Category: Chinese characters

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Write寝 (qǐn)(to sleep) in Chinese character

寝 (qǐn)

Origin:

在一间房屋里有一把扫帚，表示把屋子打扫干净好让人休息。“寝”的本义是“躺着休息或睡觉”，也指“卧室”。
The character “寝” appears as a broom (扫帚) inside a room, signifying that the room has been cleaned and made ready for people to rest inside. As such, the original meaning of “寝” is to rest or sleep, and it can also refer to a bedroom.

 

Meaning：

to sleep, bedroom

Words：
寝室：qǐnshì / bedroom 安寝：ānqǐn /to sleep peacefully 寿终正寝：shòu zhōng zhèng qǐn / to die a natural death 寝食难安：qǐn shí nán ān / to keep somebody awake at night with worry

Sentences：

1、Zài Zhōngguó，xuésheng jìnrù dàxué zhīhòu yìbān zhùzài xuéxiào de xuésheng qǐnshì lǐ.
在中国，学生进入大学之后一般住在学校的学生寝室里。
In China, students often live in on-campus dormitories after they enter university.

2、Tā zhěngtiān dānxīn kǎoshì jiéguǒ，qǐn shí nán ān.
他整天担心考试结果，寝食难安。
Worrying about his test scores keeps him up all night.
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Write “水”(water) in Chinese character

One character a day, easy to master Chinese characters. Let’s take a look at the basic knowledge of “水”.

水 shuĭ
Explnantion: water
Phrases: 水彩（shuí cǎi） watercolour ； 水果（shuí ɡuǒ） fruit
你说“水”字像不像一条河流（ ）？河流四周被很多水点围住，一看便知道是水。用水作部首的字多数跟河流、水份、液体有关。水对人类来说是极其重要，因为人体缺少了水便不能生存。
The original character was formed by a stream in the middle （ ） with dots on both sides representing drops of water. In the inscriptions on oracle bones, the number of “drop” of water varied, but later it was fixed as two for each side. Gradually it developed to the form we see today. 水as a radical is usually written as . Chinese characters with this radical mostly have something to do with water.

Sentences:

1. Zhècì zhǎnchū de zuòpǐn duō shì zhōng xuéshengmen huà de shuǐcǎihuà.
这次展出的作品多是中学生们画的水彩画。
Many of the works exhibited are watercolor paintings by middle school students.

 

2.Súhuà shuō chī shuǐguǒ yǒuyì jiànkāng，yīnzhī，wǒmen yào duō chī shuǐguǒ.
俗话说吃水果有益健康，因之，我们要多吃水果。
As the saying goes, eating fruit is good for your health, so we need to eat more fruit.
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Write “友”(friend) in Chinese character

One character a day, easy to master Chinese characters. Let’s take a look at the basic knowledge of “友”.

友 yŏu
Explnantion: friend; friendship
Phrases: 友爱（yǒu‘ài ）friendly ； 友谊（yǒu yì）friendship
“友”即友爱，甲骨文里是两只手紧扣在一起， 手牵手（ ），用来表示互相合作，亦有交朋友的意思。后来为了方便书写，字形就由左右排列变成了上下排列，变成了现在这个样子。
“Two right hands” close together （ ） in the inscriptions on oracle bones gives us the sense of two people with each other’s right hands clasping to show their friendship; the persons performing this action are, of course “friends”. So “friend” is precisely what this character originally meant. Later, for the convenience of writing, the form was changed to have one hand above the other, and that is the modern version we see today.
Sentences: 

1.chōnɡ mǎn yǒu’ài
充满友爱
full of love from friends

 

2.Wǒmen liǎngguó zhèngzài jiàgòu yǒuyì de qiáoliáng.
我们两国正在架构友谊的桥梁。
Our two countries are entering into friendship.
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Who is Compatible with The “Dragon”?”龙”和谁合得来

Everyone will have a zodica belong to the year he/she born in in chinese traditional custom, just as people blong to different constellations for the month they born in. People born in the year of the dragon will have the most tacit understanding with people born in the year of the monkey. A “dragon” and a “mouse” can also form a reliable alliance, for the cunning mouse and strong dragon can achieve a great cause together. A “dragon” can have a happy marriage with a “snake”, for the snake with his/her wisdom will prevent the dragon from acting wildly in defiance of the law or public opinion. People born in the year of dragon have different compatiblity with people born in the other years.

People born in the year of the tiger, rooster, horse, sheep, rabbit and pig will try their best to keep company with him for they like his graceful bearing and strength. People born in the year of the dragon can also get along well with others born in the same animal year. However, the relationship between the “dragon” and an “ox” will be tense for they are both quite dignified. The “dog” may give him a headache because he would feel too closely guarded by the “dog”, and the “dog” would also be deterred by his power.

Dragon and RAT
Excellent match. Very good for marriage or partnerships. Will work for success, happiness and prosperity together.

Dragon and OX
Have underlying respect for one another. No large conflicts or struggle for dominance. Workable relationship. Will cooperate for mutual aims.

Dragon and TIGER
Some clashes of wills and lack of understanding, but will be able to resolve their differences. Moderate success in store.

Dragon and RABBIT
Have some common grounds of interests. Will be able to relate or tolerate each other to some extent only.

Dragon and DRAGON
No major conflicts. Congenial and good relationship. Compatible to a reasonable extent. Will have teamwork.

Dragon and SNAKE
Will cooperate and will understand each other. Successful and compatible relations in love and business. Mutual happiness.

Dragon and HORSE
Moderate ties. Have respect for each other. Some struggles for dominance. Will communicate to resolve their grievances.

Dragon and SHEEP
Acceptable but cool relationships in love and business. Moderately sympathetic to each other, with some similar interests.

Dragon and MONKEY
Excellent combination for marriage or partnership. Deep affinity and mutual understanding for one another. Mutual success and happiness.

Dragon and ROOSTER
Successful and very compatible match. Will find happiness and prosperity together. Will establish deep and lasting bonds in their relations.

Dragon and DOG
Animosities and strong conflicts. Cannot trust or comprehend one another. Unable to resolve their differences. Highly incompatible.

Dragon and BOAR
Cordial and workable relations. No large differences or serious struggles for dominance. Can and will cooperate for common goals.

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Write “肉”(meat) in Chinese character

One character a day, easy to master Chinese characters. Let’s take a look at the basic knowledge of “肉”.

肉 ròu  
Explnantion:  meat
Phrases: 猪肉（zhū ròu）pork ；肉麻（ròu má）disgusting; nauseating; sickening

“肉” (rou, meat) is a pictographic character in Chinese. It is shaped like a slice of meat in oracle bone inscriptions. Slight changes were observed in the case of small seal script : the two lines inside the character looks like the bones in the meat. Thus “肉” originally referred to animal muscle. Noticeably, “肉” in small seal script  looks rather similar to another character “月”. In order to distinguish the two characters, it evolved into the present shape “肉” in regular script. In Chinese, “月” also served as a radical. Most of the characters involving “月” are associated with “肉” (muscle or meat) and human body. For example, “肝” (gan) equals to liver, “胃” (wei) stomach and “脏” (zang) viscera.

 

With the semantic development of the characters, the meaning of “肉” extended from animal muscle to skin, muscle and fat of the human body, animal meat used as food, as well as the eatable part of vegetables and fruits excluding the skin and the core. In ancient Chinese, high-ranking government officials ate meat more frequently than the ordinary, therefore “肉食者” (rou shi zhe), literally predators or meat-eating beings, is often referred to the officials with a high position and a fabulous salary. Besides, the uncomfortable feelings aroused by frivolous and hypocritical words and behaviors are called “肉麻” (rou ma) in Chinese, which literally means “the meat is tingling”.

 

Sentences：

1.Huíhuí bùchī zhūròu, zhè shì tāmen de xísú.
回回不吃猪肉，这是他们的习俗。
The Hui people’s religious conventions prevent them from eating pork.

 

2.Búyào shuō nàme ròumá de huà.
不要说那么肉麻的话。
Don’t say such sickening things.
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Write “海”(sea) in Chinese character

海（hǎi）
字形：
“海”是由“水”和“每”组成的字。“每”在上古时期，用来指氏族社会中年龄最长、生育儿孙最多的女性。把“水”和“每”放在一起就表示“海”指水最多的地方。
The character “海” is composed of “氵” (indicating water) and “每”. “每” was referred to female who was the oldest and had the most offspring in ancient society. Thus, by combining “氵” and “每” together,  “海”indicates the place with the most water.
字义：
sea; ocean
组词：
大海（dàhǎi）：sea; ocean
海洋（hǎiyáng）：seas and oceans; ocean
海岛（hǎidǎo）：island (in the sea)
海边（hǎibiān）：seaside
海鲜（hǎixiān）：seafood
海啸（hǎixiào）：tsunami
例句：
Wǒ xǐhuan zài dàhǎi lǐ yóuyǒng.
1、我喜欢在大海里游泳。
I like swimming in the sea.
Wǒmen yīnggāi bǎohù hǎiyáng zīyuán.
2、我们应该保护海洋资源。
We should protect ocean resources.
Dìzhèn yǐnqǐ le hǎixiào.
3、地震引起了海啸。
An earthquake triggered the tsunami.
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Write “母”(mother) in Chinese character

母（mǔ）
字形：
古体“母”字是在“女”字上增加两点，用以强调或表示女人的乳房，这是因为母亲要用乳房哺育婴儿，而这正是母亲的特征。在现代汉语中，“母”还可以引申泛指雌性动物，例如“母猴、母猪、母马”等。
The ancient pictogram of the character “母” was formed by adding two dots to the character  “女”. Those two dots represented a woman’s breasts, because feeding a baby with breasts is a unique feature of a mother. In modern Chinese, “母” can be used to generally refer to a female animal, like “母猴” (female monkey), “母猪” (female pig), “母马” (female horse), etc.
字义：
mother
组词：
母校：mǔxiào/Alma Mater
母语（母語）：mǔyǔ/mother tongue
祖母：zǔmǔ /grandma
母亲（母親）：mǔqīn /mother
字母： zìmǔ/letters of an alphabet
水母：shuǐmǔ/acalephe
例句：
Hànyǔ shì wǒ de mǔyǔ.
1、汉语是我的母语。
Chinese is my mother tongue.
Yīngyǔ yígòng yǒu èrshíliù gè zìmǔ.
2、英语一共有26个字母。
There are twenty-six letters in English.
Jīntiān shì Mǔqīn Jié.
3、今天是母亲节。
Today is Mother’s Day.
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Write “教”(teach) in Chinese character

One character a day, easy to master Chinese characters. Let’s take a look at the basic knowledge of “教”.

教 jiào
Explanation：teach; instruct
Phrases：教导(jiào dǎo) instruct ; 教会(jiào huì) church
“教”（  ）的右边是一只手握着一根棍子（ ）；而左边是小孩因受体罚后留在头上的疤痕（ ）。从这个字看出古时候的教育制度是多么严格。
 The original character showed a hand holding a stick on the right side（  ）, and on the lower left, a child with some kind of marks on its head from being beaten（ ）, This shows how education was in the old days, discipline was strict and , as shown in this character, often involved physical punishment.

Sentences:

1.Zài lǎoshī de jiàodǎo xià，wǒ shēnxǐng le zìjǐ de cuòwù.
在老师的教导下，我深醒了自己的错误。
    Under the teacher’s instructions, I fully realized my mistakes.

 

2.Nàge gū’ér bèi sòngdào yìsuǒ jiàohuì xuéxiào shàngxué.
那个孤儿被送到一所教会学校上学。
    That orphan was sent to a missionary school for education.
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Write “我” (I) in Chinese character

我( wǒ )
字形：
“我”字的古体，是一种长柄、三齿兵器的象形。在原始公有制度下，这种兵器可能最早固定地属于个人使用，于是这种兵器的象形，就有了“我”，“我的”意思。
The Chinese pictogram for “I” represents a weapon with long handles and three tooth-like things on the top. In the primitive society, this type of weapon was appointed to and belonged to individuals, and thus this weapon carried the connotation of “I” and “my”.
字义：
I ,my
组词：
我的（ wǒde ）：my；mine
自我（zìwǒ）：oneself
我们（wǒmen）：we
我行我素（wǒxínɡ wǒsù ）：persist in one’s old ways (no matter what others say)
我家（wǒ jiā ）: my home
例句：
Wǒmen zài kànkan ba.
1. 我们再看看吧。
Let’s have another look about it.
Xuésheng shídài ,wǒ jiéjiāo le rénshēng zuì hǎo de péngyou.
2. 学生时代，我结交了人生最好的朋友。
I have made acquaintance with the best friend in my life during my school years.
Tā tīng bú jìnqù rènhé rén de jiànyì ,yīrán wǒxíng wǒsù.
3. 他听不进去任何人的建议，依然我行我素。
He turned a deaf ear to others’ advice and still persisted in his old way.
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Write “城”(city wall) in Chinese character

城（chéng）

 

字形：
形声字“城”由形旁“土”和声旁“成”组成，本义是城墙。古代的城墙一般分为两层，“城”就是指里面的     那一层，由于古代的城市都围有城墙，因此“城”也就有了“城市”的意思。
Phonetic  character “城”consists of two parts “土” and “成”. The original meaning was city wall. The  ancient Chinese city wall included two layers, the inner and outer walls, and “城”means the inner wall. Since all cities in ancient times were enclosed with city wall, thus the “城” has the meaning of “city”.
字义：
city
组词：
城市（chéngshì）：city
城市化（chéngshìhuà）：urbanization
古城（gǔchéng）： ancient city; old city
城堡（chéngbǎo）：castle
中国城（zhōngguóchéng）： Chinatown
城镇（chéngzhèn）：town;cities and towns
例句：
Bālí shì Fǎguó zuìdà de chéngshì.
1、巴黎是法国最大的城市。
Paris is the largest city of France.
Zhōngguó miànlín shìjiè shàng zuìdà de chéngshìhuà wèntí.
2、中国面临世界上最大的城市化问题。
China faces the world’s biggest issue of urbanization.
Nàzuò gǔchéng céngjīng shì yígè wénhuà zhōngxīn.
3、那座古城曾经是一个文化中心。
That ancient city was a centre of culture.
Zhèlǐ de chéngzhèn bèi chángqī de zhànzhēng cuīhuǐ le.
4、这里的城镇被长期的战争摧毁了。
Cities and towns here were devastated by the long-term war.