Character Families
Chinese characters are never lonely symbols: one pictographic root grows into a whole family.20 Character FamiliesOpen any family to see its chain of scale and its character-assembly stories.
壹Nature10 families
Mountains, rivers, plants and creatures — the skeleton of the world.
The Water Family
From a single drop to the boundless sea
The Chain of Scale · The Chain of Waves
47 字
The Wood Family
From a bud to life everlasting
The Chain of Life
47 字
The Fire Family
From a spark to the torch passed on
The Chain of Intensity
45 字
The Fish Family
From a single roe to the leviathan of the northern deep
The Chain of Swimming
41 字
The Bird Family
From a hedge sparrow to the wind-rider Peng
The Chain of Soaring
45 字
The Mountain Family
From one hill to the peak of peaks
The Chain of Forms
38 字
The Stone Family
The bone of the earth, the measure of sincerity
The Chain of Stone Grades
34 字
The Horse Family
From a colt to a vow four horses cannot outrun
The Chain of Horse-power
35 字
The Grain Family
The five grains, and a person’s year
The Chain of Five Grains
35 字
The Grass Family
The family wildfire cannot burn out
The Chain of Fragrant Grasses
37 字
贰Sky & Time3 families
Sun, moon and wind — the origins of time.
叁The Body3 families
Hand, heart, speech, bone, tongue, face, tooth, ear and eye — action, awakening and words.
肆Culture & Craft4 families
Jade, shells, food, clothing, silk, a mat and a roof — the texture of civilisation.
The Jade Family
The finest stone, the gentleman’s virtue
The Chain of Ritual Jade
37 字
The Shell Family
From one seashell to rich and poor
The Chain of Currency
36 字
The Food Family
The people take food as heaven
The Chain of Hunger & Fullness
36 字
The Clothing Family
A garment is a social ladder
The Chain of Garments
37 字
More families are on the way — the Chinese edition already has all of them.