Chinese characters, also known as hanji, are the logical scripts used in written Chinese. They are one of the oldest writing systems in the world and have been in use for thousands of years. Chinese characters are made up of strokes that are combined to form different characters, each representing a particular word, concept or idea.
One of the unique features of Chinese characters is their pictorial nature. Many characterizations are derived from simplified representations of objects or natural phenomena. For example, the character for "sun" (日) resembles a circle with a dot in the middle, while the character for "tree" (木) resembles the shape of a tree.
Unlike most Western languages, Chinese characters are not based on an alphabet or phonetic system. Instead, each character represents a morpheme, which is a meaningful unit of language that cannot be divided further. This means that the pronunciation and meaning of a character are often not directly related. The same letter can be pronounced in different ways depending on the context of a word or sentence.
The complexity of Chinese characters lies in their vast number and complex structures. There are thousands of characters in active use, although a smaller set of characters is sufficient for daily communication. Learning Chinese characters requires memorizing and practicing to recognize and write them correctly.
Most common 100 chinese characters
| Character | pīnyīn | English Meaning |
| 还 | hái | Also, still |
| 都 | dōu | All, both |
| 些许 | xiēxǔ | Some, a few |
| 和 | hé | And |
| 在 | zài | At, in, on |
| 可以 | kěyǐ | Can, may |
| 都 | dōu | All, both |
| 才 | cái | Only, just |
| 学校 | xuéxiào | School |
| 但 | dàn | But |
| 小 | xiǎo | Small, little |
| 的 | de | Possessive particle |
| 一 | yī | One |
| 了 | le | Indicates completion or change of state |
| 会 | huì | To be able to, will |
| 不 | bù | Not |
| 大 | dà | Big, large |
| 问题 | wèntí | Question, problem |
| 中 | zhōng | Middle, China |
| 现在 | xiànzài | Now |
| 还有 | háiyǒu | Also, furthermore |
| 为 | wèi | For, to do |
| 没 | méi | Not |
| 是 | shì | To be |
| 所以 | suǒyǐ | Therefore |
| 电影 | diànyǐng | Movie |
| 那 | nà | That |
| 对 | duì | Correct, to |
| 还是 | háishì | Or, still |
| 起 | qǐ | To rise, to start |
| 自己 | zìjǐ | Oneself |
| 看 | kàn | To see, to look at |
| 说 | shuō | To speak, to say |
| 非常 | fēicháng | Very, extremely |
| 要 | yào | To want, to need |
| 他 | tā | He, him |
| 年 | nián | Year |
| 写 | xiě | To write |
| 以 | yǐ | To use, by means of |
| 出 | chū | To go out |
| 知道 | zhīdào | To know |
| 能够 | nénggòu | To be able to |
| 年级 | niánjí | Grade, year of school |
| 开始 | kāishǐ | To start, to begin |
| 多 | duō | Many, much |
| 做 | zuò | To do, to make |
| 人 | rén | Person |
| 在 | zài | At, in, on |
| 可 | kě | Can, may |
| 好 | hǎo | Good, well |
| 然后 | ránhòu | Then, afterwards |
| 能 | néng | Can, able to |
| 我 | wǒ | I, me |
| 回 | huí | To return |
| 家 | jiā | Family, home |
| 国 | guó | Country |
| 其实 | qíshí | Actually, in fact |
| 但是 | dànshì | But |
| 已经 | yǐjīng | Already |
| 有 | yǒu | To have, there is |
| 面 | miàn | Face, side |
| 听 | tīng | To listen, to hear |
| 老师 | lǎoshī | Teacher |
| 开 | kāi | To open |
| 这样 | zhèyàng | Like this, such |
| 因为 | yīnwèi | Because |
| 工作 | gōngzuò | Work, job |
| 后 | hòu | After, behind |
| 十 | shí | Ten |
| 心 | xīn | Heart, mind |
| 时候 | shíhòu | Time, moment |
| 子 | zǐ | Child |
| 从 | cóng | From |
| 用 | yòng | To use |
| 真 | zhēn | True, really |
| 事情 | shìqíng | Thing, matter |
| 上 | shàng | Above, on top |
| 个 | gè | General measure word |
| 这 | zhè | This |
| 时代 | shídài | Era, age |
| 当然 | dāngrán | Of course |
| 着 | zhe | Indicates ongoing action or state |
| 里 | lǐ | Inside, in |
| 些 | xiē | Some, several |
| 当 | dāng | To be, to act as |
| 能够 | nénggòu | To be able to |
| 生 | shēng | To be born, life |
| 之 | zhī | Of, possessive particle |
| 玩 | wán | To play |
| 就 | jiù | Just, then |
| 去 | qù | To go |
| 因为 | yīnwèi | Because |
| 得 | dé | Must, to obtain |
| 过 | guò | To pass, to go through |
| 电 | diàn | Electricity |
| 成 | chéng | To become |
| 公司 | gōngsī | Company |
| 时 | shí | Time |
| 作 | zuò | To do, to make |
| 想 | xiǎng | To think, to want |