Category: Chinese Character

弓（gōng）

字形：
甲骨文中 “弓”是象形字，画的是弓弦和弓背，本义是指射箭或打弹的器械。引申指像弓的器具或形态，还有弯曲的意思，为动词。弓和箭是古代盛行一时的远距离杀伤力很强的武器。弓和箭的历史悠久， 大概在三万年前的旧石器时代就开始使用弓箭了。
In the oracle bone inscription, the character “弓” was the image of an bow, including bowstring and the back of a bow. Its original meaning was the equipment to shoot or to play the pinball. Then it extendedly means the things which look like a bow, and can also be used as a verb, meaning to bow. The bows and arrows were used as powerful weapons for long-distance attack in ancient times. They had a long history and were firstly used by ancient people during the Paleolithic Period.

字义：
bow

组词：
弓弦（gōngxián）：bowstring
弓箭手（gōngjiànshǒu）：archer
弹弓（dàngōng）： catapult, slingshot
琴弓（qíngōng）：a bow
弓身（gōngshēn）：to bow
弓腰（gōngyāo）：bend down

例句：
Zhè cì shènglì gōngjiànshǒumen de gōngláo zuì dà.
1、这次胜利弓箭手们的功劳最大。
The bow men made the most important contribution to the victory.
Tā yáng qǐ qíngōng, kāishǐ yǎnzòu.
2、他扬起琴弓，开始演奏。
He raises the bowstring and starts to play.
Tā jímáng gōngshēn fú zhù le nàge kuài yào shuāidǎo de háizi.
3、他急忙弓身扶住了那个快要摔倒的孩子。
He hurried to bend down and held that kid who was just going to fall over.

口（kǒu）

字形：
甲骨文的“口”像人的嘴巴，是象形字。本义即为人的嘴。 现代汉语中“mouth”的意思用“嘴”字表示，但在古代汉语中这个意思是用“口”字表示的，“嘴”指的是动物或鸟类的嘴。现代汉语中“口”已经不能作为 “mouth”的意思单用了，它只能作为语素出现在两个音节以上的词里面，因为这些词是在“口”可以作为 “mouth”的意思单用的时候固定下来的，如“口腔”、“口齿不清”等。后来扩大字义，指容器、建筑物等通向外面的地方或出入通过的地方。
The character “口” was like human’s mouth in the oracle bone inscription. Its original meaning was man’s mouth. The meaning of “mouth” in modern Chinese is indicated by the character “嘴”, but in ancient Chinese, it was indicated by the character “口”. In modern Chinese, the basic meaning of “口” is still “mouth”. However, it is no longer used alone, but only as a morpheme in the words such as “口腔” (oral cavity) and “口齿不清” (inarticulacy), etc. Later, it was extended to refer to opening of containers or entrance.

字义：
mouth

组词：
1.口才（kǒucái）：eloquence
2.口感（kǒugǎn）：taste
3.口罩（kǒuzhào）：gauze mask
4.出口（chūkǒu）：entrance
5.港口（gǎng kǒu）：harbor
6.口红（kǒuhóng）： lipstick

例句：
Zhè dào cài kǒugǎn fēicháng hǎo.
1、这道菜口感非常好！
This dish tastes delicious.
Wèile bìmiǎn chuánrǎn, nǐ zuìhǎo dàishàng kǒuzhào.
2、为了避免传染，你最好戴上口罩。
You’d better wear a gauze mask to avoid infection.
Tā sòng le tā nǚpéngyou yìzhī kǒuhóng zuòwéi shēngrì lǐwù.
3、他送了他的女朋友一支口红作为生日礼物。
He gave his girlfriend a lipstick as a birthday gift.

天( tiān)

字形：
古体天字，是在大字的上边加上一个大圆点，天字的本意指人的头顶。
“天” in its earliest form was a combination of the character “大” (big, large) and a big dot on it. The original meaning of “天” is the top of one’s head.

字义：
sky

组词：
今天(jīntiān): today
天平(tiānpíng): balance
每天(měitiān): everyday
天气(tiānqì): weather
天才(tiāncái): ;genius
明天(míngtiān): tomorrow

例句：
Wǒ měi tiān dōu xiě rìjì.
1、我每天都写日记。
I keep a diary every day.
Nìjìng zàojiù tiāncái.
2、逆境造就天才。
Adversity is the midwife of genius.
Jīntiān tiānqì zěnmeyàng?
3、今天天气怎么样？
What is the weather like today?

家( jiā )
字形：
“家”字的甲骨文形象是屋子里面有头猪。
The bone-script form of the character “家” was the image of a pig within a house.

字义：
home

组词：
家长(jiāzhǎng) ： housemaster
专家(zhuānjiā) ：expert
家具(jiājù) ：furniture
画家(huàjiā)：painter
家乡(jiāxiāng) ：home town
家庭(jiātíng) ：family

例句：
Wǒ tiāoxuǎn jiājù shǒuyào biāozhǔn shì huánbǎo.
1、我挑选家具首要标准是环保。
The primary standard for me to choose a piece of furniture is whether it is eco-friendly.
Wǒ yǒu yí gè xìngfú de jiātíng.
2、我有一个幸福的家庭。
I have a happy family.
Zhè shì wǒmen qǐng lái de xīnlǐxué zhuānjiā.
3、这是我们请来的心理学专家。
This is the psychological expert we invited.

人( rén )

字形：
“人”字展示的是一个张开双脚直立的人.
If destructured, “人” is a person standing with legs apart.

字义：
human;man;person

组词：
人民 (rénmín): people
人口(rénkǒu): population

例句：
zhōnɡɡuó　shì　shìjièshànɡ　rénkǒu　zuìduōde　ɡuójiā.
1)中国是世界上人口最多的国家。
China is a country with the largest population in the world.
wǒmén　rénlèi　yīnɡɡāi　bǎohù　huánjìnɡ.
2) 我们人类应该保护环境。
We human beings should protect the environment.
xiàndài　shèhuì　hěnzhònɡshì　réncái.
3) 现代社会很重视人才。
The modern society values talented people.

冬(dōng)

字形：
甲骨文的“冬”字是编绳子的线用完了的示意图，由此而产生终了的含义。现在的“冬”字上边是甲骨文的变体，下边是“冰”的异体，整个字的意思是年终的时候冷如寒冰的日子
The oracle version of the character “冬”, or winter, is a schematic drawing of the end of a braid, therefore “冬” means the end or to finish. The current version of the character “冬” is a simpler form of the oracle version, with the bottom section meaning ice. The whole character means icy days at the end of the year.

字义：
winter

组词：
冬天(dōngtiān): winter
冬眠(dōngmián): hibernation
冬瓜(dōngguā): wax gourd
冬泳(dōngyǒng): winter outdoor swimming
冬至(dōngzhì): Winter Solstice
寒冬(hándōng): severe winter

例句：
Dōngtiān zhèli xià xuě duō ma?
1. 冬天这里下雪多吗?
Does it snow much in winter here?
Wǒ shì yí gè dōngyǒng àihàozhě.
2. 我是一个冬泳爱好者。
I am a winter swimmer.
Hándōng ràng zhège chéngshì kàn qǐlái fēicháng huāngliáng.
3. 寒冬让这个城市看起来非常荒凉。
Winter harshened the look of the city.

儿( ér )

字形：
中国古代男孩可以称作儿，女孩也可以称作儿。而现在中国只有男孩可以称作儿，女孩称作女儿。
In ancient Chinese, both boys and girls could be called “儿”; while in modern Chinese only boys are called “儿”.

字义：
child；son

组词：
儿戏（érxì）： trifling matter
女儿（nǚér）： daughter
儿歌（érgē）： nursery rhymes
儿童（értóng）： children
婴儿（yīng’ér）： baby
儿子(érzi): son

例句：
Nǐ kě bù néng bǎ zhèyàng zhòngyào de gōngzuò dāng érxì.
1、你可不能把这样重要的工作当儿戏。
You shouldn’t regard such important work as a trifling matter.
Xiǎoniú huì shuō Zhōngwén. Hái huì chàng Zhōngwén érgē.
2、小牛会说中文。还会唱中文儿歌。
Xiao Niu can speak Chinese and even sing a Chinese nursery rhyme.
Wǒ yǒu yí gè érzi hé liǎng gè nǚ’ér.
3、我有一个儿子和两个女儿。
I have a son and two daughters.

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.

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.

瓜（guā）

字形：
古代的金文（一种刻在青铜器上的文字）“瓜”字看起来，像藤蔓的分叉处结了一个果实，悬挂在那里，整个字是藤上长着瓜的形象。人们吃瓜的时候，常用刀顺着瓜纹切开吃，因此“瓜分”比喻分割或分配。“瓜分”后来也指若干强国联合起来分割弱小或经济不发达国家的土地。
The ancient Chinese character “瓜” in the bronze script was the image of a melon growing in the ramification of tendrils. The outer part of the Chinese pictogram for “瓜” looked like a vine, and the inner part looked like fruit. This character represented a melon on the vine. When people eat melons, they often cut them along the natural lines, and thus the Chinese expression “瓜分”, meaning partition. Later “瓜分” has been used to refer to superpowers getting together to divide the lands of small and economically under- developed countries.

字义：
melon

组词：
西瓜（xīguā）： watermelon
瓜子（guāzǐ）：melon seeds
瓜农（guānóng）：melon farmer
瓜蔓（guāmàn）：melon vine
瓜葛（guāgě）：connection
瓜分（guāfēn）：divide

例句：
Tā gāng mǎi de xīguā zhēn tián!
1、他刚买的西瓜真甜！
The watermelon he just bought is pretty sweet.
Bié kàn wǒ, wǒ hé zhè jiàn shì méiyóu guāgě.
2、别看我，我和这件事没有瓜葛。
Don’t look at me. I have nothing to do with this.
Zhànzhēng jiéshù hòu, shènglìzhě guāfēn le zhèlǐ de shíyóu.
3、战争结束后，胜利者瓜分了这里的石油。
The conquerors divided the petroleum here after the war.