Browse "HSK3" 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.

熊

xióng

This 'bear' character hides fire under its fur —

炼

liàn

This character began as a bronze-age blacksmith po

照

zhào

This 'according to' character began as a Bronze Ag

澡

zǎo

This 'bath' character hides a botanical secret: it

满

mǎn

Though it means 'full', 满’s water radical and 13

渴

kě

This 'thirsty' character hides a paradox: its wate

清

qīng

This 'clear' character hides a dynasty: the Qing r

净

jìng

Born from ice and striving, 净 isn’t just ‘clean

注

zhù

This ‘pour-into’ character began as a Bronze Age

河

hé

That little 'hé' sound hides a 3,000-year-old wat

求

qiú

This 'seek' character began as a priest’s sacred

段

duàn

This 'paragraph' character began as a Bronze Age i

检

jiǎn

Born from ancient wooden tally sticks used to veri

树

shù

This 'tree' isn’t just botanical — its right sid

楼

lóu

Originally two stacked wooden frames — this chara

极

jí

Originally a person climbing a tree to its very to

楚

chǔ

This 'kingdom' character evolved from a pictograph

梯

tī

This ‘ladder’ character hides a phonetic secret:

查

chá

This 'research' character hides ancient wooden bur

板

bǎn

Looks like ‘wood + reverse’, but 反 here is just

束

shù

It began as a pictograph of bound firewood — and

李

lǐ

This 'plum' character is China's #2 surname — ove

朵

duǒ

This 'flower' character isn’t drawn from a plant

末

mò

It looks like a tree with a tiny crown — but thos

更

gèng

Originally a timekeeping term for 'night watch shi

历

lì

Originally a pictograph of the sun passing through

春

chūn

Originally a ritual scene of hands tending sprouts

易

yì

Originally a lizard shedding skin — now the name

斤

jīn

Originally a bronze-age axe pictograph, 斤 morphed

料

liào

Born as a bronze ladle measuring grain, 料 evolved

文

wén

Originally a tattooed human chest — now the soul

故

gù

Originally 'ancient action' — now the silent arch

放

fàng

This 'put' character began as a ceremonial act of

据

jù

This 'according to' character began as a hand grip

担

dān

This character began as a pictograph of a porter b

择

zé

Originally a hand picking grain from a field, this

搬

bān

Born from a boat hauling cargo, 搬 still demands y

换

huàn

Its ancient form pictured two jade discs traded by

提

tí

Born from a well-pole and a stepping foot, this ch

接

jiē

Born from ancient wooden tally tokens, 接 isn’t j