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100 Most Common Chinese Characters (+PDF)

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Chinese characters, with their intricate strokes and rich history, form the foundation of written communication in the Chinese language. Learning these characters is an essential step towards understanding and mastering Mandarin Chinese. In this article, we present a curated list of the 100 most common Chinese characters, complete with their traditional Chinese characters, Bopomofo and Pinyin pronunciation, and English meaning. Let’s embark on this fascinating journey of linguistic exploration.

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No.CharacterBopomofoPinyinMeaning
1็š„ใ„‰ใ„œห™de(possessive particle), of / truly and really / aim, clear
2ไธ€ใ„ง /ใ„งห‹ /ใ„งหŠyฤซ / yรฌ ๏ผyรญone / single / a(n)
3ๆ˜ฏใ„•ห‹shรฌis, are, am, affirmative to be
4ไธใ„…ใ„จห‹bรน(negative prefix) no, not
5ไบ†ใ„Œใ„œห™ /ใ„Œใ„งใ„ ห‡le๏ผliวŽo(modal particle intensifying preceding clause), (past tense marker) / to know, to understand
6ไบบใ„–ใ„ฃหŠrรฉnperson, individual, people
7ๆˆ‘ใ„จใ„›ห‡wว’I, me, myself
8ๅœจใ„—ใ„žห‹zร iat, in, exist
9ๆœ‰ใ„งใ„กห‡yว’uto have, there is, there are, exist, be
10ไป–ใ„Šใ„štฤhe, him
11้€™ใ„“ใ„œห‹zhรจthis, these
12็‚บใ„จใ„ŸหŠ/ ใ„จใ„Ÿห‹wรฉi / wรจiact as, take…to be, be, do, serve as, become / because of, for, to
13ไน‹ใ„“zhฤซmarks preceding phrases as modifier of following phrase
14ๅคงใ„‰ใ„šห‹dร big, huge, large, major, great, wide, deep, oldest, eldest / doctor
15ไพ†ใ„Œใ„žหŠlรกito come
16ไปฅใ„งห‡yวto use, take, according to, because of, in order to
17ๅ€‹ใ„ใ„œห‹gรจ(a measure word), individual
18ไธญใ„“ใ„จใ„ฅzhลngwithin, among, in, middle, center, while (doing something), during
19ไธŠใ„•ใ„คห‹shร ngabove, on, over, top, go up, last, previous
20ๅ€‘ใ„‡ใ„ฃห™men(plural marker for pronouns and animate nouns)
No.CharacterBopomofoPinyinMeaning
21ๅˆฐใ„‰ใ„ ห‹dร oto reach, until, up to, to go, to arrive
22่ชชใ„•ใ„จใ„›shuลto express, to communicate
23ๅœ‹ใ„ใ„จใ„›หŠguรณcountry, state, nation
24ๅ’Œใ„ใ„œหŠ /ใ„ใ„จใ„›ห‹hรฉ / huรฒand, together, with, peace, harmony
25ๅœฐใ„‰ใ„งห‹de / dรฌ-ly, earth, ground, field, place, land
26ไนŸใ„งใ„ห‡yฤ›also, too, as well
27ๅญใ„—ห‡zวchild, son
28ๆ™‚ใ„•หŠshรญtime, when, hour, period, season
29้“ใ„‰ใ„ ห‹dร oway, path, method, road, principle, truth, reason, skill, Tao (of Taoism), to say, to speak, to talk
30ๅ‡บใ„”ใ„จchลซto go out, to come out, to emerge, to appear, to happen
31่€Œใ„ฆหŠรฉrand, as well as, but (not), yet (not), shows causal relation, shows change of state, shows contrast
32่ฆใ„งใ„ ห‹yร o / yฤoimportant, to want, to be going to, must, demand, ask, request
33ๆ–ผใ„ฉหŠyรบat, in, regarding
34ๅฐฑใ„ใ„งใ„กห‹jiรนjust, then, only, right away
35ไธ‹ใ„’ใ„งใ„šห‹xiร below, under, down, next
36ๅพ—ใ„‰ใ„œหŠdรฉ / de / dฤ›ito obtain, to get, to need to, must, have to
37ๅฏใ„Žใ„œห‡kฤ›can, may, able to, certain, particle used for emphasis
38ไฝ ใ„‹ใ„งห‡nวyou
39ๅนดใ„‹ใ„งใ„ขหŠniรกnyear
40็”Ÿใ„•ใ„ฅshฤ“ngto be born, to give birth, life, to grow
No.CharacterBopomofoPinyinMeaning
41่‡ชใ„—ห‹zรฌself, oneself, from, since
42ๆœƒใ„ใ„จใ„Ÿห‹huรฌable, capable, to meet, meeting, society, union, party
43้‚ฃใ„‹ใ„šห‹nร that, those
44ๅพŒใ„ใ„กห‹hรฒulater, afterwards, after, back, behind
45่ƒฝใ„‹ใ„ฅหŠnรฉngcan, may, capable, able, energy
46ๅฐใ„‰ใ„จใ„Ÿห‹duรฌtowards, facing, to oppose, to answer, to direct, couple, pair, correct, right
47่‘—ใ„“ใ„œห™/ ใ„“ใ„จใ„›หŠ /ใ„“ใ„  /ใ„“ใ„ หŠzhe / zhuรณ / zhฤo / zhรกoindicating ongoing action/state
48ไบ‹ใ„•ห‹shรฌmatter, thing, item, work, affair
49ๅ…ถใ„‘ใ„งหŠqรญits, their, his, her, that, such, referring to preceding subject
50่ฃกใ„Œใ„งห‡lวwithin, inside
51ๆ‰€ใ„™ใ„จใ„›ห‡suว’actually, place
52ๅŽปใ„‘ใ„ฉห‹qรนto go, to leave, to depart
53่กŒใ„’ใ„งใ„ฅหŠhรกng / xรญnga row, profession, professional / all right, capable, competent, okay, to do, to travel, to walk, behavior, conduct
54้Žใ„ใ„จใ„›ห‹guรฒ(past tense marker), to cross, to pass, to live, to experience
55ๅฎถใ„ใ„งใ„šjiฤhome, family, person engaged in a certain art or profession
56ๅใ„•หŠshรญten
57็”จใ„ฉใ„ฅห‹yรฒngto use
58็™ผใ„ˆใ„šfฤto send out, to express (one’s feelings), to issue, to developใ„Šใ„งใ„ข
59ๅคฉใ„Šใ„งใ„ขtiฤnday, sky, heaven
60ๅฆ‚ใ„–ใ„จหŠrรบas (if), such as
No.CharacterBopomofoPinyinMeaning
61็„ถใ„–ใ„ขหŠrรกnindeed, right, so, thus, like this, -ly
62ไฝœใ„—ใ„จใ„›ห‹zuรฒto consider, to take (someone) as, to do, to create
63ๆ–นใ„ˆใ„คfฤngsquare, quadrilateral, direction, just
64ๆˆใ„”ใ„ฅหŠchรฉngaccomplish, achieve, complete, become, transform, win, succeed
65่€…ใ„“ใ„œห‡zhฤ›-ist, -er (person), person (who does something)
66ๅคšใ„‰ใ„จใ„›duลmany, much, numerous, a lot of, multiple
67ๆ—ฅใ„–ห‹rรฌday, sun, date, day of the month
68้ƒฝใ„‰ใ„กdลuall, both (if two things are involved), entirely, every, even, already
69ไธ‰ใ„™ใ„ขsฤnthree
70ๅฐใ„’ใ„งใ„ ห‡xiวŽosmall, tiny, few, young
71่ปใ„ใ„ฉใ„ฃjลซnarmy, military, armed forces
72ไบŒใ„ฆห‹รจrtwo
73็„กใ„จหŠwรบwithout, not to have, no, none, not, lack of, un-
74ๅŒใ„Šใ„จใ„ฅหŠtรณnglike, same, similar, together, in unison
75้บผใ„‡ใ„œห™me(interrogative suffix)
76็ถ“ใ„ใ„งใ„ฅjฤซngclassics, scripture, pass through, experience, undergo
77ๆณ•ใ„ˆใ„šห‡fวŽlaw, method, way, principle, doctrine
78็•ถใ„‰ใ„ค /ใ„‰ใ„คห‹dฤng / dร ngto be, to act as, manage, withstand, when, during, ought to, should, equal, right at, on the spot, just at / at or in the very same…, to handle, to replace
79่ตทใ„‘ใ„งห‡qวqว: to rise, to get up, to start, to initiate
80่ˆ‡ใ„ฉหŠ/ ใ„ฉห‡/ ใ„ฉห‹yรบ / yว” / yรน(interrogative particle) / and, with, to give, together with / participate in
No.CharacterBopomofoPinyinMeaning
81ๅฅฝใ„ใ„ ห‡/ ใ„ใ„ ห‹hวŽo / hร oexcellent, fine, great / to like, to be fond of
82็œ‹ใ„Žใ„ข/ ใ„Žใ„ขห‹kฤn / kร nto take care of, to attend to, to observe, to gaze / it depends, to consider, to perceive, to watch
83ๅญธใ„’ใ„ฉใ„หŠxuรฉto acquire knowledge, to learn, academic, learning
84้€ฒใ„ใ„งใ„ฃห‹jรฌnto advance, to enter, to move forward
85็จฎใ„“ใ„จใ„ฅห‡/ ใ„“ใ„จใ„ฅห‹zhว’ng / zhรฒngkind, species, variety / to cultivate, to grow, to plant
86ๅฐ‡ใ„ใ„งใ„ค/ ใ„ใ„งใ„คห‹jiฤng / jiร ng(will, shall, future tense), to be about to, to handle, to lead / a military general
87้‚„ใ„ใ„žหŠ/ ใ„ใ„จใ„ขหŠhรกi / huรกnalso, furthermore, moreover, still, yet, additionally / (surname), to repay, to return
88ๅˆ†ใ„ˆใ„ฃ/ ใ„ˆใ„ฃห‹fฤ“n / fรจnto divide, to separate, minute, (a measure word), (a unit of length = 0.33 centimeter) / part, portion
89ๆญคใ„˜ห‡cวthis, these, this (referring to something nearby)
90ๅฟƒใ„’ใ„งใ„ฃxฤซnheart, mind, innermost feelings
91ๅ‰ใ„‘ใ„งใ„ขหŠqiรกnbefore, in front, ahead, previous, former, frontward
92้ขใ„‡ใ„งใ„ขห‹miร nface, surface, aspect, side, appearance
93ๅˆใ„งใ„กห‹yรฒu(once) again, also, moreover, furthermore
94ๅฎšใ„‰ใ„งใ„ฅห‹dรฌngto determine, to fix, to set, to establish, definite
95่ฆ‹ใ„ใ„งใ„ขห‹/ ใ„’ใ„งใ„ขห‹jiร n / xiร nto see, to meet, to perceive, to appear / to appear, to manifest
96ๅชใ„“ห‡zhวonly, merely, just, but
97ไธปใ„“ใ„จห‡zhว”to own, to host, master, principal, main
98ๆฒ’ใ„‡ใ„ŸหŠ/ ใ„‡ใ„›ห‹mรฉi๏ผmรฒ(negative prefix for verbs), not have, not, haven’t / to sink, to disappear
99ๅ…ฌใ„ใ„จใ„ฅgลngfair, just, public, common, honorable
100ๅพžใ„˜ใ„จใ„ฅหŠcรณngfrom, since, to follow, to obey, to undertake, to pursue
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