03 simple ideograms

Lesson 03 Independent characters (2)

- Simple ideograms

zhǐ shì zì• Simple ideograms ( 指 事 字 - indication ), which are also

called “Indicative characters”, express abstract meanings by simple symbols.

• Characters of this sort either add indicators to pictographs to make new meanings, or illustrate abstract concepts directly.

• The indicative characters are much fewer in number than the pictograms.

• In the examples below, low numerals are represented by the appropriate number of strokes:

běn mòIn "本"(root) and "末"(treetop),a short string underneath and a short string upside are respectively used to indicate the positions of a root and treetop.

běn本 root

mò末 top of tree - apex

shàng xiàIn the characters "上 "and "下 ", an iconic indication above and below a line is used to express the directions “up” and “down”.

shàng上 Up

xià下 Down

shàng 上 up, on

xià下 down, below

zhōng

中 middle, centre

dà大 big

xiǎo 小 small

tài太 too,excessively

tiān 天 sky,day

bái白 white

cháng 长 long

lì力 power

xuè 血 blood

yán 言 speech, word

huí 回 circle,return

Takk for i dag!