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.

芒

máng

This six-stroke grass-top character started as a l

舰

jiàn

This 10-stroke character hides a banner-waving han

舱

cāng

This 'cabin' character hides a 2,000-year-old ship

艘

sōu

Born over 2,300 years ago to count warships on the

艇

tǐng

Though it looks like 'boat + court,' 艇 isn’t roy

舶

bó

Though it looks like 'boat + white,' 舶 isn’t abo

舟

zhōu

This self-radical character began as a pictograph

铺

pù

Though it looks like a metal tool, 铺 is actually

舔

tiǎn

This 'lick' character hides a power struggle: its

舌

shé

This character began as a wiggling tongue poking f

臣

chén

Originally a pictograph of a downcast eye — now a

臂

bì

Its 17 strokes map the human arm's anatomy so prec

腻

nì

A 13-stroke character where 'flesh' + 'kneeling pe

膨

péng

Born from a drum’s booming vibration + flesh radi

膝

xī

This 'knee' character hides a breathing person —

膜

mó

This ‘membrane’ character hides a poetic paradox

膛

táng

This character hides a blacksmith’s secret: its '

腹

fù

Originally a pictograph of a swelling torso cavity

肿

zhǒng

This 'swelling' character hides a zombie pun in pl

腥

xīng

This 'fishy' character hides a cosmic pun: its rig

腔

qiāng

This 'cavity' character doesn’t just name empty s

胀

zhàng

Born from an ancient bowstring pulled against a to

脉

mài

Though it looks like it contains 'hair' (髟), 脉 i

脂

zhī

This character looks like ‘flesh’ + ‘deliberate

胞

bāo

This 'placenta' character doesn’t just name an or

胎

tāi

This 'fetus' character hides a poetic truth: its r

肺

fèi

Ancient scribes drew lungs as squishy, air-filled

肴

yáo

This 8-stroke character began as a bronze-age pict