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.
| simplified character | traditional character | examples |
|---|---|---|
| 板 | 板 [] board | 黑板 [] blackboard | 木板 [] wooden plank | 闆 [] boss | 老闆 [] boss |
| 杯 | 杯 [] cup | 杯子 [] a cup | 玻璃杯 [] a glass | 盃 [] trophy | 世界盃 [] World Cup |
| 表 | 表 [] surface | 表示 [] to show | 表面 [] surface / appearance | 錶 [] clock | 鐘錶 [] clock | 手錶 [] wristwatch |
| 别 | 別 [] other / to leave / to differentiate / do not | 別人 [] other people | 告別 [] to bid farewell | 識別 [] to discern | 別客氣 [] don't mention it | 彆 [] awkward | 彆扭 [] awkward / difficult |
| 并 | 並 [] together / (emphasizes negatives) | 並不 [] not at all / not in fact | 並行 [] to proceed in parallel | 一並 [] to lump together | 併 [] to combine | 合併 [] to merge | 併吞 [] swallow up / merge | 一併 [] to lump together |
| 卜 | 卜 [] divine | 占卜 [] to divine | 蔔 [] turnip / radish | 蘿蔔 [] turnip | 胡蘿蔔 [] carrots |
| 布 | 佈 [] to declare | 佈告 [] notice / bulletin | 分佈 [] to distribute | 布 [] cloth, to declare | 桌布 [] tablecloth |
| 才 | 才 [] talent / only then | 天才 [] genius | 剛才 [] just then | 纔 [] only then | 剛纔 [] just then |
| 彩 | 彩 [] color / colorful | 彩色 [] multi-color | 精彩 [] brilliant | 綵 [] colored ribbon or flag | 綵旗 [] colored flag | 剪綵 [] to cut the ribbon |
| 采 | 採 [] pick / pluck | 採取 [] to adopt / to take | 採果 [] fruit picking / to pick fruit | 采 [] color | 風采 [] elegant manner | 神采 [] expression / bright |
| 冲 | 沖 [] surge / flush / deep | 沖洗 [] to rinse / to wash | 沖積 [] alluvial | 沖刷 [] to scrub / to scour | 衝 [] surge / charge / thoroughfare | 衝擊 [] attack / shock | 衝突 [] conflict / clash | 衝刺 [] to sprint | 要衝 [] major crossroad |
| 丑 | 丑 [] earthly branch / clown / (surname) | 丑時 [] 1-3 am | 小丑 [] clown | 醜 [] ugly | 醜陋 [] ugly | 醜事 [] scandal |
| 出 | 出 [] to move outwards | 出去 [] to go out | 出來 [] to come out | 齣 [] classifier for plays | 一齣戲 [] one play |
| 冬 | 冬 [] winter | 冬天 [] winter | 冬至 [] winter solstice | 鼕 [] sound of a drum / (surname) | 鼕 [] Mr Dong |
| 斗 | 斗 [] unit of measure | 公斗 [] decaliter | 星斗 [] stars | 鬥{鬪} [] to fight | 戰鬥 [] fight | 鬥爭 [] struggle |
| 发 | 發 [] launch / start | 出發 [] to head off | 發生 [] to happen | 髮 [] hair | 髮型 [] hairstyle | 頭髮 [] hair on the head |
| 范 | 範 [] pattern / model | 規範 [] standard / regulation | 範圍 [] range / scope | 范 [] surname Fan | 范先生 [] Mr Fan |
| 复 | 復 [] again / to recover | 反復 [] repeatedly | 恢復 [] to recover | 複 [] complex / folded | 複雜 [] complicated | 複合 [] compound | 重複 [] to duplicate |
| 干 | 乾 [] dry | 乾燥 [] dry | 乾娘 [] godmother | 干 [] intervene / shield | 干涉 [] to interfere with | 干戈 [] weapons of war | 幹 [] trunk / to do | 主幹 [] main / core | 樹幹 [] tree trunk | 幹嘛 [] what are you doing? | 榦 [] tree trunk | 樹榦 [] tree trunk |
| 谷 | 穀 [] grain / cereal | 穀物 [] grain / cereal | 五穀 [] the five crops | 谷 [] (surname) | 谷小姐 [] Miss Yu | 谷 [] valley | 低谷 [] valley / low point | 峽谷 [] canyon |
| 刮 | 刮 [] to shave / to scrape | 刮掉 [] to scrape off | 刮鏟 [] scraper | 颳 [] gust (wind) | 颳風 [] to be windy |
| 后 | 后 [] queen | 皇后 [] empress | 王后 [] queen | 後 [] behind / after | 後面 [] behind | 以後 [] after |
| 胡 | 胡 [] barbarian / wild / (surname) | 胡說 [] nonsense | 胡錦濤 [] Hu Jintao | 衚 [] alley | 衚衕 [] alley | 鬍 [] facial hair | 鬍子 [] facial hair | 鬍鬚 [] beard |
| 划 | 划 [] to scratch / to row / worth it | 划子 [] small row-boat | 划算 [] worthwhile | 劃 [] to delimit / to draw / to plan | 計劃 [] plan | 劃線 [] to draw a line | 劃 [] to scratch / small boat | 劃傷 [] scratch injury | 皮劃艇 [] canoe / kayak |
| 回 | 回 [] return / turn | 回來 [] come back | 回頭 [] to turn one's head / later | 一回 [] one bout / one time | 迴 [] curve / avoid | 迴轉 [] to rotate | 迴避 [] to avoid |
| 汇 | 匯{滙} [] confluence | 匯率 [] exchange rate | 彙 [] confluence | 詞彙 [] vocabulary |
| 获 | 獲 [] quarry / gain | 獲得 [] to obtain | 獲勝 [] to win / to triumph | 捉獲 [] to capture | 穫 [] harvest | 收穫 [] harvest |
| 几 | 几 [] small table | 茶几 [] tea table | 幾 [] almost | 幾乎 [] almost / nearly | 幾率 [] probability | 幾 [] a few / how many? | 幾個 [] a few / how many? |
| 饥 | 飢 [] hunger | 飢渴 [] hunger and thirst | 飢荒 [] famine | 饑 [] poor harvest / hunger | 饑荒 [] famine |
| 家 | 傢 [] furniture | 傢具 [] furniture | 家 [] home / person | 家庭 [] family | 人家 [] people / others / oneself | 家具 [] furniture |
| 奸 | 奸 [] sinister / traitor | 內奸 [] undiscovered traitor | 奸猾 [] treacherous | 姦 [] rape / adultery | 強姦 [] rape | 姦情 [] adultery |
| 姜 | 姜 [] (surname) | 姜先生 [] Mr Jiang | 薑 [] ginger / (surname) | 薑先生 [] Mr Jiang | 薑餅 [] gingerbread | 黃薑 [] turmeric |
| 借 | 借 [] borrow or lend | 借給 [] to lend to | 藉 [] pretext / by means of | 藉口 [] excuse | 藉由 [] by means of | 藉 [] disorder / (surname) | 狼藉 [] in a mess | 藉先生 [] Mr Ji |
| 尽 | 儘 [] as much as possible | 儘可能 [] to do one's utmost | 儘管 [] despite / without hesitating | 儘量 [] as much as possible / to the greatest extent | 盡 [] end, use up | 盡頭 [] the very end | 盡量 [] as much as possible / to the greatest extent |
| 卷 | 卷 [] scroll or paper | 考卷 [] an exam paper | 書卷 [] volume / scroll | 卷 [] rolled thing / to roll up | 卷子 [] steamed roll | 捲 [] to roll up / a rolled thing | 卷起 [] to roll up | 捲餅 [] rolled up pastry |
| 克 | 克 [] to overcome / (phonetic) | 公克 [] gram | 麥克風 [] microphone | 克己 [] self-restraint | 剋 [] to overcome | 剋己 [] self-restraint |
| 夸 | 夸 [] (phonetic) | 夸克 [] quark | 誇 [] to boast / exaggerate | 誇張 [] exaggerated | 誇大 [] to exaggerate |
| 昆 | 崑 [] Kunlun | 崑崙山 [] Mount Kunlun | 昆 [] older brother / (phonetic) | 昆蟲 [] insect | 昆明 [] Kunming (city in Yunnan) |
| 困 | 困 [] difficulty | 困難 [] difficult | 困境 [] predicament | 睏 [] tired / sleepy | 我很睏 [] I'm sleepy |
| 累 | 累 [] tired / exhausted | 累垮 [] to be worn out and collapse | 累累 [] exhausted / dejected | 累 [] heaps | 累累 [] heaps of | 累 [] piled up / accumulated | 積累 [] to accumulate | 累累 [] again and again | 纍 [] rope / (surname) | 纍墜 [] superfluous / cumbersome |
| 厘 | 厘 [] (phonetic) | 巴厘島 [] Bali (in Indonesia) | 釐 [] one hundredth | 釐米 [] centimetre | 釐清 [] to clarify |
| 漓 | 漓 [] pattering / to seep through | 淋漓 [] dripping wet | 灕 [] river name | 灕江 [] River Li, Guangxi |
| 里 | 裡{裏} [] inside | 裡面 [] inside | 這裡 [] here | 里 [] li (unit) / neighborhood / (phonetic) | 公里 [] kilometer | 鄰里 [] neighbourhood | 阿里 [] Ali (proper name) |
| 历 | 曆 [] calendar | 日曆 [] calendar | 歷 [] to experience / history | 歷史 [] history | 經歷 [] experience |
| 了 | 了 [] perfective aspect particle | 走了 [] to have gone | 殺了 [] to have killed | 了 [] to finish | 末了 [] in the end | 了解 [] to understand | 瞭 [] to watch | 瞭哨 [] to stand guard | 瞭望 [] to keep a lookout | 瞭 [] clear | 瞭解 [] to understand |
| 卤 | 滷 [] gravy / marinade | 滷汁 [] gravy / marinade | 鹵 [] salt / halogen | 鹵水 [] brine / marinade | 鹵素 [] halogen (chemistry) |
| 仑 | 侖 [] (phonetic) | 庫侖 [] Coulomb | 崙{崘} [] mountain name | 崑崙山 [] Mount Kunlun |
| 面 | 面 [] face / surface | 表面 [] surface | 面子 [] face | 裡面 [] inside | 麵 [] wheat food | 麵條 [] noodle | 麵包 [] bread |
| 辟 | 辟 [] king / ward off | 復辟 [] restoration of a past regime | 辟邪 [] to ward off evil spirits | 辟 [] law | 大辟 [] death sentence | 闢 [] to refute / to open up | 闢謠 [] to refute a rumor | 開辟 [] to open up |
| 千 | 千 [] thousand | 一千 [] one thousand | 千秋 [] a thousand years | 韆 [] swing | 韆鞦 [] swing |
| 签 | 簽 [] to sign / small wood sliver | 簽署 [] to sign | 牙簽 [] toothpick | 籤 [] label / small wood sliver | 標籤 [] label / tag | 牙籤 [] toothpick |
| 纤 | 縴 [] boatman's tow rope | 縴夫 [] barge hauler | 纖 [] delicate | 纖維 [] fibre |
| 秋 | 秋 [] autumn | 秋天 [] autumn | 千秋 [] a thousand years | 鞦 [] swing | 鞦韆 [] a swing |
| 曲 | 曲 [] bent | 曲折 [] bent / twisted | 曲線 [] curved line / indirect | 曲 [] tune | 歌曲 [] tune / song | 舞曲 [] dance music |
| 舍 | 捨 [] abandon | 捨棄 [] to abandon | 捨不得 [] unwilling to give away | 舍 [] small dwelling | 宿舍 [] dormitory | 旅舍 [] inn / hostel |
| 沈 | 沈 [] place name / (surname) | 沈丘 [] Shenqiu (county in Henan) | 沈從文 [] Shen Congwen (novelist) | 瀋 [] place name | 瀋陽 [] Shenyang (city in Liaoning) |
| 升 | 升 [] to rise / litre | 上升 [] to ascend | 公升 [] litre | 昇 [] to rise | 上昇 [] to ascend |
| 松 | 松 [] pine | 松樹 [] pine tree | 松鼠 [] squirrel | 鬆 [] relaxed | 放鬆 [] to loosen | 輕鬆 [] relaxed |
| 苏 | 甦 [] wake / recover | 甦醒 [] awaken | 蘇 [] perilla (plant) / wake / (phonetic) | 紫蘇 [] basil | 江蘇 [] Jiangsu province | 蘇軾 [] Su Shi (Song Dynastry writer) | 蘇醒 [] awaken |
| 台 | 台 [] platform / (classical) you / (surname) | 台灣 [] Taiwan (informal writing) | 電台 [] broadcasting station | 櫃台 [] counter / bar | 檯 [] desk / platform | 檯燈 [] desk lamp | 櫃檯 [] counter / bar | 臺 [] platform / station | 臺灣 [] Taiwan (formal writing) | 電臺 [] broadcasting station | 櫃臺 [] counter / bar | 颱 [] typhoon | 颱風 [] typhoon / hurricane |
| 托 | 托 [] a rest / to entrust / (phonetic) | 托架 [] bracket | 委託 [] to entrust | 摩托 [] motor / motorbike | 託 [] to entrust | 委託 [] to entrust | 拜託 [] request sb to do sth |
| 系 | 係 [] to connect / to be | 關係 [] relationship | 聯係 [] to connect | 系 [] system / department | 系統 [] system | 數學系 [] mathematics department | 繫 [] to tie / to fasten / to connect | 繫安全帶 [] to fasten a seatbelt | 繫緊 [] to bind tightly | 聯繫 [] to connect |
| 咸 | 咸 [] harmonious / all / (surname) | 老少咸宜 [] appropriate for all ages | 鹹 [] salty | 鹹水 [] saltwater / brine | 鹹肉 [] bacon / salt-cured meat |
| 向 | 向 [] towards / direction / (surname) | 方向 [] direction | 向上 [] upward | 導向 [] orientation | 嚮 [] towards / guide / (surname) | 嚮導 [] guide | 嚮往 [] to yearn for | 面嚮 [] to turn towards |
| 须 | 須 [] must | 必須 [] must | 須知 [] rules that must be known | 莫須有 [] groundless | 鬚 [] beard | 鬍鬚 [] beard | 卷鬚 [] tendril |
| 旋 | 旋 [] to whirl / immediately | 旋風 [] whirlwind / tornado | 旋 [] to turn | 旋轉 [] to rotate / to spin | 旋律 [] melody / rhythm | 鏇 [] to turn on a lathe | 鏇床 [] lathe | 鏇木 [] wood turning |
| 叶 | 叶 [] to be in harmony | 叶韻 [] to rhyme | 葉 [] leaf / (surname) | 葉子 [] leaf | 葉問 [] Yip Man |
| 佣 | 佣 [] commission | 佣金 [] commission | 傭 [] servant | 傭人 [] servant | 傭金 [] commission |
| 游 | 游 [] to wander / to swim | 游泳 [] swimming | 下游 [] downstream | 遊 [] to wander | 遊覽 [] to tour / to visit | 遊戲 [] game | 下遊 [] downstream |
| 余 | 余 [] I (archaic) / (surname) | 余先生 [] Mr Yu | 餘 [] leftover / extra / (surname) | 餘地 [] leeway / margin | 多餘 [] surplus / unnecessary |
| 吁 | 吁 [] sh / hush | 吁吁 [] to pant | 籲 [] to implore | 呼籲 [] to appeal to sb |
| 御 | 御 [] imperial / to govern | 御賜 [] to be bestowed by the emperor | 御史 [] imperial censor | 禦 [] to resist | 防禦 [] defense | 禦寒 [] cold resistant |
| 郁 | 郁 [] (surname) | 姓郁 [] surname Yu | 郁達夫 [] Yu Dafu (writer) | 鬱 [] dense / melancholy / (surname) | 濃鬱 [] dense (e.g. forest) | 憂鬱 [] depressed | 鬱昭敏 [] Yu Zhaomin (Song dynasty official) |
| 云 | 云 [] to say | 語云 [] as the saying goes... | 云云 [] and so on | 雲 [] cloud | 白雲 [] white cloud | 多雲 [] cloudy (meteorology) |
| 扎 | 扎 [] struggle | 掙扎 [] to struggle | 扎 [] pierce / (phonetic) | 扎針 [] to prick with a needle | 扎堆 [] to gather together | 扎啤 [] draught beer | 紮 [] military stationing | 駐紮 [] to station troops | 紮營 [] to camp | 紮 [] to tie / to bind | 捆紮 [] to bind together | 包紮 [] to package together |
| 脏 | 臟 [] organ | 臟器 [] internal organs | 心臟 [] heart (organ) | 髒 [] dirty | 骯髒 [] dirty | 髒話 [] profanity |
| 占 | 佔 [] to occupy | 佔有 [] to have / to hold | 占 [] foretell | 占卜 [] to divine | 占星學 [] astrology |
| 折 | 折 [] to break / loss | 折本 [] to lose money | 折 [] to bend | 曲折 [] complicated / winding | 折光 [] refraction | 折中 [] to compromise | 打折 [] to give a discount | 摺 [] to bend / to fold (narrow meaning) | 摺光 [] refraction | 摺紙 [] paper folding |
| 征 | 征 [] journey / expedition | 征途 [] long journey | 征服 [] to conquer | 徵 [] to solicit / to seek | 徵召 [] to enlist / to draft | 象徵 [] symbol / to symbolize | 特徵 [] characteristic |
| 只 | 只{衹} [] but / only | 只有 [] only | 只不過 [] it's just that | 隻 [] classifier for animals | 一隻鳥 [] one bird | 隻身 [] by oneself |
| 制 | 制 [] control / system | 控制 [] control | 制度 [] system | 抑制 [] inhibition | 製 [] to make | 製造 [] to manufacture | 製作 [] make / manufacture | 複製 [] to copy |
| 志 | 志 [] ambition | 意志 [] will / determination | 志願 [] aspiration / volunteer | 誌 [] records | 雜誌 [] magazine | 標誌 [] sign / symbol |
| 致 | 緻 [] fine / delicate | 精緻 [] fine / delicate | 密緻 [] closely-spaced / dense | 致 [] to send / to convey | 一致 [] unanimous | 導致 [] to lead to |
| 钟 | 鍾 [] goblet / (surname) | 鍾情 [] madly in love | 龍鍾 [] decrepit / senile | 鐘 [] clock / (surname) | 鐘頭 [] hour | 時鐘 [] clock |
| 周 | 周 [] surround / Zhou Dynasty / surname | 周朝 [] Zhou Dynasty | 周圍 [] surroundings | 週 [] surround / week | 週末 [] weekend | 週圍 [] surroundings | 週年 [] (yearly) anniversary |
| 注 | 注 [] to pour into / to pay attention to | 注意 [] to pay attention to | 注射 [] to inject | 註 [] to note down / to annotate | 註冊 [] to register | 註定 [] be doomed | 註腳 [] footnote |
| 准 | 准 [] to allow | 不准 [] not allowed | 批准 [] to ratify | 準 [] accurate | 標準 [] standard | 準備 [] prepare | 準確 [] accurate | 沒準兒 [] not sure | 水準 [] horizontal / level |