Browse "HSK2" 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.

给

gěi

This 'give' character began as silk threads bindin

绍

shào

Though it looks like a simple 'shao', this charact

累

lěi

Originally a silk-winding pictograph, 累 visually

纸

zhǐ

This 7-stroke character — born from silk scraps a

红

hóng

Originally a Bronze Age symbol for 'silk dyed by s

篮

lán

This 'basket' character hides a bamboo basket *and

笔

bǐ

This 'brush' character began as a bamboo stalk cro

第

dì

Born from bamboo exam slips and brotherly birth or

笑

xiào

This 'laugh' character hides bamboo — because anc

站

zhàn

This ‘station’ character began as a ritual act o

穿

chuān

This 'wear' character began as a pictograph of an

离

chī

Despite its 'beast track' radical 禸, 离 has nothi

票

piào

This 'ticket' character hides an altar — its bott

知

zhī

This 'know' character hides an arrow — ancient sc

睛

jīng

This 'eyeball' character hides a secret: its 'blue

真

zhēn

Originally a pictograph of a person standing whole

百

bǎi

This 'hundred' doesn't mean 100 — it started as '

白

bái

Originally a glowing rice sprout in oracle bone sc

病

bìng

This character began as a pictograph of a person l

瓜

guā

This 5-stroke character began as a detailed oracle

班

bān

This ‘class’ character began as a ritual image o

玩

wán

This 'play' character evolved from ancient jade-ha

牛

niú

This four-stroke character began as a vivid front-

火

huǒ

This four-stroke character began as three wavy fla

游

yóu

Originally a bronze-age fish gliding through styli

洗

xǐ

This 'wash' character began as a Bronze Age drawin

泳

yǒng

This 'swimming' character hides a secret: its righ

汽

qì

Born in 1868 to translate 'steam engine,' this cha

球

qiú

This 'ball' character hides jade — its 王 radical

比

bǐ

Originally two people standing side-by-side to mea

每

měi

This 'each' character hides a crowned mother — an

步

bù

Originally two facing feet in oracle bone script,

歌

gē

This 'song' character hides a yawning mouth (欠)

次

cì

Born from ancient military camps and breath, this

乐

lè

This 5-stroke character began as a sacred drum —

条

tiáo

Originally a pictograph of a tree branch, 条 becam

望

wàng

Though it means 'full moon' today, 望 began as a p

最

zuì

Originally a crowned ruler standing on a dais (曰)

晴

qíng

This ‘clear’ character hides a sky-blue secret:

晚

wǎn

This character literally shows the sun stepping as