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.

光

guāng

This 6-stroke character began as a person crowned

允

yǔn

This 4-stroke character began as a kneeling judge

优

yōu

Born as 'court entertainer,' 优 evolved into 'exce

尽

jǐn

This 'exhaustion' character evolved into Chinese’

仅

jǐn

Though it looks like a person holding one hand, 仅

传

chuán

Originally a pictograph of a person beating a drum

傲

ào

This 'proud' character began as a pictograph of a

效

xiào

This 'effect' character hides a hand holding a sti

傅

fù

This ‘instructor’ isn’t just any teacher — it

偶

ǒu

Originally meaning 'wooden puppet' — now the soul

停

tíng

Originally a pictograph of a roadside pavilion —

值

zhí

Looks like 'person + straight' — because in ancie

幸

xìng

This character began as a drawing of shackled ankl

倒

dǎo

This character began as a Bronze Age sketch of a p

倍

bèi

This 'person' radical character evolved from 'obed

俩

liǎ

This 'two' character drops the measure word, skips

修

xiū

This character began as a hand decorating ritual b

保

bǎo

Originally a Bronze Age image of a person cradling

局

jú

Originally a pictograph of a person crouching insi

供

gōng

Its ancient form shows two hands lifting a vessel

例

lì

Born from 'arranging people in rows,' 例 evolved f

何

hé

Born as a person holding a sacred jade disc and ga

低

dī

This 'low' character began as a person bowing unde

估

gū

Though it looks like 'ancient person,' 估 is all a

伙

huǒ

Though it means 'meals', 伙 began as a pictograph

份

fèn

This 6-stroke character looks like a person dividi

任

rèn

This six-stroke character began as a person carryi

价

jiè

This six-stroke character hides a royal courier —