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.

kòu

This 11-stroke character hides a Bronze Age alarm

zǎn

This 'swift' character isn't about motion — it's

cài

This 'estate' character looks like a roof over a f

chén

This 10-stroke character hides a cosmic secret: 宀

chéng

Its ‘roof over the emperor’s pronoun’ shape isn

This character isn’t just ‘northeast corner’ —

huàn

This character’s roof (宀) doesn’t shelter a hom

yòu

This 'forgiveness' character hides a kneeling subj

wǎn

This 'winding' character began as a coiling serpen

dàng

This 'dissipated' character began as a Bronze Age

This 'still' character hides under a roof (宀) —

sòng

This 'roof-over-bell' character sheltered Shang ro

guǐ

This 5-stroke character hides a chilling truth: it

mián

This 'roof' radical isn't drawn from a house — it

niè

Born from the 'child' radical and a symbol of marg

This 'child' character hides a rainstorm in its st

This character began as a hen’s arched back warmi

A 12-stroke character that looks like a child spro

chán

Looks like two children under a roof — but it’s

shú

This 'who' doesn’t just point — it weighs, compa

miē

This rare, poetic character hides a powerful cultu

nāo

A Ming-dynasty street-slang mashup: the 'no' from

zhuǎn

A modern internet character—three stacked 子—iro

Though it looks like 'slave' + 'child', 孥 is actu

bāo

Born in the 19th century to translate 'spore', 孢

mèng

This 'first-month' character hides a cosmic secret

bèi

This 7-stroke ‘comet’ character hides a pre-scie

Born as a hand cradling a newborn, this 7-stroke c