The most common Chinese characters in order of frequency

Seq.num. Character Pronunciations and explanations 1 [de] <grammatical particle marking genitive as well as simple and composed adjectives>; wde my; gode high, tall; shde that's it, that's right; ... sh...de one who...; . T sh shu Hnyde. He is one who speaks Chinese. [d] md goal [d] true, real; dqu certainly [y] one, a little; d-y first, primary; knykn have a (quick) look at [y] (used before tone #4); y g rn one person; ydng certain; yyng same; yyu January [y] (used before tones #2 and #3); ydinr a little; yxi some {Compare with (F ) yo, which also means "one"} [sh] to be, ? shbush? is (it) or is (it) not?; shfu whether or not, is (it) or is (it) not? [b] not [b] (used before tone #4); b sh isn't [le] <verb particle marking a new situation or a completed action>; ! N lile! You have come! ! W lile! I've gotten tired! ! N hole! That's OK (now)! . W zh qngle y wi kren. I invited only one guest. [lio] end, finish, settle, dispose of, know clearly, to be able, (= lioji) understand, comprehend; liolia clearly understand, settle (a debt/etc.), to be intelligent; liole to be over/ended/finnish/settled; ! N mi blio! You will not be able to sell (it)! [lio] (= lia) to survey/watch {Compare with z child} [rn] person; rnli humankind; ? yu rn ma? Is there anybody here? {Compare with r enter} [w] I, me, my; wmen we, us {Compare with zho seek} [zi] at; xinzi now; cnzi exist [yu] have, there is; miyu haven't, there isn't; ? Yumiyu? Is there or isn't there? Have (you) or haven't (you)?; yude some [yu] (= yu) again, both... and...

(A )

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11 12

[t] he, him, his, (she, her, it, its), (= qt) other [tu] (in classical texts) someone else, something else [zh] this; zhr here [zhi] this (before classifier) [zhng] middle, in; Zhnggu China [zhng] hit (a target) [d] big; ? dud? how large?; dxio size; dji everybody [di] difu doctor {Compare with ti very and m tree} [li] come; yunli originally, as a matter of fact; linin coming/next year(s) [lai] (when used as a verb complement); qlai get up [shng] above, on, over, top, (go) up, last, previous [shng] shngshng 3rd tone in Mandarin [shang] (when used as a verb complement) {Compare with xi under} [gu] (= guji) country, state, nation, <family name>; Zhnggu China; Migu USA [g] <general and non-specific classifier>; grn personal; grnzhy personal homepage [g] zg oneself [do] to, towards, until, arrive, reach

(F )

13

14

(F )

15

16 17

(F ) (F , )

18 19

(F ) (F ) (F )

[shu] explain, scold, refer to, (= shuhu) speak, say; yushu persuade [shu] try to persuade; yushu lobbying [men] <pluralizing suffix for pronouns and nouns referring to persons>; wmen we; rnmen people, persons [wi] for, for the sake of, in order to, in this connection [wi] do, act, act as, be, become; rnwi think or believe that...; ywi think or believe erroneously that... {Compare with bn do} [z] child, son; zn sons and daughters; rzi son [zi] (noun suffix); zhuzi table {Compare with le <particle>} [h] together, with, (F ) harmony, gentle, mild, kind, <family name>; hpng peace [H] Japan [huo] nunhuo nice and warm [h] join in singing, compose a poem in reply [hu] mix with water [hu] mix, blend [h] complete a set in Mahjong

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[n] (Alternative feminine form: n) you, your; nmen you (plural) [d] earth, ground, soil, place, position, distance; dzh the Twelve Terrestrial Branches [de] <adverbial particle: descripion + + verb>, ~ly; kuide zu walk quickly [ch] go out, come out, in direction out from something, emit, issue, prouce; chxin appear, emerge, (F ) <classifier for operas and plays> [do] way, path, channel, way, say, a streak (of light), doctrine, <classifier for rivers, topics, etc.>, (= Dojio) Taoism; zhdao know [do] (= do) lead; = lngdo leader [y] also, as well; yx perhaps [sh] period, season, (= shjin, = shhou) time, (= xiosh) hour [nin] year, <family name>; jnnin this year; mngnin next year; qnin last year; zhngnin middle age [de] <adverbial particle: verb + + descripion>; zude kui walk quickly [d] get, reach, achieve [di] should [ji] just, simply, right away; jiyo about to (do something); ! Zh jish w! This is simply me!; . T jiyo q. He is about to leave. [n] that [ni] that (before classifier) [nu] chnnu deep meditation [nu] wnu helpless, unfortunately [n] (= n) what? [ni] (= ni before classifier) which? [yo] want, will, shall, need, important, essential; zhyo main, fundamental [yo] yoqi demand [xi] below, under, (go) down, next (as opposed to previous/last) {Compare with shng above} [y] use, take, according to, because of, in order to; ky OK, may; suy so, therefore, as a result; ywi beyond, except [shng] give birth, life; xinsheng mister, gentleman, Sir [hu] can, able, meet, meeting, society, union, party [kui] kuij accounting

26

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29 30

(F )

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33

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35

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38

(F )

[hu] hur moment 39

40

[z] from, since, (= zj) self; zrn nature {Compare with m eye and bi white} [zhe] <verb particle marking a continuing progress/state> [zho] touch [zhu] wear clothes, dress, touch [zho] put in, add, (F ) make move in chess, trick, decieve [q] go, leave, depart (opposite of li) [zh] <subordinator similar to de>, it (in classical texts) [gu] pass, cross, go by, exceed, <verb particle marking that someone has had the experience of doing something, that it has happened at least once>; gu ml cross the street; . w qguo Zhnggu ling c. I have gone to China twice. [ji] home, house, family; guji nation; dji everybody [jie] zhngtinjie all day long; jil (at) home, (in the) family [xu] study, learn; xuxio school; xusheng student {Compare with z written character} [du] correct, answer, treat, agree, mutual, pair; dubuq excuse me [k] ~able, (= ky) may, can, (= ksh) but, however; k'i loveable, cute; k'nng possible, probable, maybe; kkukl Coca Cola [k] khn khan [t] she, her

(F )

41

42

43

(F )

44

45 46 47

(F ) (F )

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50

[l] neighbourhood, half kilometer, <family name>, (F ,) in, inside, lining; ? nli? where?; nli there; zhli here [hu] queen, (F ) after, behind, <family name>; hutin the day after tomorrow [xio] small; dxio size [me/mo] (F ,) (interrogative suffix) ? shnme? what?; ? wishnme? why? ! mi shnme! It doesn't matter!, Never mind!; ? znme? how? [yo] (S ) youngest, one (e.g. in bus/house/phone numbers) [xn] heart; xioxn be careful; xnl psychology, mentality; zhngxn center [du] many, much, more; dud how large?; dusho how many/much? [tin] sky, heaven, god, day, (= tinkng) sky; tinq weather

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{ tingn the Ten Heavenly Stems: jiy-bng-dng-w-j-gng-xn-rn-gu (these characters are sometimes used as ordinal numbers} {Compare with f man and w without} 56

57

[r] (= rqi) and, furthermore, (= rn'r) yet, even so [nng] can, be able; nnggu be capable of; k'nng maybe [ho] good, good to..., easy to...; ! Nho! Hello! [ho] to like [ho] hohor in perfectly good condition [du] all [d] (= shud) capital city [rn] right, correct, so, like that; surn although; hrn suddenly; dngrn of course; zrn nature [mi] (= miyu) haven't, there isn't; ? Yumiyu? Is there or isn't there? Have (you) or haven't (you)? [m] sink, overflow, disappear, confiscate [r] sun, (= rzi) day; rj diary; rgung sunlight {Compare with yu say, m eye and gn sweet} [y] <family name>, (F ) in, at, for, to, from, by, than {Compare with qin thousand and gn stem} [q] rise, start; qlai get up; dubuq excuse me [qi] (when used as a verb complement) [hi] still, yet [hun] return, give back [f] (F ) deliver, utter, express, shoot, emit, develop, expand [f] (F ) hair [fa] (F ) tufa hair [chng] (= chngwi, = binchng) become, <family name>; chnggng succeed; wnchng accomplish, complete, fulfill; chngy idiom [sh] matter, affair, thing, event, accident, job, responsibility; shqing situation [zh] only, just, merely, <classifier implying "one of a pair", animals, vessels, utensils, etc.>; y zh mo a cat [zh] (F ) single, one, only {Compare with xing brother} [zu] do, make; gngzu work; zuy homework [zu] zujian spoil, waste, humiliate, insult [zu] do [dng] (F ) serve as, (F ) ding-dong [dng] (F ) proper, right, equal, (= dngzu) treat as, regard

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(F )

62 63

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65 66

(F )

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(F )

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as 72 [xing] think, feel, consider, want, remember

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[kn] see, look at, read, think, consider [kn] look after, tend; knshu guard [wn] language, literature, <family name>; wnhu culture; Zhngwn Chinese (written) language [w] without, nothingness, have not [m] nnm <Sanskrit> to give oneself totally to {Compare with tin heaven} [ki] open; kish begin dki open, unfold [kai] (when used as a verb complement) {Compare with bng combine} [shu] hand, a person skilled in something; hushu wave; pishu clap; wshu shake/clasp hands {Compare with mo hair} [sh] ten; shsn thirteen; wsh fifty; shyu October [yng] use; hoyng useful; byng there's no need; shyng use, apply {Compare with shui swing} [zh] lord, master, host, god, (= zhyo) main, primary; zhy doctrine, ~ism; zhy homepage {Compare with wng king} [xng] go, OK; xngdng action, operation, move, get about, act [hng] line; ynhng bank; hngy profession [hng] shhngzi rows of trees [hng] (phonetic radical) [fng] side, square; dfang place; fngmin aspect {Compare with wn ten thousand} [yu] again, both... and...

75

(F ) (F )

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(A )

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[r] like, as, as if, (= rgu) if; rc like this [qin] in front, previous, ago, former, first; the day before yesterday [su] place; suy so, therefore; suyu all; csu toilet [bn] basis, origin, edition, <classifier for books, periodicals, files, etc.>; bnrn I, me, myself; Rbn Japan {Compare with m tree} [jin] appear to be, meet with, call on, (= knjian) see;

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(F )

yjian idea, view, opinion; tngjin hear [xin] show, appear, become visible {Compare with bi shellfish} 89

(F )

[jng] longitude (both geographic and in Chinese medecin), scripture, constant, regular, <family name>, deal with, (= jngj) manage (a business); yjing already; jnggu pass, go through; jngyn experience; jngyu via, by way of; jngchng frequent, daily; Yjng Book of Changes; [tu] head, top, first, <classifier for livestock, garlic, etc.>; tufa hair [tou] shtou stone [min] face, surface, <classifier for mirrors, flags, etc.>, (F ) wheat flour, (= mintio) noodle; minbo bread [gng] public, official; gngl kilometer; bnggngsh office; gngs company; gnggng public, communal, common; gnggngqch (public) bus; Lgng (honorable and old) Mr Li [tng] same, with; tngzh comrade [tng] (F ) htng lane [sn] three; d-sn shji 3rd World; snyu March [y] stop, cease, end, (= yjng) already {Compare with j self, which is "open" on the left side} [lo] old, venerable, outdated; losh teacher; loh tiger; lo Zhng old Zhang = dear (friend) Mr Zhang [cng] from, through, join, follower, secondary [cng] hicngcng murky [dng] move, change, arouce; dngw animal; hudng activity; yndng sports [ling] two (before classifier), 50 grams [chng] long, lasting, length [zhng] grow up, chief, head, older, elder

90

(F )

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(A )

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97 98 99 100

(F ) (F ) (F ) (F )