Most Frequently used Chinese Characters

(possessive particle)/of, really and truly, aim/clear

one/1/single/a(n)

is/are/am/yes/to be

(negative prefix)/not/no

(modal particle intensifying preceding clause)/(completed action marker), to know/to understand/to know, clear, look afar from a high place

(located) at/in/exist

man/person/people

to have/there is/there are/to exist/to be

I/me/myself

he/him

this/these, this/these/(sometimes used before a measure word, especially in Beijing)

(a measure word)/individual

(plural marker for pronouns and a few animate nouns)

within/among/in/middle/center/while (doing sth)/during/China/Chinese, hit (the mark)

to come

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

big/huge/large/major/great/wide/deep/oldest/eldest, doctor

act as/take...to be/to be/to do/to serve as/to become, because of/for/to

and/together with/with/peace/harmony/union, cap (a poem)/respond in singing, soft/warm, mix together/to blend

country/state/nation

(subor. part. adverbial)/-ly, earth/ground/field/place/land

to (a place)/until (a time)/up to/to go/to arrive

to use/according to/so as to/in order to/by/with/because/Israel (abbrev.)

persuade (politically), to speak/to say

o'clock/time/when/hour/season/period

demand/ask/request/coerce, important/vital/to want/to be going to/must

at once/then/right away/only/(emphasis)/to approach/to move towards/to undertake

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)

can/be possible/be able to/to assemble/to meet/to gather/to see/union/group/association, to balance an account/accounting

can/may/able to/certain(ly)/to suit/(particle used for emphasis)

also/too

you

couple/pair/to be opposite/to oppose/to face/for/to/correct (answer)/to answer/to reply/to direct (towards sth)/right

to be born/to give birth/life/to grow

can/may/capable/energy/able

and/as well as/but (not)/yet (not)/(shows causal relation)/(shows change of state)/(shows contrast)

11 p.m.-1 a.m./1st earthly branch/child/midnight/son/child/seed/egg/small thing, (noun suff.)

how/which, that/those, that/those/(sometimes used before a measure word, especially in Beijing)

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

(surname), in/at/to/from/by/than/out of

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

under/second (of two parts)/next (week, etc.)/lower/below/underneath/down(wards)/to decline/to go down/latter

from/self/oneself/since

(literary equivalent of 的)/(subor. part.)/him/her/it

year

(experienced action marker)/to cross/to go over/to pass (time)/to celebrate (a holiday)/to live/to get along/(surname)/excessively/too-

to send out/to show (one's feeling)/to issue/to develop, hair

empress/queen/surname, back/behind/rear/afterwards/after/later

to regard as/to take (somebody) for/to do/to make

inside/internal/interior, village/within/inside, Chinese mile/neighborhood/li, a Chinese unit of length = one-half kilometer/hometown