100 common Hán–Việt words for learning Chinese (with tables)
If you could learn only one thing first when starting Chinese, learn the highest-frequency characters — and learn them with their Sino-Vietnamese (Hán–Việt) reading. Because about 60% of Vietnamese vocabulary has Chinese roots, you've already "met" most of these characters every day without noticing. (New to why this is an advantage? Read the pillar: Learning Chinese through Hán–Việt.)
Here's a starter set, grouped for easier memory.
Group 1 — People & family
| Chinese | Hán–Việt | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 人 | nhân | rén | person |
| 家 | gia | jiā | home, family |
| 学 | học | xué | to study |
| 生 | sinh | shēng | life, to be born |
| 女 | nữ | nǚ | female |
| 子 | tử | zǐ | child |
| 名 | danh | míng | name |
| 友 | hữu | yǒu | friend |
Group 2 — Nature & time
| Chinese | Hán–Việt | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 天 | thiên | tiān | sky, day |
| 日 | nhật | rì | sun, day |
| 月 | nguyệt | yuè | moon, month |
| 年 | niên | nián | year |
| 水 | thủy | shuǐ | water |
| 火 | hỏa | huǒ | fire |
| 山 | sơn | shān | mountain |
| 时 | thời | shí | time |
Group 3 — Nation & society
| Chinese | Hán–Việt | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 国 | quốc | guó | country |
| 中 | trung | zhōng | middle, China |
| 文 | văn | wén | writing, script |
| 字 | tự | zì | character |
| 心 | tâm | xīn | heart |
| 力 | lực | lì | strength |
| 自 | tự | zì | self |
| 立 | lập | lì | to stand |
Group 4 — Everyday adjectives & verbs
| Chinese | Hán–Việt | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 大 | đại | dà | big |
| 小 | tiểu | xiǎo | small |
| 好 | hảo | hǎo | good |
| 明 | minh | míng | bright, clear |
| 爱 | ái | ài | to love |
| 安 | an | ān | peace, safe |
| 独 | độc | dú | alone |
| 由 | do | yóu | from, by |
How to study this table effectively
- Don't memorize blindly. For each character, say a Vietnamese word that contains its sound: 学 → học sinh, 国 → quốc gia, 心 → trung tâm.
- Try building words. Many characters combine into words you already know: 国 + 家 = 国家 (nation), 独 + 立 = 独立 (independent), 自 + 由 = 自由 (freedom).
- Review by root cluster. Learn 生 and pull in học sinh, sinh viên, sản sinh — one character opens a whole family of words.
Tip: 8–10 characters a day, always with the Hán–Việt reading + one Vietnamese word. After two weeks you'll have ~120 base characters — enough to start reading.
Frequently asked questions
How many characters do I need to read basic Chinese? Around 300–500 high-frequency characters cover most everyday text. The set above is step one.
Do I need to learn to handwrite? For reading/understanding and digital communication, not required. But writing a few times helps the character stick longer.
Get the full set
This is just the start. You can subscribe to the newsletter to get the full 100 common Hán–Việt words, and try the Hán–Việt demo widget to see a word split into character + pinyin + Sino-Vietnamese reading. Want a structured path? See Mandanix.