Browse "HSK6" 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.

剔

tī

Born as a bone-scraper in ancient bronze inscripti

刹

chà

This 'temple' character hides a knife radical — n

削

xiāo

This character looks like a knife (刂) next to 'Xi

券

quàn

This 'bond' character hides a 2,300-year-old secur

刑

xíng

Originally a pictograph of a knife branding a knee

刊

kān

Born as a bronze-age carving gesture, 刊 still car

凹

āo

This 5-stroke character is one of Chinese writing

凸

tū

Its radical means 'hollow,' yet 凸 depicts somethi

凡

fán

Born as a bronze vessel pictograph, this 3-stroke

凝

níng

Born from ‘ice’ + ‘hesitation’, 凝 freezes not

凄

qī

Born from ice crystals and a shivering widow, 凄 d

冤

yuān

Its ancient form shows a pig trapped under a suffo

兢

jīng

This 'fear' character shows two bowing people — n

兜

dōu

Originally a bronze-age battle helmet, 兜 evolved

凶

xiōng

This 4-stroke character began as a pictograph of a

兆

zhào

Born from ancient divination cracks in turtle shel

储

chǔ

Originally a 'person wielding authority to prepare

拟

nǐ

Despite meaning 'to imitate' or 'draft,' its radic

俭

jiǎn

Though it looks like a person holding a checklist

仪

yí

Though it means 'apparatus', 仪 began as a pictogr

僻

pì

This 15-stroke character began as a pictograph of

僵

jiāng

This character began as 'a person made immovably s

侥

jiǎo

This ‘luck’ character hides a moral lecture: 侥

侨

qiáo

This 'emigrant' character hides a 1,700-year-old r

倾

qīng

This character began as a person watching a tilted

债

zhài

This character’s right side evolved from 'cowrie

杰

jié

Though it means 'hero,' 杰 isn’t about bravery —

伪

wěi

Originally 'a person adding a fake tail,' 伪 evolv

侦

zhēn

Though it looks like 'person + knife,' 侦’s right

侧

cè

Born from a diviner’s knife cutting ritual shells

逼

bī

Its ancient form shows a bow pressing against a pe

偏

piān

Born as a bronze-age image of a person standing as

伦

lún

This six-stroke character hides a bronze-age visio

倦

juàn

This 'tired' character hides a coiled spring: its

倘

tǎng

This 'if' doesn’t just state conditions—it stand

倔

juè

This 'stubborn' character hides a mountain-rising

仓

cāng

This 4-stroke 'barn' began as an ancient pictograp

俯

fǔ

Its oracle bone roots show a person deliberately l

侠

xiá

This 8-stroke character began as 'thorny person'

俘

fú

This 'capture' character hides a baby in its right