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❤️ 爱 (ài) to love
我爱我的家人。 — I love my family.
💡 The traditional form contains 心 (heart) inside — love comes from the heart.
👍 爱好 (ài hào) to like; to be fond of; to take pleasure in; to be keen on
8️⃣ 八 (bā) eight; 8
👨 爸 (bà) father; dad
👨 爸爸 (bà ba) (coll.) father; dad
吧 (bā) bar (loanword) (serving drinks, or providing Internet access etc)
白 (Bái) surname Bai
白天 (bái tiān) daytime; during the day
百 (Bǎi) surname Bai
班 (Bān) surname Ban
半 (bàn) half; semi-
📅 半年 (bàn nián) half a year
半天 (bàn tiān) half of the day
帮 (bāng) old variant of 帮
帮忙 (bāng máng) to help; to lend a hand
包 (Bāo) surname Bao
包子 (bāo zi) bao (steamed stuffed bun)
☕ 杯 (bēi) cup; trophy cup
☕ 杯子 (bēi zi) cup; glass
🧭 北 (běi) north; (classical) to be defeated
🧭 北边 (běi biān) north; north side
北京 (Běi jīng) Beijing, capital of the People's Republic of China
本 (běn) root; stem
📖 本子 (běn zi) book; notebook
比 (Bǐ) Belgium; Belgian
别 (Bié) surname Bie
别的 (bié de) else; other
别人 (bié ren) other people; others; other person
病 (bìng) illness; disease
病人 (bìng rén) sick person; patient
不 (bù) no; not
我不是老师。 — I am not a teacher.
💡 The all-purpose negation word — placed directly before the word it negates.
不大 (bù dà) not very; not too
不对 (bù duì) incorrect; wrong
不客气 (bù kè qi) you're welcome
不用 (bù yòng) need not
🍽️ 菜 (cài) dish (type of food)
🍵 茶 (chá) tea; tea plant
差 (chā) difference; discrepancy
常 (Cháng) surname Chang
常常 (cháng cháng) frequently; often
🎤 唱 (chàng) to sing; to call loudly
🎤 唱歌 (chàng gē) to sing a song
车 (Chē) surname Che
🎫 车票 (chē piào) ticket (for a bus or train)
🚗 车上 (chē shàng) Car
🚉 车站 (chē zhàn) rail station
🍽️ 吃 (chī) to eat
我们去吃饭吧。 — Let's go eat.
💡 Contains the "mouth" radical 口 — a character about the mouth doing something.
吃饭 (chī fàn) to have a meal
出 (chū) to go out; to come out
出来 (chū lái) to come out; to appear
出去 (chū qù) to go out
穿 (chuān) to wear; to put on
🛏️ 床 (chuáng) bed; couch
次 (cì) next in sequence
从 (cóng) variant of 从
错 (Cuò) surname Cuo
打 (dá) dozen (loanword)
🚕 打车 (dǎ chē) to take a taxi (in town)
📱 打电话 (dǎ diàn huà) to make a telephone call
🔓 打开 (dǎ kāi) to open; to show (a ticket)
🎮 打球 (dǎ qiú) to play ball
大 (dà) big; large; great
大学 (Dà xué) the Great Learning, one of the Four Books 四书 in Confucianism
🧑🎓 大学生 (dà xué shēng) university student
到 (dào) to reach; to arrive
地 (de) -ly; structural particle: used before a verb or adjective, linking it to preceding modifying adverbial adjunct
地点 (dì diǎn) place; site
地方 (dì fāng) region; regional (away from the central administration)
地上 (dì shang) on the ground
🗺️ 地图 (dì tú) map
的 (de) of; ~'s (possessive particle)
得到 (dé dào) to get; to obtain
等 (děng) class; rank
👦 弟 (dì) younger brother
👦 弟弟 (dì di) younger brother
第 (dì) (prefix indicating ordinal number, as in 六 "sixth")
第二 (dì èr) second; number two
点 (diǎn) point; dot
⚡ 电 (diàn) lightning; electricity
📱 电话 (diàn huà) telephone; phone call
💻 电脑 (diàn nǎo) computer
📺 电视 (diàn shì) television; TV
📺 电视机 (diàn shì jī) television set
🎬 电影 (diàn yǐng) movie; film
🎬 电影院 (diàn yǐng yuàn) cinema; movie theater
东 (Dōng) surname Dong
🧭 东边 (dōng bian) east; east side
东西 (dōng xī) east and west
动 (dòng) (of sth) to move
动作 (dòng zuò) movement; motion; action
都 (Dū) surname Du
读 (dòu) comma; phrase marked by pause
📖 读书 (dú shū) to read a book
➡️ 对 (duì) right; correct
对不起 (duì bu qǐ) I'm sorry; excuse me; I beg your pardon
多 (duō) many; much; too many; in excess
🔢 多少 (duō shǎo) number; amount
饿 (è) to be hungry
👦 儿子 (ér zi) son
2️⃣ 二 (èr) two; 2
🍚 饭 (fàn) cooked rice; meal
🍽️ 饭店 (fàn diàn) restaurant; hotel
🚪 房间 (fáng jiān) room
🏠 房子 (fáng zi) house; building (single- or two-story)
放 (fàng) to put; to place
🎉 放假 (fàng jià) to have a holiday or vacation
放学 (fàng xué) to dismiss students at the end of the school day
🛫 飞 (fēi) to fly
✈️ 飞机 (fēi jī) airplane
非常 (fēi cháng) very; really
分 (fēn) to divide; to separate
🌬️ 风 (fēng) wind; news
干 (gān) old variant of 干
干净 (gān jìng) clean; neat
干什么 (gàn shén me) what are you doing?
高 (Gāo) surname Gao
😄 高兴 (gāo xìng) happy; glad
告诉 (gào sù) to press charges; to file a complaint
哥 (gē) elder brother
👦 哥哥 (gē ge) older brother
🎵 歌 (gē) song; to sing
个 (gě) used in 自个儿
给 (gěi) to; for
跟 (gēn) heel; to follow closely
工人 (gōng rén) worker
💼 工作 (gōng zuò) to work; (of a machine) to operate
关 (Guān) surname Guan
🔒 关上 (guān shàng) to close (a door)
贵 (guì) expensive; noble
国 (Guó) surname Guo
🌏 国家 (guó jiā) country; nation; state
国外 (guó wài) abroad; external (affairs)
过 (Guō) surname Guo
还 (Huán) surname Huan
还是 (hái shi) still (as before)
还有 (hái yǒu) furthermore; in addition
🧒 孩子 (hái zi) child
🗣️ 汉语 (Hàn yǔ) Chinese language
汉字 (hàn zì) Chinese character
好 (hǎo) good; appropriate; proper
好吃 (hǎo chī) tasty; delicious
好看 (hǎo kàn) good-looking
好听 (hǎo tīng) pleasant to hear
好玩儿 (hǎo wán r) erhua variant of 好玩
号 (háo) roar; cry
🥤 喝 (hē) to drink
你想喝什么? — What would you like to drink?
💡 Also contains 口 (mouth) — easy to confuse with 吃 (eat) at first, so learn them as a pair.
和 (hé) old variant of 和
很 (hěn) (adverb of degree)
后 (Hòu) surname Hou
后边 (hòu bian) the back; the rear; the last bit
📅 后天 (hòu tiān) the day after tomorrow
花 (Huā) surname Hua
话 (huà) dialect; language
坏 (huài) bad; spoiled
回 (huí) to circle; to go back
回答 (huí dá) to reply; to answer
回到 (huí dào) to return to
🏠 回家 (huí jiā) to return home
回来 (huí lai) to return; to come back
回去 (huí qu) to return; to go back
会 (huì) can; to have the skill; to know how to
🚆 火车 (huǒ chē) train
✈️ 机场 (jī chǎng) airport; airfield
🎫 机票 (jī piào) air ticket; passenger ticket
🥚 鸡蛋 (jī dàn) (chicken) egg
🪑 几 (jī) small table
记 (jì) to record; to note
记得 (jì de) to remember
记住 (jì zhu) to remember; to bear in mind
🏠 家 (jiā) home; family
我家有四口人。 — There are four people in my family.
💡 The character shows a roof (宀) over a pig (豕) — historically, a home meant keeping livestock.
🏠 家里 (jiā lǐ) home
👨👩👧 家人 (jiā rén) family member
间 (jiān) between; among
👀 见 (jiàn) to see; to meet
见面 (jiàn miàn) to meet; to see each other
叫 (jiào) to shout; to call
教 (Jiào) surname Jiao
教学楼 (jiào xué lóu) teaching block
介绍 (jiè shào) to introduce (sb to sb)
👧 姐 (jiě) older sister
👧 姐姐 (jiě jie) older sister
📅 今年 (jīn nián) this year
📅 今天 (jīntiān) today
今天天气很好。 — The weather is nice today.
💡 今 (present/now) + 天 (day) — "this day".
进 (jìn) to go forward
进来 (jìn lái) to come in
进去 (jìn qù) to go in
9️⃣ 九 (jiǔ) nine; 9
就 (jiù) (after a suppositional clause) in that case; then
🤔 觉得 (jué de) to think that ...; to feel that ...
🔓 开 (kāi) to open (transitive or intransitive)
🚗 开车 (kāi chē) to drive a car
🧑🤝🧑 开会 (kāi huì) to hold a meeting
🎮 开玩笑 (kāi wán xiào) to play a joke
👀 看 (kān) to look after
🧑⚕️ 看病 (kàn bìng) to visit a doctor
👀 看到 (kàn dào) to see
👀 看见 (kàn jiàn) to see; to catch sight of
考 (kǎo) to beat; to hit
📝 考试 (kǎo shì) to take an exam
渴 (kě) thirsty
课 (kè) subject; course
课本 (kè běn) textbook
课文 (kè wén) text
👄 口 (kǒu) mouth; classifier for things with mouths (people, domestic animals, cannons, wells etc)
块 (kuài) lump; chunk; piece
快 (kuài) rapid; quick
来 (lái) to come; (used as a substitute for a more specific verb)
来到 (lái dào) to arrive; to come
老 (lǎo) prefix used before the surname of a person or a numeral indicating the order of birth of the children in a family or to indicate affection or familiarity
👩 老人 (lǎo rén) old man or woman
🧑🏫 老师 (lǎoshī) teacher
王老师教我们中文。 — Teacher Wang teaches us Chinese.
💡 老 (old/experienced) + 师 (master) — an experienced master of a subject.
了 (le) (completed action marker)
累 (lěi) to accumulate
冷 (Lěng) surname Leng
里 (lǐ) variant of 里
里边 (lǐ bian) inside
2️⃣ 两 (liǎng) two; both
0️⃣ 零 (líng) zero; nought
6️⃣ 六 (liù) six; 6
楼 (Lóu) surname Lou
楼上 (lóu shàng) upstairs; (Internet slang) previous poster in a forum thread
楼下 (lóu xià) downstairs
路 (Lù) surname Lu
路口 (lù kǒu) crossing; intersection (of roads)
🛣️ 路上 (lù shang) on the road; on a journey
妈 (mā) ma; mom
妈妈 (mā ma) mama; mommy
🛣️ 马路 (mǎ lù) street; road
马上 (mǎ shàng) at once; right away
吗 (má) (coll.) what?
🛒 买 (mǎi) to buy; to purchase
慢 (màn) slow
忙 (máng) busy; hurriedly
毛 (Máo) surname Mao
没 (méi) (negative prefix for verbs) have not; not
没关系 (méi guān xi) it doesn't matter
没什么 (méi shén me) nothing; it doesn't matter
⏰ 没事儿 (méi shì r) to have spare time
没有 (méi yǒu) haven't; hasn't
👧 妹 (mèi) younger sister
👧 妹妹 (mèi mei) younger sister
门 (Mén) surname Men
门口 (mén kǒu) doorway; gate
🎫 门票 (mén piào) ticket (for theater, cinema etc)
们 (men) plural marker for pronouns, and nouns referring to individuals
🍚 米饭 (mǐ fàn) (cooked) rice
🍞 面包 (miàn bāo) bread
面条儿 (miàn tiáo r) erhua variant of 面条
名字 (míng zi) name (of a person or thing)
明白 (míng bai) clear; obvious
📅 明年 (míng nián) next year
📅 明天 (míngtiān) tomorrow
我们明天见。 — See you tomorrow.
💡 明 (bright/next) + 天 (day) — the "next bright day".
拿 (ná) old variant of 拿
哪 (nǎ) how; which
哪儿 (nǎ r) where?; wherever; anywhere; somewhere
哪里 (nǎ lǐ) where?; somewhere
哪些 (nǎ xiē) which ones?; who?
那 (Nā) surname Na
那边 (nà bian) over there; yonder
那儿 (nà r) there
那里 (nà li) there; that place
那些 (nà xiē) those
奶 (nǎi) breast; milk
奶奶 (nǎi nai) (informal) grandma (paternal grandmother)
男 (nán) male; Baron, lowest of five orders of nobility 位
男孩儿 (nán hái r) erhua variant of 男孩
男朋友 (nán péng you) boyfriend
👨 男人 (nán rén) a man; a male
男生 (nán shēng) schoolboy; male student
南 (Nán) surname Nan
🧭 南边 (nán bian) south; south side
难 (nán) difficult (to...)
呢 (ne) particle indicating that a previously asked question is to be applied to the preceding word ("What about ...?", "And ...?")
能 (Néng) surname Neng
你 (nǐ) you
你叫什么名字? — What is your name?
💡 Contains the "person" radical 亻— a character about a person you're speaking to.
你们 (nǐ men) you (plural)
年 (Nián) surname Nian
您 (nín) you (courteous, as opposed to informal 你)
🥛 牛奶 (niú nǎi) cow's milk
女 (nǚ) female; woman
👧 女儿 (nǚ ér) daughter
女孩儿 (nǚ hái r) erhua variant of 女孩
女朋友 (nǚ péng you) girlfriend
👩 女人 (nǚ rén) woman
女生 (nǚ shēng) schoolgirl; female student
旁边 (páng biān) side; adjacent place
跑 (páo) (of an animal) to paw (the ground)
🧑🤝🧑 朋友 (péngyou) friend
她是我最好的朋友。 — She is my best friend.
💡 Both characters relate to closeness and companionship.
🎫 票 (piào) ticket; ballot
7️⃣ 七 (qī) seven; 7
起 (qǐ) to rise; to raise
🛏️ 起床 (qǐ chuáng) to get out of bed
🧍 起来 (qǐ lai) to stand up; to get up
🚗 汽车 (qì chē) car; automobile
前 (qián) front; forward
前边 (qián bian) front; the front side
📅 前天 (qián tiān) the day before yesterday
钱 (Qián) surname Qian
钱包 (qián bāo) purse; wallet
请 (qǐng) to ask; to invite
请假 (qǐng jià) to request leave of absence
请进 (qǐng jìn) "please come in"
请问 (qǐng wèn) Excuse me, may I ask...?
请坐 (qǐng zuò) please, have a seat
⚽ 球 (qiú) ball; sphere
去 (qù) to go; to go to (a place)
📅 去年 (qù nián) last year
热 (rè) to warm up; to heat up
人 (rén) person; people
认识 (rèn shi) to know; to recognize
认真 (rèn zhēn) conscientious
日 (Rì) abbr. for 本, Japan
日期 (rì qī) date
🥩 肉 (ròu) meat; flesh
三 (Sān) surname San
山 (Shān) surname Shan
商场 (shāng chǎng) shopping mall
🏪 商店 (shāng diàn) store; shop
上 (shǎng) used in 上声
💼 上班 (shàng bān) to go to work
上边 (shàng bian) the top; above
上车 (shàng chē) to get on or into (a bus, train, car etc)
⏰ 上次 (shàng cì) last time
上课 (shàng kè) to go to class
上网 (shàng wǎng) to go online
🌅 上午 (shàng wǔ) morning
🏫 上学 (shàng xué) to go to school
少 (shǎo) few; less
身上 (shēn shang) on the body; at hand
身体 (shēn tǐ) the body; one's health
什么 (shén me) what?; something
生病 (shēng bìng) to fall ill
😠 生气 (shēng qì) to get angry
🎂 生日 (shēng rì) birthday
🔟 十 (shí) ten; 10
⏰ 时候 (shí hou) time; length of time
⏰ 时间 (shí jiān) time; period
事 (shì) matter; thing
试 (shì) to test; to try
是 (shì) to be; is/am/are
这是我的书。 — This is my book.
💡 One of the most frequent characters in Chinese — the equivalent of "to be".
是不是 (shì bù shì) is or isn't; yes or no
✋ 手 (shǒu) hand; (formal) to hold
📱 手机 (shǒu jī) cell phone; mobile phone
书 (Shū) abbr. for 书经
书包 (shū bāo) schoolbag; satchel
书店 (shū diàn) bookstore
🌳 树 (shù) tree; to cultivate
谁 (shéi) who; also pr. [shuí]
💧 水 (shuǐ) water
请给我一杯水。 — Please give me a glass of water.
💡 A pictographic character — the strokes resemble flowing water.
🍎 水果 (shuǐ guǒ) fruit
😴 睡 (shuì) to sleep; to lie down
🛏️ 睡觉 (shuì jiào) to go to bed
说 (shuì) to persuade
🗣️ 说话 (shuō huà) to speak; to say
4️⃣ 四 (sì) four; 4
📤 送 (sòng) to send; to deliver; to transmit
📅 岁 (suì) variant of 岁, year
他 (tā) he; him
他是我的朋友。 — He is my friend.
💡 Same sound as 她 (she) — context and the radical tell them apart.
他们 (tā men) they
她 (tā) she
她们 (tā men) they; them (for females)
太 (tài) highest; greatest
天 (tiān) day; sky
🌤️ 天气 (tiān qì) weather
😊 听 (yǐn) smile (archaic)
听到 (tīng dào) to hear
听见 (tīng jiàn) to hear
✍️ 听写 (tīng xiě) (of a pupil) to write down (in a dictation exercise)
📖 同学 (tóng xué) to study at the same school
📚 图书馆 (tú shū guǎn) library
外 (wài) outside; in addition
外边 (wài bian) outside; outer surface
外国 (wài guó) foreign (country)
🗣️ 外语 (wài yǔ) foreign language
🎮 玩儿 (wán r) to play; to have fun
🌆 晚 (wǎn) evening; night
🌆 晚饭 (wǎn fàn) evening meal
🌆 晚上 (wǎn shang) evening; night
网上 (wǎng shàng) online
🧑🤝🧑 网友 (wǎng yǒu) online friend
忘 (wàng) to forget; to overlook
忘记 (wàng jì) to forget
问 (wèn) to ask; to inquire
我 (wǒ) I; me
我是学生。 — I am a student.
💡 One of the first characters most learners memorize — think of the slanted strokes as arms pointing to "me".
我们 (wǒ men) we; us
5️⃣ 五 (wǔ) five; 5
🍱 午饭 (wǔ fàn) lunch
🧼 洗 (xǐ) to wash; to bathe
洗手间 (xǐ shǒu jiān) toilet; lavatory
👍 喜欢 (xǐhuan) to like
我喜欢学习中文。 — I like studying Chinese.
💡 Softer than 爱 (love) — use 喜欢 for hobbies, food, and things you enjoy.
西 (Xī) the West; abbr. for Spain 牙
🧭 西边 (xī biān) west; west side
⬇️ 下 (xià) down; downwards
下班 (xià bān) to finish work
下边 (xià bian) under; the underside
下车 (xià chē) to get off or out of (a bus, train, car etc)
⏰ 下次 (xià cì) next time
下课 (xià kè) to finish class
🌇 下午 (xià wǔ) afternoon; p.m.
🌧️ 下雨 (xià yǔ) to rain
先 (xiān) early; prior
🧑🏫 先生 (xiān sheng) teacher; gentleman; sir; mister (Mr.)
现在 (xiàn zài) now; at present
🤔 想 (xiǎng) to think (about)
小 (xiǎo) small; tiny
小孩儿 (xiǎo hái r) erhua variant of 小孩
小姐 (xiǎo jie) young lady; miss
🧒 小朋友 (xiǎo péng yǒu) child
⏰ 小时 (xiǎo shí) hour
🏫 小学 (xiǎo xué) elementary school; primary school
🧑🎓 小学生 (xiǎo xué shēng) primary school student
笑 (xiào) old variant of 笑
✍️ 写 (xiě) to write
谢谢 (xièxie) thank you
谢谢你的帮助。 — Thank you for your help.
💡 The character repeats itself — easy to remember as a doubled, emphatic "thanks, thanks".
新 (Xīn) abbr. for Xinjiang 疆 or Singapore 坡
🎊 新年 (xīn nián) New Year
📅 星期 (xīng qī) week; day of the week
星期日 (Xīng qī rì) Sunday
星期天 (Xīng qī tiān) Sunday
行 (háng) row; line
休息 (xiū xi) rest; to rest
📖 学 (xué) to learn; to study
🧑🎓 学生 (xuésheng) student
他是一个好学生。 — He is a good student.
💡 学 (study) + 生 (person/life) — a person who studies.
📖 学习 (xuéxí) to study; to learn
我每天学习汉语。 — I study Chinese every day.
💡 学 (learn) + 习 (practice) — learning through repeated practice.
🏫 学校 (xué xiào) school
学院 (xué yuàn) college; educational institute
要 (yāo) (bound form) to demand; to coerce
也 (Yě) surname Ye
🧠 页 (xié) head
👨 爷爷 (yé ye) (coll.) father's father
1️⃣ 一 (yī) one; single
一半 (yī bàn) half
一边 (yī biān) one side; either side
一点儿 (yī diǎn r) erhua variant of 一点
一会儿 (yī huì r) a moment; a while
一块儿 (yī kuài r) erhua variant of 一块
一起 (yī qǐ) in the same place
一下儿 (yī xià r) erhua variant of 一下
一些 (yī xiē) some; a few
一样 (yī yàng) same; like
👕 衣服 (yī fu) clothes
🧑⚕️ 医生 (yī shēng) doctor
🏥 医院 (yī yuàn) hospital
用 (yòng) to use; to employ
有 (yǒu) to have; there is
有的 (yǒu de) (there are) some (who are...)
有名 (yǒu míng) famous; well-known
有时 (yǒu shí) sometimes; now and then
有时候 (yǒu shí hou) sometimes
有些 (yǒu xiē) some; somewhat
有一些 (yǒu yī xiē) somewhat; rather
有用 (yǒu yòng) useful
➡️ 右 (yòu) (bound form) right; right-hand side
右边 (yòu bian) right side; right, to the right
🌧️ 雨 (yǔ) rain
元 (Yuán) surname Yuan
远 (yuǎn) far; distant
🌙 月 (yuè) moon; month
再 (zài) again; once more; re-
再见 (zàijiàn) goodbye
明天见,再见! — See you tomorrow, bye!
💡 再 (again) + 见 (see/meet) — "see you again".
在 (zài) to exist; to be alive
🏠 在家 (zài jiā) to be at home
早 (zǎo) early; morning
🍳 早饭 (zǎo fàn) breakfast
🌅 早上 (zǎo shang) early morning
怎么 (zěn me) how?; what?
🚉 站 (zhàn) station; to stand
找 (zhǎo) to try to find
找到 (zhǎo dào) to find
这 (zhè) (pronoun) this; these
这边 (zhè biān) this side; here
这儿 (zhè r) here
这里 (zhè lǐ) variant of 这里
这些 (zhè xiē) these
着 (zhāo) (chess) move
真 (zhēn) really; truly
真的 (zhēn de) really, truly, indeed
📅 正 (zhēng) first month of the lunar year
正在 (zhèng zài) just at (that time)
知道 (zhī dào) to know; to become aware of
知识 (zhī shi) knowledge; intellectual
中 (Zhōng) China; Chinese
中国 (Zhōng guó) China
中间 (zhōng jiān) the middle; the inside
🗣️ 中文 (Zhōng wén) Chinese language
中午 (zhōng wǔ) noon; midday
🏫 中学 (zhōng xué) middle school
🧑🎓 中学生 (zhōng xué shēng) middle-school student
重 (chóng) to repeat; repetition
重要 (zhòng yào) important; significant
住 (zhù) to live; to dwell
准备 (zhǔn bèi) preparation; to prepare
🪑 桌子 (zhuō zi) table; desk
字 (zì) letter; symbol
👦 子 (zǐ) son; child
🚶 走 (zǒu) to walk; to go
🚶 走路 (zǒu lù) to walk; to go on foot
最 (zuì) variant of 最
最好 (zuì hǎo) best; (you) had better (do what we suggest)
最后 (zuì hòu) final; last
📅 昨天 (zuó tiān) yesterday
左 (Zuǒ) surname Zuo
⬅️ 左边 (zuǒ bian) left; the left side
坐 (Zuò) surname Zuo
🪑 坐下 (zuò xia) to sit down
做 (zuò) to make; to produce