HSK1&2 - Beginners

Starting to recognize characters when you first learn Chinese will be extremely helpful for your subsequent Chinese learning journey.

Get Ready ！One Chinese character everyday ！
 

每日一字

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The character "头 - Tóu " is a pictophonetic character.
 Let's have a look at the traditional writing to make it easier to understand. 

 頭= 豆+页

 It consists of two parts: the radical "页" (pronounced xié) and the phonetic "豆 - Dòu ".

In this type of pictophonetic characters, the radical provides the meaning category of the character, while the diaphragm indicates the pronunciation . 

The original meaning of "页- xié" is head, Therefore "头 - Tóu" primarily means "head." It can also refer to a person's mind or intellect, and it can be used to describe the top or leading position of something, such as in a group or series.

Now let's go for the Usage

1.Noun:
General: "头 - Tóu" refers directly to the head of a person or an animal.
例如（For example）: 他的头很大。-Tā de tóu hěn dà 。 (His head is very big.)

 老头儿 - Lǎo tóur : Used informally to refer to an elderly man, where "头儿 - tóur" adds a sense of familiarity or endearment.
例如：公园里有几个老头儿在下象棋。- Gōng yuán lǐ yǒu jǐ gè lǎo tóu er zài xià xiàng qí 。
 (There are a few old men playing chess in the park.)

插头 - Chā tóu: Refers to the plug that connects devices to a power source, emphasizing the endpoint of the connection.
例如：请拔掉插头以断开电源。- Qǐng bá diào chā tóu yǐ duàn kāi diàn yuán 。
(Please unplug the plug to disconnect the power.)

2.Measure Word:

 "头" is also used as a measure word for livestock and some other animals.
例如：三头牛。- Sān tóu niú 。 (Three cows.)

3.Leadership or Priority: 
It can indicate the foremost or leading element.
例如：队伍的头。- Duì wu de tóu 。 (The head of the line.)

4. Idiomatic Expressions: 

例如：头痛 - Tóu tòng  (headache), 开头 -Kāi tóu (beginning), 破头 - Pò tóu (literally 'crack one's head', meaning to go to a lot of trouble), 抢破头 - Qiǎng pò tóu  (desperately competing, literally 'fighting until one's head breaks').

Chinese Item:
"虎头虎脑" (hǔ tóu hǔ nǎo) is an idiomatic expression in Chinese that describes someone, usually a child, who appears strong, energetic, and lively. 



"口" - kǒu

Meaning (字义)
Primary Meaning: The primary meaning of "口" is "mouth."
For example: 
她张开口唱了一首美妙的歌。 (Tā zhāng kāi kǒu chàng le yī shǒu měi miào de gē.)
 She opened her mouth and sang a beautiful song.

Extended Meanings: It can also refer to anything that resembles a mouth, such as an opening, entrance, or a measure word for people in a household.

Usage (用法)

The character "口" is used in various contexts in the Chinese language, including as a radical in other characters, in compound words, and in idiomatic expressions.

As a Radical:
    "口" is a common radical in Chinese characters, often related to speech or the mouth, such as "吃" (chī, to eat) and "唱" (chàng, to sing).

Measure Word: 
"口" is used as a measure word for counting family members or things with openings.

例如：
一家四口。 (Yì jiā sì kǒu 。) -A family of four.
两口井。 (Liǎng kǒu jǐng .) -Two wells

In Compound Words:

口语 (kǒu yǔ): Spoken language
 For example: 
他学习汉语口语非常努力。 (Tā xuéxí Hànyǔ kǒuyǔ fēicháng nǔlì.)
 He studies spoken Chinese very diligently.

人口 (rén kǒu): Population
For example: 
这个城市的人口超过了一百万。 (Zhège chéngshì de rénkǒu chāoguò le yī bǎi wàn.)
The population of this city exceeds one million.

出口 (chū kǒu): Exit or export
For example:
请从出口离开。 (Qǐng cóng chūkǒu líkāi.)
Please exit through the exit.

Idiomatic Expressions:
心口如一 (xīn kǒu rú yī): (literal: heart and mouth as one) 

Epitomizes honesty and integrity. It describes a person who expresses their true thoughts and feelings without deception, earning the trust and respect of others.

For example:
他是个心口如一的人。 (Tā shì gè xīn kǒu rú yī de rén.)
He is a person who says what he thinks .

口是心非 (kǒu shì xīn fēi):  (literal: mouth is, heart isn't)
it is an idiom used to describe people who are insincere or deceitful, saying one thing while meaning another. 

For example:
她总是口是心非，让人难以信任。(Tā zǒng shì kǒu shì xīn fēi, ràng rén nán yǐ xìnrèn.)
She always says one thing but means another, making it hard to trust her.

The character "鼻" is a compound ideogram consisting of the radical "自" (self) on top and "畀-bì" (to give) at the bottom. It resembles the shape of a nose.

it is consisting of the radical "自" (self) on top and "畀-bì" (to give) at the bottom. It resembles the shape of a nose.

Meaning (字义)
The character "鼻" primarily means "nose." It can also relate to smelling and breathing.

Usage (用法)
"鼻" is commonly used in words and phrases related to the nose and its functions. 

Example Words (例词)

1.鼻子 (bí zi) - nose
他的鼻子很大。 (Tā de bí zi hěn dà.)
His nose is very big.

2.鼻涕 (bí tì) - nasal mucus
孩子流了鼻涕。 (Háizi liú le bí tì.)
The child has a runny nose.

3.鼻孔 (bí kǒng) - nostril
我的鼻孔痒痒的。 (Wǒ de bí kǒng yǎng yǎng de.)
My nostrils are itchy.

Example Sentences (例句)

1.他用鼻子闻花香。 (Tā yòng bí zi wén huā xiāng.)
He smells the flowers with his nose.

2.她的鼻子很好看。 (Tā de bí zi hěn hǎo kàn.) 
Her nose is very pretty.

3.不要用手指挖鼻孔。 (Bù yào yòng shǒuzhǐ wā bí kǒng.)
Don't pick your nose with your fingers.

Idiom (四字成语)
成语: 鼻青脸肿 (bí qīng liǎn zhǒng)

Meaning (意义)
"鼻青脸肿" literally means "nose bruised and face swollen." It describes someone who has been beaten up, with a bruised nose and swollen face.

Example Sentence (例句)
他刚打完了一架，鼻青脸肿。 (Tā gāng dǎ wán le yí jià , bí qīng liǎn zhǒng.)
He came back from a fight, looking bruised and swollen.


Summary
The character "鼻" is related to the nose and its functions. Its usage is common in everyday language. The idiom "鼻青脸肿" describes someone who looks bruised and swollen, often after a fight or accident.

 "人- rén" is a pictogram.  visually represents a person standing. The traditional form of the character is “亻”（单人旁 - Dān rén páng ） when used as a radical in other characters, such as "你 - Nǐ " (you) or "他 - Tā " (he).

字义 - Zì yì   (Meaning)

"人- rén" primarily means "person" or "human." It can also be used to denote someone belonging to a certain group or nationality, as in "美国人-Měi guó rén" (American) or "中国人-Zhōng guó rén " (Chinese).

用法 - Yòng fǎ  (Usage)

    Noun: As mentioned, "人- rén" can be used as a noun to refer to a person.
        例如 - Lì rú （For example）: 这个人很聪明。- Zhè ge rén hěn cōng ming 。 (This person is very smart.)

    Suffix: It can be used as a suffix in the nouns that denote nationality or belonging to a particular group.
        例如 - Lì rú：他是日本人。-Lì rú ： tā shì rì běn rén 。 (He is Japanese.)

    Modifier: "人- rén" can modify certain adjectives to create compound nouns that describe the type of person.
        例如 - Lì rú：好人 - Hǎo rén  (good person), 坏人 - Huài rén  (bad person).

    In Idioms: "人- rén" is also commonly found in idioms or proverbs.
        例如 - Lì rú：人山人海 - Rén shān rén hǎi  (huge crowds of people, literally 'mountains and seas of people').

The character "目- Mù " is a pictographic character depicting an eye.

It has multiple meanings and usages, Today we are gonna take a look at some of the main points:

Frist, As an Independent Word, It refers to 
1.眼睛- Yǎn jing - eyes, The organ of vision.

2.看 - Kàn - look, Derived from the function of the eye, it means to observe with the eyes.
Example:	
他目不转睛地看着比赛。- Tā mù bù zhuǎn jīng de kàn zhe bǐ sài 。
-He watched the game without blinking.
目睹了整个过程 - Mù dǔ le zhěng gè guò chéng 
- Witnessed the whole event 

Compound words

1.目光 - Mù guāng - Vision: A person's gaze or attention.
Example: 		
他的目光炯炯有神。- Tā de mù guāng jiǒng jiǒng yǒu shén 。
- His eyes are piercing.

2.目的-Mù dì - Purpose: Goal, intention.
Example:		
他的目的是通过考试。- Tā de mù dì shì tōng guò kǎo shì 。 
- His purpose is to pass the exam.

3.题目-Tí mù - Title/ question
Example: 	
作文的题目- Zuò wén de tí mù - The essay title 

4.目录 - Table of contents
Example:	
这本书的目录- Zhè běn shū de mù lù 
-The book's table of contents

5.项目- Xiàng mù - Item/ project
Example:	
工作中的重要项目。-Gōng zuò zhōng de zhòng yào xiàng mù 。 
-Important projects at work

Idioms and Fixed Phrases

"目不暇接 - Mù bù xiá jiē" : Describes an overwhelming number of things to see.

The Chinese idiom "目不暇接- Mù bù xiá jiē" translates to "too much to see" in English. It is often used to describe a situation where there are so many things to see that one's eyes don't have enough time to rest on any single thing. 

In a more general sense, it can be used to express the idea of being overwhelmed by numerous sights or activities happening all at once. 

Another common translation is "a feast for the eyes," emphasizing the abundance and variety of visually appealing elements.


The character "耳 - ěr" is a pictographic character resembling the shape of a human ear.

1. Meaning (字义)
The character "耳 -ěr " primarily means "ear." It can also relate to hearing and listening.

2. Usage (用法)

"耳" is commonly used in words and phrases related to ears and hearing. 

Example Words (例词)

1.耳朵 (ěr duo) - ear
我的耳朵很敏感。 (Wǒ de ěr duo hěn mǐngǎn.)
My ears are very sensitive.

2.耳环 (ěr huán) - earring
她戴着漂亮的耳环。 (Tā dàizhe piàoliang de ěr huán.)
She is wearing beautiful earrings.

Example Sentences (例句)

1.他用耳朵听音乐。 (Tā yòng ěr duo tīng yīnyuè.)
He listens to music with his ears.

2.她的耳朵很大。 (Tā de ěr duo hěn dà.)
Her ears are very big.

3.小心保护耳朵。 (Xiǎoxīn bǎohù ěr duo.)
Be careful to protect your ears.

Idiom (四字成语)

成语: 耳目一新 (Ěr mù yì xīn )

Meaning (意义)
"耳目一新" literally means "a fresh new look for the ears and eyes." It refers to something that is refreshing and gives a new and pleasant impression.

Usage (用法)
This idiom is used to describe a new experience or change that is refreshing and invigorating.

Example Sentence (例句)
新装修的房子让人耳目一新。 (Xīn zhuāngxiū de fángzi ràng rén ěr mù yì xīn.)
The newly renovated house is refreshing and gives a new impression.

Summary
The character "耳" is related to ears and hearing. Its usage is common in everyday expressions and phrases. The idiom "耳目一新" describes something new and refreshing, often used to express a positive change or improvement.


眉- Méi

 "目" - mù - eye, the upper part of 眉- Méi could refer to "毛" - máo", meaning "hair" or "fur." 
The combination represents the hairs above the eyes, hence "eyebrows." 
This formation suggests the character's meaning directly and visually connects it to the facial feature it represents.

用法 (Usage)

 As a noun, "眉" directly refers to the eyebrows. 
 眉毛 - méi mao - eyebrows

例如 (For example): 
他的眉毛很浓。- Tā de méi mao hěn nóng  
(His eyebrows are very thick.)

However, it is often used metaphorically in Chinese to denote expressions or emotions conveyed by the movement of the eyebrows, such as surprise, concern, or anger.

For instance, 眉头- méi tóu - the inner brow, refers to the area where the eyebrows begin, typically located above the inner corners of the eyes.

For example, "皱眉头" - zhòu méi tóu, means "to furrow one's brow," indicating worry or deep thought..

Idiomatic Expressions: "眉- Méi" appears in various idioms that use eyebrows metaphorically to talk about emotions or aesthetic qualities.

例如 (For example): 
眉开眼笑 - méi kāi yǎn xiào - lit. "eyebrows rise and eyes smile," meaning to smile joyfully or beam with happiness

眉飞色舞 - méi fēi sè wǔ - lit. "eyebrows fly and colors dance," used to describe vivid, expressive facial gestures of excitement or happiness

Metaphorical Usage: In poetic or artistic contexts, "眉" can metaphorically relate to things that resemble the shape or curve of eyebrows.

例如：(For example): 
山的轮廓好像一道眉形。-Shān de lún kuò hǎo xiàng yí dào méi xíng 。
(The outline of the mountain resembles the shape of an eyebrow.)


The character "舌" is composed of the radical "舌" (tongue) itself. It is a pictographic character, resembling a tongue extending from a mouth.

Meaning (字义)
The character "舌" primarily means "tongue." It can also extend to meanings related to speech and taste.

 Usage (用法)
"舌" is commonly used in words and phrases related to the tongue, speech, or taste. 

Example Words (例词)
1.舌头 (shé tou) - tongue
他咬了自己的舌头。 (Tā yǎo le zìjǐ de shé tou.)
He bit his tongue.

2.口舌 (kǒu shé) - quarrel, dispute (literally "mouth and tongue")
他们之间有很多口舌。 (Tāmen zhījiān yǒu hěnduō kǒu shé.)
There are many quarrels between them.

3.舌尖 (shé jiān) - tip of the tongue
舌尖尝味道。 (Shé jiān cháng wèidào.)
The tip of the tongue tastes flavors.

Example Sentences (例句)

他用舌头舔冰淇淋。 (Tā yòng shé tou tiǎn bīngqílín.)
He licks the ice cream with his tongue.

她的舌头很灵活。 (Tā de shé tou hěn línghuó.)
Her tongue is very flexible.

用舌头说话。 (Yòng shé tou shuō huà.)
Speak with the tongue.

Summary
The character "舌" is related to the tongue and its functions, including tasting and speaking. Its usage is straightforward and can be found in common expressions and daily language.

Four-Character Idiom (四字成语)

成语: 舌战群儒 (shé zhàn qún rú)

Meaning (意义)
"舌战群儒" literally means "to battle a group of Confucian scholars with one's tongue." It refers to using eloquent speech to argue and defeat a group of scholars or debaters.

Usage (用法)
This idiom is used to describe a situation where someone wins an argument or debate against multiple opponents through the power of speech.

Example Sentence (例句)
在辩论会上，他舌战群儒，赢得了观众的掌声。 (Zài biànlùn huì shàng, tā shé zhàn qún rú, yíngdé le guānzhòng de zhǎngshēng.)
At the debate competition, he eloquently argued against a group of scholars and won the audience's applause.
