First 100 Chinese Characters for Kids: Read, Trace and Play (Ages 6–8)

By the end you can

• Read and write the numbers one to ten. Trace 一 to 十 stroke by stroke, then read bigger numbers like 十五 and 九十九 and say how old you are.
  我七岁。 · Wǒ qī suì. · I am seven.
• Read characters for people and say hello. 我, 你, 他, 她 and 人, plus 是, 不, 很 and the question word 吗, enough to ask and answer "How are you?"
  你好吗？我很好！ · Nǐ hǎo ma? Wǒ hěn hǎo! · How are you? I'm very well!
• Spot the parts that give a character away. A little person on the left for people, a mouth 口 for eating and talking, the animal sign in 猫 and 狗, and the speech sign in 读 and 课.
  吃 · chī · to eat
• Talk about pets and count them. Read 猫, 狗, 鸟 and 鱼 and count animals with 只, then say what pets live at home.
  我家有一只猫。 · Wǒ jiā yǒu yì zhī māo. · We have a cat at home.
• Say what they want to eat and drink. 吃, 喝, 饭, 茶 and 菜, with 要 for wanting and 也 for "too".
  我要喝水。 · Wǒ yào hē shuǐ. · I want to drink water.
• Introduce family and friends. Read 爸, 妈, 男 and 女, ask 谁, and point with 这 and 那 at a family photo.
  这是我爸爸，那是我妈妈。 · Zhè shì wǒ bàba, nà shì wǒ māma. · This is my dad, and that is my mum.
• Read about school, colours and the weather. 读, 写 and 画 for class, 红, 黄 and 绿 for colours, and 冷, 热, 雨 and 雪 to say what it's like outside.
  太冷了！ · Tài lěng le! · It's too cold!
• Tell the time and talk about the day. Read clocks with 点 and 半, and say when you get up and go to sleep with 早上 and 晚上.
  你几点睡？八点半。 · Nǐ jǐ diǎn shuì? Bā diǎn bàn. · What time do you go to sleep? Half past eight.
• Make a plan to go out and buy something. 去, 玩, 坐, 车, 买 and 店 come together in the last set, with 想 for what you'd like to do.
  我想去玩！ · Wǒ xiǎng qù wán! · I want to go and play!

What’s inside

• Characters 1–10: Meet: Count to Ten with Bao · Trace: Trace One to Ten · Read: Read Numbers and Ages
• Characters 11–20: Meet: Hello, Me and You · Trace: Trace Me, You and Hello · Read: Read Hello Lines
• Characters 21–30: Meet: Big Hands, Little Hands · Trace: Trace Sun, Moon and Water · Read: Read Big and Little
• Characters 31–40: Meet: Pets at Home · Trace: Trace Cat, Dog, Bird and Fish · Read: Read About Pets
• Characters 41–50: Meet: Eat, Drink and Like · Trace: Trace Eat and Drink · Read: Read What We Like to Eat
• Review 1–50: Bingo and a Reading Race
• Characters 51–60: Meet: Who Is This? · Trace: Trace Mum, Dad and Friends · Read: Read About My Family
• Characters 61–70: Meet: Books, Pens and Class · Trace: Trace Read, Write and Draw · Read: Read About Class
• Characters 71–80: Meet: Red, Yellow, Rain and Snow · Trace: Trace Hot, Cold and Colours · Read: Read About the Weather
• Characters 81–90: Meet: Morning, Night and Time · Trace: Trace Early, Late and O'Clock · Read: Read About My Day
• Characters 91–100: Meet: Go, Play, Buy · Trace: Trace Go, Sit and Buy · Read: Read About Going Out
• Review 51–100: Bingo and a Reading Race
• My 100 characters: My 100-Character Chart

How to use this book

Ten sets of ten characters, each with a Meet, a Trace and a Read page. Keep sessions to about 10 minutes, one page a day. At five days a week the book takes about seven weeks.

1. Day 1 of a set: Meet. Play the Meet page on the free audio, say each character back and talk about its picture clue.
2. Day 2: Trace. Trace five characters in the grids following the numbered strokes, then write each once alone. Finish the other five the next day if your child tires.
3. Day 3: Read. Read the words and two sentences together, tick or cross the true-or-false lines, then act out the speaking line.
4. After 50 characters: Bingo and a reading race. Play the bingo on page 18 with the audio and race to read the friends' lines. Go back to any set that felt shaky.
5. After 100 characters: The second review. Play the bingo on page 34 and read the friends' plan to go out.
6. All the way through: Colour the chart. On page 35, colour a box each time your child reads a character aloud with no pinyin.

Who it’s for

Children aged 6 to 8 learning to read Chinese, at home with a parent or in a class, at about YCT levels 1 and 2. Grown-ups don't need to read Chinese to help.

Before you start: It helps to know a few spoken words, such as hello and the numbers. Pinyin sits above every character and the free audio reads every line, so your child can start from the first page.

Frequently asked questions

Which 100 characters are in the book?

The common characters children meet first, in ten themed sets: numbers, people, picture characters like 日 and 水, pets, food, family, school, colours and weather, time, and going out. The chart on page 35 lists all 100.

Does it teach stroke order?

Yes. Every Trace page has tracing grids with numbered strokes, and the examples point out details such as 吃 starting with the 口. After tracing, your child writes each character once on their own.

Does my child need to read pinyin?

It helps but isn't required. Pinyin sits above the characters as a helper and the audio reads every line. The chart at the end asks your child to colour a box only when they can read a character without pinyin.

Is this workbook free?

Yes. The whole 43-page PDF is free, and you can look through its pages here before you download. There's no card and nothing to pay.

Do I need a SayMei account?

Yes, to download the PDF, and the account is free: sign up with Google, Apple or your email address. With it we email you a copy of the workbook, keep every workbook you download on your account on all your devices, save your place in the free online practice, and you can practise speaking with Mei Lin, SayMei's AI tutor.

How do I print it?

The PDF is US Letter size. On A4 paper, choose "Fit to page" (or "Scale to fit") in the print dialog so nothing is cut off. Print the whole workbook or only the pages you need; colour looks best, and black and white works too.

Can I print copies for my class or my children?

Yes. Print as many copies as you like for your own class or family. To share it, send this page: everyone can download their own copy.

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Mandarin for Kids: Animals & Fruit · Colors and Numbers in Chinese for Kids: Printable Worksheets (Ages 4–6) · Mandarin for Kids: My Family & Me · Mandarin for Kids: Yummy Food & Snacks · Browse all 294 workbooks