Totally there are about 100 thousand of Chinese characters existed. However, only about a thousand characters are frequently used in daily life. Here we list the top 20 characters, with simple strokes, that are the most common to use in China. More phrases and sentences will help you understand the characters better.

1. 一: one

Pinyin: yī (same as alphabet "E")

"一" is the easiest character in Chinese with only one horizontal stroke.

How to use "一" in a phrase and a sentence?

  • 一个(yī gè): one
    我一个人去(wǒ yī gè rén qù)。
    I'll go there alone.
  • 第一(dì yī): the first
    我考试第一名(wǒ kǎo shì dì yī míng)。
    I took the first in the examination.
  • 一些(yī xiē): some
    我想吃一些水果(wǒ xiǎng chī yī xiē shuǐ guǒ)。
    I want some fruits.
  • 一起(yī qǐ): together
    我们一起来的(wǒ mén sì gè rén yī qǐ lái dē)。
    We come here together.
  • 一种(yī zhǒng): a kind of
    你喜欢哪一种水果(nǐ xǐ huān nǎ yī zhǒng shuǐ guǒ)? = What kind of fruit do you like?
  • 一点(yī diǎn): a little bit
    我有一点累了(wǒ yǒu yī diǎn lèi le)。
    I am a little bit tired.
  • 一样(yī yàng): the same; as...as
    你和你父亲一样高(nǐ hé nǐ fù qīn yī yàng gāo)。
    You're as tall as your father.
  • 一边(yī biān): as the same time
    她一边笑一边跑进屋(tā yī biān xiào yī biān pǎo jìn wū)。
    She laughed, running into the house.
  • 一会儿(yī huǐ er): a little while
    他们聊了一会儿(tā mén liáo lé yī huǐ er)。
    They chatted for a while.

2. 二: two

Pinyin: èr (same as postfix "er")

Different with "一", "二" is only used to refer to the second. To express two subjects, the Chinese use "两 (liǎng)", e.g. 两个 (liang ge)

How to use "二" in a sentence or phrase?

  • 第二(dì èr): the second
    我排名第二(wǒ pái míng dì èr )。
    I ranked the second.
  • 星期二(xīng qī èr): Tuesday
    明天是星期二(míng tīan shì xīng qī èr)。
    Tomorrow is Tuesday.
  • 二月(èr yuè): February
    我的生日在二月(wǒ dē shēng rì zài èr yuè)。
    My birthday is in February.
  • 二手(èr shǒu): second-hand; used
    我买的是二手车(wǒ mǎi dē shì èr shǒu chē)。
    I bought the car second-hand.

3. 三: three

Pinyin: sān

How to use "三" in a sentence or phrase?

  • 三楼(sān lóu): third floor
    他家住在三楼(tā jiā zhù zài sān lóu).
    He lives on the third floor.
  • 三月(sān yuè): March
    这部电影将于三月上映(zhè bù diàn yǐng jiāng yú sān yuè shàng yìng)。
    The film will be released in March.
  • 三星(sān xīng): Samsung
    我在三星工作(wǒ zài sān xīng gōng zuò)。
    I work in Samsung.

4. 人: human

Pinyin: rén

This character looks just like a man standing with two legs.

How to use "人" in a sentence or phrase?

  • 人们(rén mén): everyone; all the people
    人们都喜欢美食(rén mén dōu xǐ huān měi shí)。
    Everyone likes delicious food.
  • 人类(rén lèi): mankind
    人类和动物可以和平共处(rén lèi hé dòng wù kě yǐ hé píng gòng chǔ)。
    The mankind can coexist with animals peacefully.
  • 男人(nán rén): man; 女人(nǚ rén): woman
    男人和女人非常不同(nán rén hé nǚ rén fēi cháng bù tóng)。 =
    Men and women are so different.
  • 人生(rén shēng): life
    她的人生很精彩(tā dē rén shēng hēn jīng cǎi)。
    She had an amazing life.
  • 人群(rén qún): crowd
    你在人群中闪闪发光(nǐ zài rén qún zhōng shǎn shǎn fā guāng)。
    You are shinning in the crowd.
  • 人格(rén gé): personality
    我喜欢她是因为她的人格魅力(wǒ xǐ huān tā shì yīn wèi tā dē rén gé mèi lì)。
    I like her because of her personality.
  • 人工智能(rén gōng zhì néng): artificial intelligence
    人工智能的工作方式和人类一样(rén gōng zhì néng dē gōng zuò fāng shì hé rén lèi yì yàng)。
    AI works in the same way as people.

5. 上: above; up

Pinyin: shàng

How to use "上" in a sentence or phrase?

  • 上面(shàng miàn): up above
    架子上面有一本书(jià zi shàng miàn yǒu yī běn shū)。
    There is a book on the shelf.
  • 上车(shàng chē): get on the car
    快上车(kuài shàng chē)！
    Hop in!
  • 上课(shàng kè): take a class
    我在上课(wǒ zài shàng kè)。
    I am taking a class.
  • 上网(shàng wǎng): surf the Internet
    你可以上网查资料(nǐ kě yǐ shàng wǎng chá zī liào)。
    You can search for information on the Internet.
  • 上菜(shàng cài): serve dishes
    可以上菜了吗(kě yǐ shàng cài le mā)？
    Shall I serve now?
  • 早上(zǎo shàng): in the morning
    我早上喝了牛奶(wǒ zǎo shàng hē le niú nǎi)。
    I drank milk in the morning.
  • 晚上(wǎn shàng): in the evening
    我晚上有个约会(wǒ wǎn shàng yǒu gè yuē huì)。
    I'll have a date in the evening.
  • 看上去(kàn shàng qù): look like; seem like
    你今天看上去不太开心(nǐ jīn tiān kàn shàng qù bù tài kāi xīn)。
    You seem like unhappy today.

6. 下: below; under; finish

Pinyin: xià

The opposite meaning of "上", with an adverse look. However, it is not for the use of time.

How to use "下" in a sentence or phrase?

  • 下面(xià miàn): down, under; next
    他把包放在桌子下面(tā bǎ bāo fàng zài zhuō zi xià miàn)。
    He put his bag under the table.
    下面有请王总致辞(xià miàn yǒu qǐng wáng zǒng zhì cí)。
    Let's welcome General Manger Mr. Wang to make a speech next.
  • 下车(xià chē): get out of the car
    下车前请携带好随身物品(xià chē qián qǐng xié dài hǎo suí shēn wù pǐn)。
    Please take your belongings with you before getting off the car.
  • 下课(xià kè): finish the class
    还有多久下课(hái yǒu duō jiǔ xià kè)？
    How long does it take to finish the lesson?
  • 下雨(xià yǔ): rain
    外面下雨了(wài miàn xià yǔ le)。
    It's rainning outside.
  • 下载(xià zǎi): download
    这部电影允许下载(zhè bù diàn yǐng yǔn xǔ xià zǎi)。
    This movie allows to download.
  • 下棋(xià qí): play chess
    我的爷爷喜欢下棋(wǒ dē yé yé xǐ huān xià qí)。
    My grandpa likes playing chess.

7. 大: big

Pinyin: dà

How to use "大" in a sentence or phrase?

  • 大人(dà rén): adult
    儿童必须要有大人陪同(ér tóng bì xū yào yǒu dà rén péi tóng)。
    Children must be accompanied by an adult.
  • 大雪(dà xue): heavy snow
    马上要下大雪了(mǎ shàng yào xià dà xuě le)。
    It's going to snow heavily soon.
  • 很大(hěn dà): very big
    我的房间很大(wǒ dē fáng jiān hěn dà)。
    My room is very big.
  • 大写(dà xiě): the capital form of a Chinese numeral
    姓名和地址都大写(xìng míng hé dì zhǐ dōu dā xiě)。
    The name and address are written in capitals.
  • 大概(dà gài): probably; roughly
    他的计划大概失败了(tā dē jì huà dà gài shī bài le)。
    His plan probably failed.
  • 大量(dà liàng): a lot of
    中国吸引着大量游客(zhōng guó xī yǐn zhe dà liàng yóu kè)。
    China attracts large numbers of tourists.

8. 小: small

Pinyin: xiǎo

The opposite meaning with "大", and sometimes it can be used to express young or in the early age. When it is combined with the character "人", however, it does not mean a little person. "小人" refers to a mean person.

How to use "小" in a sentence or phrase?

  • 小孩(xiǎo hái): kid
    她的小孩非常调皮(tā dē xiǎo hái fēi cháng tiáo pí)。
    Her kid is very naughty.
  • 小雨(xiǎo yǚ): light rain
    那天下着小雨(nà tiān xià zhe xiǎo yǔ)。
    It was light rain on that day.
  • 小人(xiǎo rén): mean person; snob
    他是个卑鄙的小人(tā shì gè bēi bǐ dē xiǎo rén)。
    He is a really mean person.
  • 小丑(xiǎo chǒu): clown
    他们都打扮成小丑(tā mén dōu dǎ bàn chéng xiǎo chǒu)。
    They were all dressed as clowns.
  • 小姐(xiǎo jiě): Miss, young lady
    很高兴认识你，唐小姐(hěn gāo xìng rèn shí nǐ, táng xiǎo jiě)。
    Nice to meet you, Miss Tang.
  • 小说(xiǎo shuō): novel; fiction
    这也许是他迄今最好的小说(zhè yě xǔ shì tā qǐ jīn zuì hǎo dē xiǎo shuō)。
    This is perhaps his best novel to date.
  • 小区(xiǎo qū): cummunity, neighbourhood
    我们恰好在同一个小区(wǒ mén qià hǎo zhù zài tóng yī gè xiǎo qū)。
    We happened to be in the same neighbourhood.
  • 小便(xiǎo biàn): pee
    司机可能在小便(sī jī kě néng zài xiǎo biàn)。
    The driver was probably taking a pee.

9. 天: sky

Pinyin: tiān

Usually the character "天" is combined with another character "空" to refer to the sky. Sometimes, "天" can be used as a modal particle.

How to use "天" in a sentence or phrase?

  • 天空(tiān kōng): sky
    一颗流星划过天空(yī kē liú xīng huá guò tiān kōng)。
    A meteorite streaked across the sky.
  • 天气(tiān qì): the weather
    天气好的时候我们就去露营(tiān qì hǎo dē shí hòu wǒ mén jiù qù lù yíng)。
    We'll go camping when the weather is good.
  • 天使(tiān shǐ): angel
    她唱歌像天使一样(tā chàng gē xiàng tiān shǐ yī yàng)。
    She sings like an angel.
  • 天才(tiān cái): genius
    他是谈钢琴的天才(tā shì tán gāng qín dē tiān cái)。
    He's a genius at playing the piano.
  • 我的天啊(wǒ de tiān a)!
    Oh, my god!

10. 王: king

Pinyin: wáng

This character is a popular family name in Chinese. It means the King.

How to use "王" in a phrase?

  • 国王(guó wáng): the King
  • 王后(wáng hòu): the Queen
  • 王子(wáng zǐ): the Prince

11. 口: mouth

Pinyin: kǒu

"口" looks just like a square. Though this character means the mouth, the Chinese do not frequently use it to refer to the mouth. It is often used to express an entrance or an exit.

How to use "口" in a sentence or phrase?

  • 出口(chū kǒu), :the exit
    前方100米有一个出口(qián fāng yī bǎi mǐ yǒu yī gè chū kǒu)。
    There is an exit 100 meters ahead.
  • 入口(rù kǒu): the entrance
    你可以在入口处寄存行李(nǐ kě yǐ zài rù kǒu chù jì cún xíng lǐ)。
    You can left the luggage at the entrance.
  • 口腔(kǒu qiāng): oral cavity; mouth
    保持口腔健康很重要(bǎo chí kǒu qiāng jiàn kāng hěn zhòng yào)。
    It's important to keep the mouth healthy.
  • 口红(kǒu hóng): lipstick
    可以借一下你的口红吗(kě yǐ jiè yī xià nǐ dē kǒu hóng mā )？
    Can I borrow your lipstick?
  • 口罩(kǒu zhào): mask
    人们几乎每天都要戴口罩(rén mén jī hū měi tiān dōu yào dài kǒu zhào)。
    People have to wear masks almost every day.

12. 日: sun

Pinyin: rì

This is also a simple character with a horizontal stroke in a rectangle. "日" refers to the sun, however, the Chinese usually say Tai Yang (太阳) literally when talking about the sun. It also means the dates. : April 7th, 4月(month)7日(day).

How to use "日" in a sentence or phrase?

  • 日子(rì zi): day
    这些日子她难得见到她父母(zhè xiē rì zi tā nán dé jiàn dào tā fù mǔ)。
    She hardly sees her parents these days.
  • 日期(rì qī): date
    合同中规定了交货日期(hé tóng zhōng guī dìng le jiāo huò rì qī)。
    A delivery date is stipulated in the contract.
  • 日记(rì jì): dairy
    她有每天写日记的习惯(tā yǒu měi tiān xiě rì jì de xí guàn)。
    She has a habit of writing dairy every day.
  • 日本(rì běn): Japan
    我下个月要去日本出差(wǒ xià gè yuè yào qù rì běn chū chāi)。
    I'll go to Japan on business next month.

13. 月: moon

Pinyin: yuè

Not only refers to the moon, "月" also means the month when talking about the dates. : May 20th, 5月20日.

How to use "月" in a sentence or phrase?

  • 月亮(yuè liàng): the moon
    今晚的月亮真美(jīn wǎn dē yuè liàng zhēn měi)！
    What a beautiful moon tonight!
  • 每月(měi yuè): every month
    • 每月10号发工资(měi yuè shí hào fā gōng zī)。
    The 10th of every month is the payday.

14. 火: fire

Pinyin: huǒ

In most cases, "火" refers to fire. And it also means somthing is really popular.

How to use "火" in a sentence or phrase?

  • 火灾(huo zai): fire
    那里发生过火灾(nà li fā shēng guò huǒ zāi)。
    There was a fire.
  • 很火(hěn huǒ): very popular
    这电影很火(zhè diàn yǐng hěn huǒ)。
    This movie is very popular.
  • 火锅(huǒ guō): hot pot
    我很喜欢吃火锅(wǒ hěn xǐ huān chī huǒ guō)。
    I like hot pot very much.
  • 火车(huǒ chē): train
    我坐火车去北京(wǒ zuò huǒ chē qù běi jīng)。
    I'll take a train to Beijing.
  • 火龙果(huǒ lóng guǒ): pitaya; dragon fruit
    这个地区盛产火龙果(zhè gè dì qū shèng chǎn huǒ lóng guǒ)。
    This country abounds with dragon fruit.
  • 火山(huǒ shān): volcano
    这座火山随时可能爆发(zhè zuò huǒ shān suí shí kě néng bào fā)。
    The volcano could erupt at any time.

15. 个: quantifier; measure word

Pinyin: gè

This is a measure word that can be used in many cases to express the meaning of individually.

How to use "个" in a sentence or phrase?

  • 一个人(yī gè rén): a person, alone
    她一个人回家(tā yī gè rén huí jiā)。
    She went home alone.
  • 个性(gè xìng): individuality
    她有着招人喜爱的个性(tā yǒu zhē zhāo rén xǐ ài dē gè xìng)。
    She has such an endearing personality.
  • 个头(gè tóu): stature
    虽然她个头很小，嗓门却很大(suī rán tā gè tóu hěn xiǎo, sǎng mén què hěn dà)。
    Though she was tiny, she had a very loud voice.
  • 个别(gè bié): specific; very few
    肥胖不再是个别现象(féi pàng bú zài shì gè bié xiàn xiàng)。
    Obesity is no longer exceptional.

16. 山: mountain

Pinyin: shān

This character is related to the mountains. And it looks just like those mountain ranges rising.

How to use "山" in a phrase?

  • 山顶(shān dǐng): the peak of the mountain
  • 山羊(shān yáng): goat
  • 山楂(shān zhā): hawthorn

17. 水: water

Pinyin: shuǐ

How to use "水" in a sentence or phrase?

  • 一杯水(yì bēi shuǐ): A glass of water
  • 水果(shuǐ guǒ): fruit
  • 水平(shuǐ píng): level, standard
    这家工厂不能维持目前的生产水平(zhè jiā gōng chǎng bù néng wéi chí mù qián dē shēng chǎn shuǐ píng)。
    The factory cannot continue its current level of production.

18. 左: left

Pinyin: zuǒ

How to use "左" in a sentence or phrase?

  • 我在你的左边(wǒ zài nǐ dē zuǒ biān)。
    I am on your left side.
  • 请伸出你的左手(qǐng shēn chū nǐ dē zuǒ shǒu)。
    Please show your left hand.

19. 右: right

Pinyin: yòu

How to use "右" in a sentence or phrase?

  • 右侧有一辆车(yòu cè yǒu yī liàng chē)。
    There is a car on the right.
  • 右手拿杯子(yòu shǒu ná bēi zi)。
    Take the cup by your right hand.

20. 儿: son

Pinyin: ér

With two strokes, this character has high frequency of use in daily life. It not only expresses a son or a child, but also becomes a postfix in the dialect of northern China.

How to use "儿" in a sentence or phrase?

  • 儿子(ér zi): son; 女儿(nǚ ér): daughter
  • 儿童(ér tóng), child.
    6岁以上儿童须购全票(liù suì yǐ shàng ér tóng xū gòu quán piào)。
    Children over the age of 6 must pay full fare.
  • 哪儿(nǎ ér), where
    你去哪儿(nǐ qù nǎ ér)？
    Where are you going?

Further reading:
Bullet Train from Beijing to Shanghai: Timetable, Tickets, Prices
China Entry and Travel Restrictions in 2021
Baggage Rules of China Rail