Chinese Characters Unit 1

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Chinese

Pinyin

English (short)

1

一

yī

one

2

二

èr

two

3

三

sān

three

4

四

sì

four

5

五

wǔ

five

6

六

liù

six

7

七

qī

seven

8

八

bā

eight

9

九

jiǔ

nine

10

十

shí

ten

11

王

wáng

(surname) Wang; king (basic sense)

12

林

lín

forest; (common surname) Lin

13

大

dà

big

14

山

shān

mountain

15

明

míng

bright; (part of names)

16

北

běi

north

17

京

jīng

capital (as in Běijīng)

18

台

tái

terrace; Taiwan / Tái (in place names)

19

何

hé

(question surname) He; “what/which” in some names/contexts

20

李

lǐ

(surname) Li; plum

21

文

wén

literature / culture / writing

22

生

shēng

to be born; life

23

中

zhōng

middle / center

24

小

xiǎo

small

25

上

shàng

up / above

26

海

hǎi

sea / ocean

27

广

guǎng

broad / wide (appears in 广州)

28

州

zhōu

state / prefecture (zhōu)

29

东

dōng

east

30

人

rén

person / people

31

成

chéng

to become; succeed (also part of place name Chéngdū)

32

都

dū / dū

capital city (dū); dōu as “all” is different character/sound — here it's dū

33

天

tiān

sky / heaven

34

津

jīn

ferry / ford; used in Tiānjīn (天津)

35

西

xī

west

36

路

lù

road / route

37

安

ān

peace / safe

38

川

chuān

river; (used in Sichuan 四川)

39

香

xiāng

fragrant; part of Xiānggǎng (Hong Kong)

40

港

gǎng

harbor / port

41

南

nán

south

42

街

jiē

street

43

河

hé

river

44

湖

hú

lake

45

湾

wān

bay / gulf

46

金

jīn

gold; (part of place names)

47

市

shì

city / market

48

省

shěng

province