Browse "HSK2" Characters

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

黑

hēi

This character began as a soot-covered person knee

馆

guǎn

This 'building' character hides food in its bones

颜

yán

This ‘color’ character doesn’t depict rainbows

题

tí

Its ancient form shows a hand pointing to the 'hea

非

fēi

Originally twin bird wings symbolizing separation,

零

líng

This 'zero' isn’t empty — it’s rain falling dro

雪

xuě

This character’s top half is literally 'rain' —

鸡

jī

This 7-stroke character began as a detailed oracle

虽

suī

This ‘although’ character hides an ancient insec

阴

yīn

Born as 'north-facing hillside' in bronze script,

门

mén

This 3-stroke 'gate' is one of Chinese’s oldest p

长

cháng

This 4-stroke character began as a pictograph of a

错

cuò

Born from ancient bronze inlay art, 错 originally

铅

qiān

Though pencils contain graphite—not lead—Chinese

边

biān

This ‘side’ character contains a walking radical

远

yuǎn

This 'far' character hides a walking person (辶) f

道

dào

This character began as a pictograph of a man's he

运

yùn

Though it looks like 'cloud + walking path,' 运 be

送

sòng

This 'send' character hides a walking radical — p

近

jìn

This ‘near’ isn’t passive — its seven strokes

身

shēn

This character began as an oracle-bone drawing of

踢

tī

Though it looks like 'foot + easy', 踢 has zero to

跳

tiào

This 'jump' character hides a leaping toad in its

路

lù

This ‘road’ character literally walks on feet —

跑

páo

This 'run' character (páo) isn't about sprinting

足

zú

This 'foot' character secretly wears two masks:

走

zǒu

Originally a sprinting pictograph meaning 'to run'

卖

mài

This 'sell' character hides a phonetic secret: its

宾

bīn

This 'visitor' character began as a kneeling ritua

贵

guì

This character began as a royal tribute shell unde

让

ràng

This 5-stroke character looks like a polite whispe

课

kè

This 'subject' character hides an ancient tax-coll

试

shì

Born 3,000 years ago as 'speech + ritual standard,

诉

sù

This 'complain' character hides a legal past: its

蛋

dàn

This 'egg' character hides an insect radical — be

药

yào

This 'medicine' character began as a poetic name f

色

sè

This character began as a drawing of a human face

舞

wǔ

This character began as a Bronze Age drawing of a

肉

ròu

This character began as a pictograph of hanging me

羊

yáng

This gentle-looking character began as a vivid ora