Are the characters the most challenging part of learning Chinese? I’m sure nine out of ten learners would say yes. But believe it or not, character learning could also be the most interesting part of your Chinese class! Yes, indeed, when reading characters, you’re in fact connecting to the world of thousands of years ago! You are actually reading stories of our Chinese ancestors through the characters!
But how do we read these stories? In this article, I will reveal some secrets behind the characters to you.
Firstly, let’s check out 矢shǐ! As you can see from the picture, 矢 stems from the shape of an arrow. The character’s meaning follows the shape.
In HSK1-3，these 3 characters contain 矢：知，医，矮. How can we understand the story of these 3 characters with arrows? Discover them one by one now.
(1) 知 zhī
知 zhī consists of 矢 and 口
Our philosophical Chinese ancestor interprets 知in this way: when you say what you know, the words are quick and accurate, like an arrow hitting the bullseye.
(2) 医 yī
医 yī consists of 矢 and 匚
The shape of 医 is like an arrow in the box. How does “an arrow in the box” relate to “doctor”?
Here’s the story: In ancient times, it is the doctor’s job to pull out the arrows from the wounded and put them into a box during the war.
That’s why the Chinese ancestor use 医, an arrow in the box to symbolize the doctor.
(3)矮 ǎi
矮 ǎi consists of 矢 and 委.
Take a look at the right part which is 委 wěi: it is composed of 禾 hé (crop) and 女 nǚ (woman). A lady kneeling beside a withered crop, symbolizing obedience.
When you take a look at the whole character 矮 ǎi, the 矢(arrow) on the left, alongside the kneeling woman indicates her diminutive height, which is emphasized by her submissive posture.
You got 矢？Take a look at this summary to review.
Am I right? Does it help a lot to memorize 知, 医 and 矮？Isn’t it a fun way to explore Chinese with the stories and thinking behind the characters? There are many more interesting stories with characters to know. Let’s reveal one by one in the future!
Jianmei acquired the National Certificate for Teachers issued by Hanban Headquarters in China. She works in Jiangxi University of Traditional Chinese Medicine which research on TCM translation and teaching methods. She worked in South Korean as a Chinese teacher in 2014 who gained rich experience. She is easy-going and passionate with having large responsibilities.
