Daoist Chinese Characters

Learn what the Chinese characters mean!

The following are selected important Daoist Chinese characters and their definitions.

In Chinese, there are different styles to write a character. This is because the characters developed from Pre-Qin dynasty to today, went though many stages of development.

Zhuan Shu (Seal Style)
- Jia Gu Wen - written on animal bones and tortoise shells
- Jin Wen - written on bronze wares
- Zhou Wen
- Da Zhuan (Big Seal)
- Xiao Zhuan (Small Seal)
Li Shu (Official Style)
Kai Shu (Standard Style)
- Simplified Chinese (China)
- Traditional Chinese (Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, and other countries)
Cao Shu (Cursive Style)
Xing Shu

The earliest discovered Chinese characters were found written on pre-Qin dynasty tortoise shells and animal bones (Jia Gu Wen) and this led to writing on old bronze wares (Jin Wen). Also popular during this era was Zhou Wen, Da Zhuan (Big Seal), and Xiao Zhuan (Small Seal). All these categories of calligraphy became collectively known as Zhuan Shu (Seal Style). The more popular and standardized Zhuan Shu is Xiao Zhuan, which came about because the first emperor of Qin dynasty tried to gather all the scripts at that time and this led to its creation. Zhuan Shu was difficult to write, so a version was made to make it more efficient which becamed known as Li Shu (Official Style). From Li Shu, calligraphers created a fast cursive style call Cao Shu. Li Shu also spawned the Kai Shu (Standard Style), which is the standard version you see in most Chinese newspapers today. Inbetween Cao Shu and Kai Shu is the Xing Shu, which is inbetween cursive and regular Kai Shu block structure.

The China government in the 1950's simplified the Chinese characters into a version called Simplified Chinese, and the original one then became know as Traditional Chinese (used in Taiwan, Hong Kong, and elsewhere). Note that the Chinese characters in brackets used on this site are the Simplified Chinese Kai Shu version.

Since Lao Zi was in the Zhou dynasty (which is pre-Qin dynasty: See Chinese History), the Chinese style that the Dao De Jing was written in was a variant of the Zhuan Shu.

Kai Shu	Description	Zhuan Shu	Description
"Dao" - Way	"Dao" (way or path) is the main concept from Daoism. Below is the Kai Shu calligraphy style of the character Tao. Tao and First Line of Tao Te Ching	"Dao" - Way	The same "Dao" written in Zhuan Shu calligraphy style (note the variation of Zhuan Shu writing style for character Tao). Tao and First Line of Tao Te Ching

Kai Shu	Description	Zhuan Shu	Description
"Dao" - Way	The Dao De Jing [Tao Te Ching] is broken up into two books, Tao (Way: Ch 1-37) and Te (Virtue: Ch 38-81). Below is Chapter 38 (first chapter of "Te") in Kai Shu (Regular Script) style. Chapter 38 of Tao Te Ching in Kai Shu style	"Dao" - Way	The Dao De Jing [Tao Te Ching] is the primary scripture of Daoism. Below is Chapter 1 as it was originally written in Zhuan Shu (Seal Script) style. Chapter 1 of Tao Te Ching in Zhuan Shu style
"De" - Virtue		"De" - Virtue
"Jing" - Scripture		"Jing" - Scripture

Kai Shu	Zhuan Shu	Description
"Lao" - Old	"Lao" - Old	Lao Zi [Lao Tzu] (sometimes translated as "honorable elder", from "Zi Lao") is the author of the Dao De Jing [Tao Te Ching]. He is also known as Li Er [Li Erh]. He is on the right in the painting below (along with Buddha and Confucius.) Three Vinegar Tasters Painting
"Zi" - Child	"Zi" - Child

Kai Shu	Zhuan Shu	Description	Description
"Li" - Plum tree	"Li" - Plum tree	Li Er is the birth name of Lao Zi. Lao Zi Riding Ox	Li Er is the birth name of Lao Zi. Lao Zi Riding Yak
"Er" - Ear	"Er" - Ear	Li Er is the birth name of Lao Zi. Lao Zi Riding Ox	Li Er is the birth name of Lao Zi. Lao Zi Riding Yak

Kai Shu	Zhuan Shu	Description
"Wu" - Without (Effortless)	"Wu" - Without (Effortless)	Wu-Wei is one of the main concepts from Daoism Wu-Wei Calligraphy
"Wei" - Action	"Wei" - Action

Kai Shu	Zhuan Shu	Description
"Yin" - Feminine or negative principle	"Yin" - Feminine	Yin and Yang are the negative and positive principles of the universe. Yin Yang Calligraphy
"Yang" - Masculine or positive principle	"Yang" - Masculine

Chinese Characters With the Most Number of Strokes

Most complicated Chinese character (Displayable in a browser)

If you do not see Chinese characters below in the "Character" column, set your browser to use UTF-8 (Unicode) encoding.

Character	PinYin	Strokes	Definition	Character	PinYin	Strokes	Definition
䨻	beng	52	roar of thunders	𩟼	?	31	?
龘	da	48	the appearance of a dragon walking	𩰈	?	31	?
䲜	ye	44	lots of fish	𨰺	?	31	?
靐	bing	39	thunder voice	䴐	bao	31	a bird resembling the wild goose
䨺	dui	36	cloudy	䚖	ling	31	mountain deity; with human face and animal body
齉	nang	36	having one's nose stuffed up, or having unclear pronunciation due to a stuffy nose	䡿	ling	31	frames on the sides and front of a carriage, wheels of a carriage
齾	ya	35	dented; chipped; gap-toothed; toothless	饢	nang	31	bread
䴒	ling	35	wagtail	灩	yan	31	overflowing, billowing; wavy
𪈾	?	35	?	麣	yan	31	goat
䶫	yan	35	fine teeth, irregular teeth	鸝	?	30	?
䯂	shen	34	numerous; very many, large group of horses traveling in a line	𪈳	?	30	?
䰱	ling	34	name of a god; a legendary spirits having the face of a man and the body of a beast	䶑	ti	30	to sneeze; a running at the nose
𡤻	?	33	?	籱	zhuo	30	fishing bamboo cages
鱻	xian	33	fresh, new, delicious; rare, few	鱺	li	30	eel
麤	cu	33	rough, coarse, big, rough	厵	yuan	30	a spring; source
龗	ling	33	dragon; work properly, spirit	癵	luan	30	poor health, restrained, crooked
爩	yu	33	to smoke, fumigate; to bleach with burning sulfur	鸞	luan	30	fabulous bird
𧟝	?	33	?	驫	biao	30	horses
灪	yu	32	rich, great wave	䆐	guo	30	a country; a nation; a kingdom; a state
䨊	yuan	32	a flock of birds	䂅	xian	30	to have insight or vision of a simple and honest person, silly
𪓇	?	32	?	𪛇	?	30	?
龖	da	32	flight of a dragon	𩱳	?	30	?
𨰻	bao?	32	?	𩟻	?	30	?
籲	yu	32	appeal; request; implore	𨰹	?	30	?
䖇	yu	32	fragrant herb; fragrant plant; tulip	𨤼	?	30	?
𧖦	?	32	?	𤴏	?	30	?
𡯀	?	32	?	𦧃	?	30	?
𥾃	?	31	?	䉹	?	30	?
𧖣	?	31	?	韊	?	30	?

Chinese Characters Made Up of Quadruplets of a same basic character.

(Displayable in a browser)

If you do not see Chinese characters below in the "Character" column, set your browser to use UTF-8 (Unicode) encoding.

Character	PinYin	Strokes	Definition	Character	PinYin	Strokes	Definition
䨻	beng	52	roar of thunders	㠭	zhan	12	to open, to stretch; to extend, to unfold; to dilate; to prolong
䲜	ye	44	lots of fish	茻	mang	12	crowded multitude of grass
𨰻	bao?	32	?	㗊	lei	12	public opinion; clamour; noise； thunder
𣊫	?	16	?	叕	zhuo	8	to connect
朤	lang	16	bright	㸚	li	8	scattered or dispersed and clear, to stop, to detain, a connection, lineage
㵘	man	16	great currents	𠈌	yu?	8	?
燚	yi	16	appearance of fire
Character	PinYin	Strokes	Definition	Character	PinYin	Strokes	Definition
𥗐	?	20	?	灬	biao	4	fire
𣛧	?	16	?	亖	si	4	four
㙓	kui	12	earth; land; soil; ground; territory, opium

Chinese Characters Made Up of Triplets of a same basic character.

(Displayable in a browser)

If you do not see Chinese characters below in the "Character" column, set your browser to use UTF-8 (Unicode) encoding.

Character	PinYin	Strokes	Definition	Character	PinYin	Strokes	Definition
龘	da	48	the appearance of a dragon walking	㽓	?	15	?
靐	bing	39	thunder voice	森	sen	12	forest
䨺	dui	36	cloudy	［赑］	bi	12	able to support great weight
鱻	xian	33	fresh, new, delicious; rare, few	猋	biao	12	running dog
麤	cu	33	rough, coarse, big, rough	毳	cui	12	fine hair or fur on animals
厵	yuan	30	a spring; source	犇	ben	12	run fast, flee; rush about; run
驫	biao	30	running; herd of horses	惢	suo	12	worried
䆐	guo	30	a country; a nation; a kingdom; a state	焱	yan	12	spark
飍	xiu	27	resembling a stampede	晶	jing	12	crystal; clear, bright; radiant
灥	xun	27	group of springs	掱	pa	12	pickpocket
馫	xin	27	fragrant, aromatic; distant fragrance	淼	miao	12	expanse of water
飝	fei	27	?	歮	se	12	?
矗	chu	24	straight, upright, erect, lofty	品	pin	9	article
鑫	xin	24	used in names	芔	hui	9	a general term for plants
雥	za	24	complicated	尛	mo	9
䖃	yue	24	the water is waving in the breeze, old and desolate; rags and rubbish	垚	yao	9	mound, roundish mass
𠓗	?	24	?	孨	zhuan	9	cautious; weak; orphans
贔	bi	21	able to support great weight	［骉］	biao	9	running; herd of horses
轟	hong	21	rumble, explosion, blast	姦	jian	9	wicked, evil
譶	ta	21	to talk quickly	壵	zhuang	9	big, large; robust; name of tribe
蟲	chong	18	worms; insects	𡘙	?	9	?
舙	hua	18	to stir up trouble	刕	li	6	last name
聶	nie	18	whisper	［众］	zhong	6	crowd
嚞	?	18	?	厽	lei	6	fortress
羴	shan	18	flock of sheep	劦	xie	6	cooperate; combined labor
畾	lei	15	field divided by dykes	叒	ruo	6	obedient; united
瞐	jing	15	beautiful eyes	㐂	san	6	to like, love, enjoy; a joyful thing
皛	xiao	15	bright	卉	hui	5	general term for plants; myriads
磊	lei	15	pile of rocks or stones
Character	PinYin	Strokes	Definition	Character	PinYin	Strokes	Definition
雦	?	24	?	㐺	zhong	6	all; the whole of; a multitude, a crowd (three or more)
㴇	she	12	to wade, to experience, to involve; to implicate	巛	chuan	3	river
晿	cheng	12	?	川	chuan	3	stream, river; flow; boil
㷋	tan	12	embers	彡	xian	3	hair
州	zhou	6	prefecture	三	san	3	three

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Daoist Chinese Characters

The following are selected important Daoist Chinese characters and their definitions.

Chinese Characters With the Most Number of Strokes

Most complicated Chinese character (Displayable in a browser)

Chinese Characters Made Up of Quadruplets of a same basic character.

(Displayable in a browser)

Chinese Characters Made Up of Triplets of a same basic character.

(Displayable in a browser)