When the official set of simplified characters was drawn up, several different methods were used to select simplified characters. One such method was to use one relatively simple character to write another more complicated character; for example, the character 后 (originally meaning 'empress') is used to write '後' (meaning 'behind, after'). In other cases, two similarly pronounced characters were simplified with the same simplified character; for example, both 復 and 複 were simplified as 复.
The purpose of this kind of simplification was originally to decrease the total number of characters that students have to learn to be literate. However, it has created a problem for students who know how to write simplified who want to learn to use traditional characters: they must learn to make new distinctions between characters.
Sometimes, each of the traditional characters that corresponds to a given simplified character have distinct meanings thus it's easy to decide which one to use; at other times, two of the traditional characters may be interchangeable in certain situations. The table below shows simplified characters that correspond to multiple traditional characters, as well as the different meanings of each of the different traditional characters.
Character Relationships
| Simplified Character | Traditional Character | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| 板 | 板 [] | 黑板 [] blackboard |
| 木板 [] wooden plank | ||
| 闆 [] | 老闆 [] boss | |
| 杯 | 杯 [] | 杯子 [] a cup |
| 玻璃杯 [] a glass | ||
| 盃 [] | 世界盃 [] World Cup | |
| 讚 [] | 稱讚 称赞 [] to praise | |
| 讚美 赞美 [] to praise / to admire | ||
| 贊 [] | 贊成 [] /approve/endorse/ | |
| 贊助 [] /to support/to assist/sponsor/ | ||
| 表 | 表 [] | 表示 [] to show |
| 表面 [] surface / appearance | ||
| 錶 [] | 鐘錶 [] clock | |
| 手錶 [] wristwatch | ||
| 别 | 別 [] | 別人 [] other people |
| 告別 [] to bid farewell | ||
| 識別 [] to discern | ||
| 別客氣 [] don't mention it | ||
| 卜 [] | 占卜 [] to divine | |
| 彆 [] | 彆扭 [] awkward / difficult | |
| 蔔 [] | 蘿蔔 [] turnip | |
| 胡蘿蔔 [] carrots | ||
| 并 | 並{并} [] | 並不 [] not at all / not in fact |
| 一並 [] to lump together | ||
| 併 [] | 合併 [] to merge | |
| 一併 [] to lump together | ||
| 布 | 佈 [] | 佈告 [] notice / bulletin |
| 分佈 [] to distribute | ||
| 布 [] | 桌布 [] tablecloth | |
| 才 | 才 [] | 天才 [] genius |
| 剛才 [] just then | ||
| 纔 [] | 剛纔 [] just then | |
| 彩 | 彩 [] | 彩色 [] multi-color |
| 精彩 [] brilliant | ||
| 綵 [] | 綵旗 [] colored flag | |
| 剪綵 [] to cut the ribbon | ||
| 采 | 採 [] | 採取 [] to adopt / to take |
| 採果 [] fruit picking / to pick fruit | ||
| 采 [] | 風采 [] elegant manner | |
| 神采 [] expression / bright | ||
| 冲 | 沖 [] | 沖洗 [] to rinse / to wash |
| 沖刷 [] to scrub / to scour | ||
| 衝 [] | 衝突 [] conflict / clash | |
| 衝刺 [] to sprint | ||
| 要衝 [] major crossroad | ||
| 丑 | 丑 [] | 丑時 [] 1-3 am |
| 小丑 [] clown | ||
| 醜 [] | 醜陋 [] ugly | |
| 醜事 [] scandal | ||
| 出 | 出 [] | 出去 [] to go out |
| 出來 [] to come out | ||
| 齣 [] | 一齣戲 [] one play | |
| 冬 | 冬 [] | 冬天 [] winter |
| 冬至 [] winter solstice | ||
| 鼕 [] | 鼕 [] Mr Dong | |
| 斗 | 斗 [] | 公斗 [] decaliter |
| 星斗 [] stars | ||
| 鬥{鬪} [] | 戰鬥 [] fight | |
| 鬥爭 [] struggle | ||
| 发 | 發 [] | 出發 [] to head off |
| 發生 [] to happen | ||
| 髮 [] | 髮型 [] hairstyle | |
| 頭髮 [] hair on the head | ||
| 范 | 範 [] | 規範 [] standard / regulation |
| 範圍 [] range / scope | ||
| 范 [] | 范先生 [] Mr Fan | |
| 复 | 復 [] | 反復 [] repeatedly |
| 恢復 [] to recover | ||
| 複 [] | 複雜 [] complicated | |
| 複合 [] compound | ||
| 重複 [] to duplicate | ||
| 干 | 乾 [] | 乾燥 [] dry |
| 乾娘 [] godmother | ||
| 干 [] | 干涉 [] to interfere with | |
| 干戈 [] weapons of war | ||
| 幹 [] | 主幹 [] main / core | |
| 樹幹 [] tree trunk | ||
| 幹嘛 [] what are you doing? | ||
| 榦 [] | 樹榦 [] tree trunk | |
| 谷 | 穀 [] | 穀物 [] grain / cereal |
| 五穀 [] the five crops | ||
| 谷 [] | 低谷 [] valley / low point | |
| 峽谷 [] canyon | ||
| 刮 | 刮 [] | 刮掉 [] to scrape off |
| 刮鏟 [] scraper | ||
| 颳 [] | 颳風 [] to be windy | |
| 后 | 后 [] | 皇后 [] empress |
| 王后 [] queen | ||
| 後 [] | 後面 [] behind | |
| 以後 [] after | ||
| 胡 | 胡 [] | 胡說 [] nonsense |
| 胡錦濤 [] Hu Jintao | ||
| 衚 [] | 衚衕 [] alley | |
| 鬍 [] | 鬍子 [] facial hair | |
| 鬍鬚 [] beard | ||
| 划 | 划 [] | 划子 [] small row-boat |
| 划算 [] worthwhile | ||
| 劃 [] | 計劃 [] plan | |
| 劃線 [] to draw a line | ||
| 回 | 回 [] | 回來 [] come back |
| 回頭 [] to turn one's head / later | ||
| 一回 [] one bout / one time | ||
| 迴 [] | 迴轉 [] to rotate | |
| 迴避 [] to avoid | ||
| 汇 | 匯{滙} [] | 匯率 [] exchange rate |
| 彙 [] | 詞彙 [] vocabulary | |
| 获 | 獲 [] | 獲得 [] to obtain |
| 獲勝 [] to win / to triumph | ||
| 捉獲 [] to capture | ||
| 穫 [] | 收穫 [] harvest | |
| 几 | 几 [] | 茶几 [] tea table |
| 幾 [] | 幾個 [] a few / how many? | |
| 饥 | 飢 [] | 飢渴 [] hunger and thirst |
| 飢荒 [] famine | ||
| 饑 [] | 饑荒 [] famine | |
| 家 | 傢 [] | 傢具 [] furniture |
| 家 [] | 家庭 [] family | |
| 人家 [] people / others / oneself | ||
| 家具 [] furniture | ||
| 奸 | 奸 [] | 內奸 [] undiscovered traitor |
| 奸猾 [] treacherous | ||
| 姦 [] | 強姦 [] rape | |
| 姦情 [] adultery | ||
| 姜 | 姜 [] | 姜先生 [] Mr Jiang |
| 薑 [] | 薑先生 [] Mr Jiang | |
| 薑餅 [] gingerbread | ||
| 黃薑 [] turmeric | ||
| 借 | 借 [] | 借給 [] to lend to |
| 藉 [] | 狼藉 [] in a mess | |
| 藉先生 [] Mr Ji | ||
| 尽 | 儘 [] | 儘可能 [] to do one's utmost |
| 儘管 [] despite / without hesitating | ||
| 儘量 [] as much as possible / to the greatest extent | ||
| 盡 [] | 盡頭 [] the very end | |
| 盡量 [] as much as possible / to the greatest extent | ||
| 卷 | 卷 [] | 卷子 [] steamed roll |
| 捲 [] | 捲起 [] to roll up | |
| 捲餅 [] rolled up pastry | ||
| 克 | 克 [] | 公克 [] gram |
| 麥克風 [] microphone | ||
| 克己 [] self-restraint | ||
| 剋 [] | 剋己 [] self-restraint | |
| 夸 | 夸 [] | 夸克 [] quark |
| 誇 [] | 誇張 [] exaggerated | |
| 誇大 [] to exaggerate | ||
| 昆 | 崑 [] | 崑崙山 [] Mount Kunlun |
| 昆 [] | 昆蟲 [] insect | |
| 昆明 [] Kunming (city in Yunnan) | ||
| 困 | 困 [] | 困難 [] difficult |
| 困境 [] predicament | ||
| 睏 [] | 我很睏 [] I'm sleepy | |
| 累 | 累 [] | 累累 [] heaps of |
| 纍 [] | 纍墜 [] superfluous / cumbersome | |
| 厘 | 厘 [] | 巴厘島 [] Bali (in Indonesia) |
| 釐 [] | 釐米 [] centimetre | |
| 釐清 [] to clarify | ||
| 漓 | 漓 [] | 淋漓 [] dripping wet |
| 灕 [] | 灕江 [] River Li, Guangxi | |
| 里 | 裡{裏} [] | 裡面 [] inside |
| 這裡 [] here | ||
| 里 [] | 公里 [] kilometer | |
| 鄰里 [] neighbourhood | ||
| 阿里 [] Ali (proper name) | ||
| 历 | 曆 [] | 日曆 [] calendar |
| 歷 [] | 歷史 [] history | |
| 經歷 [] experience | ||
| 了 | 了 [] | 走了 [] to have gone |
| 殺了 [] to have killed | ||
| 瞭 [] | 瞭哨 [] to stand guard | |
| 瞭望 [] to keep a lookout | ||
| 卤 | 滷 [] | 滷汁 [] gravy / marinade |
| 鹵 [] | 鹵水 [] brine / marinade | |
| 鹵素 [] halogen (chemistry) | ||
| 仑 | 侖 [] | 庫侖 [] Coulomb |
| 崙{崘} [] | 崑崙山 [] Mount Kunlun | |
| 面 | 面 [] | 表面 [] surface |
| 面子 [] face | ||
| 裡面 [] inside | ||
| 麵 [] | 麵條 [] noodle | |
| 麵包 [] bread | ||
| 辟 | 辟 [] | 大辟 [] death sentence |
| 闢 [] | 闢謠 [] to refute a rumor | |
| 開辟 [] to open up | ||
| 千 | 千 [] | 一千 [] one thousand |
| 千秋 [] a thousand years | ||
| 韆 [] | 韆鞦 [] swing | |
| 签 | 簽 [] | 簽署 [] to sign |
| 牙簽 [] toothpick | ||
| 籤 [] | 標籤 [] label / tag | |
| 牙籤 [] toothpick | ||
| 纤 | 縴 [] | 縴夫 [] barge hauler |
| 纖 [] | 纖維 [] fibre | |
| 秋 | 秋 [] | 秋天 [] autumn |
| 千秋 [] a thousand years | ||
| 鞦 [] | 鞦韆 [] a swing | |
| 曲 | 曲 [] | 歌曲 [] tune / song |
| 舞曲 [] dance music | ||
| 麴 [] | 麴 [] yeast / (surname) | |
| 舍 | 捨 [] | 捨棄 [] to abandon |
| 捨不得 [] unwilling to give away | ||
| 舍 [] | 宿舍 [] dormitory | |
| 旅舍 [] inn / hostel | ||
| 沈 | 沈 [] | 沈丘 [] Shenqiu (county in Henan) |
| 沈從文 [] Shen Congwen (novelist) | ||
| 瀋 [] | 瀋陽 [] Shenyang (city in Liaoning) | |
| 升 | 升 [] | 上升 [] to ascend |
| 公升 [] litre | ||
| 昇 [] | 上昇 [] to ascend | |
| 陞 [] | 陞任 [] /promotion/ | |
| 松 | 松 [] | 松樹 [] pine tree |
| 松鼠 [] squirrel | ||
| 鬆 [] | 放鬆 [] to loosen | |
| 輕鬆 [] relaxed | ||
| 苏 | 甦 [] | 甦醒 [] awaken |
| 蘇 [] | 紫蘇 [] basil | |
| 江蘇 [] Jiangsu province | ||
| 蘇軾 [] Su Shi (Song Dynasty writer) | ||
| 蘇醒 [] awaken | ||
| 台 | 台 [] | 台灣 [] Taiwan (informal writing) |
| 電台 [] broadcasting station | ||
| 櫃台 [] counter / bar | ||
| 檯 [] | 檯燈 [] desk lamp | |
| 櫃檯 [] counter / bar | ||
| 臺 [] | 臺灣 [] Taiwan (formal writing) | |
| 電臺 [] broadcasting station | ||
| 櫃臺 [] counter / bar | ||
| 颱 [] | 颱風 [] typhoon / hurricane | |
| 托 | 托 [] | 托架 [] bracket |
| 委託 [] to entrust | ||
| 摩托 [] motor / motorbike | ||
| 託 [] | 委託 [] to entrust | |
| 拜託 [] request sb to do sth | ||
| 系 | 係 [] | 關係 [] relationship |
| 聯係 [] to connect | ||
| 系 [] | 系統 [] system | |
| 數學系 [] mathematics department | ||
| 繫 [] | 繫安全帶 [] to fasten a seatbelt | |
| 繫緊 [] to bind tightly | ||
| 聯繫 [] to connect | ||
| 咸 | 咸 [] | 老少咸宜 [] appropriate for all ages |
| 鹹 [] | 鹹水 [] saltwater / brine | |
| 鹹肉 [] bacon / salt-cured meat | ||
| 向 | 向 [] | 方向 [] direction |
| 向上 [] upward | ||
| 導向 [] orientation | ||
| 嚮 [] | 嚮導 [] guide | |
| 嚮往 [] to yearn for | ||
| 面嚮 [] to turn towards | ||
| 须 | 須 [] | 必須 [] must |
| 須知 [] rules that must be known | ||
| 莫須有 [] groundless | ||
| 鬚 [] | 鬍鬚 [] beard | |
| 卷鬚 [] tendril | ||
| 旋 | 旋 [] | 旋風 [] whirlwind / tornado |
| 鏇 [] | 鏇床 [] lathe | |
| 鏇木 [] wood turning | ||
| 叶 | 叶 [] | 叶韻 [] to rhyme |
| 葉 [] | 葉子 [] leaf | |
| 葉問 [] Yip Man | ||
| 佣 | 佣 [] | 佣金 [] commission |
| 傭 [] | 傭人 [] servant | |
| 傭金 [] commission | ||
| 游 | 游 [] | 游泳 [] swimming |
| 下游 [] downstream | ||
| 遊 [] | 遊覽 [] to tour / to visit | |
| 遊戲 [] game | ||
| 下遊 [] downstream | ||
| 余 | 余 [] | 余先生 [] Mr Yu |
| 餘 [] | 餘地 [] leeway / margin | |
| 多餘 [] surplus / unnecessary | ||
| 吁 | 吁 [] | 吁吁 [] to pant |
| 籲 [] | 呼籲 [] to appeal to sb | |
| 御 | 御 [] | 御賜 [] to be bestowed by the emperor |
| 御史 [] imperial censor | ||
| 禦 [] | 防禦 [] defense | |
| 禦寒 [] cold resistant | ||
| 郁 | 郁 [] | 姓郁 [] surname Yu |
| 郁達夫 [] Yu Dafu (writer) | ||
| 鬱 [] | 濃鬱 [] dense (e.g. forest) | |
| 憂鬱 [] depressed | ||
| 鬱昭敏 [] Yu Zhaomin (Song dynasty official) | ||
| 云 | 云 [] | 語云 [] as the saying goes... |
| 云云 [] and so on | ||
| 雲 [] | 白雲 [] white cloud | |
| 多雲 [] cloudy (meteorology) | ||
| 扎 | 扎 [] | 掙扎 [] to struggle |
| 紮 [] | 駐紮 [] to station troops | |
| 紮營 [] to camp | ||
| 脏 | 臟 [] | 臟器 [] internal organs |
| 心臟 [] heart (organ) | ||
| 髒 [] | 骯髒 [] dirty | |
| 髒話 [] profanity | ||
| 占 | 佔 [] | 佔有 [] to have / to hold |
| 占 [] | 占卜 [] to divine | |
| 占星學 [] astrology | ||
| 折 | 折 [] | 折本 [] to lose money |
| 摺 [] | 摺光 [] refraction | |
| 摺紙 [] paper folding | ||
| 征 | 征 [] | 征途 [] long journey |
| 征服 [] to conquer | ||
| 徵 [] | 徵召 [] to enlist / to draft | |
| 象徵 [] symbol / to symbolize | ||
| 特徵 [] characteristic | ||
| 只 | 只{衹} [] | 只有 [] only |
| 只不過 [] it's just that | ||
| 隻 [] | 一隻鳥 [] one bird | |
| 隻身 [] by oneself | ||
| 制 | 制 [] | 控制 [] control |
| 制度 [] system | ||
| 抑制 [] inhibition | ||
| 製 [] | 製造 [] to manufacture | |
| 製作 [] make / manufacture | ||
| 複製 [] to copy | ||
| 志 | 志 [] | 意志 [] will / determination |
| 志願 [] aspiration / volunteer | ||
| 誌 [] | 雜誌 [] magazine | |
| 標誌 [] sign / symbol | ||
| 致 | 緻 [] | 精緻 [] fine / delicate |
| 密緻 [] closely-spaced / dense | ||
| 致 [] | 一致 [] unanimous | |
| 導致 [] to lead to | ||
| 钟 | 鍾 [] | 鍾情 [] madly in love |
| 龍鍾 [] decrepit / senile | ||
| 鐘 [] | 鐘頭 [] hour | |
| 時鐘 [] clock | ||
| 周 | 周 [] | 周朝 [] Zhou Dynasty |
| 周圍 [] surroundings | ||
| 週 [] | 週末 [] weekend | |
| 週圍 [] surroundings | ||
| 週年 [] (yearly) anniversary | ||
| 注 | 注 [] | 注意 [] to pay attention to |
| 注射 [] to inject | ||
| 註 [] | 註冊 [] to register | |
| 註定 [] be doomed | ||
| 註腳 [] footnote | ||
| 准 | 准 [] | 不准 [] not allowed |
| 批准 [] to ratify | ||
| 準 [] | 標準 [] standard | |
| 準備 [] prepare | ||
| 準確 [] accurate | ||
| 沒準兒 [] not sure | ||
| 水準 [] horizontal / level |