Meaning of 象形
象形 means pictographic character; one of the Six Categories of Chinese Characters (Liu Shu), referring to characters formed by drawing the shape of the object they represent. Pronounced xiàng xíng.
- pictographic character; one of the Six Categories of Chinese Characters (Liu Shu), referring to characters formed by drawing the shape of the object they represent
Definitions & Examples
Xiàng象
xíng形
shì是
Hàn汉
zì字
zào造
zì字
fǎ法
zhōng中
zuì最
yuán原
shǐ始
de的
yī一
zhǒng种
fāng方
fǎ法
。
Pictographic representation is the most primitive method in the formation of Chinese characters.
“
Rì日
”
hé和
“
yuè月
”
dōu都
shì是
diǎn典
xíng型
de的
xiàng象
xíng形
zì字
。
“Sun” and “moon” are both typical pictographic characters.
Gǔ古
dài代
de的
xiàng象
xíng形
wén文
zì字
wǎng往
wǎng往
huà画
de得
hěn很
xiàng像
shí实
wù物
。
Ancient pictographic characters were often drawn to look very much like the actual objects.
Liù六
shū书
bāo包
kuò括
xiàng象
xíng形
、
zhǐ指
shì事
、
huì会
yì意
、
xíng形
shēng声
、
zhuǎn转
zhù注
hé和
jiǎ假
jiè借
。
The Six Scripts include pictographs, indicative symbols, associative compounds, pictophonetic characters, mutual explanatory characters, and phonetic loan characters.