I created this list of Chinese characters for my own benefit in trying to learn them. I took Jun Da's list of most frequently used characters and added a Google image search to provide some mnemonics. I added tone-color and exaggerated tone marks to the pinyin to help remind me of the the tones.
See this on a separate page with links to shorter and longer lists of characters.
(Note, this may look ugly if you are using Internet Explorer. It should look better on Firefox, Chrome, or Safari. I need to do a bit more CSS-hacking to make it work on IE.)
Loading ...
的
de di´di`
(possessive particle)/of, really and truly, aim/clear
Loading ...
一
yi¯
one/1/single/a(n)
Loading ...
是
shi`
is/are/am/yes/to be
Loading ...
不
bu`bu´
(negative prefix)/not/no
Loading ...
了
le liao˘liao`
(modal particle intensifying preceding clause)/(completed action marker), to know/to understand/to know, clear, look afar from a high place
Loading ...
在
zai`
(located) at/in/exist
Loading ...
人
ren´
man/person/people
Loading ...
有
you˘
to have/there is/there are/to exist/to be
Loading ...
我
wo˘
I/me/myself
Loading ...
他
ta¯
he/him
Loading ...
这
zhe`zhei`
this/these, this/these/(sometimes used before a measure word, especially in Beijing)
Loading ...
个
ge`
(a measure word)/individual
Loading ...
们
men
(plural marker for pronouns and a few animate nouns)
Loading ...
中
zhong¯zhong`
within/among/in/middle/center/while (doing sth)/during/China/Chinese, hit (the mark)
Loading ...
来
lai´
to come
Loading ...
上
shang`
on/on top/upon/first (of two parts)/previous or last (week, etc.)/upper/higher/above/previous/to climb/to go into/above/to go up
Loading ...
大
da`dai`
big/huge/large/major/great/wide/deep/oldest/eldest, doctor
Loading ...
为
wei´wei`
act as/take...to be/to be/to do/to serve as/to become, because of/for/to
Loading ...
和
he´he`huo´huo`
and/together with/with/peace/harmony/union, cap (a poem)/respond in singing, soft/warm, mix together/to blend
Loading ...
国
guo´
country/state/nation
Loading ...
地
de di`
(subor. part. adverbial)/-ly, earth/ground/field/place/land
Loading ...
到
dao`
to (a place)/until (a time)/up to/to go/to arrive
Loading ...
以
yi˘
to use/according to/so as to/in order to/by/with/because/Israel (abbrev.)
Loading ...
说
shui`shuo¯
persuade (politically), to speak/to say
Loading ...
时
shi´
o'clock/time/when/hour/season/period
Loading ...
要
yao¯yao`
demand/ask/request/coerce, important/vital/to want/to be going to/must
Loading ...
就
jiu`
at once/then/right away/only/(emphasis)/to approach/to move towards/to undertake
Loading ...
出
chu¯
to go out/to come out/to occur/to produce/to go beyond/to rise/to put forth/to occur/to happen/(a measure word for dramas, plays, or operas)
Loading ...
会
hui`kuai`
can/be possible/be able to/to assemble/to meet/to gather/to see/union/group/association, to balance an account/accounting
Loading ...
可
ke˘
can/may/able to/certain(ly)/to suit/(particle used for emphasis)
Loading ...
也
ye˘
also/too
Loading ...
你
ni˘
you
Loading ...
对
dui`
couple/pair/to be opposite/to oppose/to face/for/to/correct (answer)/to answer/to reply/to direct (towards sth)/right
Loading ...
生
sheng¯
to be born/to give birth/life/to grow
Loading ...
能
neng´
can/may/capable/energy/able
Loading ...
而
er´
and/as well as/but (not)/yet (not)/(shows causal relation)/(shows change of state)/(shows contrast)
Loading ...
子
zi˘zi
11 p.m.-1 a.m./1st earthly branch/child/midnight/son/child/seed/egg/small thing, (noun suff.)
Loading ...
那
na˘na`nei`
how/which, that/those, that/those/(sometimes used before a measure word, especially in Beijing)
Loading ...
得
de´de dei˘
obtain/get/gain/proper/suitable/proud/contented/allow/permit/ready/finished, a sentence particle used after a verb to show effect/degree or possibility, to have to/must/ought to/to need to
Loading ...
于
yu´
(surname), in/at/to/from/by/than/out of
Loading ...
着
zhao¯zhao´zhe zhu`zhuo´
catch/receive/suffer, part. indicates the successful result of a verb/to touch/to come in contact with/to feel/to be affected by/to catch fire/to fall asleep/to burn, -ing part. (indicates an action in progress)/part. coverb-forming after some verbs, to make known/to show/to prove/to write/book/outstanding, to wear (clothes)/to contact/to use/to apply
Loading ...
下
xia`
under/second (of two parts)/next (week, etc.)/lower/below/underneath/down(wards)/to decline/to go down/latter
Loading ...
自
zi`
from/self/oneself/since
Loading ...
之
zhi¯
(literary equivalent of 的)/(subor. part.)/him/her/it
Loading ...
年
nian´
year
Loading ...
过
guo`
(experienced action marker)/to cross/to go over/to pass (time)/to celebrate (a holiday)/to live/to get along/(surname)/excessively/too-
Loading ...
发
fa¯fa`
to send out/to show (one's feeling)/to issue/to develop, hair
Loading ...
后
hou`
empress/queen/surname, back/behind/rear/afterwards/after/later
Loading ...
作
zuo`
to regard as/to take (somebody) for/to do/to make
Loading ...
里
li˘
inside/internal/interior, village/within/inside, Chinese mile/neighborhood/li, a Chinese unit of length = one-half kilometer/hometown