Mandarin word lists
Curated lists for the Mandarin catalogue. From the highest-leverage 100 words you cannot speak the language without, through to GCSE-aligned vocabulary for exam learners.
Per Nation (2006), the most frequent 1,000 word-families cover 81-84% of spoken English.
Critical 100
100 must-know words
The highest-leverage opening hundred Mandarin words. Function words and the handful of verbs and nouns you will use in every conversation.
Browse 100 words
Core 1000
1,000 most common words
The 1,000 most-frequent Mandarin words. Covers around 80% of spoken Mandarin per Nation (2006); the workhorse vocabulary every learner needs.
Browse 1,000 words
Core 5000
5,000 most common words
Ranks 1-5,000. The reach to near-native reading fluency in Mandarin.
Browse 1,000 words
GCSE vocabulary
AQA GCSE-aligned word list
Every word from our catalogue that appears in the AQA GCSE Mandarin (8673) specification. Each entry records which AQA topic unit(s) it covers so the list can be split by topic later.
Browse 105 words