| 象形 | pictogram, method of forming Chinese characters, Chinese character derived from a picture, hieroglyph | xiàng xíng |
| 指事 | ideogram, method of forming Chinese characters, Chinese character indicating an idea, self-explanatory character | zhǐ shì |
| 会意 | combined ideogram, method of forming Chinese characters, Chinese character that combines the meanings of existing elements, joint ideogram or associative compounds | huì yì |
| 形声 | ideogram plus phonetic, method of forming Chinese characters, phonogram, phonetic compound or picto-phonetic character | xíng shēng |
| 转注 | transfer character, method of forming Chinese characters, character with meanings influenced by other words, mutually explanatory character | zhuǎn zhù |
| 假借 | to make use of, loan character, one method of forming Chinese characters, character acquiring meanings by phonetic association, phonetic loan | jiǎ jiè |
| 部首 | the key or radical by which a character is arranged in a traditional Chinese dictionary | bù shǒu |
| 康熙字典 | the Kangxi Dictionary | kāng xī zì diǎn |
| 横 | horizontal, across, (horizontal character stroke) | héng |
| 竖 | (straight down character stroke), to erect, vertical | shù |
| 撇 | (downwards-left curved character stroke), throw | piě |
| 捺 | (downwards-right concave character stroke), press down firmly | nà |
| 钩 | entice, hook | gōu |
| 横钩 | horizontal hook | héng gōu |
| 竖钩 | vertical hook | shù gōu |
| 斜钩 | slanted hook | xié gōu |
| 横折 | horizontal bend | héng zhé |
| 竖折 | vertical bend | shù zhé |
| 欧阳 | two-character surname Ouyang | ōu yáng |
| 司徒 | minister of education (history), two-character surname Situ | sī tú |
| 姬 | surname Ji, family name of the Zhou Dynasty | jī |
| 妫 | surname Gui, name of a river | guī |
| 媯 | surname Gui, name of a river | guī |
| 姒 | surname Si | sì |
| 姚 | surname Yao | yáo |
| 姜 | surname Jiang | jiāng |
| 蔡 | surname Cai | cài |
| 陈 | surname Chen, vassal state during the Spring and Autumn Period, Chen of the Southern dynasties | chén |
| 陳 | surname Chen, vassal state during the Spring and Autumn Period, Chen of the Southern dynasties | chén |
| 刘 | surname Liu | liú |
| 劉 | surname Liu | liú |
| 罗 | surname Luo | luó |
| 羅 | surname Luo | luó |
| 吴 | surname Wu, province of Jiangsu, name of Southern China states at different historical periods | wú |
| 吳 | surname Wu, province of Jiangsu, name of Southern China states at different historical periods | wú |
| 徐 | surname Xu2 | xú |
| 许 | surname Xu3 | xǔ |
| 許 | surname Xu3 | xǔ |
| 叶 | surname Ye | yè |
| 葉 | surname Ye | yè |
| 郑 | surname Zheng | zhèng |
| 鄭 | surname Zheng | zhèng |
| 兄 | elder brother | xiōng |
| 兄弟姐妹 | siblings | xiōng dì jiě mèi |
| 初中 | junior high school | chū zhōng |
| 礼拜天 | Sunday | lǐ bài tiān |
| 寿 | long life, old age, age, life, birthday, funerary | shòu |
| 壽 | long life, old age, age, life, birthday, funerary | shòu |
| 长寿面 | longevity noodles | cháng shòu miàn |
| 围 | to encircle, to surround, all around, to wear by wrapping around (scarf, shawl), a surname | wéi |
| 圍 | to encircle, to surround, all around, to wear by wrapping around (scarf, shawl), a surname | wéi |
| 围棋 | the game of Go | wéi qí |
| 碧 | green jade, bluish green, blue, jade | bì |
| 雪碧 | Sprite | xuě bì |
| 矿 | ore, mine | kuàng |
| 礦 | ore, mine | kuàng |
| 泉 | spring (small stream), mouth of a spring, coin (archaic) | quán |
| 矿泉水 | mineral spring water | kuàng quán shuǐ |
| 隐 | secret, hidden, concealed, Greek stem: crypto- | yǐn |
| 隱 | secret, hidden, concealed, Greek stem: crypto- | yǐn |
| 私 | personal, private, selfish | sī |
| 权 | authority, power, right, temporary | quán |
| 權 | authority, power, right, temporary | quán |
| 隐私权 | privacy right | yǐn sī quán |
| 菊 | chrysanthemum | jú |
| 菊花 | chrysanthemum | jú huā |
| 菊花茶 | chrysanthemum tea | jú huā chá |
| 井 | a well, CL:?[kou3], neat, orderly | jǐng |
| 龙井 | Longjing county level city in Yanbian Korean autonomous prefecture, Jilin, Lungching township in Taichung county, Taiwan, also Longjing tea | lóng jǐng |
| 龙井茶 | Longjing (tea) | lóng jǐng chá |
| 大后年 | three years from now, year after year after next year | dà hòu nián |
| 葡 | grapes p.. | pú |
| 萄 | grapes t.. | táo |
| 葡萄牙 | Portugal | pú táo yá |
| 腊 | preserved (meat) | là |
| 希腊 | Greece | xī là |
| 丁 | surname Ding | dīng |
| 拉丁 | Latin, (in former times) to press-gang, to kidnap and force people into service | lā dīng |
| 珠 | bead, pearl | zhū |
| 圆珠笔 | ballpoint pen | yuán zhū bǐ |
| 宝 | a jewel or gem, a treasure, precious | bǎo |
| 寶 | a jewel or gem, a treasure, precious | bǎo |
| 宝贝 | treasured object, treasure, darling, baby, cowry, good-for-nothing or queer character | bǎo bèi |
| 文房四宝 | Four Treasures of the Study, the essentials of calligraphy and scholarship | wén fáng sì bǎo |
| 砚 | ink-stone | yàn |
| 硯 | ink-stone | yàn |
| 宣纸 | fine writing paper, originally from Jing county, Xuancheng, Anhui | xuān zhǐ |
| 宣城 | Xuancheng prefecture level city in Anhui | xuān chéng |
| 端砚 | high-quality ink stonemade in Duanxi and Guangdong | duān yàn |
| 歙 | to suck, a county's name in anhui | shè |
| 歙砚 | high-quality ink stonemade in Anhui | shè yàn |
| 橘 | tangerine | jú |
| 橘红 | orange (color), orange peel (used in traditional Chinese medicine) | jú hóng |
| 灰 | ash, dust, lime, gray, discouraged, dejected | huī |
| 灰色 | gray, grey, ash gray, grizzly, pessimistic, gloomy, dispirited, ambiguous | huī sè |
| 裙 | skirt | qún |
| 裙子 | skirt combined | qún zi |
| 帽 | hat, cap | mào |
| 帽子 | hat, cap combined | mào zi |
| 褂 | coat | guà |
| 马褂 | buttoned mandarin jacket of the Qing dynasty | mǎ guà |
| 摩 | rub | mó |
| 摩托车 | motorbike, motorcycle | mó tuō chē |
| 潮 | tide, current, damp, moist, humid | cháo |
| 潮湿 | wet, humid, damp, moist | cháo shī |
| 闷热 | sultry, sultriness, hot and stuffy, stifling hot | mēn rè |
| 阴天 | cloudy day, overcast sky | yīn tiān |
| 虾 | shrimp, prawn | xiā |
| 蝦 | shrimp, prawn | xiā |
| 胡 | beard, mustache, whiskers | hú |
| 鬍 | beard, mustache, whiskers | hú |
| 萝 | radish | luó |
| 蘿 | radish | luó |
| 卜 | turnip | bo |
| 蔔 | turnip | bo |
| 胡萝卜 | carrot | hú luó bo |
| 葱 | green-onion | cōng |
| 洋葱 | onion | yáng cōng |
| 宫保鸡丁 | Kung Pao Chicken, spicy diced chicken | gōng bǎo jī dīng |
| 婆 | grandmother, matron, mother-in-law | pó |
| 麻婆豆腐 | ma po tofu, stir-fried beancurd in chili sauce | má pó dòu fǔ |
| 炒面 | stir-fried noodles | chǎo miàn |
| 主食 | main food, staple (rice and noodles) | zhǔ shí |
| 馒头 | steamed roll, steamed bun, steamed bread | mán tou |
| 肯德基 | KFC, Kentucky Fried Chicken | kěn dé jī |
| 麦 | wheat, barley, oats | mài |
| 麥 | wheat, barley, oats | mài |
| 劳 | toil | láo |
| 勞 | toil | láo |
| 麦当劳 | MacDonald or McDonald (name), McDonald's (fast food company) | mài dāng láo |
| 必胜客 | Pizza Hut | bì shèng kè |
| 浆 | broth, serum, to starch | jiāng |
| 漿 | broth, serum, to starch | jiāng |
| 豆浆 | soy milk | dòu jiāng |
| 油条 | youtiao (deep-fried breadstick) | yóu tiáo |
| 斑 | spot, colored patch, stripe, spotted, striped, variegated | bān |
| 斑马线 | crosswalk, zebra crossing | bān mǎ xiàn |
| 桥 | bridge | qiáo |
| 橋 | bridge | qiáo |
| 天桥 | overhead walkway, pedestrian bridge | tiān qiáo |
| 地下通道 | underpass, subway, tunnel | dì xià tōng dào |
| 蕉 | banana | jiāo |
| 香蕉 | banana | xiāng jiāo |
| 草 | grass, straw, manuscript, draft (of a document), careless, rough | cǎo |
| 莓 | berry, strawberry | méi |
| 草莓 | strawberry, (Taiwan) hickey, love bite | cǎo méi |
| 橘子 | tangerine | jú zi |
| 桃 | peach | táo , táor |
| 葡萄 | grape | pú tao |
| 送终 | pay last respects | sòng zhōng |
| 尘 | dust, dirt, earth | chén |
| 塵 | dust, dirt, earth | chén |
| 灰尘 | dust combined | huī chén |
| 咳 | cough k.. | ké |
| 嗽 | cough s.. | sòu |
| 咳嗽 | to cough combined | ké sou |
| 喷 | to puff, to spout, to spray, to spurt | pēn |
| 噴 | to puff, to spout, to spray, to spurt | pēn |
| 嚏 | sneeze | tì |
| 打喷嚏 | to sneeze | dǎ pēn tì |
| 涕 | nasal mucus, tears | tì |
| 流鼻涕 | to run at the nose | liú bí tì |
| 参观博物馆 | to visit a museum | cān guān bó wù guǎn |
| 野 | field, plain, open space, limit, boundary, rude, wild y.. | yě |
| 野餐 | picnic | yě cān |
| 兜风 | to go for a drive, to catch the wind, to go for a spin in the fresh air | dōu fēng |
| 银河 | Milky Way, our galaxy | yín hé |
| 京剧 | Beijing opera | jīng jù |
| 橄 | olive | gǎn |
| 榄 | olive | lǎn |
| 欖 | olive | lǎn |
| 橄榄 | Chinese olive, olive | gǎn lǎn |
| 橄榄球 | football played with oval-shaped ball (rugby, American football, Australian rules etc) | gǎn lǎn qiú |
| 阿司匹林 | aspirin | ā sī pǐ lín |
| 硬座 | hard seat (on trains or boats) | yìng zuò |
| 软座 | soft seat (on trains or boats) | ruǎn zuò |
| 硬卧 | hard sleeper (a type of sleeper train ticket class with a harder bunk) | yìng wò |
| 软卧 | soft sleeper (a type of sleeper train ticket class with a softer bunk) | ruǎn wò |
| 恋 | to feel attached to, to long for, to love | liàn |
| 戀 | to feel attached to, to long for, to love | liàn |
| 谈恋爱 | to court, to woo, to be in love | tán liàn ài |
| 网联 | Internet link | wǎng lián |
| 囧 | velvetleaf (Abutilon avicennae), plant of the jute family, bright | character used as emoticon for sad, depressed, frustrated | jiǒng |
| 真囧 | really sad using emoticon for sad | zhēn jiǒng |
| 梯 | ladder | tī |
| 梯田 | stepped fields, terracing | tī tián |
| 元阳梯田 | Yuanyang stepped fields | yuán yáng tī tián |
| 自治区 | autonomous region | Inner Mongolia, Guangxi, Tibet, Ningxia, Xinjiang | zì zhì qū |
| 直辖市 | municipality | Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai, Chongqing, the first level administrative subdivision, province level city, also called directly governed city | zhí xiá shì |
| 特别行政区 | Special Administrative Region | Hong Kong, Macau, refers to many different areas during late Qing, foreign occupation, warlord period and Nationalist government, refers to special zones in North Korea and Indonesia | tè bié xíng zhèng qū |