This blog explores the pictography of Chinese characters, you can see what the original pictography of characters and the evolution of the characters in more than 3000+ years.
Let's see an example, original character for Water is
The left is the oldest shell bone script, which is like a river with water drops. The middle one is the small seal script after shell bone script, which is like the water flow. The right one is the clerical script, which is still popular but the not pictography as the old ones.
It is easy to understand and remember the picture-alike shell bone script and small seal script. However, the current standard song typeface you see in the Chinese learning books is
水
You can't see any similarity to water anymore, you have to memorize by meaningless strokes. But if you were told how it has evolved from the old character above, then you can see the relationship between the two: the drops become strokes on the sides, the middle curve becomes straight line and a hook. everything is meaningful, it is easy to understand and remember.
Let's see another example, Moon
Let's see another example, Moon
We see the evolution, and connections of the character from Shell bone script to small seal script to clerical script.
You can't be a fluent Chinese speaker by learning this series but you will find to be fun to learn Chinese this way. It is also a good starting step for those who want to be a fluent Chinese speaker,
In order to let you find the characters you are interested, I created an Index One below for you to look up. The Index One is for beginners, you can find a word in the list of alphabet order, then click the right post number which is a clickable link, you get the post page with the explanation of the character.
For example, you want to see what character is for Child, you can find the Child in the left alphabet list, then click the post number 21, you can see the post page.
You may directly browser the links in Blog Archive area on the right when you don't have a definite word to see. You may find one word you are interested, click the link to see the post page.
There are also Index Two and Three, which are for people who know Chinese well. Beginners could just ignore them.
Posts 1 - 208 have been published in book "Learn Chinese from Pictography (1)", and "Learn Chinese from Pictography (2)" on Amazon, not showing in this blog, but listed in the Index. If you are interested in the characters from 1 - 208, you could go to Amazon to read for free if you are kindle unlimited member, or buy the book (eBook or paperback). You can find the book by searching the tile or my name - Lewei Shang.
(Copyright rights reserved for all posts in this blog. Please contact me if you want to use for profit activity)
Index of Amazing Chinese Characters
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