100 Surnames+

These are the characters in this series. You can review them and quiz yourself at the bottom. To see them put together in an illustrated story, go to Lessons: Extension.

cài

Cai
艹 + 祭
flowers + offer sacrifice

Ms. Cai takes flowers to offer sacrifice to her ancestors.

qín

Qin
𡗗 + 禾
bonsai + grain

Imagine the first emperor of China, Qin, demanding that his imperial gardens and fields be replicated in miniature for his tomb. Picture bonsai trees and bonsai grain fields made of terracotta.

gōng

Gong
龙lóng + 共gòng
dragon + together

Mr. Gong cannot be separated from his dragon; they'll be together forever.

cáo

Cao
一 + 曲 + 日
one + bent + day

Think of Cao Cao having one terrible, horrible, no good, very bad bent day.

曹操 Cáo Cāo was a Chinese statesman, warlord, and poet who rose to power during the end of the Han dynasty (c. 184–220)

shào

Shao
召zhào + X阝
summon + city walls

Mr. Shao was summoned to the city walls to meet his fate.

pān

Pan
氵 + 番fān
water + fertilizer

Little Miss Pan adds water and fertilizer to her garden.

mèng

Mencius
子 + 皿mǐn
child + dish

The "child in the well" is one of the most famous parables used by the Confucian philosopher Mencius (Mengzi) to illustrate his foundational belief that human nature is inherently good. Mencius argued that if a person suddenly sees a young child about to fall into a well, they will experience a spontaneous feeling of alarm and compassion.

Mencius was the oldest child, so he got fed first.

xuē

Xue
艹 + 丶 + 㠯 + 辛xīn
flowers + drop + boss + peppery

Little Miss Xue has cultivated a special type of flower inspired by memories of a previous boss. She uses a peppery fertilizer.

cuī

Cui, *wild turkey
山 + 隹
mountain + special bird

Mr. Cui hunts wild turkeys in the mountains.

féng

Feng
冫 + 马
ice + horse

Mr. Feng’s horse moves very slowly in the cold.

liào

Liao
广 + 翏liù
cave + kiddie cocktail

Mr. Liao started a caveman-themed resort, complete with kiddie cocktails served at the pool-side cave.

wèi

Wei
委wēi + 鬼guǐ
committee + ghost

The former Mr. Wei heads the committee of ghosts that haunt his hometown.

tán, qín

Tan/Qin
西 + 早
Wild West + sunflower

Mr. Tan was the first person to cultivate sunflowers in the West.

Ke
木 + 可kě
tree + can

Mr. Ke is a can-do "feller".

dèng

Deng
又 + 阝
right hand + city walls

Mr. Deng lives to the right of the city.

Picture Mr. Deng swearing loyalty to the city with his right hand raised.

jiǎng

Jiang
艹 + 将jiàng
flowers + General

Little Miss Jiang was given flowers by the General.

zhèng

Zheng
关 + 阝
shut + city walls

Mr. Zheng has been shut out from the city.

liú

Liu
文 + 刂
gentleman farmer + sword

Liu is a noble family that defended itself with the sword.

péng

Peng
壴 + 彡
drummer boy + bird tail

Mr. Peng is a drummer boy with a bird tail in his cap.

yáo

Yao
女 + 兆zhào
woman + omen

Little Miss Yao saw the turtle shell left on her doorstep as a good omen.

zhào

Zhao
走 + 乂
walk + sheaf/X

Mr. Zhao forbids us to walk through his property.

hǎo

Hao
赤 + X阝
crimson + city walls

Mr. Hao gets arrested for painting crimson graffiti on the city walls.

yán

Yan
门 + 臽xiàn
gate + trap

Mr. Yan places a trap at the city gate to catch his love? his enemy?

Yu, *clothing pully
干 + h
clothesline + “hook”

Little Miss Yu invented the clothing pulleys that are installed outside people’s apartment windows.

100 Surnames+

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