HSK Level 3

Kangxi Radical 187: 马 [馬] mǎ Horse

| Cornelius G.

香 ☜ ⑩ Kangxi Radical 187: 马 [馬] mǎ “horse” ☞ 骨

Simplified: 马

kangxi-radical-10-187-simplified-ma3-horse

Traditional: 馬

kangxi-radical-10-187-traditional-ma3-horse

I had a hard time with this character, even though you can sort of recognize it as a depiction of a horse. But turns out I don’t have a particular gift for drawing horses. Did you know there is an ancient Chinese proverb about how horses are super difficult to draw? (It’s true!)

I ended up using the My Little Pony style as a starting point, but took it back half a step towards something resembling an actual horse a little bit more. Also, as a matter of artistic integrity and personal honor, I didn’t want to just copy somebody else’s design.

…okay, maybe I actually tried to copy the My Little Pony style, but just couldn’t quite pull it off. Did you know there is an ancient Chinese proverb about how My Little Ponies are super difficult to draw? (It’s not true at all!)

Anyhow. Interestingly, the My Little Pony figures in their most strongly cutified forms actually have roughly the same proportions as the Chinese characters. There’s probably a lesson in that.

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Pīnyīn

马 [馬] ~ mǎ ~ “horse” radical (187)
aka: Kangxi Radical Horse
马 [馬] ~ mǎ ~ horse
马 [馬] ~ Mǎ ~ surname Ma

马匹 [馬匹] ~ mǎpǐ ~ horse
走马 [走馬] ~ zǒumǎ ~ to ride (a horse), to go on horseback
上马 [上馬] ~ shàngmǎ ~ to get on a horse, to mount
下马 [下馬] ~ xiàmǎ ~ dismount a horse
马力 [馬力] ~ mǎlì ~ horsepower
小马 [小馬] ~ xiǎo mǎ ~ colt, pony
母马 [母馬] ~ mǔ mǎ ~ mare
白马 [白馬] ~ báimǎ ~ white horse
马年 [馬年] ~ mǎ nián ~ Year of the Horse

驰 [馳] ~ chí ~ run fast, speed, spread, gallop
驴 [驢] ~ lǘ ~ donkey
骡 [騾] ~ luó ~ mule
驹 [駒] ~ jū ~ colt
骅 [驊] ~ huá ~ chestnut horse
骠 [驃] ~ piào ~ white horse
骝 [騮] ~ liú ~ bay horse with black mane
骀 [駘] ~ tái ~ tired, worn out horse

 

Kangxi Radical 113: 示 shì Spirit

| Cornelius G.

石 ☜ ⑤ Kangxi Radical 113: 示 shì “spirit” ☞ 禸

kangxi-radical-5-113-shi4-spirit

kangxi-radical-5-113b

Pīnyīn

示 (礻) ~ shì ~ “spirit” radical (113)
aka: ancestor, veneration, Kangxi Radical Spirit, altar, display
示 ~ shì ~ to show, to reveal
• Not to be confused with: 衣 (衤) ~ yī ~ “clothes” (145) Continue reading →