Characters — learn them through core images – ShareDocs

木 mù The desk, the cup and the bridge all started as one tree A single tree standing inside the character, roots in the ground and branches out to both sides. Chinese 5 uses

火 huǒ One flame makes the lamp, the heat and the cigarette A flame licking upward from below, pressed against the character. Chinese 5 uses

土 tǔ One lump of packed earth gives you the yard, the wall and "sit" A lump of earth pressed flat, lying at the foot or side of the character. Chinese 5 uses

钅 jīn zì páng Money, locks, clocks and pans all came out of the same metal A cold hard lump of metal clinging to the left of the character, catching the light. Chinese 5 uses

口 kǒu Eating, drinking, calling, asking — all the same square hole An open mouth cut as a square hole beside the character. Chinese 5 uses

目 mù Looking and sleeping are done by the same single eye A single eye stood upright inside the character, the pupil rolling in it. Chinese 5 uses

讠 yán zì páng Two strokes on the left, and words leave the mouth for someone else Speech popping out of the left side as a single dot and running out along a line. Chinese 5 uses

纟 jiǎo sī páng Red, knots and practice all unwind from one skein of thread A wound skein of thread with one thin end unwinding out of it. Chinese 5 uses

艹 cǎo zì tóu Two sprouts on the roof, and you get flowers, tea and medicine Two shoots of grass poking up side by side, sitting on the roof of the character. Chinese 5 uses

辶 zǒu zhī páng One foot on a road — that's why things are far, late, or sent back A single foot set on a road, carrying on forward along it. Chinese 5 uses

手 te The hand hiding inside 'stamp' and 'good at' A palm opens, five fingers go out toward something, and they grip it, pass it, move it. Japanese 5 uses

女 nǚ A seated figure with folded arms — that is 女 The outline of someone kneeling with both arms folded in front, frozen into a character. Chinese 5 uses

生 saeng Why 生 covers both being born and being raw Something that was not there pushes up through the soil and stands here for the first time. Korean 5 uses

心 kokoro Worry, relief, and downtown all share one character A lump sits at the center of the chest, beating without rest, and keeps the person moving. Japanese 5 uses

動 dong Why a moved heart is also 動 Something that was sitting still leaves its place and starts to move. Korean 5 uses

子 zǐ One swaddled baby that also means seed, dumpling and chair A big-headed baby with open arms, wrapped in cloth, hardened into a character. Chinese 5 uses

心 sim Why the chest and the middle of a cart share one character The one point sitting at the middle of you, where everything collects and tips toward. Korean 5 uses

宀 mián What happens when a roof lands on top of a character One sheet coming down from above and covering everything standing under it. Chinese 5 uses

水 mizu From a glass of water to a waterproof watch, one character A stream of water keeps running toward the lower side and seeps into every gap it finds. Japanese 5 uses

火 hi From turning the heat down to fireworks, one character A light catches at the bottom, rises in tongues, wavers, and makes whatever it touches hot. Japanese 5 uses

广 guǎng A roof with its front wide open — so people come and go A large cover leaning on a single post, the whole front side standing wide open. Chinese 5 uses

力 ryeok Why stamina and electricity share the character 力 The force in an arm set against something heavy, pushing until it moves. Korean 5 uses

時 si 時 is not a clock, it is a finger pointing at 'when' A finger landing on one spot of an endlessly moving line and saying: about here. Korean 5 uses

疒 nè Put a sickbed on a character and the body lies down A person propped against a bed, unable to push themselves back up. Chinese 5 uses

木 ki The standing tree and the sawn plank are one character One trunk stands straight with its roots in the ground and its branches reaching out sideways. Japanese 5 uses

人 in 人 is less 'person' than 'one body you can count' One body standing on two feet — a single unit you can count, divide by, and point at. Korean 5 uses

金 kane A gold ring and a water bill share one character A lump dug out of the ground, melted and set hard: something that shines and has weight in your palm. Japanese 5 uses

门 mén Inside up to here; one step past it and you are outside Two leaves hung side by side between posts, splitting inside from outside. Chinese 5 uses

大 dae 大 is not 'big', it is 'the edges pushed outward' Two arms flung out sideways so the space you take up gets wider. Korean 5 uses

车 chē Draw one wheel into it and anything becomes 车 A wheel on an axle, rolling along with goods and people loaded on top. Chinese 5 uses

土 tsuchi From the soil in a pot to Saturday, one ground underfoot Ground lies under your feet: it presses down when you step on it and darkens when you water it. Japanese 5 uses

小 so 小 is not 'small', it is 'the edges pulled inward' Edges that had been spread out being pulled inward so the space taken up narrows. Korean 5 uses

马 mǎ Why one horse came to mean right away One animal, mane flying, four hooves kicking off the ground to break into a run. Chinese 5 uses

日 nichi One sun becomes a date and a country's name A round bright sun climbs from the east, crosses the sky, and goes down in the west. Japanese 5 uses

上 sang Prices go 上, people are 上 — one notch above the line A line drawn, and a hand pointing at the space above it. Korean 5 uses

鸟 niǎo One wing ties chicken, duck, goose and pigeon together A bird with beak and feathers raised, one foot gripping a branch, ready to lift off at any second. Chinese 5 uses

月 tsuki One waxing and waning is what 'a month' means A moon in the night sky fills out little by little into a round disc, then thins away again. Japanese 5 uses

下 ha Prices go 下, people are 下 — one notch below the line A line drawn, and a hand pointing at the space below it. Korean 5 uses

鱼 yú One scale links the market, the rod, the soup and the tank Head, scales and tail in one line, a body bending as it cuts through water. Chinese 5 uses

人 hito That person, alone, four of us, popular — one character A living person stands on two legs, able to turn and face you. Japanese 5 uses

中 jung Why the 中 of 'in a meeting' is the same character as 'middle' A box with a single bar driven straight down through its middle. Korean 5 uses

虫 chóng Many legs or none at all, it still gets 虫 One small thin thing bending its body along the ground as it crawls. Chinese 5 uses

口 kuchi One mouth becomes the entrance and the service window A small opening: when it opens, inside and outside connect, and things go in and come out through it. Japanese 5 uses

外 oe 外 is not 'outside', it is 'past the line you drew' A line drawn, and something set beyond it or stepping across it. Korean 5 uses

目 me One eye becomes a 'purpose' and a 'second one' Between the lids, a pupil locks onto one point and follows it. Japanese 5 uses

石 shí The lump that nothing dents — that is 石 A hard lump fallen at the foot of a cliff, taking no mark no matter how you strike it. Chinese 5 uses

前 jeon Why 'moving forward' and 'long ago' are the same character The side your toes point at — the way you move, and also where the stretch already passed is laid out. Korean 5 uses

米 mǐ Four little grains that become rice, porridge and flour Small white grains spilled from a sack, scattered across the ground as dots. Chinese 5 uses

生 sei Raw fish, draft beer, and your teacher share one character A sprout has pushed up out of the ground and stands there with nothing done to it yet. Japanese 5 uses

後 hu Why 'behind' and 'later' are one character The side your back is turned to — where the stretch that has not caught up yet stands in line. Korean 5 uses

力 chikara From pushing hard to electric power, ability, effort Tendons stand out on an arm and something gives way and moves: a force you cannot see, only its traces. Japanese 5 uses

贝 bèi Money used to be shells — and the shell is still in the characters A handful of cowrie shells strung on a cord and held in the hand — that is the money. Chinese 5 uses

手 su One character hiding in handshake, applause, and athlete Five fingers spreading at the end of an arm, reaching out to take hold of something. Korean 5 uses

大 dai Why 大 covers a university, an adult, and "are you okay?" A person standing with both arms and both legs flung open, taking up a wide patch of ground. Japanese

小 shō One stroke for "small" runs from grade school to loose change A big lump with both sides shaved off, leaving only a small grain in the middle. Japanese 5 uses

口 gu Why "exit" and "population" share one character A round hole in a wall that people, ships, or food pass in and out of. Korean 5 uses