100 Basic Chinese Words with Pinyin and Tones
🇨🇳 Chinese · 100 cards · A1 · by Wei Lin
These are the first hundred words I teach — the ones my own kids were using long before they could read a character. Every card gives you the hanzi, pinyin with tone marks, and one sentence short enough to say out loud straight away.
A few things genuinely trip learners up: 不 (bù) and 一 (yī) change tone depending on the syllable after them, 谁 has two accepted readings, and 想/要 or 会/能 all collapse into want and can in English but split differently in Chinese. The notes flag those.
Start with the pronouns and question words. Once those are automatic, almost any noun further down the list turns into a real sentence. Read the examples aloud — tones settle in sentences, not in isolated syllables.
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How to use this deck
Flip through the cards, then switch to Quiz. Tap the play button on any row to hear it. The full table below is there to read, print or copy into your own flashcard app.
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All 100 cards
| # | Chinese | Pronunciation | English | Example | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 你好 Two third tones in a row: the first is said as a rising tone (ní hǎo). | nǐ hǎo | hello, hi | 你好，请进。 Hello, come in. | |
| 2 | 谢谢 Second syllable is neutral tone. | xièxie | thank you | 谢谢你的帮助。 Thanks for your help. | |
| 3 | 不客气 不 becomes bú before a fourth tone. | bú kèqi | you're welcome | 不客气，应该的。 You're welcome, it was nothing. | |
| 4 | 对不起 For a small bump in the street, 不好意思 (bù hǎoyìsi) is softer and more common. | duìbuqǐ | sorry, excuse me | 对不起，我来晚了。 Sorry, I'm late. | |
| 5 | 没关系 Standard reply to 对不起 (duìbuqǐ). | méi guānxi | it's okay, never mind | 没关系，别着急。 It's fine, don't worry. | |
| 6 | 再见 Literally 'see (you) again'. Casual speech and texting: 拜拜 (bàibài). | zàijiàn | goodbye | 我先走了，再见。 I'm off now, bye. | |
| 7 | 请 Goes in front of a verb: 请进 (qǐng jìn), 请说 (qǐng shuō), 请等一下 (qǐng děng yíxià). | qǐng | please; to invite | 请坐，喝杯茶。 Please sit down, have some tea. | |
| 8 | 我 | wǒ | I, me | 我是加拿大人。 I'm Canadian. | |
| 9 | 你 | nǐ | you (one person) | 你叫什么名字？ What's your name? | |
| 10 | 您 Polite form for elders, customers and teachers. No common plural form. | nín | you (polite) | 您好，请问您贵姓？ Hello, may I ask your surname? | |
| 11 | 他 他 and 她 sound identical; only the character differs. | tā | he, him | 他在公园跑步。 He's running in the park. | |
| 12 | 她 | tā | she, her | 她是我姐姐。 She's my older sister. | |
| 13 | 我们 咱们 (zánmen) is a northern variant that always includes the listener. | wǒmen | we, us | 我们一起吃饭吧。 Let's eat together. | |
| 14 | 你们 | nǐmen | you (plural) | 你们什么时候走？ When are you (all) leaving? | |
| 15 | 他们 她们 (tāmen) is used in writing for an all-female group; pronunciation is the same. | tāmen | they, them | 他们都还没到。 They haven't arrived yet. | |
| 16 | 这 Often heard as zhèi before a measure word (这个 zhèige). | zhè | this | 这是我的手机。 This is my phone. | |
| 17 | 那 | nà | that | 那本书很好看。 That book is really good. | |
| 18 | 谁 Both shéi and shuí are correct; shéi is what people actually say. | shéi | who, whom | 这是谁的杯子？ Whose cup is this? | |
| 19 | 什么 Stays where the answer would go — no word-order change for questions. | shénme | what | 你在看什么？ What are you watching? | |
| 20 | 哪儿 Northern style; 哪里 (nǎlǐ) is the southern and more written equivalent. | nǎr | where | 洗手间在哪儿？ Where's the restroom? | |
| 21 | 为什么 | wèishénme | why | 你为什么不去？ Why aren't you going? | |
| 22 | 怎么 怎么样 (zěnmeyàng) means 'how is it / how about it'. | zěnme | how | 这个字怎么读？ How do you read this character? | |
| 23 | 几 Use 多少 (duōshao) when the answer could be more than about ten. | jǐ | how many (small number) | 你家有几口人？ How many people are in your family? | |
| 24 | 是 Not used before adjectives: say 很累 (hěn lèi), not 是累. | shì | to be (am, is, are) | 他是我的同事。 He's my colleague. | |
| 25 | 有 Its negative is 没有 (méiyǒu), never 不有. | yǒu | to have; there is | 我有两个孩子。 I have two kids. | |
| 26 | 在 Before a verb it also marks an action in progress: 我在吃饭 (wǒ zài chīfàn). | zài | to be at; at, in | 我在家，你呢？ I'm at home, how about you? | |
| 27 | 不 Said bú before a fourth tone: 不是 bú shì, 不去 bú qù. | bù | not, no | 我不喝咖啡。 I don't drink coffee. | |
| 28 | 没 没 negates 有 and past actions; 不 negates habits and the future. | méi | not (past); not have | 我没带钱包。 I didn't bring my wallet. | |
| 29 | 的 Neutral tone. Often dropped with family and close relations: 我妈妈, 我朋友. | de | possessive / linking particle | 这是我妈妈的车。 This is my mom's car. | |
| 30 | 吗 Neutral tone. Add it to a statement to make a yes/no question. | ma | question particle (yes/no) | 你累了吗？ Are you tired? | |
| 31 | 了 Not a past-tense marker — 我明天就走了 (wǒ míngtiān jiù zǒu le) is about tomorrow. | le | particle: completed action, new situation | 我已经吃过了。 I've already eaten. | |
| 32 | 很 Often just links an adjective to the subject and is barely stressed. | hěn | very | 今天很冷。 It's very cold today. | |
| 33 | 也 Goes before the verb, never at the end of the sentence. | yě | also, too | 我也想去。 I want to go too. | |
| 34 | 都 Placed after the subject and before the verb. | dōu | all, both | 我们都喜欢吃辣。 We all like spicy food. | |
| 35 | 和 Joins nouns only — it cannot link two verbs or two sentences the way English 'and' does. | hé | and (joining nouns) | 我和她是同学。 She and I are classmates. | |
| 36 | 一 Tone changes: yì before 1st/2nd/3rd tones, yí before a 4th tone (一个 yí ge). | yī | one | 再给我一杯水。 Give me one more glass of water. | |
| 37 | 两 Say 两个人 (liǎng ge rén), not 二个人. Use 二 (èr) for counting and in numbers like 十二. | liǎng | two (before a measure word) | 我要两碗米饭。 I'd like two bowls of rice. | |
| 38 | 个 The default when you forget the right measure word; usually said in neutral tone (ge). | gè | general measure word | 我买了三个苹果。 I bought three apples. | |
| 39 | 人 Add it to a country name: 中国人 (Zhōngguórén), 美国人 (Měiguórén). | rén | person, people | 这家店人太多了。 This shop is way too crowded. | |
| 40 | 家 Also a measure word for shops and restaurants: 一家饭馆 (yì jiā fànguǎn). | jiā | home, family | 我家有一只猫。 We have a cat at home. | |
| 41 | 爸爸 Everyday word; 父亲 (fùqīn) is formal and written. | bàba | dad, father | 我爸爸爱喝茶。 My dad loves drinking tea. | |
| 42 | 妈妈 Everyday word; 母亲 (mǔqīn) is formal and written. | māma | mom, mother | 妈妈在厨房做菜。 Mom is cooking in the kitchen. | |
| 43 | 孩子 Second syllable is neutral tone. | háizi | child, kid | 孩子们都睡了。 The kids are all asleep. | |
| 44 | 朋友 男朋友 (nánpéngyou) / 女朋友 (nǚpéngyou) mean boyfriend / girlfriend. | péngyou | friend | 他是我的好朋友。 He's a good friend of mine. | |
| 45 | 老师 Also used as a title after the surname: 王老师 (Wáng lǎoshī). | lǎoshī | teacher | 我们老师很有耐心。 Our teacher is very patient. | |
| 46 | 学生 Second syllable is neutral tone. | xuésheng | student | 他还是个学生。 He's still a student. | |
| 47 | 名字 姓 (xìng) is specifically the surname. | míngzi | name, given name | 你的名字怎么写？ How do you write your name? | |
| 48 | 中文 汉语 (Hànyǔ) is the academic term; 普通话 (Pǔtōnghuà) means spoken standard Mandarin. | Zhōngwén | Chinese (language) | 我在学中文。 I'm learning Chinese. | |
| 49 | 水 | shuǐ | water | 我想喝点儿水。 I'd like some water. | |
| 50 | 茶 | chá | tea | 你喝茶还是咖啡？ Would you like tea or coffee? | |
| 51 | 饭 吃饭 (chīfàn) means 'have a meal', not only 'eat rice'. | fàn | cooked rice; meal | 我们几点吃饭？ What time do we eat? | |
| 52 | 菜 点菜 (diǎn cài) = to order food in a restaurant. | cài | dish (of food); vegetable | 这个菜有点儿辣。 This dish is a bit spicy. | |
| 53 | 钱 多少钱 (duōshao qián) is the standard way to ask a price. | qián | money | 这个多少钱？ How much is this? | |
| 54 | 手机 Literally 'hand machine'. | shǒujī | mobile phone | 我手机没电了。 My phone is out of battery. | |
| 55 | 书 Measure word: 本 (běn). 'Read a book' is 看书 (kàn shū) in everyday speech. | shū | book | 他在看一本新书。 He's reading a new book. | |
| 56 | 车 Covers cars, buses and bikes; 汽车 (qìchē) is specifically a car. | chē | car, vehicle | 我开车送你吧。 Let me drive you there. | |
| 57 | 学校 | xuéxiào | school | 学校离这儿不远。 The school isn't far from here. | |
| 58 | 超市 Short for 超级市场 (chāojí shìchǎng). | chāoshì | supermarket | 我去超市买鸡蛋。 I'm going to the supermarket for eggs. | |
| 59 | 天气 | tiānqì | weather | 今天天气真好。 The weather is really nice today. | |
| 60 | 东西 Neutral tone on 西. Read dōngxī it means 'east and west'. | dōngxi | thing, stuff | 我要买点儿东西。 I need to buy a few things. | |
| 61 | 今天 Time words go before the verb or at the start of the sentence, never at the end. | jīntiān | today | 今天我不上班。 I'm not working today. | |
| 62 | 明天 | míngtiān | tomorrow | 明天我们去爬山。 Tomorrow we're going hiking. | |
| 63 | 昨天 | zuótiān | yesterday | 昨天下了一天雨。 It rained all day yesterday. | |
| 64 | 现在 | xiànzài | now | 现在几点了？ What time is it now? | |
| 65 | 时间 For clock time use 点 (diǎn); 时间 is time as a resource. | shíjiān | time | 你有时间吗？ Do you have time? | |
| 66 | 年 No measure word needed: 三年 (sān nián), 两年 (liǎng nián). | nián | year | 我在中国住了两年。 I lived in China for two years. | |
| 67 | 天 Also no measure word: 三天 (sān tiān), not 三个天. | tiān | day; sky | 我请了两天假。 I took two days off. | |
| 68 | 晚上 早上 (zǎoshang) is morning, 下午 (xiàwǔ) is afternoon. | wǎnshang | evening, at night | 晚上我给你打电话。 I'll call you tonight. | |
| 69 | 星期 星期一 (xīngqīyī) = Monday … 星期天 (xīngqītiān) = Sunday. 周末 (zhōumò) is the weekend. | xīngqī | week | 下个星期我出差。 I'm going on a business trip next week. | |
| 70 | 点 两点 (liǎng diǎn) for 2 o'clock, never 二点. | diǎn | o'clock | 我们八点见。 Let's meet at eight. | |
| 71 | 好 On its own it also means 'okay, agreed'. | hǎo | good, fine; okay | 你的中文说得很好。 You speak Chinese really well. | |
| 72 | 大 Also used for age: 你多大？(nǐ duō dà?) = How old are you? | dà | big, large | 他家的房子很大。 His house is big. | |
| 73 | 小 有点儿 (yǒudiǎnr) + adjective usually implies something you're not happy about. | xiǎo | small, little | 这双鞋有点儿小。 These shoes are a bit small. | |
| 74 | 多 Before a noun it needs 很: 很多人 (hěn duō rén), not 多人. | duō | many, much | 今天作业太多了。 There's too much homework today. | |
| 75 | 好吃 For drinks say 好喝 (hǎohē). | hǎochī | tasty, delicious | 妈妈做的菜最好吃。 The food my mom makes is the tastiest. | |
| 76 | 忙 | máng | busy | 最近工作特别忙。 Work has been really busy lately. | |
| 77 | 累 Describes how a person feels. For 'tiring' (of a task) say 累人 (lèirén). | lèi | tired | 走了一天，真累。 Walked all day — so tired. | |
| 78 | 贵 太…了 (tài…le) is the standard 'too…' frame. | guì | expensive | 这个包太贵了。 This bag is too expensive. | |
| 79 | 冷 | lěng | cold | 外面冷，多穿点儿。 It's cold outside, put on more clothes. | |
| 80 | 热 For spicy food use 辣 (là). | rè | hot | 屋里太热，开窗吧。 It's too hot in here, let's open a window. | |
| 81 | 吃 | chī | to eat | 你想吃什么？ What do you want to eat? | |
| 82 | 喝 First tone. The vowel is the short 'e' of 的 (de), not English 'hay'. | hē | to drink | 我不能喝酒。 I can't drink alcohol. | |
| 83 | 看 Covers watching, reading and seeing a doctor: 看医生 (kàn yīshēng). | kàn | to look, watch, read | 他每天晚上看电视。 He watches TV every evening. | |
| 84 | 听 | tīng | to listen, hear | 我喜欢听音乐。 I like listening to music. | |
| 85 | 说 说话 (shuōhuà) = to talk; 说中文 (shuō Zhōngwén) = to speak Chinese. | shuō | to speak, say | 他说得太快了。 He speaks too fast. | |
| 86 | 写 | xiě | to write | 他写了一封信。 He wrote a letter. | |
| 87 | 学 学习 (xuéxí) is the two-syllable version, slightly more formal. | xué | to learn, study | 我女儿在学游泳。 My daughter is learning to swim. | |
| 88 | 去 Movement away from the speaker. | qù | to go | 周末你去哪儿？ Where are you going this weekend? | |
| 89 | 来 Movement toward the speaker. | lái | to come | 他明年来中国。 He's coming to China next year. | |
| 90 | 回 回家 (huí jiā) = go home; 回来 (huílai) = come back; 回去 (huíqu) = go back. | huí | to return, go back | 我马上就回来。 I'll be right back. | |
| 91 | 买 Third tone 买 mǎi = buy; fourth tone 卖 mài = sell. Listen for the difference. | mǎi | to buy | 我想买一件外套。 I want to buy a jacket. | |
| 92 | 做 做饭 (zuò fàn) = cook; 做作业 (zuò zuòyè) = do homework. | zuò | to do, to make | 今天晚饭我来做。 I'll make dinner tonight. | |
| 93 | 坐 Same sound as 做. Used for buses, trains and planes; use 开 (kāi) for driving yourself. | zuò | to sit; to travel by | 我坐地铁上班。 I take the subway to work. | |
| 94 | 给 Also marks the person you do something for: 给我打电话 (gěi wǒ dǎ diànhuà). | gěi | to give; for, to | 我给你倒杯水。 Let me pour you some water. | |
| 95 | 想 Softer than 要 — closer to 'would like to'. 我想你 (wǒ xiǎng nǐ) = I miss you. | xiǎng | to want to; to think; to miss | 我想再睡一会儿。 I want to sleep a bit longer. | |
| 96 | 要 Stronger than 想: fine when ordering, blunt when asking someone a favour. | yào | to want; will, going to | 我要一杯咖啡。 I'll have a coffee. | |
| 97 | 会 Use 会 for skills you learned, 能 (néng) for what is possible right now. | huì | can (learned skill); will | 我会说一点儿中文。 I can speak a little Chinese. | |
| 98 | 喜欢 Second syllable is neutral tone. | xǐhuan | to like | 我不太喜欢甜的。 I don't really like sweet things. | |
| 99 | 知道 For knowing a person use 认识 (rènshi). | zhīdào | to know (a fact) | 我不知道他在哪儿。 I don't know where he is. | |
| 100 | 工作 Both noun and verb: 找工作 (zhǎo gōngzuò) = look for a job. | gōngzuò | work, job; to work | 你在哪儿工作？ Where do you work? |
Wei Lin
Native zh · Speaks English
Grew up in Chengdu, live in Vancouver. I build Mandarin decks with pinyin and tone marks on everything, and I test them on my own kids.
Published
Questions about this deck
- Do I need to learn the characters, or is pinyin enough?
- Pinyin gets you speaking, but characters matter quickly because so many syllables sound alike — in this deck 他/她 are both tā and 做/坐 are both zuò. What works: learn each word by sound first, then learn to recognise the character. Handwriting can wait; just recognising 我, 你, 是, 有, 不, 了 already lets you read signs and simple chat messages.
- Why is 不 written bù on one card and bú on another?
- Tone sandhi. 不 is fourth tone (bù) by default, but shifts to second tone (bú) when the next syllable is also fourth tone: 不客气 bú kèqi, 不是 bú shì, 不去 bú qù. 一 does the same: yī when counting, yì before first, second and third tones (一起 yìqǐ), yí before a fourth tone (一个 yí ge). The pinyin on these cards shows the tone you actually say.
- What's the difference between 想 and 要?
- 想 (xiǎng) is 'would like to' — a wish; in that meaning it is followed by a verb: 我想喝茶. (With a person as object it means 'miss': 我想你.) 要 (yào) is stronger, 'want / will have', and takes a noun directly: 我要一杯茶. In a restaurant 要 is normal and polite; asking a person for a favour with 我要… sounds demanding, so use 我想… there. 不要 (bú yào) means 'don't want' or 'don't do it'.
- Should I say 哪儿 or 哪里?
- Both mean 'where' and both are correct. 哪儿 (nǎr) with the -r ending is typical of Beijing and the north and is what most textbooks and this deck use. 哪里 (nǎlǐ) is standard in the south, in Taiwan, and in writing. The same split applies to 这儿/这里 and 那儿/那里 — pick one set and stay consistent so your speech sounds natural.
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