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Most Common Chinese Characters List

It’s often the most challenging part for Chinese learners that is mastering the Chinese characters. No matter its formation or memorizing methods, they are all different from other languages. Don’t be frustrated! As one of the most ancient and long-live characters system, Chinese characters have their combination logic. Only if you understand it, Chinese characters can be much more accessible. One of the most practical toolkits is analyzing each character as if you are playing the Lego game. Chinese characters are a combination of various character components. One of the key components is called Chinese radical, which is used to index Chinese characters. The radicals often indicate certain meanings of the characters. Therefore, it’s an efficient method to learn and memorize Chinese characters by radicals. Here is the daily used Chinese Characters List, which is categorized by frequently used radicals. You can also feel free to download both simplified and traditional Chinese characters list PDF versions.

400+ Most Common Chinese Characters List

“mouth” Radical: 口

No.CharactersPinyinDefinition
1kǒumouth
2huíto whirl
3pǐnproduct
4chàngto sing
5mayes or no question particle
6habreath out
7balet us (do something.)
8newhat about?
9jiàoto call
10gàoto tell
11chīto eat
12chuīto blow

“speech” Radical: 讠

No.CharactersPinyinDefinition
13rènto recognize
14shíto be aware
15lesson
16tǎoto denounce
17lùnto discuss
18jiǎngto talk
19shuōto speak
20tánto talk
21ràngto let
22shìto try
23word
24shīpoem
25to miss; misunderstand

“walk” Radical: 辶

No.CharactersPinyinDefinition
26to reach
27jìnto enter
28hái / huánstill / to return
29yuǎnfar
30to get lost
31to approach
32退tuìto move back
33chíto walk slowly
34xùnfast
35fǎnto go back
36liánto link
37zhèthis
38biānside
39yùnTransport
40sònggive away
41xuǎnselect
42táoescape
43tōngthrough
44yáoremote

“Ice” Radical: 冫

No.CharactersPinyinDefinition
45bīngice
46lěngcold
47dōngwinter
48liángcool
49dòngto freeze
50lièvery cold
51jiǎnto decrease
52zhǔnlevel, standard
53juéto decide
54jìngclean
55kuàngcondition, situation

“Water” Radical: 氵

No.CharactersPinyinDefinition
56hànHan nationality
57hànsweat
58lèitears
59hǎisea
60jiāngRiver
61River
62lake
63to wash
64Creek
65tāngsoup
66qīngclear
67law
68shāsand
69chénto sink
70vapor
71pàobubble
72huóto live
73nóngconcentrated
74dànlight
75jiāoPouring
76làngwave
77bath
78shēndeep
79qiǎnshallow
80jiàngradually
81wēntemperature
82yóutour
83mǎnfull
84yǎnto play, to act
85excite
86bào / pùrainstorm / waterfall

“Water” Radical: 灬

No.CharactersPinyinDefinition
87diǎnpoint
88heat
89lièstrong
90ránOf course
91jiānFry
92xióngBear
93shú / shóufamiliar/ cooked
94yànSwallow
95zhǔto boil
96áoboil
97jiāofocal

“Wood” Radical: 木

No.CharactersPinyinDefinition
98běnbasis, origin
99wèinot yet
100end
101shùTechnique
102machine
103shākill
104quánright
105miscellaneous
106duǒ(measure word for flower)
107láiCome
108Lee, plum
109cūnvillage
110cáimaterial
111guǒfruit
112línforest
113sēnforest
114sōngloose
115bǎnboard
116qiānggun
117zhībranch
118fēngmaple
119liǔwillow
120Withered
121gēnroot
122grid
123qiáobridge
124táoPeach
125cháifirewood
126tǒngbarrel
127(measure word for tree)
128lóufloor, building

“Hand” Radical: 扌

No.CharactersPinyinDefinition
129hit
130rēngthrow
131pull down, cling to
132tuōdrag
133tuōCare
134sǎosweep
135kòubuckle
136kànganti-
137kángCarry
138(grammar particle)
139bàohold, hug
140bàoReport
141zhǎoFind
142squeeze
143Skill
144Protect
145tóucast
146zhuāGrab
147qiǎngrob
148Pull
149lánbar, block, hinder
150zhǐindicate
151huànchange
152jiēPick up
153miáoTrace
154mention
155yáoshake
156rub

“Grass” Radical: 艹

No.CharactersPinyinDefinition
157art
158jiéSection
159mángmango
160huāflower, to spend
161cǎograss
162bud
163bitter
164píng(kind of grass)
165yàomedicine
166chátea
167dàngswing
168càidish
169luòdrop
170báo / bóthin / slight

“Person” Radical: 亻

No.CharactersPinyinDefinition
171shénWhat
172huàTurn into
173réngstill
174jǐnonly
175chóuhatred
176he
177menplural form
178dàigeneration
179xiānImmortal
180jiànPieces
181jiàprice
182yōuexcellent
183you
184dànbut
185zhùlive
186wèi(measure word for person)
187low
188bànCompanion
189使shǐto make, to let
190xìnletter
191便biàn / piánso that, cheap
192bǎoGuarantee
193xiūrepair
194liǎtwo, both
195dǎo / dàofall/ pour
196jièborrow
197zuòdo
198jiǎ / jiàfake/ vacation
199tíngstop
200tōusteal
201piānPartial, have had
202xiàngimage
203sēngmonk

“double person” Radical: 彳

No.CharactersPinyinDefinition
204háng / xíngRow/ walk, conduct
205chèthorough
206wǎngto
207hěnvery
208de(grammar particle)
209German, morals

“Female” Radical: 女

No.CharactersPinyinDefinition
210mom
211nǎimilk; grandma
212she was
213hǎo / hàogood/ like
214Such as
215woman
216yāoDemon
217jiěelder sister
218mèiyounger sister
219shǐbeginning
220xìngsurname
221baby
222niángmother
223hūnmarriage
224grandma
225Marry (man)
226yīnginfant
227jiàmarry (woman)

“Insect” Radical: 虫

No.CharactersPinyinDefinition
228hóngrainbow
229ant
230xiāshrimp
231shésnake
232diébutterfly
233xiècrab
234fēngbee

“Earth” Radical: 土

No.CharactersPinyinDefinition
235dì / deGround/ grammar partical
236cháng / chǎngmarket, site, spot
237kuàiPiece
238jiānFirm
239huàiBad
240zhǐsite
241chéngcity
242tower
243duīstack
244qiángwall
245jìngterritory
246zēngincrease

“Fire” Radical: 火

No.CharactersPinyinDefinition
247dēnglight
248huīgray
249zāidisaster
250cànbrilliant
251lànrotten
252furnace
253yáninflammation
254chuīCooking
255zháFried
256yānsmoke
257fánbother
258shāoburn
259kǎogrilled
260zhúcandle
261bàoburst

“Heart” Radical: 忄

No.CharactersPinyinDefinition
262Recall
263mángbusy
264kuàifast
265mànslow
266怀huáiPregnant, miss
267xìngcharacter, nature
268afraid
269guàistrange
270liánpity
271hènhate
272qiāoquiet
273huǐregret
274yuèPleased
275qíngmood
276jīngshock
277Pity
278guànused
279cǎnawful
280huāngPanic
281Enjoy
282lǎnlazy
283dǒngunderstand

“Heart” Radical: 心

No.CharactersPinyinDefinition
284rěnendure
285wàngforget
286niànRead
287suddenly
288zhōngLoyal
289zěnHow
290zǒngtotal
291think
292anxious
293angry
294rest
295èevil
296kǒngfear
297ēnfavor
298liànlove
299nínyou (polite way)
300huànSuffer
301bēisad
302xiǎngmiss, think
303meaning
304gǎnsense
305yuànwilling

“Bamboo” Radical: ⺮

No.CharactersPinyinDefinition
306xiàolaugh
307prefix before a number
308bènstupid
309flute
310děngWait
311answer
312jiǎnsimple
313suànCount

“Sun” Radical: 日

No.CharactersPinyinDefinition
314jiùold
315dànOnce
316zǎoearly
317shíTime
318míngBright
319easy
320shìYes
321xiǎndisplay
322xīngstar
323chūnspring
324zuóYesterday
325yìngReflect
326shàibask
327wǎnlate
328chénmorning
329jǐngview
330zhìwisdom
331jīngcrystal
332wǎnlate
333àndark
334nuǎnwarm

“Eye” Radical: 目

No.CharactersPinyinDefinition
335mángblind
336kān / kànlook after/ look, see
337xiāng / xiàngmutually, phase/ appearance
338shěngprovince
339méieyebrow
340pànHope
341zhǎblink
342yǎneye
343shuìsleep
344xiāblind

“Meat” Radical: 月

No.CharactersPinyinDefinition
345yǒuHave
346muscle
347belly
348péngFriend
349jiānshoulder
350féifat
351skin
352zhǒngswollen
353fèilung
354shènkidney
355bēi / bèicarry on the back/ body’s back, unlucky
356shèngWin
357dǎnGall
358pàngfat
359wèistomach
360nǎobrain
361xiōngchest
362zāngdirty
363lǎngbright
364zhīfat
365jiǎofoot
366liǎnface
367tuōTake off
368neck
369cháo / zhāotowards/ early morning
370yāowaist
371tuǐleg
372belly
373arm

“Mountain” Radical: 山

No.CharactersPinyinDefinition
374suìyear old
375dǎoisland
376ànshore
377yánrock
378xiágorge
379fēngpeak

“Ear” Radical: 阝

No.CharactersPinyinDefinition
380duìteam
381that
382yángYang
383zhènArray
384yīnOvercast
385yuànhospital
386chúexcept
387xiǎnrisk
388dōu / dūAll/ city
389unit
390péiaccompany
391suíFollow
392Every

“Iron” Radical: 钅

No.CharactersPinyinDefinition
393zhēnneedle
394diàoto fish
395zhōngbell
396gāngsteel
397qiánmoney
398tiěiron
399zuān / zuànDrill/ diamond, auger
400yínsilver
401tóngcopper
402guōpot
403ruìsharp
404suǒlock
405xiùrust
406cuòwrong
407jiànkey

“Animal” Radical: 犭

No.CharactersPinyinDefinition
408fànCommit
409kuángmad
410gǒudog
411fox
412alone
413hěnruthless
414shīlion
415lángWolf
416hóumonkey
417māoCat

“Top” Radical: 穴

No.CharactersPinyinDefinition
418qióngpoor
419kōng / kòngair, empty, blank/ free time
420Sudden
421穿chuānwear
422qièsteal
423zhǎinarrow
424chuāngwindow

“Bow” Radical: 弓

No.CharactersPinyinDefinition
425gōngbow
426yǐnto stretch
427hónggreat, vast
428jiàngstiff, strong
429ruòweak
430xiánbowstring
431tāobow case
432crossbow
433zhāngto expand
434a prefic for ordinal numbers
435younger brother
436to hand over

3500 Commonly Used Modern Chinese Characters List

It’s always a big shock for the learners who know that there are more than 85,568 Chinese characters in the world for the first time. Don’t give up immediately. According to the official research of China Education Committee, there are only 3500 commonly used modern Chinese characters, which cover about 99.48% words and characters that you could read in daily life. And you can read around 97.97% of modern everyday Chinese if you know about 2500 characters out of the 3500 characters. To make your study more convenient, we provide you the 3500 commonly used Chinese characters list as following.

3500 chinese characters PDF

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