Simplified Chinese character chart

Learn simplified Chinese characters with Mandarin pinyin. Follow the latest official HSK recognition syllabus, with all 8,105 general-standard characters available in the app.

Practice Simplified Chinese flashcards

HSK 3.0 recognition characters

The table below covers the 246 characters introduced in HSK 1. The app includes all 3,088 recognition characters across HSK 1–6 and 7–9, verified against the official query and the November 2025 syllabus, which specifies July 2026 implementation. These are recognition characters, not vocabulary-word or handwriting counts.

Simplified Chinese and pinyin

Simplified Chinese names the writing system. Pinyin represents Mandarin pronunciation. Cards use Unicode Unihan’s default mainland reading and display additional dictionary readings separately. A character-level English gloss does not assign a meaning to every pronunciation. Neutral tones have no accent mark.

The full collection follows the 2013 Table of General Standard Chinese Characters: 3,500 general-use, 3,000 less common, and 1,605 specialist characters. This is a defined 8,105-character standard, rather than every historical Chinese character.

HSK 1

CharacterReadingMemory note
爱àito love
八bāeight
爸bàfather, papa
吧ba
Dictionary readings: ba · bā
emphatic final particle
白báiwhite
百bǎihundred
班bānclass, group, grade; squad; job
半bànhalf
包bāowrap, pack, bundle; package
杯bēicup, glass
本běnroot, origin, source; basis
边biānedge, margin, side, border
便biàn
Dictionary readings: biàn · pián
convenience, ease; expedient
病bìngillness, sickness, disease
不bùnot; no
菜càivegetables; dish, order; food
茶chátea
常chángcommon, normal, frequent, regular
唱chàngsing, chant, call; ditty, song
超chāojump over, leap over; surpass
车chē
Dictionary readings: chē · jū
vehicle
吃chīto eat
出chūgo out, send out; stand; produce
穿chuānpenetrate, pierce, drill; wear
床chuángbed, couch; framework, chassis
打dǎ
Dictionary readings: dǎ · dá
strike, hit, beat; fight; attack
大dà
Dictionary readings: dà · dài
big
蛋dàneggs; term of abuse
到dàogo to, arrive, been to
道dàopath, road, street; method, way
得dé
Dictionary readings: dé · de · děi
obtain, get, gain, acquire
的de
Dictionary readings: de · dī · dí · dì
possession / description particle
弟dìyoung brother; junior; I, me
第dìsequence, number; grade, degree
点diǎndot, speck, spot; point, degree
电diànelectricity; electric; lightning
东dōngeast, eastern, eastward
都dōu
Dictionary readings: dōu · dū
metropolis, capital; all, the whole; elegant, refined
读dú
Dictionary readings: dú · dòu
to read
对duìcorrect, right; facing, opposed
多duōmany; much
儿érson, child; Kangxi radical 10
二èrtwo
饭fàncooked rice; food, meal
房fánghouse, building; room; 4th lunar mansion, determinative star π Scorpii
飞fēifly; go quickly; dart; high
非fēinot, negative, non-; oppose; Kangxi radical 175
分fēn
Dictionary readings: fēn · fèn
minute; to divide
服fú
Dictionary readings: fú · fù
clothes; wear, dress
高gāotall; high
哥gēelder brother
歌gēsong, lyrics; sing, chant; praise
个gè
Dictionary readings: gè · gě
general measure word
给gěi
Dictionary readings: gěi · jǐ
give; by, for
工gōnglabor, work; worker, laborer
公gōngfair, equitable; public; duke
狗gǒudog, Canis familiaris
关guānto close
贵guìexpensive, costly, valuable
国guócountry
果guǒfruit; result
还hái
Dictionary readings: hái · huán
still, yet, also, besides
孩háibaby, child; children
汉hànChinese people; Chinese language
好hǎo
Dictionary readings: hǎo · hào
good
号hào
Dictionary readings: hào · háo
mark, sign; symbol; number
喝hē
Dictionary readings: hē · hè
to drink
和hé
Dictionary readings: hé · hè · hú · huó · huò · huo
and; with
很hěnvery, quite, much
后hòubehind; after
候hòuwait; expect; visit; greet
话huàspeech, talk, language; dialect
欢huānhappy, pleased, glad; joy; enjoy
回huíreturn, turn around; a time
会huì
Dictionary readings: huì · kuài
assemble, meet together; meeting
火huǒfire
机jīdesk; machine; moment
鸡jīchicken
几jǐ
Dictionary readings: jǐ · jī
small table
家jiā
Dictionary readings: jiā · jia
home; family
间jiān
Dictionary readings: jiān · jiàn
midpoint, space; place, locality
见jiàn
Dictionary readings: jiàn · xiàn
to see; meet
件jiànnumerary adjunct for article; matter
叫jiàocry, shout; hail, greet, call
姐jiěelder sister, young lady
今jīnnow; present
九jiǔnine
觉jué
Dictionary readings: jué · jiào
to wake up from sleep; conscious
开kāito open
看kàn
Dictionary readings: kàn · kān
to look; watch
可kě
Dictionary readings: kě · kè
may, can, -able; possibly
客kèguest, traveller; customer
课kèlesson; course; classwork
口kǒumouth
块kuàipiece, lump; dollar
来láito come
老lǎoold, aged; experienced; Kangxi radical 125
了le
Dictionary readings: le · liǎo
to finish; particle of completed action
冷lěngcold, cool; lonely
里lǐinside
两liǎngtwo, both, pair, couple; ounce
亮liàngbright, brilliant, radiant, light
零língzero; fragment, fraction
六liùsix
妈māmother, mama
吗ma
Dictionary readings: ma · má · mǎ
final interrogative particle
买mǎibuy, purchase; bribe, persuade
卖màisell; betray; show off
忙mángbusy, pressed for time; hustling
猫māocat
么meinterrogative particle; small
没méi
Dictionary readings: méi · mò
not, have not, none; drown, sink
妹mèiyounger sister
们men
Dictionary readings: men · mén
plural marker for people
米mǐhulled or husked uncooked rice
面miànface; surface; plane; side, dimension; Kangxi radical 176
名míngname, rank, title, position
明míngbright
哪nǎ
Dictionary readings: nǎ · na · né
which? where? how?
那nà
Dictionary readings: nà · nā
that
奶nǎimilk; woman's breasts; nurse
男nánmale, man; son; baron; surname
脑nǎobrain
呢ne
Dictionary readings: ne · ní
interrogative or emphatic final; (Cant.) this
能néngto be able; can, permitted to; ability
你nǐyou
年niányear
您nínhonorific for 'you'
牛niúcow, ox, bull; Kangxi radical 93; 9th lunar mansion, determinative star β Capricorni (Dabih)
女nǚwoman, girl; feminine; Kangxi radical 38; 10th lunar mansion, determinative star ε Aquarii (Albali)
朋péngfriend, pal, acquaintance
漂piào
Dictionary readings: piào · piāo · piǎo
float, drift; tossed about
苹píngartemisia; duckweed; apple
七qīseven
期qī
Dictionary readings: qī · jī
period of time; date; time limit
起qǐrise, stand up; go up; begin
气qìsteam, vapor; Kangxi radical 84
千qiānthousand
前qiánfront; before
钱qiánmoney, currency, coins
请qǐngask, request; invite; please
去qùto go
热rèhot; heat; fever; restless; zeal
人rénperson
认rènrecognize, know, understand
日rìsun; day
三sānthree
商shāngcommerce, business, trade
上shàng
Dictionary readings: shàng · shǎng
up; on; above
少shǎo
Dictionary readings: shǎo · shào
few; little
谁shéi
Dictionary readings: shéi · shuí
who? whom? whose? anyone?
什shén
Dictionary readings: shén · shí
file of ten soldiers; mixed, miscellaneous
生shēnglife; to be born
师shīteacher, master, specialist
十shíten
时shítime; hour
识shí
Dictionary readings: shí · zhì
recognize, understand, know
士shìscholar, gentleman; soldier
市shìmarket, fair; city, town; trade
事shìaffair, matter, business; to serve; accident, incident
视shìlook at, inspect, observe, see
是shìto be
手shǒuhand
书shūbook
水shuǐwater
睡shuìsleep, doze
说shuō
Dictionary readings: shuō · shuì
to speak
司sītake charge of, control, manage; officer
四sìfour
岁suìyear; age; harvest
他tāhe; him
它tāit; other
她tāshe; her
太tàivery, too, much; big; extreme
题tíforehead; title, headline; theme
天tiānsky; day
条tiáoclause, condition; string, stripe
听tīngto listen
同tóng
Dictionary readings: tóng · tòng
same, similar; together with
外wàioutside
玩wánplay with, joke, enjoy
晚wǎnlate; evening
喂wèiinterjection to call attention
文wénwriting; language
问wènask about, inquire after
我wǒI; me
五wǔfive
午wǔseventh earthly branch
西xīwest(ern); westward; occident; Kangxi radical 146
息xīrest, put stop to, end, cease
习xípractice; flapping wings
喜xǐlike, love, enjoy; joyful thing
系xì
Dictionary readings: xì · jì
system; line, link, connection
下xiàdown; below
先xiānfirst, former, previous
现xiànappear, manifest, become visible
想xiǎngto think; want; miss
小xiǎosmall
校xiào
Dictionary readings: xiào · jiào
school; military field officer
些xiēlittle, few; rather, somewhat
写xiěto write
谢xièthank; decline
新xīnnew, recent, fresh, modern
星xīnga star, planet; any point of light; 25th lunar mansion, determinative star α Hydrae (Alphard)
兴xìng
Dictionary readings: xìng · xīng
thrive, prosper, flourish
休xiūrest, stop; retire; do not!
学xuéto study; learn
雪xuěsnow; wipe away shame, avenge
样yàngshape, form, pattern, style
要yào
Dictionary readings: yào · yāo
necessary, essential; necessity
也yěalso; classical final particle of strong affirmation or identity
一yīone
衣yīclothes, clothing; cover, skin; Kangxi radical 145
医yīcure, heal; doctor, medical
宜yísuitable, right, fitting, proper
以yǐby means of; thereby, therefore; consider as; in order to
椅yǐ
Dictionary readings: yǐ · yī
chair, seat
影yǐngshadow; image, reflection; photograph
友yǒufriend, companion; fraternity
有yǒuto have; there is
雨yǔrain
语yǔlanguage, words; saying, expression
元yuánfirst; dollar; origin; head
院yuàncourtyard, yard, court; school
月yuèmoon; month
再zàiagain, twice, re-
在zàiat; in; on
早zǎoearly
怎zěnwhat? why? how?
找zhǎosearch, seek, look for; find
这zhèthis
真zhēnreal, actual, true, genuine
正zhèng
Dictionary readings: zhèng · zhēng
right, proper, correct
知zhīknow, perceive, comprehend
只zhǐ
Dictionary readings: zhǐ · zhī
only, just, simply
中zhōng
Dictionary readings: zhōng · zhòng
middle; center
钟zhōngclock; bell
住zhùreside, live at, dwell, lodge; stop
桌zhuōtable, desk, stand
子zǐoffspring, child; fruit, seed of; first earthly branch
字zìcharacter; written word
租zūrent, lease; rental; tax
昨zuóyesterday; in former times, past
作zuò
Dictionary readings: zuò · zuō
make; work; compose, write; act, perform
坐zuòsit; seat; ride, travel by
做zuòwork, make; act

How to memorize these characters

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