 Image you were in 8000 years ago, just have spare time from hunting, how do you record the nature and events around you?  Draw a simple picture.  This is the Pictographs. Presented by LegooMandarin.com2

 Chinese is a pictorial language: Presented by LegooMandarin.com3 人 Rén People

 It’s an abstract art Presented by LegooMandarin.com4 行 Xíng walk; travel:

 No alphabet but have Component Part (Radicals)  字 zì is made of by 宀 roof & 子 zi son Presented by LegooMandarin.com5

6  There are six ways of How the Chinese Characters were Created called: 六书 Liù shū six ways or six writings  1 象形 Xiàng xíngPictographs  2 指事 zhǐ shìIndicatives  3 会意 huì yìIdeographs  4 形声 xíng shēng Phonetic compounds  5 转注 zhuǎn zhùMutual explanatories  6 假借 jiǎ jièPhonetic loans

Presented by LegooMandarin.com7 1 象形 Xiàng xíngPictograph A pictograph, also called pictogram, is an ideogram that conveys its meaning through its pictorial resemblance to a physical object. Most of Chinese characters were originally pictures of objects.

Presented by LegooMandarin.com8 1 象形 Xiàng xíngPictograph 日 Rì sun

Presented by LegooMandarin.com9 1 象形 Xiàng xíngPictograph 月 Yuè moon

Presented by LegooMandarin.com10 1 象形 Xiàng xíngPictograph 山 Shān Mountain

Presented by LegooMandarin.com11 1 象形 Xiàng xíngPictograph 人 rén people

Presented by LegooMandarin.com12 刀 Dāo knife 1 象形 Xiàng xíngPictograph

Presented by LegooMandarin.com13 1 象形 Xiàng xíngPictograph 木 Mù wood, tree

Presented by LegooMandarin.com14  37 口 Kǒu Mouth

Presented by LegooMandarin.com15  24 禾 Hé Grain

Presented by LegooMandarin.com16  31 马 Mǎ Horse kuda

Presented by LegooMandarin.com17  32 牛 Niú Cow

Presented by LegooMandarin.com18  33 羊 YángSheep

Presented by LegooMandarin.com19  34 虫 ChóngInsect

Presented by LegooMandarin.com20  35 鱼 Yú Fishikan

Presented by LegooMandarin.com21  36 鸟 NiǎoBirdburung

Presented by LegooMandarin.com22 2 指事 zhǐ shìIndicatives Indication refers to the way to form abstract characters with indicating signs. Chinese characters are abstract art and good at indicating the abstract world, and things, like 1, 2, 3, up, down….

Presented by LegooMandarin.com23 一 Yī one 2 指事 zhǐ shìIndicatives

Presented by LegooMandarin.com24 二 Èrtwo 2 指事 zhǐ shìIndicatives

Presented by LegooMandarin.com25 三 Sānthree 2 指事 zhǐ shìIndicatives

Presented by LegooMandarin.com26 上 Shàng up, top 2 指事 zhǐ shìIndicatives one extra stroke to highlight the top

Presented by LegooMandarin.com27 下 Xiàdown; below 2 指事 zhǐ shìIndicatives one extra stroke to highlight the bottom

Presented by LegooMandarin.com28 刃 Rèn the edge of a knife, sword, etc.; blade: 2 指事 zhǐ shìIndicatives 刀 Dāo knife one extra stroke to highlight the edge

Presented by LegooMandarin.com29 木 Mù wood, tree

Presented by LegooMandarin.com30 本 Běn 1 the root or stem of a plant 2 foundation; basis; origin 2 指事 zhǐ shìIndicatives one extra stroke at below to highlight the root.

Presented by LegooMandarin.com31 末 Mò 1 tip; end of a tree 2 end; last stage: 2 指事 zhǐ shìIndicatives one extra stroke at top to end of a tree

Presented by LegooMandarin.com32  37 口 Kǒu Mouth

Presented by LegooMandarin.com33 甘 Gān sweet 2 指事 zhǐ shìIndicatives one extra stroke at top to emphasis the sweet taste

Presented by LegooMandarin.com34 3 会意 huì yìIdeographs An ideograph, also called ideogram, is a graphic symbol that represents an idea or concept.

Presented by LegooMandarin.com35 日 Rì sun

Presented by LegooMandarin.com36 月 Yuè moon

Presented by LegooMandarin.com37 3 会意 huì yìIdeographs 明 Míng bright

Presented by LegooMandarin.com38  13 明 MíngBright terang

Presented by LegooMandarin.com39 3 会意 huì yìIdeographs 从 cóng follow 人 rén people

Presented by LegooMandarin.com40 4 形声 xíng shēng Phonetic compounds Phonetic compounds consists of a radical and a phonetic. The radical normally gives the hint of meaning and the phonetic indicates the pronunciation.

Presented by LegooMandarin.com41  女 Nǚ girl, female

 取 Qǔ take; get; fetch  女 Nǚ girl, female  娶 Qǔ marry (a woman); take to wife: Presented by LegooMandarin.com42 radical : 女 Nǚ girl, female phonetic 取 Qǔ

Presented by LegooMandarin.com43 4 形声 xíng shēng Phonetic compounds 嫁 Jià (of a woman) marry phonetic 家 jiā radical 女 Nǚ girl, female

Presented by LegooMandarin.com44 4 形声 xíng shēng Phonetic compounds  我 Wǒ I, me

Presented by LegooMandarin.com45  35 饣 ( 食 )  食字旁 Shí zì páng  Food; eat

Presented by LegooMandarin.com46 4 形声 xíng shēng Phonetic compounds 饿 È Hungary phonetic 我 Wǒ Radical: 饣 Food; eat

Presented by LegooMandarin.com47 4 形声 xíng shēng Phonetic compounds 鹅 É Geese phonetic 我 Wǒ Radical: 鸟 Niǎo ； bird

Presented by LegooMandarin.com48 5 转注 zhuǎn zhùMutual explanation Mutual explanation is a way using existing characters to explain others, which share the same radical, meaning and mutually explainable.

Presented by LegooMandarin.com49 5 转注 zhuǎn zhùMutual explanation 至 Zhì to; until: 到 dào arrive; reach

Presented by LegooMandarin.com50 5 转注 zhuǎn zhùMutual explanation 老 Lǎo old; 考 kǎo old ( now used as exam) 耆 qí 60 years, 耋 dié 70 and 80 years old 90 years and above? called fairy, maybe

Presented by LegooMandarin.com51 6 假借 jiǎ jiè Phonetic loans Phonetic loans is also a way borrowing existing characters to represent other meaning or things. This is a way to avoid to create countless characters to represent the countless objects and things in the universe.

Presented by LegooMandarin.com52 北 Běi originally means the back, the two person back to back. It was borrowed to mean North A new “ 背 Bèi” was made combining “ 北 Běi” and “ 月 yue, flesh” to show the back.

Presented by LegooMandarin.com53 求 Qiú originally means leather cloth. It was borrowed to mean "beg, ask, request". A new “ 裘 Qiú” was made combining “ 求 Qiú” and “ 衣 cloth” to mean leather cloth.

Presented by LegooMandarin.com54 然 Rán, originally means burn, the four dot mean fire. It was borrowed to mean “ then, otherwise” A new “ 燃 Rán” with extra “ 火 fire” radical to mean burn.