汉 is a Chinese character with HSK 1 on the new exam.
Etymology
Oracle-bone origin
汉 is a phono-semantic compound, not a pictograph, and is not attested in oracle bones. The traditional form 漢 combines the water radical 氵 with a phonetic element on the right, and originally named the Han River (汉水) in central China. The simplified 汉 replaces the complex right component with 又 (a hand), purely as a stroke-saving shape with no semantic intent.
Form evolution
The traditional 漢 was stable from seal through clerical and kaishu scripts, with 氵 on the left and a component containing 廿, 口, and 夫-like elements on the right. The simplified form 汉, standardised in the PRC in the 1950s, swapped the entire right side for 又, a common simplification pattern also seen in 欢 (歡), 鸡 (雞), and 仅 (僅). Taiwan and Hong Kong still use 漢.
How the meaning evolved
From its original river name the character became the name of the Han Dynasty (206 BCE to 220 CE), founded by Liu Bang after his rise from the Hanzhong region. Because that dynasty defined Chinese civilisation so decisively, 汉 came to mean 'Han Chinese' as an ethnic and cultural label, and by extension 'Chinese language' in 汉语 and 'Chinese character' in 汉字. A colloquial sense 'man, fellow' (好汉, 大汉) also developed from the dynastic-era term for a male subject.
Cultural note
The compound 汉字 literally means 'Han characters', framing the writing system itself as a product of Han civilisation, while 汉语 distinguishes the Chinese language spoken by the Han majority from the languages of other Chinese ethnic groups. Learners should not confuse 汉 with 汁 (juice) or 汗 (sweat), all of which share the water radical but are unrelated.
Basic info
Example sentences
我觉得汉语很有意思。
Wǒ juéde hànyǔ hěn yǒu yìsi.
I think Chinese is very interesting.
From 汉语 (HSK 1)
Words containing 汉
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | HSK |
|---|---|---|---|
| 汉语 | hànyǔ | mandarin Chinese | HSK 1 |
On the new HSK 1 exam
Studying for HSK 1? Keep 汉 with the rest of your level.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Appears in these articles
Reviewed by RJ Murray, Founder, HSK Lord.