Though it looks like 'stone + page,' 硕 actually m

Originally a pictograph of a bound servant smashed

This 'grind' character hides a scholar’s inkstone

It began as three identical people drawn side-by-s

This 'eye + small' character began as 'self-examin

This character began as feet climbing toward a rit

Originally a pictograph of an arrow buried to the

This ‘field’-radical character began as a lightn

Born as a pictograph of over-serving food, 甚 evol

Though it looks like 'king' (王) holding 'now' (今

Though it has a grass radical, 获 originally depic

This 'prize' character hides a Bronze Age ritual g

This ‘guessing’ character hides a vigilant dog (

Originally a carved wooden tally stick, 牌 evolved

This sleek 5-stroke character began as tassels on

This four-stroke character began as a hand grippin

This six-stroke character began as two hands yanki

This 'ripe' character hides fire in its belly — i

Its fire radical isn’t decorative — it’s diagno

This 'smoke' character began as ancient fire-and-m

Born from a shaman’s ritual dance, this four-stro

This character’s right side 告 means 'to announce

Born as a pictograph of bridging a river, 济 evolv

Born as 'water launched from height,' 激 still pul

This character looks like water being forcibly lau

This character looks like water spilling over bank

Born as 'water unfolding', this character flowed f

Originally a pictograph of sun-warmed water, 温 ev