Browse Characters — Learn Chinese Through Stories

Every character has an origin. Discover the pictographs, myths, and history behind each Chinese character — with pinyin, stroke order, HSK level, and audio pronunciation.

吹

chuī

This 7-stroke character began as a pictograph of a

吵

chǎo

This ‘quarrel’ character hides a sonic paradox:

含

hán

Originally a pictograph of a grain held silently i

吐

tǔ

This six-stroke mouth-and-soil character doesn’t

召

shào

This 5-stroke character isn’t a verb — it’s a B

古

gǔ

This five-stroke 'ancient' character began as a kn

厂

hǎn

This two-stroke 'cliff' radical — pronounced hǎn

卷

juǎn

Born as a pictograph of a silk scroll winding tigh

升

shēng

Born as a ritual measuring cup, 升 morphed into Ch

匹

pǐ

One tiny 4-stroke character hides two completely u

汇

huì

Born as a Bronze Age pictograph of three rivers me

匆

cōng

This 5-stroke character hides a sprinting person i

勿

wù

This 'do not' character began as a pictograph of f

匀

yún

Born as a pictograph of a ladle scooping broth, th

劝

quàn

This 4-stroke character packs Confucian ethics int

勤

qín

Its ancient form fused 'sound' (堇) and 'strength'

势

shì

Originally a pictograph of hands gripping a lever

劳

láo

This ‘labor’ character began as a Bronze Age pic

胜

shèng

Its radical ⺼ (flesh) reveals victory isn’t abst

劲

jìn

This 7-stroke character looks like a flexed arm gr

劣

liè

Looks like 'little strength' — and that’s exactl

创

chuāng

This six-stroke character began as a Bronze Age pi

剪

jiǎn

This 'scissors' character began as a Bronze Age dr

刺

cī

This 8-stroke character looks like a knife stabbin

删

shān

Born from a knife slashing bamboo books 3,000 year

初

chū

A tailor's first cut into cloth — that's 初: not

冻

dòng

This 'freeze' character hides an 'east' inside —

凌

líng

This icy-climber character looks calm but hides a