Browse Characters — Learn Chinese Through Stories

Every character has an origin. Discover the pictographs, myths, and history behind each Chinese character — with pinyin, stroke order, HSK level, and audio pronunciation.

yǎn

This rare character looks like a miniature doorfra

fēi

This 'door' isn’t built for crowds — it’s a sol

This 'retinue' character isn’t about following —

This 10-stroke character hides a throne-room secre

jiōng

This 9-stroke character looks like a door with a b

diàn

This 9-stroke character isn’t just a latch — it

This 'bend' character isn’t about flexibility —

shì

This obscure character isn’t just ‘door pivot’

chuō

This 18-stroke character hides a dagger-axe (戈) s

yǎn

This character began as a Bronze Age blueprint —

jiǎn

This 14-stroke character looks like a weapon but m

qiāng

This 'contrary' character hides a spear (戈) jamme

děng

A 13-stroke relic where a dagger-axe (戈) and cere

gài

A 13-stroke legal landmine: this rare character su

kuí

This character looks like a minimalist lance carve

This 'restraint' character hides a dagger-axe (戈)

kān

This 'kill' character isn't about murder — it's t

zhí

This 'gather' character hides a battlefield secret

This 12-stroke character is a Bronze Age weapon fo

jiá

This elegant 11-stroke lance looks like a weapon b

qiāng

Its eight strokes hide a moral verdict: 戈 (weapon

jiān

This 'narrow' character isn’t about width — it’

róng

This six-stroke character began as a kneeling warr

shù

This 6-stroke character hides a battlefield in its

This six-stroke ‘axe’ character doesn’t mean we

This 'fifth stem' looks like a weapon but function

This 4-stroke character is a 3,200-year-old bronze

gàng

A 25-stroke heart-radical character meaning 'stupi