千里之行始于足下 (qiān lǐ zhī xíng shǐ yú zú xià) — a journey of a thousand li begins with a single step (idiom); great undertakings start from small beginnings

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

千 pairs 人, whose sound was similar, with 一, a number stroke; the extra line was explained as extension, and a thousand is a number reached by extending counting.

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 裡; 里 is its simplified writing.

The simplified 里 stands for more than one traditional character. In most words (里, 里面) it is 裡; in others (公里) it is 里 or 裏.

The form 裡 pairs 衤 (clothes) with 里 as a sound component.

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

The shape pairs 止, a foot, with 一, a beginning place, and means to go.

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

The shape of 行 originally showed a street intersection, even on both sides. Later it became uneven, with 彳 on the left and 亍 on the right.

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

始 is made of 女 (woman) and 台, which gives the sound.

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

The old shape of 于 may have pictured an ancient wind instrument. Another explanation reads 一 as a flat stream of air and 丂 as an exhaling mark.

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

足 was originally drawn as a leg.

An abstract idea shown by a mark or a diagram rather than by a picture of an object.

下 is drawn as a short horizontal line below a long curved line.