The Most Loved Simplified Chinese Characters: What’s Yours?

Simplified Chinese characters have a unique charm and beauty that resonate differently with each of us. Some like the visually appealing shape of a character, while others appreciate its meaning. No matter the reason, we all have our own favorite simplified characters.

Recently, we looked around the internet to discover which Simplified Chinese characters people favor the most and why they hold a special place in their hearts.

Here are some favorite Simplified Chinese characters shared by different people and the reasons behind their choices.

Table of Contents

1. 爬 (pá) – Climb

It’s not necessarily beautiful, but I like 爬 because it looks like a little dude climbing up a mountain with a backpack, a fun visual. (- comment from Reddit user)

2. 囧 (jiǒng) – Depressed

It vividly depicts an expression, very lively and graphic for its meaning. (- comment from Reddit user)

3. 水 (shuǐ) 火 (huǒ) – Water / Fire

These characters are elegant and simple, and still easy to tell what they depict. (- comment from Reddit user)

4. 串 (chuàn) – String

This character perfectly represents its meaning. It looks like meat on a stick. Everything tastes better when on a stick. (- comment from Reddit user)

5. 安 (ān) – Peace

The “female” radical （女） under the “roof” radical. Woman under roof is peace, very symbolic. (- comment from Reddit user)

6. 魔 (mó) – Monster / Magic

Of course, it looks so cool, evoking a sense of magic’s mysterious power. (- comment from Reddit user)

7. 武 (wǔ) – Military / Martial

I think this is the most beautiful character to write. (- comment from Reddit user)

8. 凹 (āo) 凸 (tū) – concave / convex

Together, they mean “bumpy.” This kind of beautiful simplicity makes me love Chinese. (- comment from Reddit user)

These are some of the favorite Simplified Chinese characters and the reasons why people love them. Learning Chinese characters can be both fascinating and challenging. To help you on this journey, here’s a video on “How to Learn Chinese Characters Effectively? ” This video provides great insights into the foundations of Chinese characters, making it easier and more enjoyable to learn. Check it out below:

9. 燕 (yàn) – Swallow

It’s so pretty and looks just like an illustrated bird. (- comment from Reddit user)

10. 员 (yuán) – Person / Member

This character looks like a little stick figure. (- comment from Reddit user)

11. 鼎 (dǐng) – Tripod

There’s no English equivalent for this word, but it refers to an ancient Chinese device used in ritual ceremonies and symbolizes divine rule. It’s shaped exactly like the word. (- comment from Reddit user)

12. 明 (míng) – Brightness

A beautiful combination of sun and moon in the same character., symbolizing brightness. (- comment from Quora user)

13. 灭 (miè) – Destroy / Extinguish

The bottom part, 火 (huǒ), means fire. The upper part, 一 (yī), means one, and it looks like something covering the fire. Together, it means: extinguish the fire! (- comment from Quora user)

14. 灶 (zào) – Stove

火 (huǒ) means fire, 土（ tǔ ）means soil or dirt. Together, it means cooking stove. (Stoves were made of soil in the past.) (- comment from Quora user)

15. 永 (yǒng) – Forever

This character, which means a long time, contains all eight techniques necessary for calligraphy. (- comment from Quora user)