9-4-21: Similar Chinese Characters

1.) 我 / 找 – Wǒ / Zhǎo - I/find

2.) 钱/ 线 - Qián/xiàn - Money/line

3.) 已 / 己 – Yǐ / Jǐ - already or stop / oneself/personal

4.) 末 / 未 – Mò / Wèi

5.) 人 / 入-  Rén/ Rù - person/to go into or enter

6.) 土 / 士 –  Tǔ / Shì - earth or local or dust  / scholar or soldier or warrior 

The character 士 is used in a lot of official names and titles, such as 士兵 (soldier), 人士 (public figure), 战士 (fighter; soldier), 士人 (scholar).

7.) 环 / 坏 – Huán / Huài

• 环 – Ring, hoop, link
• 坏 – Bad, harmful

8.) 干 / 千 – Gàn / Qiān - dry, clean or ignore / thousand

9.) 江 / 汪 – Jiāng / Wāng - river/pond or pool

10.) 特 / 持 –  Tè / Chí (寺 sì)

• 特 – Special, Unique
• 持 – Hold, Grasp, Support
• 特别 – Special/Particular - Tèbié
• 特产 – Special Local Product (another for the tourist trail) - Tèchǎn
• 特点 – Characteristic - Tèdiǎn

11.) 辛 / 幸 –  Xīn / Xìng

• 辛 – Hot (adj)/Suffering (Noun)
• 幸 – Fortune/Good Luck/Happiness
• 幸福 – Happiness
• 幸运 – Good Fortune
• 幸亏 – Fortunately

12.) 今 / 令 – Jīn / Lìng

• 今 – Modern/Present
• 令 – Order/Command

13.) 牛 / 午 – Niú / Wǔ

• 牛 – Cow
• 午 – Noon
• 牛奶 – Milk - Niúnǎi
• 下午 – Afternoon - Xiàwǔ
• 牛肉 – Beef - Niúròu
• 午饭 – Lunch - Wǔfàn
• 牛仔 – Cowboy - Niúzǎi
• 午夜 – Midnight - Wǔyè

14.) 尘 / 尖 – Chén / Jiān

• 尘  – Dust/Dirt
• 尖  – Point (of a needle)/Tip/Top
• 尖刀 – Sharp Knife - Jiāndāo
• 尖峰 – Peak/Summit - Jiānfēng
• 尘土 – Dust - Chéntǔ
• 尘云 – Dust Cloud - Chén yún

15.) 乐 / 东 – Lè / Dōng

16.) 刀 / 力 – Dāo / Lì 

• 刀 – Knife
• 力 – Power, Force, Strength

• 力 气 – Physical Strength - Lìqì
• 努力 – Hard Working - Nǔlì
• 压力 – Pressure - Yālì
• 动力 – Motivation - Dònglì
• 刀叉 – Knife and Fork - Dāo chā

17.) 手 / 毛 – Shǒu / Máo - hand/hair, fur or wool

18.) 大 / 犬 – Dà / Quǎn

• 大 – Big
• 犬 – Dog 

• 太大了 – Too big - Tài dàle
• 太累了 – Too tired - Tài lèile
• 太贵了 – Too expensive - Tài guìle

19.) 谁 / 准  – Shéi / Zhǔn  (推 Tuī)

• 谁 – Who
• 准 – Allow/To Grant
• 准备 – Prepare - Zhǔnbèi
• 准确 – Accurate/Exact - Zhǔnquè
• 准时 – Punctual/On Time - Zhǔnshí
• 推 - Tuī -  push (3rd character)

20.) 耍 / 要 – Shuǎ / Yào

• 耍 – Play with/trick
• 要 – Want/Will/Must

21.) 市 / 布 – Shì / Bù

• 市 Shì can mean city like in 城市 (chéngshì) , but it can also mean market for example: 市场 (shìcháng).
• 布 Bù on its own means cloth, like in dishcloth 洗碗布 (xǐwǎn bù). It can also be a verb meaning to declare or announce, such as in the word 发布 (fābù) meaning issue or release.

22.) 实 / 卖 / 买 – Shí / Mài / Mǎi

• 实 – Reality/Fact
• 卖 – Sell
• 买 – Buy

23.) 师 / 帅 – Shī / Shuài - Teacher/handsome or beautiful

24.) 农 / 衣 – Nóng / Yī

• 农 Nóng – on it’s own this means agriculture or farming. It’s put together with other characters to mean pretty much everything to do with these terms.
• 农民 means peasant; it’s a common way of referring to someone from rural parts of China. Nóngmín
• 衣 Yī – means clothing or garment. It’s generally put together with other characters to make words.
• 衣服 Yīfú for example is a generic word for clothes, and 内衣 Nèiyī means underwear (literally ‘inside clothes’).

25.) 旱 / 早 – Hàn / Zǎo

• 旱 – Drought
• 早 – Early

26.) 见 / 贝 – Jiàn / Bèi

• 见 Jiàn – to see or to meet
• For example 见到 Jiàn dào means to see or catch sight of something, and 见面 Jiànmiàn means to meet somebody.
• 贝 Bèi – this refers to a sea shell or in some cases to money.
• It’s often used in words translated from other languages to make the sound ‘bèi’, for example bass guitar is 贝斯 bèisī

27.) 便 / 使 – Biàn / Shǐ

• 便利店 – Convenience Store
• 便于 – Easy to

28.) 水 / 永 – Shuǐ / Yǒng

• 水 – Water
• 永 – Eternal, long lasting

29.) 職 / 識 – Zhí / Shí

• 職 – Job/Duty
• 識 – Knowledge

30.) 辦 / 辯 – Bàn / Biàn

• 辦 – Do/Handle/Manage/Tackle
• 辯 – Argue

31.) 邁 / 遇 – Mài / Yù

• 邁 – Step/Stride
• 遇 – Chance/Opportunity

32.) 變 / 戀 – Biàn / Liàn

SIMPLIFIED VERSIONS – 变 / 恋

• 變 – become different
• 戀 – love/attached to

33.) 七 / 匕 – Qī / Bǐ - seven/ dagger

34.) 暖 / 暧 – Nuǎn / Ài

• 暖 – Warm
• 暧 – Dim/Obscure

35.) 更 / 吏 – Gèng / Lì

• 更 – More/Even More
• 吏 – Government Clerk/Official

• 更好 – Even Better
• 更多 – Even More

36.) 兵/乒/乓 – Bīng/Pīng/Pāng

• “兵力” (bīnglì) for example means “military strength”
• “士兵” (shìbīng) means “soldier”
• “兵器” (bīngqì) means “weapons, arms”
• “步兵” (bùbīng) is “infantry” (“步” means step, go on foot, so the literal meaning is “foot soldier”)

37.) 哀/衰/衷 – Āi/Shuāi/Zhōng

“哀” means “sorrow” or “grief”,

 “衰” means “to become weak” and 

“衷” means “inner feelings”.