Why Just 100 Words Can Change Your Chinese

Many learners study Chinese for years, but still feel stuck.

They memorize long word lists.

Then they forget most of them.

A better approach is simpler.

Start with the most common words first.

Why Common Words Matter So Much

The most common words appear again and again:

• in daily conversations

• in stories

• in shows

• in real sentences

When you know these words well, Chinese starts to feel familiar.

You don’t need to guess as much.

You recognize patterns more easily.

This is how understanding grows.

Five Words That Appear Everywhere

Here are five examples of very common words:

• 我 (wǒ) — I / me

• 是 (shì) — to be

• 有 (yǒu) — to have / there is

• 不 (bù) — not

• 在 (zài) — at / in / doing

You will see these words again and again in sentences like:

我在工作
我不是学生
我有时间

Even if you don’t understand these yet, you will start noticing them again and again as you learn.

These words are small.

But they appear in many sentences every day.

Why These Five Are So Powerful

With just these five words, you can already:

• talk about yourself

• make simple statements

• say yes or no

• talk about location and action

For example, when you see them again and again, sentences stop feeling new.

They feel familiar.

That is the beginning of real confidence.

The Mistake Many Learners Make

Many learners try to learn too many words at once.

They recognize words, but they don’t really use them.

So the words don’t stay.

The smarter move is to:

• focus on core words

• review them often

• use them in simple sentences

Depth works better than speed.

Try This Simple Habit This Week

Do this instead:

• Review your core words often

• Say them out loud

• Use them in very simple sentences

Your goal is not to know many words.

Your goal is to make common words feel automatic.

Final Thoughts

You don’t need to learn everything at once.

You just need to start with the right words.

When your foundation is strong, learning Chinese stops feeling frustrating.

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