字
BeginChinese
every character tells a story

Every Chinese character and its story

Chinese characters began 3,000 years ago as little drawings. Pick one to see its ancient form, its meaning, how to say it in Mandarin and Cantonese, and the story behind it.

Chapter 1 · Writing, Sun, Moon & Mountains
文writing; language; culture日sun; day月moon; month山mountain水water木tree; wood火fire雨rain电electricity; lightning贝shell; cowrie鸟bird竹bamboo白white; blank草grass; straw不not; no花flower; to spend (time, money)甲shell; armor; first (of the Ten Heavenly Stems)云cloud气air; gas; breath; energy雪snow是to be; right, correct高tall; high龙dragon川river; stream泉spring; fountain龟turtle; tortoise夕evening; dusk; sunset学to learn; to study字written character; word书book; to write
Chapter 2 · People
人person; human大big; great女woman; female子child; son口mouth; opening心heart; mind手hand目eye; to look耳ear立to stand; to establish见to see; to perceive足foot; enough我I; me走to walk; to go; to leave自self; oneself; from, since儿child; son; a kneeling person's legs母mother小small; little舌tongue面face; side; surface他he; him你you (singular)父father少few; little老old; elderly; aged又again; also; yet (originally: a right hand)夫man; husband; laborer坐to sit; to ride in哥older brother姐older sister弟younger brother妹younger sister爱love; to love安peaceful; safe名name; given name姓surname; family name
Chapter 3 · The Middle Kingdom
中middle; center王king天heaven; sky; day国country; kingdom玉jade; precious stone爸dad; father
Chapter 4 · Characters join hands
明bright; clear好good; well林woods; grove森forest; dense休to rest众crowd; many有to have; there is雷thunder旦dawn; day友friend看to look; to see; to watch; to read本root; origin; this末end; tip; last从to follow; from问to ask; to inquire星star北north妈mother; mom猫cat狗dog冬winter秋autumn; fall夏summer
Chapter 5 · Strokes that count
一one二two三three十ten上up; above; on下down; below; under四four九nine五five八eight午noon; midday东east西west早early; morning
Chapter 6 · Fields and earth
田field力strength; force男man; male石stone; rock土earth; soil生to be born; life; to grow牛ox; cattle羊sheep; goat米rice; uncooked grain鱼fish虫insect; bug; worm网net; web; network井well (for water); orderly, structured犬dog里inside; village; a Chinese mile工work; labor; craftsman果fruit; result皮skin; hide; leather谷valley; grain兔rabbit; hare瓜melon; gourd豆bean; legume禾standing grain; cereal crop
Chapter 7 · A day in China
年year马horse门door; gate家home; family车cart; vehicle茶tea刀knife; blade舟boat; ship弓bow (weapon)户door; household出to exit; to go out; to come out间between; interval; room斤axe (ancient); jīn — a traditional unit of weight, about 500 g食food; to eat衣clothing; garment酒alcoholic drink; wine饭cooked rice; meal肉meat; flesh包to wrap; package; bun吃to eat春spring; springtime来to come; to arrive去to go; to leave身body; oneself牙tooth; teeth香fragrant; delicious甜sweet勺spoon; ladle菜vegetable; dish乐joy; happy朋friend; companion客guest; visitor主host; main; master红red福blessing; good fortune请please; invite; ask谢thank; express gratitude奶milk; breastfeed汤soup; broth; hot water粥rice porridge; congee筷chopstick言speech; words; to say音sound; tone; voice伞umbrella; parasol桥bridge祖ancestor; forebear饺dumpling笔pen; writing brush画picture; painting行to go; to walk舞to dance; dance路road; path旅travel; journey灯lamp; light圆round; circle
Start learning →

Guides for beginners →