Chien
@recoveredacademic.bsky.social
📖 Teacher
🖊️ Currently writing a paper on shamanism in ancient China
🐕Dog dad
🇺🇸🇹🇼
🖊️ Currently writing a paper on shamanism in ancient China
🐕Dog dad
🇺🇸🇹🇼
Shǔi means “water”
February 9, 2025 at 5:01 AM
Shǔi means “water”
Míng, a character that combines the sun 日 and the moon 月 means “bright.”
February 8, 2025 at 12:14 AM
Míng, a character that combines the sun 日 and the moon 月 means “bright.”
Yuè is a pictograph that means “the moon.”
February 6, 2025 at 5:32 PM
Yuè is a pictograph that means “the moon.”
Xià means “below,” “under,” “down.” I am biased as I already know what it means: it’s a rather intuitive pictograph.
February 5, 2025 at 10:37 PM
Xià means “below,” “under,” “down.” I am biased as I already know what it means: it’s a rather intuitive pictograph.
This character, zhōng, means “middle,” “inside.”
February 4, 2025 at 9:30 PM
This character, zhōng, means “middle,” “inside.”
Shàng is a pictograph that means “up,” “above.”
February 3, 2025 at 6:36 PM
Shàng is a pictograph that means “up,” “above.”
First snow in Seattle this year. Snow is xuě. The character combines “rain” and “feather.”
February 2, 2025 at 3:37 PM
First snow in Seattle this year. Snow is xuě. The character combines “rain” and “feather.”
Tǔ means “earth,” “dirt,” “soil.” The character looks like a cross in the ground.
February 2, 2025 at 1:21 AM
Tǔ means “earth,” “dirt,” “soil.” The character looks like a cross in the ground.
Tiān is “heave,” “sky,” “day.”
February 1, 2025 at 6:07 AM
Tiān is “heave,” “sky,” “day.”
This is another ideograph for “river.” A super rare but beautiful character.
January 30, 2025 at 8:57 PM
This is another ideograph for “river.” A super rare but beautiful character.
Chuān is a pictograph that means “river.”
January 30, 2025 at 8:55 PM
Chuān is a pictograph that means “river.”
This pictograph, shān, means “mountain.”
January 29, 2025 at 6:53 PM
This pictograph, shān, means “mountain.”
Yǔ (the French u sound) means “rain.”
January 29, 2025 at 1:04 AM
Yǔ (the French u sound) means “rain.”
Nán, a combination of field and strength, means “man.”
January 27, 2025 at 9:23 PM
Nán, a combination of field and strength, means “man.”
Lì was created to resemble an ancient plow. By association, it means “power,” “force,” “strength.”
January 26, 2025 at 8:03 PM
Lì was created to resemble an ancient plow. By association, it means “power,” “force,” “strength.”
Tián in Chinese means (rice) field. It’s made of four squares.
January 25, 2025 at 10:05 PM
Tián in Chinese means (rice) field. It’s made of four squares.
Rén, person. Homo sapien that walks, use, and make tools.
January 25, 2025 at 4:10 AM
Rén, person. Homo sapien that walks, use, and make tools.
This is yī, meaning “one.” Turn the Arabic number “1” 90 degrees and you get this.
January 24, 2025 at 6:28 AM
This is yī, meaning “one.” Turn the Arabic number “1” 90 degrees and you get this.
Two readings. As “wéi,” this pictograph means “to surround.” As “guó,” ideograph means “nation,” “state,” or “country.” The second meaning is rarely used today. This character is a perfect square unlike yesterday’s character.
January 22, 2025 at 5:55 PM
Two readings. As “wéi,” this pictograph means “to surround.” As “guó,” ideograph means “nation,” “state,” or “country.” The second meaning is rarely used today. This character is a perfect square unlike yesterday’s character.
This is kǒu, the mouth. It’s not a perfect square. More like an inverted trapezoid. A pictograph.
January 21, 2025 at 5:41 PM
This is kǒu, the mouth. It’s not a perfect square. More like an inverted trapezoid. A pictograph.
This is a pictograph. Dòu was first a food vessel in ancient China. Then at some point it came to mean “beans.” The content defines the container. A leap of faith.
January 20, 2025 at 6:51 PM
This is a pictograph. Dòu was first a food vessel in ancient China. Then at some point it came to mean “beans.” The content defines the container. A leap of faith.
Three of this character means 1) suspicion; 2) pistils
January 20, 2025 at 6:44 PM
Three of this character means 1) suspicion; 2) pistils
This pictograph means “heart, mind” in Chinese. Self-evident? Maybe a bit.
January 19, 2025 at 3:43 PM
This pictograph means “heart, mind” in Chinese. Self-evident? Maybe a bit.
This character, niè (a ñ sound), brings three ears 耳 together, meaning “to whisper.” One needs multiple hearing powers catch a soft voice. If I were to define this character, I’d say it’s Siri, Alexa, or the like that eavesdrops.
January 18, 2025 at 7:21 PM
This character, niè (a ñ sound), brings three ears 耳 together, meaning “to whisper.” One needs multiple hearing powers catch a soft voice. If I were to define this character, I’d say it’s Siri, Alexa, or the like that eavesdrops.
Pressing one’s ear 耳 against the door 門 and you get “to hear” in Chinese. This compound character is thus associative, not pictographic, in nature. Reading: wén. Interestingly, it later acquires the meaning of “to smell,” suggestive of an synesthesiac experience—smelling with one’s ears.
January 17, 2025 at 5:44 PM
Pressing one’s ear 耳 against the door 門 and you get “to hear” in Chinese. This compound character is thus associative, not pictographic, in nature. Reading: wén. Interestingly, it later acquires the meaning of “to smell,” suggestive of an synesthesiac experience—smelling with one’s ears.