Chinese-English dictionary with pinyin, audio, and examples
Look up any Mandarin Chinese word — in simplified characters, pinyin, or English — and get its pronunciation, meaning, and real example sentences. Every definition on HanLexa is written directly in clear English, not machine-translated.
How to search the dictionary
You can type your search three different ways, all in the same search bar:
- Chinese characters — type directly 你好, 朋友, or any simplified word.
- Pinyin with or without tones —
ni hao,nǐ hǎo, andni3 hao3all work the same. - English — type
hello,friend,eat, and you'll see the matching Chinese words.
Sample entries
Most-searched Chinese words
A sample of the dictionary: the words people look up most when they start learning Chinese. Click any one to see its full entry with audio, examples, and HSK level.
Greetings and courtesy
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning in English |
|---|---|---|
| 你好 HSK 1 | nǐ hǎo | A common greeting used when meeting someone; equivalent to 'hello' or 'hi'. |
| 谢谢 HSK 1 | xièxie | to thank; thanks; thank you |
| 再见 HSK 1 | zàijiàn | goodbye; see you again (used when parting) |
| 对不起 HSK 1 | duìbuqǐ | I'm sorry (apology) |
| 请 HSK 1 | qǐng | please (do something); polite request marker |
| 不客气 HSK 1 | bùkèqi | you're welcome; don't mention it (polite reply to thanks) |
People and relationships
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning in English |
|---|---|---|
| 朋友 HSK 1 | péngyou | friend |
| 老师 HSK 1 | lǎoshī | teacher |
| 学生 HSK 1 | xuésheng | student; schoolchild |
| 家 HSK 1 | jiā | home; family; household |
| 人 HSK 1 | rén | person; people |
| 孩子 HSK 1 | háizi | child; kid |
Essential verbs
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning in English |
|---|---|---|
| 是 HSK 1 | shì | to be (copula, used before nouns) |
| 有 HSK 1 | yǒu | to have; there is (existential) |
| 去 HSK 1 | qù | to go; to go to (a place) |
| 来 HSK 1 | lái | to come; arrive |
| 吃 HSK 1 | chī | to eat |
| 喝 HSK 1 | hē | to drink |
| 看 HSK 1/5 | kān | to look after; to take care of; to watch; to guard |
| 说 HSK 1 | shuì | to persuade |
| 学习 HSK 1 | xuéxí | to learn; to study |
| 工作 HSK 1 | gōngzuò | to work; (of a machine) to operate |
| 喜欢 HSK 1 | xǐhuan | to like; to be fond of |
| 爱 HSK 1 | ài | to love; to be fond of; to like |
Time and routine
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning in English |
|---|---|---|
| 今天 HSK 1 | jīntiān | today; the present time; now |
| 明天 HSK 1 | míngtiān | tomorrow (the day after today) |
| 昨天 HSK 1 | zuótiān | yesterday |
| 时间 HSK 1 | shíjiān | time (the concept of time; a period or point in time; duration) |
| 年 HSK 1 | nián | year; (classifier: 個|个 ge4) |
| 月 HSK 1 | yuè | the moon; the natural satellite of Earth |
Everyday words
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning in English |
|---|---|---|
| 水 HSK 1 | shuǐ | water; liquid; body of water |
| 饭 HSK 1 | fàn | cooked rice |
| 钱 HSK 1 | qián | coin; money; cash |
| 中国 HSK 1 | zhōngguó | China (country) |
| 好 HSK 1/5 | hǎo | good; suitable; proper; all right |
| 大 HSK 1 | dà | big; large; great |
See all vocabulary by level and topic · Chinese grammar guides
What's in every entry
The official phonetic transcription of Mandarin, with clear tone marks.
Recorded pronunciation for every word and for the full example sentences.
Meanings written for clarity, not the terse, decades-old CEDICT-style glosses.
Real sentences with translations so you can see how a word is actually used.
Every word shows its HSK level (1 to 6) so you can study in order.
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A modern dictionary, not a legacy word list
Most free Chinese dictionaries online — MDBG included — are built on CC-CEDICT, a community-maintained word list whose glosses are often terse, decades old, or copied straight from academic references. Pleco is a great app, but it requires an install and keeps some of its best features behind a paywall.
HanLexa runs in any browser, is free with no account required, and its definitions are written fresh for clarity. Every sense comes with a full example sentence and audio, plus character breakdowns, links to related words, and the option to suggest an improvement if you spot one.
Frequently asked questions
Is HanLexa's Chinese-English dictionary free?
Yes. HanLexa is completely free and doesn't require an account to look up words. You only need an account if you want to contribute definitions or report errors.
Can I search pinyin without tone marks?
Yes. You can type pinyin with or without tone marks. For example, ni hao, nǐ hǎo, and ni3 hao3 all give the same result.
Do entries include audio?
Yes. Every entry has native Mandarin audio pronunciation, along with written pinyin. Example sentences have audio too, so you can hear the word used in context.
Does HanLexa cover HSK vocabulary?
Yes. Each word is marked with its HSK level (1 to 6). You can filter by level from the Browse page to study the vocabulary for your level.
How is HanLexa different from Pleco or MDBG?
Pleco and MDBG are solid tools, but Pleco needs an app install and paid unlocks, and MDBG's definitions come straight from the community-edited CC-CEDICT glosses. HanLexa is a free web dictionary with definitions rewritten for clarity and a full example sentence — with audio — on every sense.
Ready to start? Open the dictionary or browse HSK 1 vocabulary.