Browse "Noun" 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.

姓名

xìng míng

姓名 (xìng míng) is a compound noun meaning 'ful

名字

míng zi

名字 (míng zi) literally combines 名 (míng), mea

叫声

jiào shēng

‘叫声’ literally combines 叫 (jiào), meaning 't

友爱

yǒu ài

‘Yǒu ài’ (友爱) is a compound noun meaning ‘f

友人

yǒu rén

友人 (yǒu rén) literally combines 友 (yǒu), mea

好友

hǎo yǒu

好友 literally combines 好 (hǎo, 'good') and 友 (

北半球

běi bànqiú

‘Běi bànqiú’ literally means ‘north half-sph

北面

běimiàn

‘北面’ literally combines 北 (běi, 'north') and

北风

běifēng

‘Běifēng’ literally means ‘north wind’—a co

北极

běijí

北极 (běijí) literally means 'north extreme' —

北方

běifāng

北方 literally means 'north direction' — 北 (běi

几何

jǐ hé

几何 (jǐ hé) is a classical Chinese compound wit

几岁

jǐ suì

‘几岁’ literally combines ‘几’ (jǐ), meaning

几点

jǐ diǎn

'几点' (jǐ diǎn) literally combines '几' (jǐ),

几天

jǐ tiān

几天 (jǐ tiān) literally combines 几 (jǐ), mean

冷气

lěng qì

‘冷气’ literally means ‘cold air’—the charact

冷藏

lěng cáng

冷藏 literally means 'cold storage' — 冷 (lěng)

冷笑话

lěng xiào huà

‘冷笑话’ literally means ‘cold joke’ — a humo

冷风

lěng fēng

‘冷风’ literally means ‘cold wind’ — a compou

冷水

lěng shuǐ

冷水 literally means 'cold water' — it combines t

再就业

zài jiù yè

‘再就业’ literally means ‘again employment’ —

再教育

zài jiào yù

‘再教育’ literally means 'again education' — co

六书

liù shū

‘Liù shū’ (the Six Scripts) refers to the trad

六道

liù dào

‘六道’ (liù dào) is a core Buddhist concept re

六一

liù yī

‘六一’ (liù yī) is the Chinese abbreviation fo

六合

liù hé

‘Liù hé’ literally means ‘the six directions

六月

liù yuè

‘六月’ literally means ‘six month’ and is the

八卦

bā guà

‘Bā guà’ (Eight Trigrams) refers to a foundati

八方

bā fāng

‘八方’ literally means ‘eight directions’—the

八点

bā diǎn

‘八点’ literally combines the numeral ‘八’ (b

八月

bā yuè

‘Bā yuè’ means ‘August’, the eighth month of

小儿

xiǎo ér

'Xiǎo ér' literally combines 'xiǎo' (small) and

儿童

ér tóng

儿童 (ér tóng) is a formal, written-term noun me

婴儿

yīng ér

婴儿 (yīng ér) means 'infant'—a very young chil

儿女

ér nǚ

‘儿女’ literally combines 儿 (ér, 'son') and 女

女儿

nǚ ér

‘女儿’ (nǚ ér) means ‘daughter’ — a female

先辈

xiān bèi

‘先辈’ (xiān bèi) literally combines 先 (xiān

先后

xiān hòu

先后 (xiān hòu) literally combines 先 (‘first’

先进

xiān jìn

先进 (xiān jìn) literally means 'first to advanc

先生

xiān sheng

先生 (xiān sheng) literally combines 先 (xiān),