《现代汉语八百词》是一部虚词（兼及少量实词）用法词典。全书共收录819个词（据书后《索引》按词头统计）。所谓“八百”的说法，不是一种确数表达，属于取整数的一种便捷称谓。
《现代汉语八百词》全书除“前言”和“笔画索引”外，共分四个部分，分别是“凡例”“现代汉语语法要点”“正文”和“附录”。增订本在初版的“笔画索引”之外，另加了“音序索引”，使读者又多了一种查阅方式。
The 800 Words in Modern Chinese is a dictionary of dummy words (and a few real words) in use. It contains a total of 819 words (according to the Index at the back of the book, by word head). The expression “eight hundred” is not a definitive expression, but a convenient way of referring to whole numbers.
In addition to the Preface and the Stroke Index, the book is divided into four parts, namely, “General Examples”, “Modern Chinese Grammar The book is divided into four parts, namely, “General Examples”, “Modern Chinese Grammar”, “Main Points”, “Text” and “Appendix”. In addition to the Stroke Index in the first edition, the updated edition also includes a Phonetic Index, which provides readers with an additional way to consult the text.
