Paste any Chinese text below. The analyzer splits it into words using the TBCL list, colours each word by its level, flags words above your level, and shows how much of the text you can already read.
Colour = CEFR level (Novice–A1 · A2–B1 · B2–C2). Boxed words are above your chosen level.
Browse vocabulary by level
Brushing up on pronunciation? Our interactive pinyin chart plays every Mandarin syllable in all four tones.
Frequently asked questions
What is the TOCFL / TBCL vocabulary list?
The TBCL (Taiwan Benchmarks for the Chinese Language) is the official Chinese vocabulary list published by Taiwan's National Academy for Educational Research (NAER). It defines the words the TOCFL proficiency exam is based on.
How many words are in the TBCL list?
The TBCL list spans three proficiency bands and seven levels, from beginner to advanced — and this tool covers all of it.
How are the words organized by level?
Words are graded into 7 TBCL levels, mapped to CEFR: Levels 1–2 are Novice, Level 3 is A1, Level 4 A2, Level 5 B1, Level 6 B2, and Level 7 C1–C2. You can search or filter by level in this tool.
What is the difference between TOCFL and TBCL?
TBCL is the vocabulary and competency framework; TOCFL (Test of Chinese as a Foreign Language) is the official exam built on it. Learning the TBCL words for a level prepares you for that TOCFL band.
Is this vocabulary tool free?
Yes. The vocabulary search and the Chinese text difficulty analyzer are completely free to use.
What is the difference between TOCFL and HSK?
They are two countries' official Mandarin exams and they are not interchangeable. TOCFL is Taiwan's, set in Traditional characters and built on the TBCL list; HSK is China's, set in Simplified. Which one you need follows from where you are going: Taiwanese universities, Ministry of Education scholarships and some work and residency applications ask for TOCFL, and some of those will not accept an HSK result in its place — check the programme you are applying to. HSK is the more widely recognised of the two outside Taiwan and the one to take for China. This tool covers the TBCL vocabulary TOCFL is based on, free.
Does Taiwan Lounge offer courses for the TOCFL exam?
Yes. Alongside our general Chinese courses, we offer classes that prepare you for the TOCFL proficiency exam. Book a consultation to find the right course for you.
Learn Chinese with Taiwan Lounge
Whether you're preparing for the TOCFL exam or looking for a step-by-step structured course, Taiwan Lounge has you covered. Book a free consultation with us.
Book a free consultationVocabulary, levels, pinyin and zhuyin: TBCL — Taiwan Benchmarks for the Chinese Language, © National Academy for Educational Research (NAER). Parts of speech from the TOCFL 8000-word list, © Steering Committee for the Test of Proficiency-Huayu (SC-TOP). English definitions adapted from CC-CEDICT and French from CFDICT (both CC BY-SA). Japanese definitions are being added.