recognition and handwriting. This collection is an original practical selection, not an official HSK list, level, complete syllabus or exact frequency ranking.
- Wikivoyage Chinese phrasebook (CC BY-SA 4.0). Reference for useful travel situations. Travel selection and concise learner wording are adapted; source recordings are not included.