Browse "HSK4" 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.

亲

qīn

This 'parent' character began as a pictograph of s

规

guī

This 'compass' character once depicted hands calib

袜

wà

This 'sock' character hides a brilliant anatomical

袋

dài

Though it looks like 'clothing + replace', 袋 is a

卫

wèi

This 3-stroke character began as a walled fortress

术

shù

Born as a pictograph of pruned wood, 术 evolved fr

处

chǔ

This 5-stroke character looks like a person kneeli

虎

hǔ

This character began as a roaring, stripe-covered

艺

yì

This 4-stroke character began as a full pictograph

麻

má

This character began as a Bronze Age drawing of he

葡

pú

A grape vine (艹) grew so tall it named a European

著

zhù

Originally a sprouting plant, 著 became the charac

落

là

This 'falling' character doesn’t mean collapse —

苦

kǔ

Its 'ancient' bottom half (古) isn’t about time—

航

háng

Though it looks like ‘boat,’ 航 has never meant

举

jǔ

That tiny dot radical 丶 isn’t decoration — it’

至

zhì

This 'arrival' character began as an ancient arrow

脏

zàng

This 'viscera' character shares its written form w

肤

fū

This 'skin' character hides a botanical secret: it

膏

gāo

Born as a pictograph of dripping animal fat, 膏 ev

膊

bó

Though it means 'shoulder,' 膊 almost never stands

脾

pí

This 'spleen' character secretly governs your temp

脱

tuō

This 'shed' character hides a TOAD-like sound and

胳

gē

This 'armpit' character hides a phonetic secret: i

肯

kěn

Originally a pictograph of a jawbone joint — now

肥

féi

Originally a Bronze Age image of 'flesh on a raise

肚

dǔ

This character looks like 'flesh + earth' — and i

职

zhí

This 'office' character began as a kneeling servan

联

lián

Though it contains ‘ear,’ 联 has nothing to do w

聚

jù

Though it has the ‘ear’ radical, 聚 has nothing

聘

pìn

Originally a ritual betrothal gift — now the go-t

耐

nài

Its 'beard' radical (而) reveals ancient Chinese w

翻

fān

Born from a bird's wing-flap in bronze script, 翻

羽

yǔ

This character began as a pictograph of two real f

羡

xiàn

Originally a pictograph of a person gazing up at a

羞

xiū

This 'shy' character began as a ritual offering of

美

měi

Originally a person wearing a sacred sheep headdre

缺

quē

Its radical is a clay pot — and its right side is

续

xù

Born from ancient silk-splicing, this character tu

继

jì

Born from a Bronze Age loom, this 10-stroke charac