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象形文字 (xiàng xíng wén zì) — hieroglyphics (especially ancient Egyptian); pictographic writing (any script using pictures for words or concepts)

Definition

A category of writing where each character is a stylized picture of what it stands for (like ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs, or the original shape of 火). It is one of the foundational types of Chinese character formation.

noun
hieroglyphics (especially ancient Egyptian)pictographic writing (any script using pictures for words or concepts)

Examples

  • 象形文字。
    Gǔ āi jí de xiàng xíng wén zì fēi cháng yǒu míng.
    The hieroglyphics of ancient Egypt are very famous.
  • 象形文字。
    xiàng xíng wén zì Shì shì jiè shàng zuì gǔ lǎo de wén zì zhī yī.
    Hieroglyphics are one of the oldest writing systems in the world.
  • ‘’象形文字。
    Hàn zì zhōng de 'huǒ' zì zuì chū jiù shì xiàng xíng wén zì.
    The character 'fire' in Chinese was originally a pictograph.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

象形represent forms
象xiàngrepresent形xíngform
动宾Verb + object
文字characters
文wénwriting字zìcharacter
联合Coordinate

象形 means representing forms, and 文字 means characters, naming writing that pictures forms.

Characters in this word

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

象 is drawn as an elephant, with a long trunk, a head, and a big body.

Open 象 →

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

Meaning part形符xíngfú
彡彡shān
Sound part声符shēngfú
井
井jǐng形xíng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

形 is made from 彡 and 井, with 井 providing the sound.

Open 形 →

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

The current form 文 shows a man with head, arms, legs, and chest; the tattoo marks on the chest are no longer drawn.

Open 文 →

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

Meaning part形符xíngfú
宀宀miánroof
Sound part声符shēngfú
子
子zǐ字zì
Same sound today

字 pairs 宀 (roof) with 子 (child); 子 gives the sound, while 宀 relates to the meaning.

Open 字 →
Appears in
Reading & Writing

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