Primary 2 Chinese Vocabulary List

Singapore MOE Curriculum — 我会认 (Recognition) & 我会写 (Writing) Characters

Quick Answer

Singapore Primary 2 Chinese covers 565 characters across 19 lessons, aligned to the Singapore MOE curriculum. Students must recognise 382 characters (我会认) and be able to write 183 characters from memory (我会写). The full list with Hanyu Pinyin and English meanings is below.

565
Total Characters
382
我会认 (Recognise)
183
我会写 (Write)
19
Lessons

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Complete Primary 2 Character List

我会写 Must write from memory
我会认 Must recognise when reading
CharacterHanyu PinyinEnglish MeaningType
Lesson 1
外wàioutside / foreign我会写
亲qīndear / relative我会写
几jǐhow many / a few我会写
合hécombine / suit我会写
很hěnvery我会写
出chūgo out / exit我会写
对duìcorrect / face我会写
年niányear我会写
专zhuānspecial / expert我会写
听tīnglisten / hear我会写
外wàioutside / foreign我会认
美měibeautiful / America我会认
丑chǒuugly / clown我会认
新xīnnew我会认
卖màisell我会认
加jiāadd / plus我会认
亲qīndear / relative我会认
过guòpass / over我会认
现xiànappear / now我会认
些xiēsome / a few我会认
适shìsuitable / fit我会认
试shìtry / test我会认
年niányear我会认
读dúread我会认
级jílevel / grade我会认
班bānclass / group我会认
折zhéfold / break我会认
帮bānghelp我会认
专zhuānspecial / expert我会认
助zhùassist / help我会认
Lesson 2
平píngflat / peaceful我会写
全quáncomplete / whole我会写
家jiāhome / family我会写
花huāflower我会写
时shítime / season我会写
龙lóngdragon我会写
拿nátake / hold我会写
说shuōspeak / say我会写
身shēnbody / oneself我会写
体tǐbody / form我会写
业yèindustry / homework我会写
吉jílucky / auspicious我会认
利lìbenefit / sharp我会认
岁suìyear (of age)我会认
平píngflat / peaceful我会认
余yúsurplus / remainder我会认
全quáncomplete / whole我会认
除chúremove / except我会认
贴tiēstick / paste我会认
福fúgood fortune / blessing我会认
时shítime / season我会认
表biǎosurface / show / form我会认
演yǎnperform / act我会认
舞wǔdance我会认
龙lóngdragon我会认
婆pógrandmother / old woman我会认
拜bàibow / worship / visit我会认
着zhe / zháo / zhāoaspect particle / touch我会认
您nínyou (polite)我会认
接jiēreceive / connect我会认
卷juǎn / juànroll / scroll我会认
真zhēnreal / true我会认
Lesson 3
杯bēicup / glass我会写
送sòngsend / give我会写
主zhǔhost / main我会写
汽qìsteam / gas我会写
把bǎhandle / (disposal marker)我会写
朋péngfriend (朋友)我会写
友yǒufriend我会写
耳ěrear我会写
舌shétongue我会写
各gèeach / every我会写
非fēinot / wrong我会写
常chángoften / common我会写
碗wǎnbowl我会认
盘pánplate / dish我会认
叉chāfork我会认
筷kuàichopsticks我会认
杯bēicup / glass我会认
壶húkettle / pot我会认
客kèguest / visitor我会认
送sòngsend / give / see off我会认
主zhǔhost / main / master我会认
递dìpass / hand over我会认
汽qìsteam / gas我会认
忙mángbusy我会认
骨gǔbone我会认
伸shēnstretch / extend我会认
尝chángtaste / try我会认
原yuánoriginal / plain我会认
各gèeach / every我会认
定dìngfix / decide / surely我会认
第dìordinal prefix我会认
捉zhuōcatch / grab我会认
非fēinot / wrong / Africa我会认
Lesson 4
片piànslice / piece / flat我会写
林línforest / grove我会写
色sècolour我会写
共gòngtogether / total我会写
页yèpage我会写
太tàitoo / very / great我会写
阳yángsun / positive我会写
云yúncloud我会写
朵duǒmeasure word (flowers)我会写
红hóngred我会写
棵kēmeasure word (plants)我会认
树shùtree我会认
剪jiǎncut / scissors我会认
排páirow / arrange我会认
林línforest / grove我会认
形xíngshape / form我会认
角jiǎo / juécorner / horn / role我会认
然ránso / right / but我会认
拉lāpull / drag我会认
森sēnforest / dense我会认
从cóngfrom / follow我会认
众zhòngcrowd / many people我会认
颜yáncolour / face我会认
共gòngtogether / total我会认
页yèpage我会认
空kōng / kòngempty / sky / free time我会认
彩cǎicolour / brilliant我会认
蓝lánblue我会认
绿lǜgreen我会认
黄huángyellow我会认
想xiǎngthink / want / miss我会认
Lesson 5
音yīnsound / music我会写
边biānside / edge我会写
向xiàngtowards / direction我会写
足zúfoot / sufficient我会写
往wǎnggo towards / past我会写
运yùntransport / luck我会写
动dòngmove / action我会写
奶nǎimilk / grandmother我会写
从cóngfrom / follow我会写
笑xiàolaugh / smile我会写
音yīnsound / music我会认
室shìroom / chamber我会认
哪nǎwhich / where我会认
顶dǐngtop / carry on head我会认
楼lóubuilding / floor我会认
术shùart / skill / method我会认
旁pángside / beside我会认
向xiàngtowards / direction我会认
就jiùat once / then我会认
往wǎnggo towards / past我会认
转zhuǎn / zhuànturn / rotate我会认
操cāoexercise / drill我会认
运yùntransport / luck / movement我会认
路lùroad / path我会认
远yuǎnfar / distant我会认
迷mílost / fan / fascinate我会认
坡pōslope / hillside我会认
久jiǔlong time我会认
答dáanswer / reply我会认
已yǐalready / stop我会认
经jīngpass through / scripture我会认
Lesson 6
坐zuòsit我会写
校xiàoschool我会写
走zǒuwalk / go我会写
行xíngwalk / OK我会写
才cáijust / only then我会写
安ānpeace / safe我会写
光guānglight / glory我会写
美měibeautiful我会写
丽lìbeautiful / gorgeous我会写
跑pǎorun我会写
骑qíride (horse/bike)我会认
脚jiǎofoot / leg我会认
踏tàstep on / tread我会认
应yīng / yìngshould / respond我会认
该gāishould / ought to我会认
行xíng / hángwalk / OK / row我会认
桥qiáobridge我会认
等děngwait / equal我会认
停tíngstop / park我会认
才cáijust / only then / talent我会认
灯dēnglamp / light我会认
亮liàngbright / light up我会认
邻línneighbour / adjacent我会认
居jūreside / home我会认
互hùmutual / each other我会认
相xiāng / xiàngmutual / appearance我会认
光guānglight / glory我会认
照zhàoshine / according to我会认
丽lìbeautiful / gorgeous我会认
极jíextreme / pole我会认
Lesson 7
饭fànrice / meal我会写
青qīnggreen / blue / young我会写
星xīngstar / planet我会写
期qīperiod / expect我会写
香xiāngfragrant / incense我会写
进jìnenter / advance我会写
物wùthing / creature我会写
分fēndivide / minute我会写
完wánfinish / complete我会写
茶chátea我会认
糖tángsugar / candy我会认
炒chǎostir-fry我会认
油yóuoil / fat我会认
炸zhádeep-fry / explode我会认
冰bīngice / cold我会认
温wēnwarm / temperature我会认
咖kācoffee (咖啡)我会认
啡fēicoffee (咖啡)我会认
队duìteam / queue我会认
找zhǎolook for / find我会认
座zuòseat / measure word (buildings)我会认
位wèiposition / measure word (people)我会认
特tèspecial / particular我会认
别biéother / don't / part我会认
餐cānmeal / eat我会认
闻wénsmell / hear我会认
味wèitaste / flavour我会认
食shífood / eat我会认
分fēn / fèndivide / minute / part我会认
懂dǒngunderstand我会认
Lesson 8
爷yégrandfather / sir我会写
卖màisell我会写
种zhǒngtype / kind我会写
员yuánmember / staff我会写
发fāsend out / hair我会写
坏huàibad / broken我会写
抓zhuāgrab / catch我会写
怕pàfear / be afraid我会写
房fángroom / house我会写
住zhùlive / stay我会写
医yīmedicine / doctor我会认
病bìngsick / illness我会认
护hùprotect / nurse我会认
顾gùlook after / attend to我会认
贩fànpeddle / vendor我会认
教jiāo / jiàoteach / education我会认
种zhǒng / zhòngtype / plant / sow我会认
姨yíaunt (mother's sister)我会认
员yuánmember / staff我会认
消xiāodisappear / eliminate我会认
防fángprevent / defend我会认
灾zāidisaster / calamity我会认
灭mièextinguish / destroy我会认
保bǎoprotect / keep我会认
抓zhuāgrab / catch我会认
怕pàfear / be afraid我会认
建jiànbuild / establish我会认
住zhùlive / stay / stop我会认
Lesson 9
乌wūcrow / black我会写
电diànelectricity / lightning我会写
闪shǎnflash / lightning我会写
风fēngwind我会写
带dàibelt / bring我会写
伞sǎnumbrella我会写
放fàngput / release我会写
问wènask / question我会写
忘wàngforget我会写
记jìremember / record我会写
阴yīnovercast / shade / yin我会认
晴qíngsunny / clear我会认
湿shīwet / damp我会认
冷lěngcold我会认
热rèhot我会认
暗àndark / dim我会认
乌wūcrow / black我会认
闪shǎnflash / lightning我会认
刮guāscrape / blow (wind)我会认
记jìremember / record我会认
得de / dé / děiobtain / must / particle我会认
窗chuāngwindow我会认
忘wàngforget我会认
急jíurgent / anxious我会认
铃língbell / ring我会认
响xiǎngsound / ring / loud我会认
摸mōtouch / feel我会认
淋líndrench / pour我会认
呢nequestion particle我会认
Lesson 10
飞fēifly我会写
鱼yúfish我会写
请qǐngplease / invite我会写
鸟niǎobird我会写
叶yèleaf我会写
捉zhuōcatch / grab我会写
地dìground / earth我会写
方fāngsquare / direction我会写
喜xǐhappy / like我会写
欢huānjoyful / welcome我会写
蚂mǎant (蚂蚁)我会认
蚁yǐant我会认
爬pácrawl / climb我会认
蜜mìhoney我会认
蜂fēngbee / wasp我会认
丛cóngcluster / thicket我会认
池chípool / pond我会认
枝zhībranch / twig我会认
跳tiàojump / leap我会认
清qīngclear / clean我会认
蛙wāfrog我会认
害hàiharm / harmful我会认
情qíngfeeling / situation我会认
让rànglet / yield / allow我会认
像xiàngresemble / image我会认
窝wōnest / den我会认
结jié / jiētie / result / bear (fruit)我会认
掉diàofall / drop我会认
泥nímud / clay我会认
成chéngaccomplish / become我会认
Lesson 11
过guòpass / over我会写
机jīmachine / opportunity我会写
吗maquestion particle我会写
块kuàipiece / lump我会写
跟gēnfollow / with我会写
跳tiàojump / leap我会写
象xiàngelephant / resemble我会写
石shístone / rock我会写
更gèngeven more我会写
纸zhǐpaper我会认
机jīmachine / opportunity我会认
块kuàipiece / lump / yuan (colloquial)我会认
跟gēnfollow / with / heel我会认
棋qíchess / board game我会认
搭dābuild / take (transport)我会认
积jīaccumulate / volume我会认
布bùcloth / spread我会认
娃wábaby / doll我会认
吧basuggestion particle我会认
器qìutensil / organ我会认
许xǔallow / perhaps我会认
绳shéngrope / string我会认
捏niēpinch / knead我会认
拼pīnspell / join / risk我会认
船chuánboat / ship我会认
更gèng / gēngeven more / change我会认
鹰yīngeagle / hawk我会认
道dàoroad / way / say我会认
Lesson 12
永yǒngforever / always我会写
远yuǎnfar / distant我会写
百bǎihundred我会写
岁suìyear (of age)我会写
吹chuīblow我会写
卡kǎcard / stuck我会写
写xiěwrite我会写
想xiǎngthink / want我会写
宝bǎotreasure / precious我会写
永yǒngforever / always我会认
轻qīnglight / gentle我会认
命mìnglife / fate / order我会认
百bǎihundred我会认
健jiànhealthy / strong我会认
康kānghealthy / well-being我会认
幸xìngfortunate / lucky我会认
愿yuànwish / willing我会认
吹chuīblow我会认
糕gāocake / pastry我会认
首shǒuhead / first / measure word (songs)我会认
张zhāngopen / measure word (flat things)我会认
卡kǎcard / stuck我会认
影yǐngshadow / film / photo我会认
票piàoticket / vote我会认
礼lǐgift / ceremony / courtesy我会认
厅tīnghall / living room我会认
奇qístrange / wonderful我会认
怪guàistrange / blame我会认
活huólive / alive / work我会认
宝bǎotreasure / precious我会认
Lesson 13
猫māocat我会写
爱àilove我会写
狗gǒudog我会写
总zǒngalways / total我会写
医yīmedicine / doctor我会写
丢diūlose / throw我会写
那nàthat我会写
兔tùrabbit我会写
前qiánfront / before我会写
渠qúcanal / ditch我会认
睡shuìsleep我会认
觉jiào / juésleep / feel / sense我会认
羽yǔfeather / wing我会认
乖guāiobedient / well-behaved我会认
总zǒngalways / total / chief我会认
聪cōngclever / intelligent我会认
金jīngold / metal我会认
漂piāo / piàofloat / pretty我会认
吐tǔ / tùspit / vomit我会认
宠chǒngpamper / favour我会认
岛dǎoisland我会认
欺qībully / deceive我会认
负fùcarry / lose / negative我会认
丢diūlose / throw我会认
梦mèngdream我会认
围wéisurround / encircle我会认
迎yíngwelcome / meet我会认
识shí / zhìknow / recognise我会认
醒xǐngwake up / sober我会认
Lesson 14
难nándifficult我会写
易yìeasy / change我会写
争zhēngcompete / argue我会写
吵chǎoquarrel / noisy我会写
伤shāngwound / hurt我会写
笔bǐpen / brush我会写
容róngcontain / tolerate我会写
作zuòdo / work / compose我会写
草cǎograss / herb我会写
难nán / nàndifficult / disaster我会认
易yìeasy / change我会认
粗cūthick / rough / coarse我会认
细xìthin / fine / careful我会认
抢qiǎngsnatch / grab我会认
推tuīpush我会认
讨tǎoask for / discuss我会认
厌yàndislike / be fed up我会认
争zhēngcompete / argue我会认
吵chǎoquarrel / noisy我会认
弄nòngdo / play with我会认
破pòbroken / break我会认
撞zhuàngbump / collide我会认
倒dǎo / dàofall / pour / inverted我会认
伤shāngwound / hurt我会认
容róngcontain / tolerate / appearance我会认
能néngcan / able to我会认
晶jīngcrystal / glittering我会认
道dàoroad / way / say我会认
虹hóngrainbow我会认
Lesson 15
黄huángyellow我会写
菜càivegetable / dish我会写
扁biǎnflat / oblate我会写
瓜guāmelon / gourd我会写
甜tiánsweet我会写
比bǐcompare / than我会写
哭kūcry / weep我会写
黑hēiblack / dark我会写
考kǎoexam / test我会写
茄qiéeggplant / aubergine我会认
紫zǐpurple我会认
番fānforeign / turn我会认
芽yásprout / bud我会认
扁biǎnflat / oblate我会认
玉yùjade我会认
比bǐcompare / than我会认
伯bóuncle / eldest我会认
萝luótrailing plant (萝卜)我会认
卜boradish (萝卜)我会认
煮zhǔboil / cook我会认
鼠shǔrat / mouse我会认
或huòor / perhaps我会认
者zhěperson / one who我会认
猪zhūpig我会认
拔bápull out / uproot我会认
摘zhāipick / pluck我会认
挖wādig / excavate我会认
考kǎoexam / test我会认
根gēnroot / origin我会认
实shíreal / solid / fruit我会认
Lesson 16
声shēngsound / voice我会写
话huàspeech / words我会写
借jièborrow / lend我会写
次cìtime / order我会写
首shǒuhead / first我会写
英yīngbrave / hero / English我会写
故gùold / reason / story我会写
事shìmatter / affair我会写
样yàngappearance / style我会写
具jùtool / equipment我会写
持chíhold / maintain我会认
静jìngquiet / still我会认
绘huìdraw / paint我会认
趣qùinterest / fun我会认
借jièborrow / lend我会认
次cìtime / order / next我会认
英yīngbrave / hero / English我会认
遍biàntime (occurrence) / everywhere我会认
架jiàshelf / quarrel / measure word我会认
箱xiāngbox / chest / trunk我会认
盒hébox / case我会认
案àncase / plan / table我会认
附fùattach / near我会认
近jìnnear / close我会认
满mǎnfull / satisfied我会认
始shǐbegin / start我会认
样yàngappearance / style / sample我会认
候hòuwait / time / season我会认
知zhīknow / knowledge我会认
指zhǐfinger / point to我会认
Lesson 17
夜yènight / evening我会写
市shìmarket / city我会写
炸zhádeep-fry / explode我会写
鸡jīchicken我会写
球qiúball / sphere我会写
楼lóubuilding / floor我会写
灯dēnglamp / light我会写
排páirow / arrange我会写
逛guàngstroll / wander我会认
夜yènight / evening我会认
市shìmarket / city我会认
烤kǎoroast / bake / grill我会认
肠chángintestine / sausage我会认
翅chìwing / fin我会认
射shèshoot / emit我会认
碰pèngbump / meet我会认
饮yǐndrink / beverage我会认
料liàomaterial / expect我会认
踢tīkick我会认
筝zhēngkite / zither我会认
但dànbut / however我会认
闹nàonoisy / make trouble我会认
摊tānstall / spread out我会认
阵zhènbattle array / spell / measure word我会认
引yǐnlead / attract / quote我会认
群qúngroup / crowd我会认
套tàoset / cover / suit我会认
圈quāncircle / ring我会认
Lesson 18
海hǎisea / ocean我会写
步bùstep / pace我会写
游yóuswim / travel我会写
泳yǒngswim我会写
区qūarea / district我会写
现xiànappear / now我会写
处chùplace我会写
树shùtree我会写
净jìngclean / pure我会写
馆guǎnhall / establishment我会认
院yuàncourtyard / institution我会认
植zhíplant / grow我会认
海hǎisea / ocean我会认
岸ànshore / bank我会认
参cān / shēnparticipate / ginseng我会认
观guānobserve / view我会认
野yěwild / countryside我会认
泳yǒngswim我会认
沙shāsand我会认
捡jiǎnpick up / collect我会认
壳ké / qiàoshell / husk我会认
区qūarea / district我会认
处chù / chǔplace / deal with我会认
街jiēstreet我会认
整zhěngwhole / tidy我会认
齐qíneat / even / together我会认
离líleave / separate我会认
城chéngcity / town / wall我会认
Lesson 19
洗xǐwash我会写
冲chōngrinse / rush我会写
告gàotell / inform我会写
诉sùtell / complain我会写
活huólive / alive我会写
连liánconnect / even我会写
忙mángbusy我会写
凉liángcool / cold我会写
脸liǎnface我会写
洗xǐwash我会认
桶tǒngbucket / barrel我会认
厕cètoilet / lavatory我会认
所suǒplace / that which我会认
告gàotell / inform / accuse我会认
诉sùtell / complain我会认
珍zhēnprecious / treasure我会认
惜xīcherish / pity我会认
滴dīdrop / drip我会认
约yuēapproximately / appointment我会认
浪làngwave / wasteful我会认
费fèispend / fee / waste我会认
流liúflow / stream我会认
连liánconnect / even我会认
线xiànline / thread我会认
断duànbreak / cut off我会认
猜cāiguess我会认
摇yáoshake / rock我会认
渴kěthirsty我会认
低dīlow / lower我会认

Understanding the Primary 2 Chinese Curriculum

The Singapore MOE Primary 2 Chinese curriculum introduces characters progressively across two semesters. Characters are introduced progressively across two semesters. Each lesson introduces a set of 我会认 characters for reading comprehension and a smaller set of 我会写 characters for dictation (听写, tīng xiě).

The distinction between the two types is important for exam preparation. 我会认 characters appear in reading passages and comprehension questions. 我会写 characters are tested in dictation exercises where students must write the character correctly — including stroke order — from memory, given only the pinyin or a sentence context.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Chinese characters does Primary 2 cover in Singapore?

Singapore Primary 2 Chinese covers 565 characters across 19 lessons. Of these, 382 are 我会认 (recognition) characters and 183 are 我会写 (writing) characters.

What is the difference between 我会认 and 我会写?

我会认 (wǒ huì rèn) means 'I can recognise' — the student reads and understands the character but does not need to write it from memory. 我会写 (wǒ huì xiě) means 'I can write' — the student must write the character correctly from memory, including correct stroke order. All 我会写 characters are also 我会认 characters.

How many characters does a Primary 2 student need to write?

A Primary 2 student in Singapore is required to write 183 characters from memory by the end of the year (我会写). They must also recognise an additional 382 characters (我会认) when reading.

What textbook does Singapore Primary Chinese use?

Singapore Primary Chinese follows the Singapore Ministry of Education (MOE) Chinese language curriculum.

How can I help my child practise Primary 2 Chinese characters at home?

The free Playful Chinese by Buzzi app (chinese.getbuzzi.com) covers all Primary 2 characters with Flashcard, Quiz, Game, and Phrases modes. Each character includes pinyin, tone colour coding, stroke order animation, and example phrases. No sign-up is needed and the app works on any device.

Other Primary Levels

Browse vocabulary lists for all primary levels:

Primary 1Primary 2Primary 3Primary 4Primary 5Primary 6