100 Most Common Used Chinese Characters[2]

[xiǎo] small

一个小的房子 [ yí ge xiǎo fáng zi ]= a small house

大小 [ dà xiǎo ]= size

[me/mo] (suffix for questions)

什么? [ shénme ] = What?

为什么? [ wèi shén me ] = Why?

[xīn] = heart

小心 [ xiǎo xīn ]= be careful

心理 [ xīn lǐ ]= psychology, mentality

中心 [ zhōng xīn ] = center

[duō] =many, much, more

多大 [ duō dà ] = how big?

多少 [ duō shǎo ] = how many/how much?

很多 [ hěn duō ] = a lot of …

[tiān] = sky / heaven,god / day

天空 [ tiān kōng ]= sky

天气 [ tiān qì ]= weather

一天 [ yì tiān ] = 1 day

 

[ér] = and, furthermore

而且 [ ér qiě ]= and

然而 [ rán ér ] = however, yet, even so

 

[néng] = can, be able

他能说汉语。[ tā néng shuō hàn yǔ ] = He can speak Chinese.

能够 [ néng gòu ]= be capable of

可能 [ kě néng ]= maybe

[hǎo] = good, good to…, easy to

你好! [ Nǐ hǎo ] = Hello!

Second pronunciation:

[hào] = to like

爱好 [ ài hào ] =hobby

[dōu] all

他们都是律师. [ tā men dōu shì lǜ shī ] = They’re all lawyers.

Second pronunciation :

[dū] 首都 [ shǒu dū ] = capital city

 

[rán] = right, correct, so, like that

虽然 [ suī rán ] = although

忽然 [ hū rán ] = suddenly

当然 [ dāng rán ] = of course

自然 [ zì rán ] = nature

[méi] not / didn’t

没有 [ méi yǒun ]= haven’t, there isn’t

她没来 [ tā méi lái ]= She didn’t come.

有没有? [ yǒu méi yǒu ] = Is there or isn’t there? Have (you) or haven’t (you)

[rì] sun

日子 [ rì zi ] = day

日记 [ rì jì ] = diary

日光 [n rì guāng ] = sunlight

 

[yú] = in, at, for, to, from, by, than

 

于是 [ yú shì ] = therefore , so

 

[qǐ] = rise, start

起来 [ qǐ lai ] = get up

对不起 [ duì bu qǐ ] = excuse me

 

[hái] still, yet

我们还在等他。[ wǒ men hái zài děng tā ] = We’re still waiting for him.

Second pronunciation:

[huán] return, give back

我们应该还书。[ wǒ men yīng gāi huán shū ] = We should return the books.

[fā] send, deliver, emit, develop, expand

发展 [ fā zhǎn ] = develop /development

发短信 [ fā duǎn xìn ] = send short message, text

Second pronunciation:

[fà] hair

头发 [ tóu fa ] = hair

 

[chéng] become

成为 [ chéng wéi ]= become

成功 [ chéng gōng ] = succeed/success

完成 [ wán chéng ] = accomplish, complete, fulfill

 

 

 

[shì] matter, affair, thing, event, accident, job, responsibility; 事情 [ shì qing ] = things, matters, affair

我的叔叔今天有事. [ wǒ de shū shu jīn tiān yǒu shi ] = My uncle has something (to do) today.

[zhǐ] only, just, merely

measure words for animals

一只猫 [ yì zhī māo ] = a cat

[zhǐ] single, one, only

他们只有5美元。[ tā men zhǐ yǒu wǔ měi yuán ] = They only have 5 dollars.

[zuò] do, make

工作 [ gōng zuò ] = work

作业 [ zuò yè ] = homework

[dāng] serve as

当作 [ dàng zuò ] = treat as, regard as

我把他当作我的爸爸。[ wǒ bǎ tā dāng zuò wǒ de bà ba ] = I regard him as my father.

[xiǎng] think, consider / want / remember

我想你是对的。[ wǒ xiǎng nǐ shì duì de ] = I think you are right.

让我想想。[ rang wǒ xiǎng xiang ] = Let me think.

她的阿姨想吃鸡肉。[ tā de ā yí xiǎng chī jī ròu ] = Her aunt wants to eat chicken.

这个孩子想她的妈妈。[ zh`e ge hái zi xiǎng tā de mā ma ] = This kid misses her mom.

[kàn] see, look at, read, think, consider

看医生 [ kàn yī shēng ] = see the doctor

让我看看。[ ràng wǒ kàn kan ]= Let me have a look.

看书 [ kàn shū ] = read books

Second pronunciation:

[kān] look after, tend

我的姥姥以前看我。[ wǒ de lǎo lao yǐ qián kān wǒ ] = My grandma used to look after me.

看守 [ kān shǒu ] = guard

 

 

 

 

 

 

[wén] language, literature

文化 [ wén huà ] = culture

中文 [ Zhōng wén ] = Chinese language

[wú] without, nothingness, have not

无用 [ wú yòng ] = useless

[kāi] open/turn…on

开始 [ kāI shǐ ] = begin

打开 [ dǎ kāi ] = open, unfold

开电视 [ kāi dàn shì ] = turn on the TV

[shǒu] hand, a person skilled in something

握手 [ wò shǒu ] = shake hands

手指 [ shǒu zhǐ ] = finger(s)

挥手 [ huī shǒu ] = wave

[shí] ten

十三 [ shí sān ] = thirteen

六十 [ liù shí ] = sixty

十月 [ shi yuè ] = October

[shí] ten

十三 [ shí sān ] = thirteen

六十 [ liù shí ] = sixty

十月 [ shi yuè ] = October

 

 

 

 

[yòng] use

好用[ hǎo yòng ] = useful / works well

不用 [ bú yòng ] = there’s no need

使用 [ shǐ yòng ] = use, apply

 

 

[zhǔ] lord, master, host, god

主要 [ zhǔ yào ] = main, primary

主人 [ zhǔ rén ] = owner

[xíng] = go / OK

A : 你能帮助我吗？[ nǐ néng bang zhù wǒ ma ] = Can you help me?

B : 行！[ xíng ] = Ok!

行动 [ xíng dòng ] = action, operation, move

[háng] line

一行汉字 [ yì háng hàn zì ] = a row of Chinese Characters

银行 [ yín háng ]= bank

行业 [ háng yè ]= industry

[fāng] = side, square

地方 [ dì fang ] = place

方面 [ fāng miàn ] = aspect

大方 [ dà fang ] = generous

 

[yòu] again / both… and…

那个学生又来晚了。[ nà ge xué shēng yòu lái wǎn le ] = That student is late again.

她又聪明又可爱。[ tā yòu cōng ming yòu kě ài ] = She is both smart and cute.

[rú] = like, as, as if

如果 [ rú guǒ ] = if

如此 [ rú cǐ ] = like this

[qián] = in front, previous, ago, former

我在你前面 [ wǒ z`ai nǐ qián miàn ] = I am in front of you.

4天前 [ sì tiān qián ] = 4 days ago

以前 [ yǐ qián ] = before

前天 [ qián tiān ] = the day before yesterday

前总统 [ qián zǒng tong ] = the former president

[suǒ] place

所以 [ suǒ yǐ ] = so, therefore

所有 [ suǒ yǒu ] = all

所有的孩子 [suǒ yǒu de hái zi ] = all of the kids

厕所 [ cè suǒ ] = bathroom

[běn] = basis, origin

基本的 [ jī běn de ] = basic

{classifier for books, files, etc.}

一本书 [ yì běn shū ] = one book

六本字典 [ liù běn zì diǎn ] =6 dictionaries

日本 [ Rìběn ] = Japan

 

 

[jiàn] meet with

看见 [ kàn jian] = see

意见 [ yìn jian ] = idea, view, opinion

听见 [ tīng jiàn ] = hear

[jīng]

已经 [ yǐ jing ] = already

经过 [ jīng guò ] = pass, go through

经验 [ jīng yàn ] = experience

经常 [ jīng cháng ] = frequently

[tóu] head, top, first

我的头疼。[ wǒ de tóu téng ]= My head hurts.

一头牛 [ yì tóu niú ] = a cow

一头蒜 [ yì tóu suàn ] = a garlic

{classifier for livestock, garlic, etc.}

头发 [ tóu fa ] = hair

[tou] 石头 [ shí tou ] = stone

[miàn] face, surface

{classifier for mirrors, flags, etc.}

一面镜子 [ yí miàn jìng zi ]= a mirror

一面国旗 [ yí miàn guó qí ]= a flag

面条 [ miàn tiáo ] = noodle

面包 [ miàn bāo ] = bread

[gōng] = public, official

公里 [ gōng lǐ ] = kilometer

办公室 [ bang gōng shì ] = office

公司 [ gōng sī ] = company

公共 [ gōng gòng ] = public, communal, common

公共汽车 [ gōng gong qì chē ] = (public) bus

 

 

[tóng] = same, with

同志 [ tong zhì ] = comrade

[sān] three

第三世界 [ dì sān shì jiè ] = the 3rd world country

三月 [ sān yuè ] = March

[yǐ] stop, cease, end

已经 [ yǐ jīng ] = already

[lǎo] = old, venerable, outdated

爷爷老了。[ yé ye lǎo le ]= Grandpa is old.

老师 [ lǎo shī ] = teacher

老 虎 [ lǎo hǔ ] = tiger

 

[cóng] = from, through

我的女朋友从中国来。[ wǒ de nǔ péng you cóng zhōng guó lái ] = My girlfriend is from China.

从东到西 [ cóng dōng dào xī ] = from east to west

自从1987 [ zì cóng yī jiǔ bā qī ] = since 1987

 

 

 

 

[dòng] move, change, arouce

动物 [ dòngwù ] = animal

活 动 [ nhuó dòng ] = activity

运动 [ yùn dòng ] = sports

 

[liǎng] two

两只猫 [ liǎng zhī māo ] = 2 cats

两本书 [liǎng běn shū ] = 2 books

两支笔 [liǎng zhī bǐ ] = 2 pens

(before classifier/measure words like “只，个，本etc.)/50 grams

一两大米 [ yì liǎng dà mǐ ] = a gram of rice

 

 

 

[cháng] = long, lasting, length

儿子的腿很长。[ ér zi de tuǐ hěn cháng ] = My son’s legs are very long.

[zhǎng] grow up

树长高了。[ shù zhǎng gāo le ] = The tree grew taller.