Common Chinese characters

Here are all the widely used characters that we describe in detail – more will be added. The remainder can be found in our extensive online dictionary. They are ordered by the normal pinyin pronunciation in Mandarin.


á (what?) ǎi (low) ài (love) ān (peace) àn (bank) ǎo (jacket) ào (bay)


bā (eight) bā (to long for) bā (supposition or suggestion) bǎ (to hold) bà (father) bái (bright) bǎi (hundred) bǎn (board) bǎn (a register) bàn (half) bàn (to act) bāo (to cover) bǎo (jewel) bǎo (to eat till full) bào (to announce) bào (to hold) bēi (cup) běi (north) bèi (shell) běn (root) bǐ (pen) bì (certainly) biān (side) biān (to exist) bié (to leave) bīng (ice) bīng (ice) bīng (soldiers) bǐng (third in order) bǐng (both) bō (wave) bǔ (divination) bù (no; not) bù (a step)


cǎi (color) cài (vegetable) cān (meal) cǎo (grass) cǎo (grass) cè (toilet) céng (once) chá (tea) chà (differ) chái (firewood) chāng (prosperous) cháng (long) cháng (always) cháng (threshing floor) chǎng (cliff) chàng (to sing) chàng (to initiate) chāo (to exceed) chǎo (to sauté) chē (vehicle) chéng (to succeed) chéng (city) chéng (to ride) chī (to eat) 齿 chǐ (tooth) chì (step) chì (red) chóng (duplicate) chóng (insect) chóu (silk) chǒu (shameful) chū (go out) chū (at first) chù (place) chù (livestock) chuān (river) chuán (boat) chuáng (bed) chūn (spring) chuò (walking) cí (porcelain) cǐ (this) cì (next in sequence) cōng (quick at hearing) cóng (from) cùn (unit of length)


dà (big) dāi (bad) dài (replace) dài (to respect) dān (to undertake) dān (bill) dǎn (the gall) dàn (birth) dàn (dawn) dàn (but) dāng (to be) dāo (knife) dǎo (fall) dǎo (island) dào (arrive) dào (road) de (of) dé (get) dé (virtue) dēng (to ascend) dēng (lamp) děng (wait) dì (supreme ruler) dì (earth) dì (younger brother) dì (ordinal (1st,2nd)) diǎn (spot) diàn (shop) diàn (electric) dīng (nail) dìng (to set) dìng (how) dōng (east) dōng (winter) dǒng (to understand) dòng (to use) dōu (all) dǒu (unit of weight) dòu (bean) dú (alone) dù (to pass) duàn (paragraph) duì (right) duì (to cash) dùn (shield) duō (many)


è (evil) ér (child) ér (legs) ér (as well as) ěr (ear) ěr (thus) èr (two)


fǎ (law) fà (to send out) fǎn (contrary) fàn (food) fāng (square) fáng (house) fáng (to protect) 访 fǎng (to visit) fǎng (fine woven silk fabric) 仿 fǎng (to imitate) fàng (let go) fēi (fly) fēi (coffee) fēi (to not be) fěi (bandit) fēn (divide) fēn (numerous) fèn (portion) fēng (wind) fēng (to confer) féng (to meet by chance) fèng (phoenix) fū (husband) fú (good fortune) fú (not) fú (clothes) fú (to trust) fù (woman) fù (father) fù (rich) fù ('left ear') fù (place)


gān (pleasant) gān (liver) gān (pole) gǎn (to overtake) gàn (do) gāng (ridge) gāng (hard) gāng (guiding principle) gǎng (harbor) gāo (tall) gǎo (to do) 稿 gǎo (manuscript) gào (to tell) gē (spear) gē (elder brother) gē (song) gé (animal hide) gè ('of' (general)) gè (each) gěi (give) gēn (heel) gèn (stubborn) gèng (more) gōng (work) gōng (palace) gōng (public) gōng (accomplishment) gōng (bow) gōng (to provide) gǒng (two hands) gòng (common) gǒu (dog) gòu (to reach) gū (paternal aunt) gū (estimate) gǔ (ancient) gǔ (valley) gù (happening) gù (hard) guā (melon) guài (decisive) guān (shut) guān (official) guǎn (building) guāng (light) 广 guǎng (vast) guī (to return) guī (tortoise) guī (jade tablet) guǐ (ghost) guì (precious) gǔn (line) guō (pot) guó (country) guǒ (fruit) guò (past)


hāi (sound of sighing) hái (still) hái (child) hǎi (sea) hài (12th earthly branch) hán (cold) hàn (chinese) hàn (perspiration) hǎo (good) hào (name) hē (drink) hé (river) hé (together) hé (grain) hé (what) hé (to close) hé (why) hēi (black) hěn (very) hēng (prosperous) hóng (red) hóng (flood) hóu (nobleman) hòu (behind) hòu (wait) hū (at) hú (lake) hú (beard) hǔ (tiger) hù (door) hù (door) huā (flower) huá (splendid) huà (speech) huà (to make into) huà (to draw) huān (merry) huáng (emperor) huáng (yellow) huī (emblem) huí (to circle) huǐ (to regret) huì (can) hūn (to marry) huó (to live) huǒ (fire) huǒ (fire (as radical)) huò (maybe)


jī (fowl) jī (machine) jí (lucky) jí (and) jǐ (how many) jǐ (self) jì (border) jì (already) jì (season) jì (order) jì (to record) jì (skill) jì (to cross a river) jiā (house) jiǎ (first in list) jiān (narrow) jiān (difficult) jiān (between) jiǎn (scissors) jiàn (healthy) jiàn (see) jiàn (to establish) jiàn (gap) jiàn (arrow) jiāng (river) jiāng (border) jiāng (will) jiāo (to teach) jiāo (to hand over) jiāo (suburbs) jiāo (to glue) jiǎo (horn) jiǎo (dumpling) jiào (called) jiào (religion) jiào (comparatively) jiē (street) jié (joint) jié (seal (of document)) jié (knot) jiě (elder sister) jīn (ferry crossing) jīn (metal) jīn (modern) jīn (axe) jīn (scarf) jīn (metal) jìn (near) jìn (to advance) jìn (to prohibit) jīng (capital) jīng (refined) jīng (Classic) jīng (to start) jīng (eye) jǐng (well) jǐng (bright) jiōng (covering box) jiǔ (nine) jiǔ (wine) jiǔ (long time) jiù (fault) jiù (at once) jiù (old) jū (to reside) jú (tangerine) jú (office) jù (sentence) jù (drama) jūn (monarch)


kā (coffee) kāi (begin) kān (to print) kǎn (open box) kàn (look) kǎo (to roast) kē (of plants) kě (can) kè (to be able to) kè (customer) kè (carve) kǒng (great) kòng (to empty) kǒu (mouth) kǔ (bitter) kuài (chopsticks) kuài (piece) kuài (rapid)


lā (to pull) là (spicy) lái (arrive) lán (blue) lán (orchid) láo (to toil) lǎo (venerable) lǎo (old) le ('completed') lè (music) léi (thunder) lèi (tired) lěng (cold) lí (Fire) lí (pear) lǐ (inside) lǐ (ceremony) lǐ (texture) lǐ (plum) lì (strength) lì (stand) lì (sharp) lì (strict) lì (beautiful) lì (to experience) lián (to pity) lián (to link) liáng (good) liáng (cool) liǎng (pair) liàng (collective word for vehicles) liáo (distant) lín (forest) lín (neighbor) líng (zero) líng (mound) líng (age) lǐng (neck) lìng (other) lìng (to order) liù (six) lóng (dragon) lóu (multi-story building) 绿 lù (green) lù (road) lǚ (trip) lù (dew) luàn (in confusion or disorder) luó (gauze)


mā (mother) mǎ (horse) mǎ (?) mǎi (buy) mài (sell) mǎn (to fill) máng (busy) māo (cat) máo (hair) máo (spear) mào (to emit) mào (hat) me (what) méi (have not) měi (beautiful) měi (each) mèi (younger sister) mén (entrance) mén (s) měng (Mongol) mèng (first month of a season) mí (to bewilder) mí (riddle) mǐ (rice) mì (cover) mián (roof) miǎn (to escape) miàn (face) miè (to extinguish) mín (people) mǐn (dish) míng (bright) míng (name) míng (to call (birds)) mìng (life) mò (do not) mǔ (mother) mǔ (mother) mǔ (area) mù (wood) mù (eye)


nà (that) nǎi (milk) nǎi (to be) nán (south) nán (male) nán (difficult) ne (and you?) nè (sick) nèi (inner) néng (to be able to) nǐ (you) nián (year) 廿 niàn (twenty) niàn (to read) niǎo (bird) nín (you (polite)) nìng (better) niú (ox) nóng (peasant) nǚ (female)


pá (to crawl) pà (to be afraid) pàn (to hope for) pào (bubble) pào (cannon) pén (basin) péng (friend) pí (hops) pí (leather) pǐ (bolt of cloth) piàn (thin piece) piào (ticket) pín (poor) pǐn (article) píng (flat) píng (bottle) píng (apple) pú (grape) pǔ (general) pù (store)


qī (seven) qī (phase) qí (board game) qí (his) qí (strange) qǐ (to rise) qì (gas) qì (steam) qiān (thousand) qián (money) qián (front) qiǎn (shallow) qiàn (yawn) qiáng (strong) qiě (and) qīn (parent) qín (Qin) qīng (green) qīng (clear) qíng (affection) qíng (clear sky) qǐng (please) qìng (celebrate) qióng (exhausted) qiú (autumn) qiú (ball) qiú (to beat) qiú (to seek) qǔ (to take) qù (go) quán (all) quán (spring) quǎn (dog) quǎn (dog) qún (group)


r (r) rè (to warm up) rén (person) rén (humane) rì (sun) róng (to hold) róu (soft) ròu (meat) ròu (meat) rú (as) rù (to enter) ruǎn (soft) rùn (leap) ruò (to seem)


sān (three) sàn (to scatter) sàng (to lose) sè (colour) shā (to kill) shān (mountain) shān (bristle) shàn (benevolent) shāng (commerce) shǎng (to hand down) shàng (up) shàng (still) sháo (spoon) shǎo (less) shé (tongue) shé (snake) shè (to shoot) shè (residence) shè (to wade) shéi (who) shēn (body) shēn (to extend) shén (god) shén (what) shēng (produce) shēng (sound) shèng (holy) shèng (victory) shī (lion) shī (to lose) shī (corpse) shī (poem) shī (to grant) shí (ten) shí (time) shí (rock) shí (real) shí (food) shí (eat) shǐ (history) shǐ (to begin) shǐ (arrow) shǐ (pig) shì (is) shì (matter) shì (market) shì (life) shì (spirit) shì (bachelor) shì (clan name) shì (to show) shì (room) shǒu (hand) shǒu (hand) shǒu (head) shòu (to receive) shū (book) shū (spear) shǔ (heat) shǔ (office) shù (tree) shù (method) shuāng (pair) shuǐ (water) shuǐ (water) shuì (taxes) shùn (to obey) shuō (to speak) sī (silk) sī (private) sī (silk) sī (to think) sǐ (die) sì (four) sì (snake) sì (to run) sì (Buddhist temple) song (Song) sū (revive) sù (respectful) sù (to complain) suàn (calculate) suī (although) suī (rap) suí (Sui) suì (year) sūn (grandson) suǒ (actually)


tā (he) tā (she) tā (it) tái (typhoon) tái (to lift) tài (too) táng (Tang) táng (sugar) tǎng (to recline) tàng (collective for trips) táo (grapes) téng (sore) tiān (sky) tián (field) tiáo (strip) tiē (to stick) tiě (arms) tīng (to listen) tōng (open) tóng (same) tóng (boy servant) tóu (head) tóu (head) tǔ (earth) tù (rabbit) tuī (to push)


wǎ (tile) wài (outside) wān (bowl) wán (toy) wǎn (evening) wàn (ten thousand) wāng (lame) wáng (to die) wǎng (monarch) wǎng (net) wǎng (net) wǎng (towards) wàng (to forget) wàng (absurd) wéi (proud) wéi (to preserve) wěi (tail) wèi (do) wèi (not yet) wèi (position) wén (script) wén (to hear) wèn (ask) wǒ (I (me)) wò (lie) wū (crow) wū (house) wú (not to have) wǔ (five) wǔ (noon) wǔ (martial) wù (do not) wù (fifth (ordinal)) wù (affair) wù (thing)


西 xī (west) xī (sunset) xī (to bestow) xí (to practice) xǐ (box; bag) xǐ (to be fond of) xǐ (to wash) xì (system) xiā (shrimp) xià (summer) xià (down) xiān (fresh) xiān (first) xiān (immortal) xián (to stay idle) xiǎn (danger) xiàn (to appear) xiāng (fragrant) xiāng (each other) xiāng (countryside) xiǎng (to think) xiàng (elephant) xiǎo (small) xiào (smile) xiào (filial piety or obedience) xiào (school) xiào (effect) xiē (some) xiě (write) xiè (thanks) xīn (new) xīn (heart) xīn (hard) xīn (heart) xìn (letter) xīng (star) xīng (prosper) xíng (permitted) xìng (surname) xìng (fortunate) xiōng (elder brother) xiōng (vicious) xióng (male) xù (beginnings) xué (study) xué (cave) xué (narrow) xuě (snow)


yā (duck) yán (face) yán (words) yán (words) yǎn (to develop) yāng (center) yáng (yang) yáng (sheep) yāo (youngest) yǎo (to bite) yào (want) yào (medicine) yé (grandpa) yě (also) yè (night) yè (page) yè (line of business) yī (one) yī (doctor) yī (clothes) yí (proper) yí (barbarians) yǐ (hidden) yǐ (to use) yǐ (chair) yǐ (already) yì (easy) 亿 yì (100,000,000) yì (justice) yì (also) yì (city) yì (catch) yì (skill) yì (to recollect) yì (idea) yì (different) yīn (yin) yīn (sound) yín (silver) yǐn (to drink) yīng (flower) yíng (welcome) yǐng (picture) yìng (hard) yìng (to answer) yǒng (perpetual) yòng (to use) yōu (distant) yóu (outstanding) yóu (to follow) yǒu (friend) yǒu (have) yǒu (wine vessel) yòu (right) yòu (also) yú (fish) yú (fishing) yú (in) yǔ (rain) yǔ (language) yǔ (to give) yù (jade) yù (to meet) yù (to wish for) yuán (primary) yuán (former) yuán (park) yuán (person) yuǎn (far) yuàn (courtyard) yuàn (to hope) yuē (to speak) yuè (moon) yún (cloud) yùn (to move)


zāi (disaster) zài (again) zài (exist) zài (to carry) zàng (treasury) zǎo (early) zé (pool) zé (conjunction used to express contrast with a previous sentence or clause) zhà (at first) zhà (to explode) zhān (to observe) zhān (to glue) zhàn (station) zhàn (to fight) zhāng ('of') zhǎng (palm of the hand) zhāo (dynasty) zhǎo (to try to find) zhào (according to) zhě (in process of) zhè (this) zhēn (chaste) zhēn (really) zhèn (Wood) zhēng (journey) zhēng (to steam) zhèng (correct) zhī (one) zhī (him) zhī (to know) zhī (to support) zhī (branch) zhí (straight) zhí (value) zhí (to plant) zhǐ (paper) zhǐ (to stop) zhì (aspiration) zhì (to arrive) zhì (to rule) zhì (to send) zhì (to install) zhōng (centre) zhōng (clock) zhōng (end) zhǒng (kind of) zhòng (many) zhòng (heavy) zhōu (region) zhōu (prefecture) zhōu (circuit) zhōu (boat) zhū (hog) zhú (bamboo) zhú (bamboo) zhǔ (dot) zhǔ (owner) zhǔ (to cook) zhù (to live) zhù (to halt) zhuǎ (claw) zhuǎ (claw) zhuàn (biography) zhuàng (to strengthen) zhuī (short-tailed bird) zhuō (table) zǐ (child) zì (from) zì (letter) zǒu (walk) zū (to hire) zú (clan) zú (foot) zǔ (grandfather) zǔ (to form) zǔ (to hinder) zuān (to drill) zuì (most) zuó (previous) zuǒ (left) zuò (seat) zuò (sit) zuò (to do) zuò (to make)

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