汉字的美 The Beauty of Chinese Characters

很多hěn duō学生xuésheng刚gāng开始kāishǐ学xué汉字Hànzì的de时候shíhou都dōu觉得juéde难nán，甚至shènzhì想xiǎng放弃fàngqì。

Many students find Chinese characters hard when they first start, and some even want to give up.

可是kěshì我wǒ是shì中文Zhōngwén老师lǎoshī，我wǒ想xiǎng告诉gàosu你nǐ：每měi个ge汉字Hànzì的de后面hòumiàn，都dōu有yǒu一yí个ge小xiǎo故事gùshi。

But as a Chinese teacher, I want to tell you: behind every character there is a little story.

最zuì早zǎo的de汉字Hànzì很hěn像xiàng图画túhuà：“山shān”看起来kàn qǐlai像xiàng三sān座zuò山shān，“雨yǔ”里li的de四sì个ge点diǎn，就jiù像xiàng正在zhèngzài掉diào下来xiàlai的de雨yǔ。

The earliest characters were much like pictures: 山 looks like three mountain peaks, and the four dots inside 雨 look like falling rain.

有些yǒuxiē字zì放fàng在zài一起yìqǐ，意思yìsi就jiù更gèng有意思yǒu yìsi了le：一yí个ge“人rén”靠kào在zài“木mù”旁边pángbiān，就jiù是shì“休xiū”，休息xiūxi的de休xiū。

When characters combine, the meanings get even more interesting: a person (人) leaning against a tree (木) makes 休 — the xiu of 休息, "to rest".

汉字Hànzì不仅bùjǐn有用yǒuyòng，而且érqiě可以kěyǐ变成biànchéng艺术yìshù，中国人Zhōngguórén把bǎ写字xiězì的de艺术yìshù叫做jiàozuò“书法shūfǎ”。

Characters are not only useful, they can also become art — Chinese people call the art of writing characters "shufa", calligraphy.

学xué汉字Hànzì没有méiyǒu什么shénme秘密mìmì，你nǐ写xiě得de越yuè多duō，就jiù记jì得de越yuè清楚qīngchu。

There is no secret to learning characters: the more you write, the more clearly you remember them.

即使jíshǐ你nǐ每天měitiān只zhǐ学xué三sān五wǔ个ge字zì，一yì年nián以后yǐhòu，你nǐ也yě会huì认识rènshi一千yìqiān多duō个ge汉字Hànzì。

Even if you learn only three to five characters a day, a year later you will still know more than a thousand.

所以suǒyǐ别bié着急zháojí，有yǒu一yì天tiān你nǐ会huì发现fāxiàn，你nǐ不bú是shì在zài记jì字zì，而是érshì在zài认识rènshi一yì种zhǒng古老gǔlǎo的de文化wénhuà。

So don't worry — one day you'll find that you are not memorizing characters, but getting to know an ancient culture.

🔊 Audio uses your device's Chinese voice for now — teacher recordings are coming. Tap any word to see its meaning.

Key words 生词

汉字HànzìChinese character

图画túhuàpicture; drawing

艺术yìshùart

书法shūfǎcalligraphy

秘密mìmìsecret

古老gǔlǎoancient

越……越……

"The more ... the more ..." links two things that grow together: 你写得越多，就记得越清楚。

雨越下越大了。 — The rain is getting heavier and heavier.

即使……也……

"Even if ... still ..." — the result holds even under an extreme condition: 即使你每天只学三五个字，一年以后你也会认识一千多个汉字。

即使明天下雨，我们也要去爬山。 — Even if it rains tomorrow, we will still go hiking.

不是……而是……

"Not A, but B" replaces a wrong idea with the right one: 你不是在记字，而是在认识一种古老的文化。

学好中文不是靠运气，而是靠练习。 — Mastering Chinese depends not on luck, but on practice.

1. According to the text, what does the character 休 (to rest) show?

2. What is "shufa"?

3. What does the author say about learning three to five characters a day?