Skype Learn Chinese Word a Day
Skype Learn Chinese 山 shān （Hill，mountain）
Skype Learn Chinese Word: 山
Skype Learn Chinese Pronounced: shān
Skype Learn Chinese Example: 这座山很大。zhè zuò shān hěn dà It’s a huge mountain.
Ancient Chinese characters were pictographic, outlining the rough shape of things with simple lines. This is how the character comes:
This character resembles the tops of a rock “mountain”
Skype Learn Chinese 人 rén （ Human， man，people，person）
Skype Learn Chinese Word: 人
Skype Learn Chinese Pronounced: rén
Skype Learn Chinese Example: 街上有很多人。jiē shàng yǒu hěn duō rén . There are many people in the street.
Ancient Chinese characters were pictographic, outlining the rough shape of things with simple lines. This is how the character comes:
This character resembles the standing profile of a “person”, slightly bowing with hands down or gently raised.
Skype Learn Chinese 水 shuǐ （ water）
Skype Learn Chinese Word: 水
Skype Learn Chinese Pronounced: shuǐ
Skype Learn Chinese Example: 一杯水 yī bēi shuǐ a cup of water
This character resembles the “water ”splashes in a winding river.
Ancient Chinese characters were pictographic, outlining the rough shape of things with simple lines. This is how the character comes:
Skype Learn Chinese 工 gōng （ work，worker）
Skype Learn Chinese Word: 工
Skype Learn Chinese Pronounced: gōng
Skype Learn Chinese Example: 我是工人。 wǒ shì gōng rén I am a worker.
Ancient Chinesecharacters were pictographic, outlining the rough shape of things with simplelines. This is how the character comes:
This character resembles the tool of a carpenter,or a“ worker”
Skype Learn Chinese 上 shàng （ on，above ， up）
Skype Learn Chinese Word: 上
Skype Learn Chinese Pronounced: shàng
Skype Learn Chinese Example:房顶上有只猫 fáng dǐng shàng yǒu zhī māo There is a cat on the roof.
A shorter line on top of a longer curve indicates the concept of “on, above, or up”.
Ancient Chinese characters were pictographic, outlining the rough shape of things with simple lines.
This is how the character comes:
Skype Learn Chinese 下 xià （ under, below，down）
Skype Learn Chinese Word: 下
Skype Learn Chinese Pronounced:xià
Skype Learn Chinese Example: 树下有一只狗 shù xià yǒu yī zhī gǒu There is a dog under the tree.
Ancient Chinese characters were pictographic, outlining the rough shape of things with simple lines. This is how the character comes: A short line under a longer curve/line indicates the concept of “under, below, down”.
Skype Learn Chinese 千 qiān （ thousand ）
Skype Learn Chinese Word: 千
Skype Learn Chinese Pronounced:qiān
Skype Learn Chinese Example:这篇文章有一千字。 zhè piān wén zhāng yǒu yī qiān zì. There are a thousand words in this article.
Ancient Chinese characters were pictographic, outlining the rough shape of things with simple lines. This is how the character comes:
A person with a short horizontal line indicates the concept of “thousand”.
Skype Learn Chinese 午 wǔ （ noon ）
Skype Learn Chinese Word: 午
Skype Learn Chinese Pronounced:wǔ
Skype Learn Chinese Example:今天中午我有课 jīn tiān zhōng wǔ wǒ yǒu kè I have class at noon.
A curve on a cross symbolises the sun on top of pole, meaning at “noon”
Ancient Chinese characters were pictographic, outlining the rough shape of things with simple lines. This is how the character comes:
Skype Learn Chinese 生 shēng （ life, birth ）
Skype Learn Chinese Word: 生
Skype Learn Chinese Pronounced:shēng
Skype Learn Chinese Example:生活很美好。 shēng huó hěn měi hǎo Life is good.
Ancient Chinese characters were pictographic, outlining the rough shape of things with simple lines. This is how the character comes:
The bottom line symbolizes the earth, and the top parts are plants starting to grow, meaning “birth or life”.
Skype Learn Chinese 个 gè （ a、an ）
Skype Learn Chinese Word: 个
Skype Learn Chinese Pronounced:gè
Skype Learn Chinese Example: 一个苹果 yí gè pín guǒ an apple
This pictographic symbolizes the “unit” word for nouns when counting.
Ancient Chinese characters were pictographic, outlining the rough shape of things with simple lines. This is how the character comes:
Skype Learn Chinese 不 bù （ no, not ）
Skype Learn Chinese Word: 不
Skype Learn Chinese Pronounced:bù
Skype Learn Chinese Example:他不是学生 tā bú shì xué shēng He is not a student.
Ancient Chinese characters were pictographic, outlining the rough shape of things with simple lines. This is how the character comes:
The Chinese pictograph for “no” is like an embryo buried under the earth. This word was later used to express negation.
Skype Learn Chinese 主 zhǔ（ master, owner ）
Skype Learn Chinese Word: 主
Skype Learn Chinese Pronounced:zhǔ
Skype Learn Chinese Example:他是房子的主人。 tā shì fáng zi de zhǔ rén He is the owner of the house.
Ancient Chinesecharacters were pictographic, outlining the rough shape of things with simplelines. This is how the character comes:
The top part is a flameover some wood fire, symbolizing a candle or a light. In ancient times the “owneror the master” had the right of the light.
Skype Learn Chinese 丰 fēng（ abundant, lush ）
Skype Learn Chinese Word: 丰
Skype Learn Chinese Pronounced:fēng
Skype Learn Chinese Example:这顿饭很丰盛。zhè dùn fàn hěn fēng shèng This is an abundant and sumptuous meal.
It’s a bean-like vessel full of precious things indicating abundance and lushness.
Ancient Chinese characters were pictographic, outlining the rough shape of things with simple lines. This is how the character comes:
Skype Learn Chinese 文 wén （ language, culture, writing ）
Skype Learn Chinese Word: 文
Skype Learn Chinese Pronounced:wén
Skype Learn Chinese Example:中文很有意思。zhōng wén hěn yǒu yì sī Chinese language is very interesting.
Ancient Chinese characters were pictographic, outlining the rough shape of things with simple lines. This is how the character comes:
The pictographic shows the pattern of lines which is exactly how Chinese characters are formed—an art of lines and dots.
Skype Learn Chinese 土 tǔ （ soil, earth ）
Skype Learn Chinese Word: 土
Skype Learn Chinese Pronounced:tǔ
Skype Learn Chinese Example:农民在土地上种田。nóng mín zài tǔ dì shàng zhòng tián The farmers plant on earth.
Ancient Chinese characters were pictographic, outlining the rough shape of things with simple lines. This is how the character comes:
The bottom line is the ground. A raised lump of dirt on the ground symbolizes the “soil or earth”.
Skype Learn Chinese 木 mù （ tree; wood ）
Skype Learn Chinese Word: 木
Skype Learn Chinese Pronounced:mù
Skype Learn Chinese Example: 这个桌子是木头的。zhè gè zhuō zi shì mù tou de This is a wooden table.
Ancient Chinese characters were pictographic, outlining the rough shape of things with simple lines. This is how the character comes:
The branches on the top and the roots on the bottom make a “tree” which becomes “wood” when it is cut down.
Skype Learn Chinese 大 dà （ big, large ）
Skype Learn Chinese Word: 大
Skype Learn Chinese Pronounced:dà
Skype Learn Chinese Example: 这座山很大。zhè zuò shān hěn dà It’s a huge mountain.
Ancient Chinese characters were pictographic, outlining the rough shape of things with simple lines. This is how the character comes:
A person with both arms stretching, meaning “big, large”. Man is big in the universe.
Skype Learn Chinese 太 tài （ very, too, much ）
Skype Learn Chinese Word: 太
Skype Learn Chinese Pronounced:tài
Skype Learn Chinese Example: 这个房子太大了。zhè gè fáng zi tài dà le This house is too big.
Ancient Chinese characters were pictographic, outlining the rough shape of things with simple lines. This is how the character comes:
When a dot is added to the character big, it becomes “very” or “too, much”.