Browse "Places" 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.

仗

zhàng

This five-stroke character looks like a person hol

View character

魅

mèi

A ‘ghost’ (鬼) fused with ‘not yet’ (未) — cr

View character

避

bì

Its 16 strokes trace a graceful exit — not panic,

View character

薄

báo

Looks like grass over a spreading hand — born to

View character

盖

gài

Born as a pictograph of a lid on a vessel, 盖 now

View character