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.

pēn

This 'spouting' character hides a tonal twist: say

This 'device' character hides four mouths — not f

jiā

This 'excellent' character hides a ritual scene: a

ń

Born in Ming dynasty theater scripts, not ancient

sǎng

Though it means 'throat,' 嗓 never appears alone

hǎn

Its right side isn’t ‘cold’ — it’s an ancient

shàn

Ancient scribes drew a sacred sheep above a mouth

This 7-stroke character began as a priest speaking

wéi

Born from a bird listening intently at a mouth, 唯

āi

This 'ah' isn't exasperation — it's Chinese cultu

zhé

This 'wise' character began as a pictograph of pru

āi

This 'hey!' is built from 'mouth' + a phonetic pie

Though it looks like 'mouth + close,' 哈 isn’t ab

pǐn

Originally three mouths tasting wine, now it judge

yǎo

Its ancient form shows jaws locking like crossed b

dāi

This 'foolish' character began as a scribal shortc

wěn

Born from 'taste' and reshaped by sound, this 7-st

chuī

This 7-stroke character began as a pictograph of a

chǎo

This ‘quarrel’ character hides a sonic paradox:

hán

Originally a pictograph of a grain held silently i

This six-stroke mouth-and-soil character doesn’t

shào

This 5-stroke character isn’t a verb — it’s a B

This five-stroke 'ancient' character began as a kn

hǎn

This two-stroke 'cliff' radical — pronounced hǎn

juǎn

Born as a pictograph of a silk scroll winding tigh

shēng

Born as a ritual measuring cup, 升 morphed into Ch

One tiny 4-stroke character hides two completely u

huì

Born as a Bronze Age pictograph of three rivers me

cōng

This 5-stroke character hides a sprinting person i

This 'do not' character began as a pictograph of f

yún

Born as a pictograph of a ladle scooping broth, th

quàn

This 4-stroke character packs Confucian ethics int

qín

Its ancient form fused 'sound' (堇) and 'strength'

shì

Originally a pictograph of hands gripping a lever

láo

This ‘labor’ character began as a Bronze Age pic

shèng

Its radical ⺼ (flesh) reveals victory isn’t abst

jìn

This 7-stroke character looks like a flexed arm gr

liè

Looks like 'little strength' — and that’s exactl

chuāng

This six-stroke character began as a Bronze Age pi

jiǎn

This 'scissors' character began as a Bronze Age dr