Chinese character · HSK 2
画 (huà) — “to draw / picture”
The simplified character visually resembles a framed painting or a hanging scroll, with the outer strokes acting as the frame and the inner '田' representing the artwork itself.
How to remember 画
A beautiful picture (画) of a green field (田) is framed and hung on the wall.
Inside the character
- 一 (one) — meaning component. A single horizontal stroke — the simplest mark, often acting as a divider or ground line.
- 凵 (open box) — meaning component. An open container shape — usually a structural wrap rather than a meaning carrier.
- 田 (field) — meaning component. A plot divided into squares — often marks farmland, paddy, or any partitioned area.
Where 画 comes from
The traditional form (畫) originally depicted a hand holding a brush (聿) drawing the boundaries of a field (田). The simplified form (画) retains the field and the boundaries, looking like a framed picture.
Words that use 画
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 画家 | huà jiā | painter | HSK 2 |
| 画画 | huà huà | to draw a picture | HSK 2 |
| 画像 | huà xiàng | portrait | HSK 2 |
Learn 画 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: 看 (kàn, to look / to see) · 竹 (zhú, bamboo) · 策 (cè, strategy / plan) — or browse the full character library.