古 is a compound ideograph. 古 = 十 + 口. 十 means countless in ancient Chinese; 口 is a mouth. 古 depicts that ancient stories were told by countless people and passed down through generations, so the original meaning of 古 is “ancient/old”.
Category: Compound ideographs
冬 the end of a year
In bone and bronze inscriptions, 冬 resembles the two ends of a knotted rope, indicating that the winter is the end of a year. 冬 is cognate of 终. Later the meaning of 冬 is extended to “winter”. 冬 serves as a phonetic component to form characters. Continue reading “冬 the end of a year”
People live in the mountains
I’m character very different from the common ones, because I like to live alone in the mountains to stay far away from the noisy world. Do you know who I am? Continue reading “People live in the mountains”
Ten people work together
Ten people work together, and they all have to contribute to achieve the aim. Teamwork really counts! I’m a character for teamwork. Check me out! Continue reading “Ten people work together”
Chinese character structure: a guide to writing characters well
Before learning Chinese character structure, make sure you understand well the concept of a component. A component is different from a stroke. A component is a part that must have an independent meaning. Continue reading “Chinese character structure: a guide to writing characters well”