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CHINESE
Chinese Characters Volume I
March 1975 Revised October 1975 \ ... DEFENSE LANGUAGE INSTITUTE FOREIGN
LANGUAGE CENTER PREFACE The purpose of Chinese
Characters I and 11^ is to provide you with a foundation in the written language through
the presentation of 600 carefully selected characters. The character forms introduced
are those being used today in the Peoplefs Republic of
China, where many of the traditional forms have been simplified to
make the task of character learning easier. ... ... * ■
You will find the study of Chinese characters to be both fascinating
and rewarding. Learning to read one of the
world1 s most
T,exoticrT written
languages will not only give you a great sense of personal satisfaction, but will also
provide you with an important tool for vocabulary building. As you
learn some of the combinations in which a character recurs you will gradually develop
the ability to infer the meaning of new words containing that character.
Additionally, learning these 600 characters will thoroughly acquaint you with
the basic principles of Chinese character structure which you need to know in order to
look up unfamiliar characters in a Chinese-English dictionary.
Thus, the characters that you learn will serve as the point of departure for exercises
in dictionary use. For this purpose, a character index system has been provided at the
end of this book. This particular indexing system is the one used in the Chinese-English
Dictionary of Modern Communist Usage, which will be a standard reference for looking up
characters both here and in the field. TABLE OF CONTLNTS
Preface Lesson 1 i
Lesson 2 4
Lesson 3 5 Lesson
4 8 Lesson
5 10 Lesson 6
12 Lesson 7
14 Lesson 8 16
Lesson 9 18
Lesson 10 』 20
Lesson 11 22 Lesson
12 24 Lesson
13 26 Leeson 14
28 Lesson 15
30 Lesson 16 32
Lesson 17 34
Lesson 18 36
Lesson 19 38 Lesson
20 41 Table of Radicals
42 Index
48 LESSON 1
ěr
sSn % si
wQ Nu: one, a, an Nu: two
Nu: three Nu: four Nu: five
liu
qit qi bS, hi • • v Jiu
shi Nu r six Nus seven
Nu: eight Nu: nine Nu:
ten
rěrt
di xiǎo tian yoě
N: person, people SV: be big,
great, large SV: be saall, little
H/Hi day Ns sonth
shing
xia yS zhǒng
de V/Sp/PW: get onto， ascend/
last/on top (of) V/Sp/PW: get down from, descend/next below
A: also, too BP: middle, China
P: particle of modification
y5u
m^i shi liang
V: have, has; there is or are V: have not
BV: bef an are, is Nu:
couple, two M: unit (general
measure)
nl ts men bfi,
bō PN: I, me PN: you
(singular) PNs he, she, him, her P:
(plural-izisg suffix for pronouns) A: (negative prefix to verbs and
adverbs)
!•
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
LESSON 2
zii
zhě, zhěi tr
aiivni«nSi,nl 11
CV/V: be at, in or on Sp: this BP: son,
diminutive particle Sp:
that, which PW: inside
wii
qian t6u hdu le, liǎo
PW: outside PW: front N:
head P: (localizer suffix)
PW: back9 rear P: Ccompletec
action) RYE: (capability)
dao
shěn ma, me dl
V: arrive at CV: to
BP: what BP: what BP: place
BP: place
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6,
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
LESSON 3
du5
shao xian shSng
l£i SV: be much, many
SV: be few, little A: first BP: teacher
BP: teacher V: come
yio
qu shu5 hao
hua AV/V: want to/ want
V： go V: speak, say SV: be good,
well N: speech, language
V •--
Z1 guo hSn
kin P: (noun suffix) V:
give CV: fcr, to _ N: country, nation A: very
V: see, look at, read 1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
LESSON 4
kS
mii mki d5ng xī
BP/A: may/ indeed V:
buy V: sell PW/BP: east/ thing
PW/BP: west/ thing
dōu
xiing zuo 作 shl
dui A: all
AV/V: think/ to think V: do9
make, act N: business SV/CV: be correct/
towards, to
yong
xiē shl hdu
qian CV/V: with/ use
Nu: several, nany BP: time BP: time
N: money
Reading Practice 1.
2.
2.
4.
5^
6.
7*
8*
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
LESSON 5
xuě
xiě % TX běn
zi V: study, learn V: write
BP: Japan BP/M: Japan/ (volume)
N: word, characters
n在ng
qing zuo chī fin
AV: can, be able to V: invite,
request, please V: sit
V: eat N: rice, mealy food
hui
jifi yi hux
wdn AV/BP: can / a moment
A: only, then BP: can Ckěyl)
V/M: return / (a time occurence) Vs ask
Reading
Practice
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Q
10
11
12
13
14
15
LESSON 6
jl
b5i lSo Peng yǒu
Nu: several M: hundred
SV/A: be old/ always BP: friend BP: friend
....• _ •
hai, huan
wěi zao xiān
zou A/Vt still, yet, again/ return
BP: for, because SV: be early
BP: now Vr walk, go, leave
jiao
ban Vi dian ting
V/CV: call/ let Nu: half
BP: meaning, intention M/BF: (for hour)/a
little V: hear, listen
Reading Practice 1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
—
15.
LESSON 7
zhu
fa qīn
jia V: live, stay
BP: father BP: mother BF: parents
N: home9 family
jln
w§.n nian shO kuai
BP: present (day, year) SV/BP: be
late/ evening V: study, read aloud
N: book M/BP: (for
dollars)/ together
suo
dl xing mlnR zuo
BP: therefore Ps
Cordinalizing prefix to numbers) N/EV: surname/ be sumamed
BP: next (year) tomorrow; clear BP:
yesterday
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6*
7.
8.
9.
10.
11*
12.
13.
14.
15.
LESSON 8
ydu
d5ng zhev zhuo zhao, zhāo
zhī dao A: again
(completed action) V: wait
P: (continuance) RV£:(success) V: get
BP: know BP: know
kuai
chū měn zai
SV: be fast
V: exit (out) N: door Ar again (future)
BP: rise, get up
min
bS cong nian
zhong SV: be slow
CVs (in bi-pattern)- CV:
from M/Ns year BP/N: hours,
ofclock/ clock
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15 •
LESSON 9
11
bii biě ii
rt& BP: week
BP: week BP/AV: other /don ft
AV/V: love to/love V: take, carry
yīn
gul tki sī
wěi B?: because
SV: be expensive A/BP: too, excessively /wife, Mrs.
BP: meaning M: (polite for persons)
jln
xing song qing
jiin V: enter
SV: all right V: sesdy deliver, escort
BP: thing, affair, job M: (for articles,
affairs, bagf v*s)
Reading Practice 1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11 •
12 ♦
13.
14.
15.
LESSON 10
xīn
sh5u biao xin zhi
SV: be new N: hand N:
watch N/V: letter, mail/trust
in Nr paper
nān
nd shěif shui
qiān wān Att: male Att:
female PN: who, whom M: thousand
M: ten thousand
zhēn
bl chine wQ
A: really, truly N: pen, pencil A:
often N : house BP: room
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8«
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
LESSON 11
zěn
ching g* ne zhěng
BP: how Vs sing N: song
P； [continuance,
suspence) A: just, in the midst of
jiin
gāo bi ding jln
V: seef meet SV:
be tall, high BP: must BP:
certainly BP: important,
urgent
ffēn
zhang jň ba
CV: with, and M: (for
tablesy papers, etc.〕 M: (for
sentences) BP: angry polite P:
(probability, request)
1.
2.
3.
4,
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
LESSON 12
yl
line gao su hAi
BP: already BP: already
BP: tell BP: tell BP:
child 夜 岁
差
yě sui chk b£i
n£n M/N: night
N/M: yearCs) old BP: almost V: differ by
SV: be white SVs be
hard9 difficult
dong
wins zhan ch^ng
dl V: understand
V: forget V/N: stand /station
N: city BP: younger brother
Reading Practice
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14 •
15.
LESSON 13
kSi
huo chē pǎo guo
V: open, drive, operate
N/BP: fire /train N: vehicle
V: run V/P: pass/ (experience)
xiě
zhao bao guān
xiao V: thank
V: look for, hunt for N: newspaper ‘V: close
(up) BP: school
dě, dei, de
jiao, jiao fēn
shui V/AV/P: get/must/ (infix in RV) V/BP:
teach/ education V/M: divide /(minute,
penny) M/BP： (1/4 hour)/
inediately N: water Reading Practice
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13 •
14.
15.
LESSON 14
zi
j! dS. suan
xiāo EP: self BP: self
BP/V: plan/ beat, fight BP/V: plan/ calculate
V/BP： smile/ joke
rin
shi zhuō cai cha
BP: recognize BP:
recognize N:
tabley desk N:
vegetable, dish of food N: tea
gong
ffl jie fang dl
B?: free or leisure time BP: free or leisure
time N: street V: put, place, let go of
BP: underneath, below
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7,
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
LESSON IS
bins
vine dSne shui
gdu N: sickness SV： be siclc
BP: should, ought to BP: should, ought to
V: sleep SV: be enough
s«
xi huan kt!
BP: elder brother BP:
like to BP: like to V: help
V: cry
ping
yuan dāi 1ft w£n
BP: ordinary, peaceful
BP： be willing to V: take
or bring along N: road Vs play
Reading Practice
1.
2.
3.
4.
S.
6.
7.
8.
9*
10.
11.
12.
14.
15.
LESSON 16
bin
win rong y! cud
Vt 霣u&ge9 do
V/RVEs finish /(completed)
BP: be easy BPr be easy
SVs be wrong
pi
wěn f£ mSi huai
V: fear, be afraid of
BP: written language BP: method/ law/French
SV/BP: be beautiful /America SV: be bad, broken
juět jiao mlns
ki y!- BP:
store* shop BP: feel/ sleep BP: name, famous
BP: guest, polite BP: clothes
Reading
Practice
1
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
—^
14.
15.
LESSON 17
hua
shSn Vd hi
gēngf gěng V/N: draw,
paint/ picture N:
mountainy hill Nr fish
N: river A: even more
change zhang
chuan zui duan
bl SV: be long /head of
Nt boat9 ship A: the most,
•est SV: be short CV/V: than/ compare with
yāng
cl : hffi
ti£o M: kind, sort, way
M: (a tine, occurrence〗 Ps (indicating
extreme degree) SV: be
blacky dark M: (for rivers, streets,
etc,) Reading Practice 1
2
3
4
5
6,
7,
S.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
LESSON 18
zuo
biin • • V ..... JiU guan
iln PW: left M: .side,
border, part N: wine,
liquor BP: house (inn, hotel, restaurant, bar)
SV: be near, close
11
n&n yuan chuSn
raing CV/BP: from/ leave
PW: south SV: be far V:
wear (clothes) SV: be busy
zhi
Jiu ydu he
bSi BP: straight on
SV: be old (in use) PW: right V:
drink PWs north
Reading Practice
1.
2.
3*
4.
5*
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
Ǐ2T
13.
14.
15.
LESSON 19
qi
guai cai xi
lian BP: be strange BP:
be strange A; just, not until V: wash
N: face
din
r&n xu
iogt wXng
bianf pian BP:
butf not only BP:
otherwisey certainly V/BP: allow/
perhaps CV: towards BP: be convenient/ be
cheap
mSi
xīn wdlne mao shō/shū
Sp: each N/BFs heart/ be careful
N： (a surname) M: dine
V/N: count/ number Reading Practice
1,
2<
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
Lesson 19 (Cont.) 13.
14.
15.
LESSON 20 Reading Practice
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
• TABLE OF RADICALS (Based on
Chinese-English Dictionary of Modern Communist Usage) 1
1
2
3
k
5
2 6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
Ik
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
21^
25
26
27
3 28
29
30
31
32,
33
314.
35
36
37
38
39
kl
h2
k3
144
h5
ke
k7
kS
私-—
k9
50
51
52
53
Sk
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
4
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
7k
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
Sk
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
9k
95
96
97
98
99
5 100
101
102
103
10狂
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
11U
115
116
117
118
119
6 120
121
122
123
12U
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
2kO
na
7 U|2
11+3
m
lkB
1红6
347
ll(.8
lil-9
150
151
152
153
15k
155
156
157
158
159
160
8 161
162
163
1汍
9
165
166
167
168
169
170
10
171
172
173
m
175
186
11 176
177
178
179
180
181
12-16
182
183
181；
185
CHINESE CHARACTERS INDEX
% •
ai AV/V： love to/love
Lesson 9
ba
P： (probability, request) 11
bā, ba
Nu： eight 1
bǎ
CV： (in bǎ- pattern) 8
bai
SV： be white 12
bai
M： hundred 6
bai
BF: week 9
ban
V: manage, do 16
ban
Nu： half 6
bang
V： help 15
bao
N: newspaper 13
běi
PW： north 18
bSn
bf/m： Japan/ (volume) 5
bl
N： pen, pencil 10
bl
cv/v： than/compare with 17
bl
BF： must 11
bian
M： -side, border, part IS
bian, pian
BF： be convenient/be cheap 19
biǎo
N： watch 10
bie
bf/av： other/donTt
9
bang
N： SV: sickness be sick
15
bu, bu
A： (negative prefix to verbs and adverbs)
1
cai
A： just, not until 19
cai
N： vegetable, disb. of food . . ...... ■
14
cha
BF： V: almost differ by
12
cha
N： tea 14
chang， zhang
SV: be long/head of 17
chang
A: often 10
chang
V: sing 11
che
N： vehicle 13
cheng
N： city 12
chī
V: e这t 5
chu
V: exit (out) 8
chuān
V: wear (clothes) 18
chuan
N： boat, ship 17
cl
M： (a time, occurrence) 17
cong
CV： from 8
cuo
SV： be wrong 16
ds
bf/v： plan/beat, fight 14
da
SV： be big, great, large 1
dai
V： take or bring along 15
dan
BF： but, not only 19
dang
BF： should, ought to 15
dao
V： CV： arrive at to 2
dao
BF： know 8
de
P： particle of modification 1
āě, dSi, de
v/av/p： get/must/(infix in RV) 13
dSng
V： wait 8
dl
BF： underneath, below 14
di
P： (ordinalizing prefix to numbers) 7
dl
BF： place 2
di
BF: younger brother 12
diSji
m/bf： (for hour)/a little 6
ding
BF： certainly 11
d5ng
PW/BF： east/tliing 4
d5ng
V： understand 12
d5u
A： all 4
dulln
SV： be short 17
dul
SV/CV： be correct/towards, to 4
duo
SV: be much, many 3
er
BF： son, diminutive particle 2
er
Nu： two 1
fS
BF： method/1aw/French 16
fan
N： rice, meal, .food 5
fang
BF: place 2
fang
N： house 10
fang f ēn
V： V/M： put, place, let go of
divide/(minute, penny) 14 13
fū
BF： free or leisure time 14
fň
BF： father 7
gao
SV： be tall, high 11
gao
BF： tell 12
BF：
elder brother 15
g5
N： song 11
ge
M： unit (general measure) ■ 1
gSi
V: CV: give for, to 3
gSn
CV： with, and 11
gēng, gěng
A： even more 17
gong
BF： free or leisure time 14
gou SV：
be enough 15
guai BF:
be strange 19
guān V：
close (up) 13
gu^n BF：
house (inn, hotel, restaurant, bar) 18
gui SV：
be expensive 9
guo N：
country, nation 3
guo V/P：
pass/Cexperience) 13
hai BF：
child 12
hai, huan a/v：
still, yet, again/return 6
hSo SV：
be good, well 3
:hē V：
drink 18
hě N：
river 17
hSi SV：
be black, dark 17
hěn A：
very 3
hou PW：
back, rear 2
hou BF：
time 4
hua V/N:
draw, paint/picture 17
hua N：
speech, language 3
huai SV：
be bad, broken 16
huan BF：
like to 15
hu£ v/m：
return/(a time occurrence) 5
hui
av/bf： can/a moment 5
hu5
n/bf： fire/train 13
.^
Ji p: (indicating extreme degree)
17
jī
BF: self 14
jl
Nu： several 6
jiā
N: home, family 7
jian
M： (for articles, affairs, baggages) 9
jian
V: see, meet 11
jiao, jiao
v/bf： teach/education 13
Jiao
v/cv： call/let 6
jiē
N： street 14
jln
BF: present (day, year) 7
j2n
BF: important, urgent 11
.%
jm SV： be near, close 18
jin
V： enter 9
jīng
BF: already 12
jifi
N： wine， liquor 18
jifi
Nu： nine 1
Jiu
SV： be old (in use) 18
jiu
A: only, then 5
ju
M： (for sentences) 11
juě, jiao
BF： feel/sleep 16
kāi
V： open, drive, operate 13
kan
V： see, look at, read 3
kS
bf/a： may/indeed 4
ke
BF: guest, polite 16
k备
M/BF： (l/4 hour)/immediately 13
kuai
M/BF： (for dollars)/together 7
kuai
SV： be fast 8
ku
V： cry 15
lai
V： come 3
lSo
sv/a： be old/always 6
le, liǎo
p: RVE： (completed action)
(capability) 2
li
CV/BF： from/leave 18
11
PW： inside 2
11
BF： week 9
liSn
N： f ace 19
liSng
Nu： couple, two X
liu
Nu： six 1
lti
N： road 15
iaaf me BF： what
2
mti
V： buy 4
mai
V： sell 4
man
SV： be slow 8
mang
SV： be busy 18
mao
M： dime 19
měi
V： have not 1
měi
SV/BF： be beautiful/America 16
měi
Sp： each 19
men
p: (pluralizing suffix for pronouns) 1
men
N： door 8
mxng
BF： name, famous 16
ming
BF： . . • • ■ ■ next (year), tomorrow? clear 7
mfi
BF: mother 7
na
V: take, carry 9
nan
SV： .. .. .. ■ ■ ■ be hard, difficult 12
nan
Att： male 10
■0
nan PW： south 18
ne
P： (continuance, suspence) 11
nei, na, nSi, nǎ
Sp： that, which t
2
něng
AV: can, be able to 5
nī
PN： you (singular) 1
nian
M/N： year 8
niLi
V： study, read aloud 7
nfi
Att： female 10
pa
V： fear, be afraid of 16
pSo
V： run 13
ping
BF： friend 6
pxng
BF： ordinary, peaceful 15
pu
BF： store, shop 16
qī, qi
Nu： seven 1
qi
BF： be strange 19
qī
BF： rise, get up 8
qi
BF： angry, pplite 11
qiān
M： thousand 10
qian
PW： front 2
qian
N： money 4
qīn
BF： parents 7
qing
BF： thing, affair, job 9
qing
V: invite, request, please 5
qu
V： go 3
ran
BF： otherwise, certainly 19
rěn
N： person, people 1
rěn
BF： recognize 14
% rx
BF： Japan 5
rong
BF： be easy 16
sān
Nu： three 1
shan
N： mountain, hill- 17
shang
V/Sp/PW： get onto, ascent/last/ on top (of)
1
shSo
SV： be few, little 7 .
3
shěi, shui
PN： who, whom 10
shěn
BF： what 2
shēng
BF： teacher 3
shi
Nu： ten 1
shi
BF： time 4
shl
EV： be, am, are, is 1
shl
N： business 4
shl
BF： recognize 14
sh5u
N： hand 10
shū
N： book 7
sh2/shu
v/n: count/number 19
shui
N： water 13
shui
V： sleep 15
shu5
V： speak, say 3
sī
BF: meaning 9
%
si Nu： four 1
song
V： send, deliver, escort 9
su
BF： tell 12
suan
BF/V； pi an/c al cul at e 14
sul
n/m： year(s) old 12
su5
BF： therefore 7
tā
PN： he, she, him, her 1
tai
A/BF： too, excessively/wife, Mrs. -9
tiǎn
M/N： day 1
tiao
M： (for rivers, streets, etc.) 17
tīng
V： hear, listen 6
tou
N： P： head
(localizer suffix) 2
wai
PW： outside 2
wan
V/RVE： finish/(completed) 16
wan
V： play 15
wSLn
SV/BF： be late/evening 7
wan
M： ten thousand 10
wang
N： (a surname) 19
wang
V： forget 12
wang, wSng
CV： towards 19
wěi
BF： for , because 6
、•.
wei M： (polite for persons)
9
wěn
BF： written language 16
wen
V： ask 5
wS
PN： I，me v
1 wu
BF： room 10
wC
Nu： five 1
xī
PW/BF： west/thing 4
xi
BF： like to 15
xi
V： wash 19
xia
V/Sp/PW： get down from, descend/next below
1 xiān
A： BF： first
teacher 3
xian
BF： now 6
xiSng
AV/V： think/to think 4
xiǎo
SV： be small, little 1
xiao
BF： school 13
xiao
V/BF： smile/joke 14
xiē
Nu： several, many 4
xiě
V： write 5
xiě
V： thank 13
xīn
SV： be new 10
xīn
n/bf： heart/be careful 19
xlň
n/v： letter, mail/trust in 10
x£ng
SV： all right 9
xlng
n/ev： surname/be surnamed . .. •
1 ■ ...... 7
x2
v/bf： allow/perhaps 19
xuě
V： study, learn 5
yao
AV/V: want to/want 3
yang
M： kind, sort, way 17
.y各
A： also, too 1
ye
m/n： night 12
yī
BF： clothes 16
yī» yi» yi
Nu： one, a, an 1
yi
BF： already 12
yi
BF： can (kSyl) 5
yi
BF： be easy- 16
yi
BF： meaning, intention 6
yīn
BF: because 9
yīng
BF： should, ought to 15
yong
cv/v： with/use 4
y5u
BF: friend 6
y5u
V： have, has, there is or are 1
you
A： again (c<»pleted action) 8
you
PW： right 18
yd
N： fish 17
yuan
SV: be f ar 18
yuan
BF： be willing to 15
yue
N： month 1
zai
A： again (future) 8
zai
cv/v： be at, in or on ... 2
zāo
SV： be early 6
zěn
BF： how '11
zhan
v/n： stand/station 12
zhǎng
M： (for tables, papers, etc.) 11
zhǎo
V： look for, hunt for 13
zhe, zhuo, zhao, zhǎo
p: RVE： V：
(continuance) (success) get
8
zhě, zhěi
Sp： this 2
zhēn
A： really, truly 10
zheng
A： just, in the midst of 11
zhl
BF： know 8
zhl
BF： straight on 18
zhl
N： paper 、 10
zh5ng
bf/n： hours, o* clock/clock 8
zhong
BF： middle, China 1
zhu
V： live, stay 7
zhu5 N：
table, desk 14
zl P：
<noun suffix) 3
zx N:
word, characters 5
zl BF：
self 14
z5u V：
walk, go, leave 6
ZUI A：
the most, -est 17
zuo BF:
yesterday 7
zuS PW：
left 18
zuo V：
sit 5
zuo V:
do, make, act 4