Mandarin · Critical 100

The highest-leverage opening hundred Mandarin words. Function words and the handful of verbs and nouns you will use in every conversation.

100 words

#	Word	Translation	Part of speech	HSK
1	的deof, possessive and modifier particle	of, possessive and modifier particle	particle	HSK 1
1	我wǒI, me	I, me	pronoun	HSK 1
2	你nǐyou (singular)	you (singular)	pronoun	HSK 1
4	了liǎoto finish, to understand (as liǎo); also aspect particle (as le)	to finish, to understand (as liǎo); also aspect particle (as le)	particle	HSK 1
4	他tāhe, him	he, him	pronoun	HSK 1
6	在zàiat, in, on; to be located at; progressive marker	at, in, on; to be located at; progressive marker	preposition	HSK 1
8	我们wǒ menwe, us	we, us	pronoun	HSK 1
9	不bùnot, no	not, no	adverb	HSK 1
10	吗maquestion particle (turns a statement into a yes/no question)	question particle (turns a statement into a yes/no question)	particle	HSK 1
10	这zhèthis	this	determiner	HSK 1
11	好hǎogood, well, OK	good, well, OK	adjective	HSK 1
11	那nàthat	that	determiner	HSK 1
12	什么shén mewhat	what	pronoun	HSK 1
13	有yǒuto have, there is/are	to have, there is/are	verb	HSK 1
14	就jiùthen, just, exactly, as soon as	then, just, exactly, as soon as	adverb	HSK 2
15	吧basuggestion or softening particle (let's, shall we, I suppose)	suggestion or softening particle (let's, shall we, I suppose)	particle	HSK 1
16	她tāshe, her	she, her	pronoun	HSK 1
18	知道zhī dàoto know (a fact)	to know (a fact)	verb	HSK 1
19	说shuōto say, to speak	to say, to speak	verb	HSK 1
20	是shìto be (linking verb)	to be (linking verb)	verb	HSK 1
20	都dōuall, both, already	all, both, already	adverb	HSK 1
21	去qùto go	to go	verb	HSK 1
22	很hěnvery, quite	very, quite	adverb	HSK 1
23	啊aah, oh (exclamatory particle)	ah, oh (exclamatory particle)	particle	HSK 1
24	要yàoto want; will; need to	to want; will; need to	verb	HSK 1
25	也yěalso, too, as well	also, too, as well	adverb	HSK 1
26	他们tā menthey, them (mixed or male group)	they, them (mixed or male group)	pronoun	HSK 1
27	和héand; with	and; with	conjunction	HSK 1
29	想xiǎngto think; to want; to miss	to think; to want; to miss	verb	HSK 1
30	人rénperson, people	person, people	noun	HSK 1
31	会huìcan, to know how to; will; meeting	can, to know how to; will; meeting	verb	HSK 1
32	一个yí gèone (with general measure word)	one (with general measure word)	numeral	HSK 1
33	来láito come	to come	verb	HSK 1
34	把bǎto take, handle; disposal marker	to take, handle; disposal marker	preposition	HSK 2
35	对duìcorrect, right; toward; pair	correct, right; toward; pair	adjective	HSK 1
36	没有méi yǒudo not have; have not; not (past negation)	do not have; have not; not (past negation)	verb	HSK 1
37	做zuòto do, to make, to work as	to do, to make, to work as	verb	HSK 1
38	不是bú shìis not, am not, are not	is not, am not, are not	verb	HSK 1
39	让ràngto let, to allow; to make (causative)	to let, to allow; to make (causative)	verb	HSK 2
40	给gěito give; for (beneficiary marker)	to give; for (beneficiary marker)	verb	HSK 1
41	可以kě yǐcan, may (permission or possibility)	can, may (permission or possibility)	verb	HSK 1
42	你们nǐ menyou (plural)	you (plural)	pronoun	HSK 1
43	呢neand what about...? (question particle)	and what about...? (question particle)	particle	HSK 1
44	但dànbut, however	but, however	conjunction	HSK 2
45	到dàoto arrive; to (destination); result complement	to arrive; to (destination); result complement	verb	HSK 1
46	还háistill, yet; also; even more	still, yet; also; even more	adverb	HSK 1
47	现在xiàn zàinow, at present	now, at present	noun	HSK 1
48	这个zhè gethis one, this (with general measure word)	this one, this (with general measure word)	pronoun	HSK 1
49	能néngcan, to be able to (physical capacity)	can, to be able to (physical capacity)	verb	HSK 1
50	怎么zěn mehow; why (in rhetorical questions)	how; why (in rhetorical questions)	pronoun	HSK 1