| 字 | zì | letter; symbol; character; word; CL:个; courtesy or style name traditionally given to males aged 20 in dynastic China |
| 数字 | shù zì | numeral; digit; number; figure; amount; digital (electronics etc); CL:个 |
| 文字 | wén zì | character; script; writing; written language; writing style; phraseology; CL:个 |
| 名字 | míng zi | name (of a person or thing); CL:个 |
| 字母 | zì mǔ | letter (of the alphabet); CL:个 |
| 字形 | zì xíng | form of a Chinese character; variant of 字型 |
| 签字 | qiān zì | to sign (a signature) |
| 识字 | shí zì | to learn to read |
| 八字 | bā zì | the character 8 or 八; birthdate characters used in fortune-telling |
| 字样 | zì yàng | model or template character; words written in large letters (e.g. slogan 标语 on banner, stamp "air mail" 航空 or header "first draft" 初稿 etc) |
| 汉字 | hàn zì | Chinese character; CL:个; Japanese: kanji; Korean: hanja |
| 大字报 | dà zì bào | big-character poster |
| 字符 | zì fú | word-symbol; character |
| 字句 | zì jù | words; expressions; writing |
| 字眼 | zì yǎn | wording |
| 字号 | zì hào | character size; font size; fame; reputation |
| 字面 | zì miàn | literal |
| 字音 | zì yīn | phonetic value of a character |
| 字迹 | zì jì | handwriting |
| 写字台 | xiě zì tái | writing desk |
| 注音字母 | zhù yīn zì mǔ | phonetic letters |
| 金字塔 | jīn zì tǎ | pyramid |
| 十字路口 | shí zì lù kǒu | crossroads; intersection |
| 题字 | tí zì | inscription; autograph |
| 字典 | zì diǎn | dictionary; character dictionary; CL:本 |
| 十字架 | shí zì jià | cross; crucifix; yoke one has to endure |
| 字画 | zì huà | the strokes of a character; calligraphy and painting |
| 字体 | zì tǐ | calligraphic style; typeface; font |
| 国语罗马字 | Guó yǔ luó mǎ zì | "Gwoyeu Romatzyh" romanization system for Chinese devised by Zhao Yuanren in 1926 |
| 拼音文字 | pīn yīn wén zì | phonetic alphabet; alphabetic writing system |
| 打字 | dǎ zì | to type |
| 打字机 | dǎ zì jī | typewriter |
| 拉丁字母 | Lā dīng zì mǔ | Latin alphabet |
| 数字通信 | shù zì tōng xìn | digital communications |
| 活字 | huó zì | movable type |
| 字义 | zì yì | meaning of a character |
| 活字印刷 | huó zì yìn shuā | printing with movable type |
| 单字 | dān zì | individual character; separate character |
| 字据 | zì jù | written pledge; contract; IOU |
| 罗马数字 | Luó mǎ shù zì | Roman numerals |
| 认字 | rèn zì | literate; knowing how to read |
| 别字 | bié zì | mispronounced or wrongly written character |
| 简体字 | jiǎn tǐ zì | simplified Chinese character, as opposed to traditional Chinese character 繁体字 |
| 繁体字 | fán tǐ zì | traditional Chinese character |
| 赤字 | chì zì | (financial) deficit; red letter |
| 错字 | cuò zì | incorrect character; typo (in Chinese text) |
| T字帐 | T zì zhàng | T-account (accounting) |
| 一字 | yī zì | in a row; in a line |
| 一字不提 | yī zì bù tí | to not mention a single word (about sth) (idiom) |
| 一字不识 | yī zì bù shí | to be unable to distinguish good from bad (idiom) |