Differentiating between similar Chinese characters can be tricky.
But once you can tell them apart, reading and writing Chinese gets way easier.
In this post, we unravel the mysteries of look-alike characters, and help you avoid common pitfalls!
Chinese Characters Twins: How to Tell Them Apart
Summary of Confusing and Look-alikes Chinese Characters
| Pinyin | Character | English |
|---|---|---|
| měi | 美 | beautiful |
| yǎng | 养 | nurture |
| bàn | 辦 | do |
| biàn | 辩 | argue |
| nuǎn | 暖 | warm |
| ài | 暧 | ambiguous |
| gèng | 更 | more |
| lì | 吏 | official |
| āi | 哀 | grief |
| shuāi | 衰 | decline |
| xià | 夏 | summer |
| fù | 复 | review |
| bēi | 杯 | cup |
| hái | 还 | return |
| wáng | 王 | king |
| yù | 玉 | jade |
| hǎo | 好 | good |
| rú | 如 | if |
| tā | 她 | she |
| tā | 他 | he |
| gōu | 钩 | hook |
| diào | 钓 | fish |
| wèi | 为 | for |
| bàn | 办 | do |
| tóng | 同 | same |
| zhōu | 周 | week |
| jù | 句 | sentence |
| sháo | 勺 | spoon |
| tù | 兔 | rabbit |
| miǎn | 免 | exempt |
| chá | 茶 | tea |
| tú | 荼 | thorn |
| xǐ | 洗 | wash |
| xiǎn | 冼 | surname |
| fù | 父 | father |
| wén | 文 | language |
| lǎo | 老 | old |
| kǎo | 考 | exam |
| yóu | 由 | from |
| tián | 田 | field |
| lì | 利 | benefit |
| hé | 和 | and |
| kě | 渴 | thirsty |
| hē | 喝 | drink |
| zhù | 注 | note |
| zhù | 住 | live |
| guǎng | 广 | vast |
| chǎng | 厂 | factory |
| yuè | 月 | month |
| yòng | 用 | use |
| hé | 河 | river |
| hé | 何 | how |
| xiàn | 现 | present |
| guān | 观 | observe |
| bái | 白 | white |
| bǎi | 百 | hundred |
| xiào | 校 | school |
| jiào | 较 | compare |
| yǔ | 与 | and |
| xiě | 写 | write |
| zhǔ | 主 | main |
| wáng | 王 | king |
| yú | 愉 | happy |
| yú | 榆 | elm tree |
| kuài | 块 | piece |
| kuài | 快 | fast |
| yīn | 阴 | overcast |
| yáng | 阳 | sun |
| bā | 八 | eight |
| rù | 入 | enter |
| ma | 吗 | question particle |
| mǎ | 码 | number |
| wèn | 问 | ask |
| jiān | 间 | room |
| wàn | 万 | ten thousand |
| fāng | 方 | square |
| huà | 话 | speech |
| huó | 活 | activity |
| jiǎng | 讲 | talk |
| jìn | 进 | enter |
| zì | 自 | self |
| bái | 白 | white |
| zhí | 直 | straight |
| zhēn | 真 | true |
| miàn | 面 | face |
| xī | 西 | west |
| huà | 化 | transform |
| huā | 花 | flower |
| bìng | 病 | disease |
| tòng | 痛 | pain |
| sī | 思 | think |
| nán | 男 | male |
| yú | 于 | in |
| gān | 干 | dry |
| qǐng | 请 | please |
| qīng | 清 | clear |
| mǔ | 母 | mother |
| měi | 每 | every |
| quán | 全 | all |
| jīn | 金 | gold |
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