Chinese character · HSK 2
春 (chūn) — “spring”
An ideogram depicting the essence of spring: plants and branches (the top 𡗗 structure, visually resembling 三 and 人) bursting forth and spreading out under the nourishing warmth of the sun (日).
How to remember 春
Three horizontal branches (三) and sweeping leaves (人) gracefully frame the warm spring sun (日).
Inside the character
- 𠂇 (old hand) — meaning component. An ancient left-hand form — appears at the top of 友 / 有 / 右 / 左 and many others, marking a hand-grip stroke.
- 日 (sun / day) — meaning component. Often contributes daylight, brightness, weather, or time-related meaning.
Where 春 comes from
In ancient oracle bone script, it was composed of 艹 (plants), 屯 (a sprout pushing through hard soil), and 日 (sun), illustrating the sun's energy drawing dormant life out of the winter earth. Over centuries of stylization, the top elements merged into 𡗗.
Words that use 春
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 春天 | chūn tiān | spring (season) | HSK 2 |
| 青春 | qīng chūn | youth / youthfulness | HSK 4 |
| 春节 | Chūn jié | Spring Festival (Chinese New Year) | HSK 2 |
Learn 春 the visual way. InkSeal pairs every HSK 1–6 character
with an illustration like this one, plus component breakdowns, etymology, and
spaced review. The first 100 characters are free.
More characters: 渡 (dù, to cross (a river / sea)) · 炒 (chǎo, stir-fry / sauté) · 狗 (gǒu, dog) — or browse the full character library.