rank	character	pinyin	meaning	example
1	我	wǒ	I; me	我们 wǒmen: we; us
2	的	de	of; ’s (links a describing word to a noun)	我的 wǒ de: my; mine
3	你	nǐ	you	你好 nǐ hǎo: hello
4	是	shì	to be (links two nouns)	是的 shì de: yes; that’s right
5	了	le	marks that something is done or has changed	知道了 zhīdao le: got it
6	不	bù	not; no	不好 bù hǎo: not good
7	们	men	plural ending for people	他们 tāmen: they; them
8	这	zhè	this	这里 zhèlǐ: here
9	一	yī	one	第一 dì yī: first
10	他	tā	he; him	他的 tā de: his
11	么	me	word ending, as in shénme (what) and zěnme (how)	什么 shénme: what
12	在	zài	to be at; in; at	正在 zhèngzài: in the middle of (doing)
13	有	yǒu	to have; there is	没有 méiyǒu: not have; there is no
14	个	gè	the general measure word	那个 nàge: that one
15	好	hǎo	good; well	好吃 hǎochī: tasty
16	来	lái	to come	回来 huílai: to come back
17	人	rén	person; people	中国人 Zhōngguórén: Chinese person
18	那	nà	that	那里 nàli: there
19	要	yào	to want; to need; will	不要 bùyào: don’t
20	会	huì	can (know how to); will	不会 bù huì: can’t; won’t
21	就	jiù	then; right away; just	就是 jiùshì: exactly; that is
22	什	shén	first half of 什么, what	为什么 wèishénme: why
23	没	méi	not (have); did not	没事 méishì: it’s nothing; no problem
24	到	dào	to arrive; to reach; to	看到 kàndào: to see
25	说	shuō	to say; to speak	说话 shuōhuà: to talk
26	吗	ma	turns a sentence into a yes-or-no question	好吗 hǎo ma: OK?
27	为	wèi	for; because of	因为 yīnwèi: because
28	想	xiǎng	to think; to want to; to miss	想法 xiǎngfǎ: idea
29	能	néng	can; to be able to	可能 kěnéng: maybe; possible
30	上	shàng	up; on; to go up	马上 mǎshàng: right away
31	去	qù	to go	出去 chūqu: to go out
32	她	tā	she; her	她们 tāmen: they (women)
33	道	dào	road; way; to say	知道 zhīdao: to know
34	很	hěn	very	很好 hěn hǎo: very good
35	看	kàn	to look; to watch; to read	好看 hǎokàn: good-looking
36	可	kě	can; may	可以 kěyǐ: can; may
37	知	zhī	to know	知识 zhīshi: knowledge
38	得	de	links a verb to how it is done	说得很好 shuō de hěn hǎo: speaks very well
39	过	guò	to pass; after a verb: have done before	过来 guòlai: to come over
40	吧	ba	softens a sentence; let’s … (a suggestion)	好吧 hǎo ba: OK then
41	还	hái	still; also	还是 háishi: or (in questions); still
42	对	duì	right; correct; to, toward	对不起 duìbuqǐ: sorry
43	里	lǐ	inside; in	哪里 nǎlǐ: where
44	以	yǐ	with; by (mostly inside words)	以后 yǐhòu: after; later
45	都	dōu	all; both	
46	事	shì	matter; thing	事情 shìqing: matter; affair
47	子	zǐ	child; also a noun ending, said zi	孩子 háizi: child
48	生	shēng	to be born; life	生日 shēngrì: birthday
49	时	shí	time	时候 shíhou: time; moment
50	样	yàng	kind; way; appearance	怎么样 zěnmeyàng: how is it?
51	也	yě	also; too	也许 yěxǔ: maybe
52	和	hé	and; with	
53	下	xià	down; below; next	下午 xiàwǔ: afternoon
54	真	zhēn	really; true	真的 zhēn de: really
55	现	xiàn	present; current; to appear	现在 xiànzài: now
56	做	zuò	to do; to make	做饭 zuòfàn: to cook
57	大	dà	big	大家 dàjiā: everyone
58	啊	a	adds feeling at the end of a sentence	
59	怎	zěn	how (in question words)	怎么 zěnme: how
60	出	chū	to go out; to come out	出来 chūlai: to come out
61	点	diǎn	dot; o’clock; a little	几点 jǐ diǎn: what time
62	起	qǐ	to rise; to get up	起床 qǐchuáng: to get up (out of bed)
63	天	tiān	day; sky	今天 jīntiān: today
64	把	bǎ	puts the object before the verb; measure word for things with a handle	
65	开	kāi	to open; to turn on; to drive	开心 kāixīn: happy
66	让	ràng	to let; to make (someone do)	
67	给	gěi	to give; for; to	送给 sònggěi: to give (as a present)
68	但	dàn	but	但是 dànshì: but
69	谢	xiè	to thank	谢谢 xièxie: thank you
70	着	zhe	marks an ongoing action or state	接着 jiēzhe: next; then
71	只	zhǐ	only; just	只要 zhǐyào: as long as
72	些	xiē	some; a few	这些 zhèxiē: these
73	如	rú	if; like	如果 rúguǒ: if
74	家	jiā	home; family	国家 guójiā: country
75	后	hòu	after; behind	后来 hòulái: afterwards; later
76	儿	ér	child; also an ending said as -r	儿子 érzi: son
77	多	duō	many; much	多少 duōshao: how many; how much
78	意	yì	meaning; idea	意思 yìsi: meaning
79	别	bié	don’t; other	别人 biéren: other people
80	所	suǒ	place (mostly inside words)	所以 suǒyǐ: so; therefore
81	话	huà	words; speech	电话 diànhuà: phone; phone call
82	小	xiǎo	small; little	小时 xiǎoshí: hour
83	自	zì	self; from	自己 zìjǐ: oneself
84	回	huí	to return; to go back	回家 huíjiā: to go home
85	然	rán	so; like that (mostly inside words)	然后 ránhòu: then; after that
86	果	guǒ	fruit; result	水果 shuǐguǒ: fruit
87	发	fā	to send; to give out	发现 fāxiàn: to discover; to notice
88	见	jiàn	to see; to meet	再见 zàijiàn: goodbye
89	心	xīn	heart; mind	小心 xiǎoxīn: careful; watch out
90	走	zǒu	to walk; to leave	走路 zǒulù: to walk
91	定	dìng	to fix; to decide; settled	决定 juédìng: to decide
92	听	tīng	to listen; to hear	听说 tīngshuō: to hear (that)
93	觉	jué	to feel	觉得 juéde: to feel; to think
94	太	tài	too; extremely	太好了 tài hǎo le: great!
95	该	gāi	should	应该 yīnggāi: should; ought to
96	经	jīng	to pass through	已经 yǐjīng: already
97	当	dāng	to act as; when	当然 dāngrán: of course
98	妈	mā	mom	妈妈 māma: mom
99	用	yòng	to use	有用 yǒuyòng: useful
100	打	dǎ	to hit; to play (a sport); to make (a call)	打电话 dǎ diànhuà: to make a phone call