Browse "DailyRoutines" 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.

衣服

yī fu

‘Yīfu’ means ‘clothes’ or ‘clothing’ in gen

朋友聚会

péng you jù huì

'Friends' gathering' refers to an informal, social

新朋友

xīn péng you

'Xīn péng you' literally means 'new friend' — a

老朋友

lǎo péng you

'Lǎo péng you' literally combines three characte

书包

shū bāo

‘Shū bāo’ literally means ‘book bag’ — comb

读书

dú shū

'读书' literally combines '读' (dú), meaning 'to

课本

kè běn

‘课本’ (kè běn) literally combines ‘课’ (kè

书写

shū xiě

书写 (shū xiě) is a verb meaning 'to write (by h

书本

shū běn

‘书本’ (shū běn) is a general, neutral term fo

明星

míngxīng

‘明星’ literally means ‘bright star’ — combin

打字

dǎ zì

‘打字’ literally means ‘to strike characters’

打酱油

dǎ jiàngyóu

‘打酱油’ literally means ‘to buy soy sauce’, a

打伞

dǎ sǎn

'Dǎ sǎn' literally combines 打 (dǎ), meaning 't

打篮球

dǎ lánqiú

'Dǎ lánqiú' literally combines 'dǎ' (to hit/be

打扫

dǎsǎo

‘打扫’ (dǎsǎo) is a compound verb meaning ‘to

打电话

dǎ diànhuà

'Dǎ diànhuà' literally combines three character

想想

xiǎng xiang

‘想想’ is a reduplicated verb formed by repeatin

怎么样

zěn me yàng

怎么样 (zěn me yàng) is a versatile, commonly us

怎么

zěn me

怎么 (zěn me) is an interrogative adverb meaning

很忙

hěn máng

'很忙' (hěn máng) literally combines 'very' (很)

很少

hěn shǎo

'很少' (hěn shǎo) literally combines 'very' (很)

很好

hěn hǎo

很好 (hěn hǎo) literally combines the adverb 很

合影

hé yǐng

'Hé yǐng' literally means 'together image' — 'h

师父

shī fu

师父 (shī fu) is a respectful term meaning 'maste

师傅

shī fu

'Shīfu' (师傅) is a respectful title used to addr

老师

lǎo shī

‘Lǎo shī’ literally combines two characters:

少许

shǎoxǔ

少许 (shǎoxǔ) literally combines 少 (shǎo, 'few

少年

shàonián

'少年' (shàonián) literally combines '少' (shào

写真

xiě zhēn

‘写真’ (xiě zhēn) literally means ‘writing tr

写作

xiě zuò

写作 (xiě zuò) is a noun meaning 'writing' as a

写信

xiě xìn

‘写信’ literally means ‘to write + letter’ and

做客

zuò kè

'做客' literally means 'to do guest' — a verb phr

客人

kè rén

客人 (kè rén) literally combines 客 (kè), meani

生字

shēng zì

Shēng zì literally means 'living character' — b

字体

zì tǐ

‘字体’ (zìtǐ) literally means ‘character form

认字

rèn zì

‘认字’ literally means ‘to recognize characters

写字

xiě zì

"Xiě zì" literally means "to write characters" a

老妈

lǎo mā

老妈 literally combines 老 (lǎo, 'old') and 妈 (m

奶妈

nǎi mā

'Nǎi mā' literally means 'milk-mom' — 奶 (nǎi)

干妈

gān mā

‘干妈’ (gān mā) literally combines ‘干’ (gā