Browse "HSK5" 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.

tuō

This six-stroke character began as a sprout pushin

shān

This 'fanning' character hides a door radical — b

zhàn

This character’s weapon radical 戈 hasn’t change

jiè

This 'guard against' character began as a pictogra

liàn

Its ancient form pictured someone turning back aga

kěn

Originally 'bone yielding' + 'heart' — this 10-st

hàn

Its right side 咸 originally meant 'all' — so 憾

píng

This 8-stroke character began as a person kneeling

qìng

Born as a bronze-age ritual glyph meaning 'heaven-

wèi

This 'comfort' character hides an ancient military

huì

Its top half is a broom — because ancient Chinese

cán

This ‘ashamed’ character hides a heart being cho

shèn

Originally 'heart aligned with truth,' 慎 isn’t j

huāng

This character is a heart (忄) literally overrun b

kuì

Its ancient form wasn’t a frowning face — it was

chóu

This ‘worry’ character literally bears autumn’s

è

Though pronounced è, this 'evil' character hides

huì

Originally a kneeling figure offering a sacred ves

bēi

Its ancient form shows two opposing feathers teari

yōu

Though it looks like 'a person humming over a hear

qiǎo

This 'quiet' character hides a heart — 悄 isn’t

gōng

This character began as a kneeling person offering

hèn

This 'hate' character doesn’t show teeth — it sh

huī

This 'restore' character hides ashes (灰) inside a

yuàn

This character’s heart radical hides a linguistic

This 'neglect' character hides a crossed-out 'do n

niàn

Though it means 'to read,' 念 has no mouth — just

rěn

Its ancient form shows a blade hovering over the h

chè

This 'thorough' character began as a pictograph of

This character began as an oracle bone drawing of

dāi

This character looks like a person walking to a pl

zhēng

Though defined as 'journey', 征 never means casual

Originally built from 'step' + 'compare', 彼 isn't

Though it means 'to record' today, 录 began as a b

wān

This 'bend' character began as a bronze-age drawin

jiàng

This bow-shaped character doesn’t mean 'strong' h

ruò

This 'weak' character began as two sagging bows—a

yán

This six-stroke character — one of only 7 in Chin

fèi

Originally a pictograph of a crumbling roof — now

shà

This 'mansion' character hides a phonetic surprise