一 yī — one; 1; single; a(n)
桌子上有一本书。Zhuō zi shàng yǒu yì běn shū.There is a book on the table.
Common words: 一起 (yī qǐ)、一些 (yī xiē)、一样 (yī yàng)
Meaning Index
Chinese characters meaning "one"
Learn Chinese characters with the meaning "one", including 一 (yī), 彼 (bǐ). Study pinyin, English meanings, traditional forms, common words, and examples.
How to Study This Meaning Group
The English word "one" covers 2 different Chinese characters — 一 (yī), 彼 (bǐ) — and each is its own word with its own feel. These 2 characters do not share a sound — their readings span yī, bǐ — so confirm the pinyin and tone for each one separately. The example sentences further down show how 一 and the others are actually used, so you learn them in context rather than as a single translation.
- 一 yīone; 1; single; a(n)Useful words: 一起, 一些
- 彼 bǐthat; those; (one) another)Useful words: 彼此, 此起彼伏
Common words for these 2 "one" characters
Anchor each of these 2 characters in a word you can picture — start with 一 (yī) — so "one" turns into concrete usage instead of a one-to-one translation.
一起yī qǐ(in) the same place; together; in company (with); altogether一些yī xiēsome; a few; a little; (following an adjective) slightly ...er一样yī yàngsame; like; equal to; the same as彼此bǐ cǐeach other; one another此起彼伏cǐ qǐ bǐ fúup here, down there (idiom); to rise and fall in succession; no sooner one subsides, the next arises; repeating continuously彼时bǐ shíat that time
See each character in a sentence
Each character below is shown in a short example sentence with pinyin and an English translation — the quickest way to feel the difference between the 2 ways to say "one".
彼 bǐ — that; those; (one) another)
真正的朋友会彼此信任。Zhēn zhèng de péng you huì bǐ cǐ xìn rèn.True friends trust each other.
Common words: 彼此 (bǐ cǐ)、此起彼伏 (cǐ qǐ bǐ fú)、彼时 (bǐ shí)
All 2 characters
Open 一、彼 or any character below to hear it read aloud and see it used in an example sentence.