Mandarin Chinese Characters Set 10 (20)

Question 1

川

Answer 1

chuan1
“chwon”
= river (a river running between two shores). Can mean “Sichuan” as this province has four rivers).

Question 2

州

Answer 2

zhou1
jo rhymes with “go”
= state

Question 3

舟

Answer 3

zhou1
jo rhymes with “go”
= boat (looks like a boat on a river)

Question 4

一

Answer 4

yi1
“ee”
= one

Question 5

二

Answer 5

er4
“ar”
= two

Question 6

三

Answer 6

san1
“san”
= three

Question 7

四

Answer 7

si4
“su”
= Four. (Four is thought unlucky because it sounds like si3 meaning death 死

Question 8

五

Answer 8

wu3
“woo”
= five (can be used as a surname)

Question 9

六

Answer 9

liu4
“leeyou”
= six (The number six represents wealth in Cantonese because the word sounds like lu4 禄 meaning good fortune).

Question 10

七

Answer 10

qi1
“chee”
= seven (considered a lucky number by people in relationships).

Question 11

八

Answer 11

ba1
“bar”
= eight (considered the most lucky number because it sounds like fa1 cai2 meaning ‘prosper’.

Question 12

九

Answer 12

Jiu3
“jeeoo”
= nine (the character for nine once resembled that for hand).

Question 13

十

Answer 13

shi2
“she”
= ten

Question 14

虫

Answer 14

chong2
“Chong”
= bug, worm (if you see this building block as a component in another it is often referring to an insect, reptile or shellfish.

Question 15

长

Answer 15

chang2
“chang”
= tall, length

Question 16

账

Answer 16

Zhang4
“jang”
= account, bill (the first building block is for “shell” indicating the meaning and “length indicating the pronunciation. Shells are associated with wealth hence the meaning of the character).

Question 17

心

Answer 17

xin1
“sheen”
= heart

Question 18

必

Answer 18

bi4
“bee”
= must (this is made up of the heart component + a line).

Question 19

闷

Answer 19

men1
“mun”
= bored (it is a heart component indoors - bored)

Question 20

恕

Answer 20

shu4
“shoo”
= to obey, is like, if (woman + mouth) + heart = to forgive