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.

掤

bīng

This character is a frozen snapshot of ancient Chi

掣

chè

This 'pull' character isn’t about tugging doors

掟

zhěng

This 'throw' character hides a dramatic secret: it

挜

yà

Born in Beijing street talk, not ancient bronzes

掖

yē

Its right side is 夜 (night) — not because it hap

掔

qiān

This forgotten character hides a 2,300-year-old im

掎

jǐ

This 11-stroke 'drag' character hides a Bronze Age

掍

hùn

This 'edging' character was invented by Warring St

掊

póu

This 11-stroke character began as a Bronze Age pic

掇

duō

This 11-stroke 'pick-up' character hides a 'barkin

抡

lūn

This 7-stroke character looks like a hand launchin

掂

diān

It looks like 'hand + divination'—a character bor

捽

zuó

This character looks like 'hand + foot', but it me

捼

ruó

This obscure 'rub' character vanished from daily u

捻

niǎn

This 11-stroke character hides a 3,000-year-old te

捺

nà

This character’s defining stroke — the long, tap

捶

chuí

This character’s 11 strokes choreograph a real th

捯

dáo

This ‘reeling-in’ character hides in plain sight

捭

bǎi

This character looks like a hand (扌) splitting ‘

扪

mén

Though only six strokes, 扪 hides a 3,000-year-old

捩

liè

Its 11 strokes visually mimic a hand violently twi

捥

wàn

This character looks like a hand (扌) coiling a ro

捙

yè

This 'character' isn't ancient or poetic — it's a

捘

zùn

This 'push' character vanished from speech 1,000 y

捗

bù

This character has zero strokes, zero historical a

捌

bā

This 'eight' isn't for counting — it's a 2,000-ye

捋

lu:3

Its right side 吕 — two mouths stacked — isn’t

捅

tǒng

Born from a 'tube' and a 'hand,' this 10-stroke ch