Written Chinese

150 Common Chinese Character List [Free PDF]

If you are new to Chinese characters and want a place to start, you’re at the right place. Our 150 most common Chinese characters list will help you get started on your journey. 

MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) created an algorithm that calculated the most often seen Chinese characters in written Chinese in order of how frequently they are used.

Jump to the list now.

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Chinese Characters, a Quick Overview

There are tens of thousands of Chinese characters, but since the symbols that make up written Chinese has developed over thousands of year, the exact number is unknown. In 2004, the 异体字字典 (yì tǐ zì zì diǎn) Chinese Dictionary included a record 106,230 Chinese characters, but only a small amount of those are used today.

In modern-day schools, children are expected to learn 3500 characters, but many know more than 5000 by the time they graduate. In mainland China, students learn simplified characters, while traditional Chinese characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macao.

Difference Between Characters and Words

One character doesn’t make one Chinese word. A word is usually made up of 2 or more characters, so learning these 150 characters means you actually know many more words.

For example, in #11 in this Chinese character list, 这 can be combined with several other characters in the list to make words. For example, 这个, 这里, 这样, 这么, and 这些.  

If you’ve looked at the new HSK 2021 system, over 9 levels, you’ll study 3000 characters which equate to 11092 words.

You can download our Chinese character list as a PDF and excel spreadsheet so you can study later and record your learning. We’ll also send you some tips and instructions on how to start learning.

150 Most Common Chinese Characters

No.Simplified CharacterPinyinEnglish
1deof
2one
3shìto be
4not
5lecompleted
6zàiat / in
7rénperson
8yǒuto have
9I / me
10he / him
11zhèthis
12individual
13zhōngmiddle
14wèifor
15big
16menplural
17láicome
18shàngabove / up
19so as to
20guócountry
21and / with
22dàoto arrive
23earth
24zhīof / it
25shuōto say
26shítime
27yàowant
28chūout
29also
30jiùjust
31can
32huìable to
33éryet / but
34in / at / than
35child
36shēnglife
37duìcorrect
38niányear
39néngcan
40to get
41you
42xiàdown
43self
44dàoway
45that
46hòuafter
47xíngto go/OK
48zhe~ing
49to send out
50guòto pass
51suǒactually
52yòngto use
53zuòto do
54shìmatter/thing
55jiāhome
56in/inside
57chéngto become
58fāngsquare
59its
60ránso
61zhǒngtype of
62go
63like/as
64duōmany/much
65jīngto pass
66law/method
67xuéto study
68tóngsame
69tiānsky/day
70dōuall
71fēnto divide
72dāngregard as
73dìngto set
74zhěone who (is)
75jìnto enter
76mesuffix
77shíten
78zhǔmain
79sun/day
80dòngto move
81part
82xiànnow
83miànface
84to rise
85xiǎosmall
86to manage
87háistill
88jūnarmy
89and
90kànto see
91běnorigin
92hǎogood
93without
94qiánin front/ago
95xiēsome
96méihaven't
97xīnheart
98yīncause
99cóngfrom
100sānthree
101zhǐonly
102shíreal
103yàngappearance
104kāito open
105this
106gōngpublic
107使shǐto use
108jiāngshall
109dànbut
110idea
111energy
112mínpeople
113èrtwo
114chánglong
115xiǎngthink
116it
117machine
118zhīknow
119yòuagain
120(number)~th
121míngbright
122to hold
123already
124gōngwork
125zhèngright
126jiànto meet
127xìnggender
128she/her
129wàioutside
130industry
131guānto close
132gāohigh
133xiāngeach other
134liǎngtwo
135qíngfeeling
136quánwhole
137wénlanguage
138wènto ask
139děngto wait
140yóudue to
141bìngfurthermore
142yuèmonth
143yīngshould
144jiānbetween
145zhòngserious
146thing
147zhèngpolitics
148diǎndot
149body
150zhànwar

Track your studies with this free common Chinese characters list in a printable PDF and excel!

20 Most Common Chinese Characters in Detail

Here are the first 20 most common Chinese characters from the list to get you started. I’ve provided definitions for each character, as well as radical breakdowns, example sentences, and common bigrams.

1. 的 (de) of / ~’s (possessive particle)

The first character to learn is (de), often used as a possessive particle with a neutral tone. It might seem quite an odd character to begin with, but you will use this one so often, better learn it now.

Radicals

(bái) white 


(bāo) wrap


(diǎn) dot

Common Bigrams

你的 / 您的 (nǐ de)/ (nín de) yours

我的 (wǒ de) my / mine

别的 (bié de) else / other

Example Sentences

我们的书包是一样的。 (wǒ men de shū bāo shì yī yàng de) Our bags are the same.

我的鞋子是蓝色的。 (wǒ de xié zi shì lán sè de) My shoes are blue.


More about 的 (de)

You can learn more about the 的 (de) character in our article How to use the ‘de’ particles 的, 得, and 地 in Chinese.

2. 一 (yī) one / 1 / a

(yī) is an ideograph character, meaning that it is an abstract idea of the number 1.

Radicals

n/a


Common Bigrams

一个 (yī gè) a /an

一些 (yī xiē) some / a few

一种 (yī zhǒng) a kind of

Example Sentences

我有一个孩子。(wǒ yǒu yī gè hái zi) I have one child.

她有一点不高兴。(tā yǒu yī diǎn bù gāo xìng) She is a little unhappy.



More about 一 (yī)

You can learn more about the 的 (de) character in our article How to use the ‘de’ particles 的, 得, and 地 in Chinese.

3. 是 (shì) is / are / am / yes / to be’

(shì) is commonly found to mean ‘is’ or ‘are’ in a Chinese sentence. It can also be used as ‘yes’.

Radicals

(rì) sun

(yī) one

(zǒu) to walk

One of the original characters for (shì) was (shì). The sun 日 (rì) is found over the modified character for ‘right or ‘correct’ 正 (zhèng). The sun is the standard of ‘correctness’, creating the meaning of ‘yes’ or ‘is’.

Common Bigrams

不是 (bú shì) no

但是 (dàn shì) but / however

还是 (hái shì) or

Example Sentences

他是老师吗?(tā shì lǎo shī ma) Is he a teacher?

今天是星期一。(jīn tiān shì xīng qī yī) Today is Monday.


More about 是 (shì)

You can learn more about using the character 是 (shì) in our article about saying yes.

4. 不 (bù) not / no

Radicals

The origins of the (bù) character are that it depicts a bird flying up towards to the sky and out of sight. The horizontal stroke 一 shows that the sky is the limit, preventing the bird from going any further. 

Common Bigrams

不同 (bù tóng) different

不是 (bú shì) not / no

不要 (bù yào) don’t want

Example Sentences

我不知道。(wǒ bù zhī dao) I don’t know.

他不认识这个字。(tā bù rèn shi zhè ge zì) He can’t read this word.



More about 不 (bù)

不 (bù) can sometimes be confusing because there is a tone change when it is found in conjunction with another character. 

5. 了 (le) completed action marker

Although (le) can be used in a few different ways, it is most commonly used as a particle to indicate that something is completed.

Radicals

n/a



Common Bigrams

到了 (dào le) to arrive

为了 (wèi le) in order to

Example Sentences

别忘了你的东西。(bié wàng le nǐ de dōng xi) Don’t forget your stuff

我马上到了!(wǒ mǎ shàng dào le) I’ll arrive soon!


More about 了 (le)

To learn more about how to use 了 (le), take a look at our article The Complete Guide to Chinese Modal Particles, where you’ll find a whole section just on 了 (le) and its uses.

6. 在 (zài) (located) at / (to be) in / to exist / in the middle of doing sth

Radicals

𠂇 (zuǒ) left-hand

(gǔn) line

(tǔ) earth

The second is based on an older version of the character:

(tǔ) earth

 (cái) just now

In the development of  (zài),  (cái) represented a pillar and beam of a house. When 才 (cái) ‘house’ was together with  (tǔ) ‘the earth,’ this stood for survival or to ‘exist’.

Alternatively, (cái), which means ‘just now’ or ‘a moment ago’, predominantly makes the pronunciation of the character (cái – zài) but also provides some meaning. I am AT (土) at a place JUST NOW (才).

Common Bigrams

现在 (xiàn zài) now

正在 (zhèng zài) in the process of

放在 (fàng zài) place in / on

Example Sentences

我正在回办公室。(wǒ zhèng zài huí bàn gōng shì) I’m coming back to the office.

他不在家。(tā bú zài jiā) He’s not home.



More about 在 (zài)

Learn more about using the character 在 in our article, The Different Uses of 在 zai in Chinese.

7. 人 (rén) man / person / people

Radicals

/ (rén)

When used as a radical, (rén) is also found on the side in the form of 亻, such as in (men), (rèn) and (huà).

人 (rén) is a pictograph of a man’s legs, although the original character showed a man picking wheat from the fields.

Common Bigrams

女人 (nǚ rén) woman

男人 (nán rén) man

老人 (lǎo rén) old man

Example Sentences

这女人很漂亮。(zhè nǚ rén hěn piào liang) The women is very beautiful.

你是哪里人?(nǐ shì nǎ lǐ rén) Where are you from?



More about 人 (rén)

Learn how to talk about people in our article, What Should We Call Friends and Family Members in Chinese?

8. 有 (yǒu) to have / there is / there are / to exist / to be

Radicals

(yuè) moon

𠂇 (zuǒ) left hand

Early depictions of (yǒu) show a hand holding a piece of meat. The image of meat was similar to that of the moon (yuè) and as ‘man’ began to focus on ‘reaching the moon’, the image became the hand holding the moon.

Common Bigrams

没有 (méi yǒu) don’t have

还有 (hái yǒu) still

只有 (zhǐ yǒu) only

Example Sentences

这里有家超市。(zhè lǐ yǒu jiā chāo shì) Here is the supermarket.

我只有一张电影票。(wǒ zhǐ yǒu yī zhāng diàn yǐng piào) I only have one movie ticket.


More about 有 (yǒu)

Learn more with these 10 Essential Chinese Sentence Patterns Every Beginner Should Know.

9. 我 (wǒ) I / me / my

Radicals

The earliest form of (wǒ) showed 2 spears but now shows a hand (shǒu) grasping a spear (gē). The suggestion is that a man holding a spear is a metaphor for his own ego, or ‘I’.

Common Bigrams

我们 (wǒ men) us

我的 (wǒ de) my / mine

Example Sentences

我来试一下。(wǒ lái shì yī xià) Let me try.

我是 Hollie。(wǒ shì…) I’m Hollie.


More about 我 (wǒ)

Learn how to use pronouns in our article, You & Me. This & That: Pronouns in Chinese.

10. 他 (tā) he / him

Radicals

/ (rén) man / person

(yě) too

(tā) is a combination of 亻 (rén) and (yě) meaning ‘also’. The idea is that 他 (tā) means ‘that person also’ referring to another person, he or she.

Common Bigrams

他们 (tā men) they / them

其他 (qí tā) other

他的 (tā de) his

Example Sentences

他是我的男朋友。 (tā shì wǒ de nán péng you) He’s my boyfriend.

他是学生吗? (tā shì xué sheng ma) Is he a student?


More about 他 (tā)

Learn how to use pronouns in our article, You & Me. This & That: Pronouns in Chinese.

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11. 这 (zhè) this / these

Radicals

(wén) literature

(chuò) walk

To understand the character (zhè), we need to look at the traditional character (zhè) that breaks down into ‘walk’ 辶 (chuò) and ‘speak’ (yán). Its original meaning was to ‘meet’.

Common Bigrams

这个 (zhè ge) this one

这样 (zhè yàng) this kind of

这些 (zhè xiē) these

这么 (zhè me) so much

Example Sentences

这是你的书。(zhè shì nǐ de shū) This is your book.

这种菜很好吃。(zhè zhǒng cài hěn hǎo chī) This kind of food is delicious.


More about 这 (zhè)


12. 个 (gè) individual / this / that / size

Radicals

(rén) person

| (gǔn) single line

Common Bigrams

一个 (yī gè) a / an

个人 (gè rén) individual/personal

那个 (nà ge) that one

Example Sentences

小女孩不要这个玩具了。(xiǎo nǚ hái bù yào zhè ge wán jù le) The little girl doesn’t want the toy.

半个小时。(bàn ge xiǎo shí) Half an hour.


More about 个 (gè)

Learn more about measure words in the article, Weighing Up Chinese Measure Words.

13. 中 (zhōng) China / Chinese / within / among / in / middle / center

Radicals

The line down the ‘middle’ of (zhōng) suggests symmetry and something ‘central’. Additionally, the origins of this character is a square target (wéi) hit in the center with an arrow, now simplified with the single line | (gǔn). 

Common Bigrams

中国 (zhōng guó) China

其中 (qí zhōng) among

中心 (zhōng xīn) center

Example Sentences

他回到了中国大陆。(tā huí dào le zhōng guó dà lù) He came back to mainland China.

她的中文说得非常好。(tā de zhōng wén shuō de fēi cháng hǎo) She speaks Chinese extremely well.


More about 中 (zhōng)


14. 为 (wèi) because of / for / to

Radicals

(wèi) the traditional character of (wèi) was originally the image of a female monkey. It was ‘borrowed’ for the character ‘because’ and then modified to two claws’.

Common Bigrams

因为 (yīn wèi) because

为了 (wèi le) in order to

为此 (wèi cǐ) for this reason

Example Sentences

他这么认为么?(tā zhè me rèn wéi me) Does he think so?

他说这么做是为了我好。(tā shuō zhè me zuò shì wèi le wǒ hǎo) He said he did it for my benefit.


More about 为 (wèi)

Learn more in our Chinese conjunctions article.

15. 大 (dà) big / huge / large / major / great / wide / deep / older

Radicals

(dà) is an ideographic representing a person with their arms and legs stretched out conveying the idea of ‘big’. 

Common Bigrams

大学 (dà xué) university

大陆 (dà lù) mainland China

大家 (dà jiā) everyone

Example Sentences

他多大了?(tā duō dà le) How old is he?

大家都很喜欢这次活动。 (dà jiā dōu hěn xǐ huan zhè cì huó dòng) Everyone enjoys this activity.


More about 大 (dà)

Learn more in Learn to Read with these 20 Chinese Pictographs.

16. 们 (men) plural marker for pronouns

Radicals

In traditional Chinese culture, doors had two leaves, (mén). Combined with the 亻 radical, it suggests multiples of people (men).   

Common Bigrams

我们 (wǒ men) we / us / our

他们 (tā men) them

你们 (nǐ men) you (plural)

Example Sentences

你们好吗?(nǐ men hǎo ma) How’re you?

他喜欢有趣的人们。(tā xǐ huan yǒu qù de rén men) He likes people who are interesting.


More about 们 (men)

们 doesn't have a distinct sound, but is known as the 'fifth' tone. Learn more about it in our article, How to Use the 5th Chinese Tone.

17. 来 (lái) to come / to arrive / to come round / ever since / next

Radicals

The (lái) character depicts a pictograph of wheat. Additionally, the traditional character (lái) combines (mù) the tree radical with the (cóng) particle, meaning ‘from’.

Common Bigrams

出来 (chū lái) to come out

过来 (guò lái) to come over

后来 (hòu lái) afterwards

Example Sentences

晚上你过来吃晚饭吗?(wǎn shang nǐ guò lái chī wǎn fàn ma?) Will you come and have dinner tonight?

他从来没有任何怨言。(tā cóng lái méi yǒu rèn hé yuàn yán) He never has any complaints.


More about 来 (lái)

Learn more verbs in our article, 20 Practical Chinese Verbs You Need to Learn.

18. 上 (shàng) on top / upon / above / upper / previous

Radicals

(shàng) is an ideograph of the horizon 一 with additional lines indicating ‘up’ from the ground.

Common Bigrams

上海 (shàng hǎi) Shanghai

身上 (shēn shàng) on the body

上去 (shàng qù) to go up

Example Sentences

上海是个发达的城市。(shàng hǎi shì gè fā dá de chéng shì) Shanghai is a developed city.

书在桌子上。(shū zài zhuō zi shàng) The book is on top of the table.


More about 上 (shàng)

Learn more about 上 (shàng) in our article, Let’s Get Abstract With Chinese Ideograms.

19. 以 (yǐ) to use / by means of / according to / in order to

Radicals

Although (yǐ) is its own radical, it can be broken down further to explain its origins. The right-hand side of the character is 人 (rén) meaning ‘person’ or in this case mother. The origins of this character stem from a mother and baby connecting by an umbilical cord.

Common Bigrams

可以 (kě yǐ) can

所以 (suǒ yǐ) therefore / so / as a result of

以后 (yǐ hòu) after

Example Sentences

你以前去过那里吗?(nǐ yǐ qián qù guò nà li ma) Have you been there before?

可以给我一杯水吗?(kě yǐ gěi wǒ yī bēi shuǐ ma) Can you give me a glass of water, please? 



More about 以 (yǐ)


20. 国 (guó) country  / nation / state

Radicals

(yù) jade

(wéi) boundary

The traditional character, (guó) is composed of a boundary (wéi), land 一, mouth (kǒu), and a spear (gē), all components that a country has. The simplified version (guó) shows jade (yù), which represents the ‘king’ within a boundary (wéi), which is a more modern version of a country.

Common Bigrams

可以 (kě yǐ) can

所以 (suǒ yǐ) therefore / so / as a result of

以后 (yǐ hòu) after

Example Sentences

我喜欢中国。(wǒ xǐ huan zhōng guó) I like China.

北京在中国的北部。(běi jīng zài zhōng guó de běi bù) Beijing is in the north of China.



More about 国 (guó)


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