Shanghai

How difficult is Shanghai in English?

Shanghai: 70.5% A1–A2 vocabulary; 12.3% B2, C1, and rare vocabulary. Vocabulary size: 1,080.

Unique vocabulary

• For A2 learners: 23.0% of unique vocabulary is above A2 or marked rare. Expect substantial preparation; start with short scenes and English subtitles.
• For B1 learners: 12.3% of unique vocabulary is above B1 or marked rare. Preview recurring words and use English subtitles.
• For B2 learners: 7.0% of unique vocabulary is above B2 or marked rare. Try a short scene and check your comprehension; the vocabulary offers a relatively accessible starting point.

6.5% Unclassified. Unclassified vocabulary has no reliable level assignment.

Vocabulary weighted by word occurrences

93.7% A1–A2 vocabulary; 2.4% B2, C1, and rare vocabulary; 1.4% Unclassified.

This counts repeated eligible words. Phrases are excluded from this calculation to avoid counting their component words twice.

Recurring words and phrases to preview

• war (B1): 11 occurrences in available subtitles.

  English meaning: Armed fighting between countries or groups.

  Subtitle example: Well. And you think it's a good idea for your country to join the war?

• spy (B1): 9 occurrences in available subtitles.

  Subtitle example: Mikey here used to spy on them all the time.

• suppose (B1): 8 occurrences in available subtitles.

  English meaning: To think something is probably true, or to imagine a possible situation.

  Subtitle example: Let's suppose that he stumbled on an arms deal.

• hell (C1): 7 occurrences in available subtitles.

  English meaning: A place of suffering in some religious beliefs; also used informally to express anger or surprise.

  Subtitle example: ...but stay the hell away from the Japanese.

• resistance (B2): 7 occurrences in available subtitles.

  Subtitle example: Stop him! He's with the resistance!

Compare with titles in similar genres

• Original Sin: 12.2% B2, C1, and rare vocabulary (0.0 percentage points less than Shanghai).
• The Girl on the Train: 12.2% B2, C1, and rare vocabulary (0.0 percentage points less than Shanghai).
• Mr. Brooks: 12.3% B2, C1, and rare vocabulary (0.0 percentage points more than Shanghai).

These percentages describe vocabulary, not the proportion of dialogue you will understand. CEFR labels are estimates, not official film ratings. Accent, speed, songs, context, and your own vocabulary also affect comprehension. Repeated occurrences may include repeated dialogue or lyrics.

How we estimate vocabulary difficulty · Evidence generated: 2026-10-13