100 Most Frequently Used Characters

1 的 de/di2/di4 (possessive particle)/of, really and truly, aim/clear
2 一 yi1 one/1/single/a(n)
3 是 shi4 is/are/am/yes/to be
4 不 bu4/bu2 (negative prefix)/not/no
5 了 le/liao3/liao4 (modal particle intensifying preceding clause)/(completed action marker), to know/to understand/to know, clear, look afar from a high place
6 在 zai4 (located) at/in/exist
7 人 ren2 man/person/people
8 有 you3 to have/there is/there are/to exist/to be
9 我 wo3 I/me/myself
10 他 ta1 he/him
11 这 zhe4/zhei4 this/these, this/these/(sometimes used before a measure word, especially in Beijing)
12 个 ge4 (a measure word)/individual
13 们 men (plural marker for pronouns and a few animate nouns)
14 中 zhong1/zhong4 within/among/in/middle/center/while (doing sth)/during/China/Chinese, hit (the mark)
15 来 lai2 to come
16 上 shang4 on/on top/upon/first (of two parts)/previous or last (week, etc.)/upper/higher/above/previous/to climb/to go into/above/to go up
17 大 da4/dai4 big/huge/large/major/great/wide/deep/oldest/eldest, doctor
18 为 wei2/wei4 act as/take...to be/to be/to do/to serve as/to become, because of/for/to
19 和 he2/he4/huo2/huo4 and/together with/with/peace/harmony/union, cap (a poem)/respond in singing, soft/warm, mix together/to blend
20 国 guo2 country/state/nation
21 地 de/di4 (subor. part. adverbial)/-ly, earth/ground/field/place/land
22 到 dao4 to (a place)/until (a time)/up to/to go/to arrive
23 以 yi3 to use/according to/so as to/in order to/by/with/because/Israel (abbrev.)
24 说 shui4/shuo1 persuade (politically), to speak/to say
25 时 shi2 o'clock/time/when/hour/season/period
26 要 yao1/yao4 demand/ask/request/coerce, important/vital/to want/to be going to/must
27 就 jiu4 at once/then/right away/only/(emphasis)/to approach/to move towards/to undertake
28 出 chu1 to go out/to come out/to occur/to produce/to go beyond/to rise/to put forth/to occur/to happen/(a measure word for dramas, plays, or operas)
29 会 hui4/kuai4 can/be possible/be able to/to assemble/to meet/to gather/to see/union/group/association, to balance an account/accounting
30 可 ke3 can/may/able to/certain(ly)/to suit/(particle used for emphasis)
31 也 ye3 also/too
32 你 ni3 you
33 对 dui4 couple/pair/to be opposite/to oppose/to face/for/to/correct (answer)/to answer/to reply/to direct (towards sth)/right
34 生 sheng1 to be born/to give birth/life/to grow
35 能 neng2 can/may/capable/energy/able
36 而 er2 and/as well as/but (not)/yet (not)/(shows causal relation)/(shows change of state)/(shows contrast)
37 子 zi3/zi 11 p.m.-1 a.m./1st earthly branch/child/midnight/son/child/seed/egg/small thing, (noun suff.)
38 那 na3/na4/nei4 how/which, that/those, that/those/(sometimes used before a measure word, especially in Beijing)
39 得 de2/de/dei3 obtain/get/gain/proper/suitable/proud/contented/allow/permit/ready/finished, a sentence particle used after a verb to show effect/degree or possibility, to have to/must/ought to/to need to
40 于 yu2 (surname), in/at/to/from/by/than/out of
41 着 zhao1/zhao2/zhe/zhu4/zhuo2 catch/receive/suffer, part. indicates the successful result of a verb/to touch/to come in contact with/to feel/to be affected by/to catch fire/to fall asleep/to burn, -ing part. (indicates an action in progress)/part. coverb-forming after some verbs, to make known/to show/to prove/to write/book/outstanding, to wear (clothes)/to contact/to use/to apply
42 下 xia4 under/second (of two parts)/next (week, etc.)/lower/below/underneath/down(wards)/to decline/to go down/latter
43 自 zi4 from/self/oneself/since
44 之 zhi1 (literary equivalent of 的)/(subor. part.)/him/her/it
45 年 nian2 year
46 过 guo4 (experienced action marker)/to cross/to go over/to pass (time)/to celebrate (a holiday)/to live/to get along/(surname)/excessively/too-
47 发 fa1/fa4 to send out/to show (one's feeling)/to issue/to develop, hair
48 后 hou4 empress/queen/surname, back/behind/rear/afterwards/after/later
49 作 zuo4 to regard as/to take (somebody) for/to do/to make
50 里 li3 inside/internal/interior, village/within/inside, Chinese mile/neighborhood/li, a Chinese unit of length = one-half kilometer/hometown
51 用 yong4 to use
52 道 dao4 direction/way/method/road/path/principle/truth/reason/skill/method/Tao (of Taoism)/a measure word/to say/to speak/to talk
53 行 hang2/xing2/xing4 a row/profession/professional, all right/capable/competent/OK/okay/to go/to do/to travel/temporary/to walk/to go/will do, behavior/conduct
54 所 suo3 actually/place
55 然 ran2 correct/right/so/thus/like this/-ly
56 家 jia1 furniture/tool, -ist/-er/-ian/home/family/a person engaged in a certain art or profession
57 种 zhong3/zhong4 kind/type/race/breed/seed/species (taxonomy), to plant/to cultivate
58 事 shi4 matter/thing/item/work/affair
59 成 cheng2/cheng4 finish/complete/accomplish/become/turn into/win/succeed/one tenth, finish/complete/accomplish/become/turn into/win/succeed/one tenth
60 方 fang1 square/quadrilateral/direction/just
61 多 duo1 many/much/a lot of/numerous/multi-
62 经 jing1 classics/sacred book/pass through/to undergo/scripture
63 么 ma/me/yao1 (interrog. part.), (interrog. suff.), one on dice/small
64 去 qu4 to go/to leave/to remove
65 法 fa3 law/method/way/Buddhist teaching/Legalist/France (abbrev.)
66 学 xue2 learn/study/science/-ology
67 如 ru2 as (if)/such as
68 都 dou1/du1 all/both (if two things are involved)/entirely (due to)each/even/already, (surname)/metropolis/capital city
69 同 tong2 like/same/similar/together/alike/with
70 现 xian4 appear/present/now/existing/current
71 当 dang1/dang4 to be/to act as/manage/withstand/when/during/ought/should/match equally/equal/same/obstruct/just at (a time or place)/on the spot/right/just at, at or in the very same.../to pawn/suitable/adequate/fitting/proper/replace/represent
72 没 mei2/mo4 (negative prefix for verbs)/have not/not, drowned/to end/to die/to inundate
73 动 dong4 to use/to act/to move/to change
74 面 mian4 fade/side/surface/aspect/top/face/flour/noodles, flour/noodles
75 起 qi3 to rise/to raise/to get up
76 看 kan1/kan4 to look after/to take care of/to watch/to guard, it depends/think/to see/to look at
77 定 ding4 to set/to fix/to determine/to decide/to order
78 天 tian1 day/sky/heaven
79 分 fen1/fen4 to divide/minute/(a measure word)/(a unit of length = 0.33 centimeter), part
80 还 hai2/huan2/huan4 also/in addition/more/still/else/still/yet/(not) yet, (surname)/pay back/return
81 进 jin4 advance/enter/to come in
82 好 hao3/hao4 good/well, be fond of
83 小 xiao3 small/tiny/few/young
84 部 bu4 ministry/department/section/part/division/troops/board/(a measure word)/(a measure word for works of literature, films, machines, etc.)
85 其 qi2 his/her/its/theirs/that/such/it (refers to sth preceding it)
86 些 xie1 some/few/several/(a measure word)
87 主 zhu3 to own/to host/master/lord/primary
88 样 yang4 manner/pattern/way/appearance/shape
89 理 li3 reason/logic/science/inner principle or structure
90 心 xin1 heart/mind
91 她 ta1 she
92 本 ben3 roots or stems of plants/origin/source/this/the current/root/foundation/basis/(a measure word)
93 前 qian2 before/in front/ago/former/previous/earlier/front
94 开 kai1 open/operate (vehicle)/start
95 但 dan4 but/yet/however/only/merely/still
96 因 yin1 cause/reason/because
97 只 qi2/zhi1/zhi3 earth-spirit/peace, (a measure word, for birds and some animals, etc.)/single/only, M for one of a pair, only/merely/just/but, but/only
98 从 cong1/cong2/zong4 lax/yielding/unhurried, from/obey/observe/follow, second cousin
99 想 xiang3 to think/to believe/to suppose/to wish/to want/to miss
100 实 shi2 real/true/honest/really/solid