Browse meaningful Chinese characters for names — pronunciations, core meanings, radicals, stroke counts, and structure.
Dregs, sediment, lees; specifically refers to the dregs left after brewing wine or fermenting other; also used metaphorically for worthless remnants.
Lao — refers to unstrained wine, turbid wine, or alcoholic beverages in; also used in traditional Chinese medicine for medicinal wines.
Medical — relating to medicine, healing, treatment; a doctor or physician; medical science.
Sauce, paste, jam — refers to thick condiments made from fermented beans,; also used metaphorically for thick, paste-like substances.
Mold; mildew; white film or scum that forms on surfaces of fermented foods, liquids,
A ceremonial offering of wine in ancient rituals; a Daoist religious ceremony; a second marriage for a widow.
Vinegar; an ancient term for vinegar; also refers to acyl groups in chemistry.
Rich, full-bodied (of wine); mellow; deep and profound (of flavor or meaning).
To ferment; to leaven; to brew
Thick, rich, strong (especially of wine or alcohol); concentrated; intense flavor or fragrance.
To strain or filter wine; to reward with wine; to release or set free
Sweet wine; sweet spring; a type of sweet fermented rice wine in ancient China
To pool money; to contribute funds collectively; to raise money by subscription.
Salty; briny; pertaining to saltiness or preserved foods.
To be choked up with grief; to have a lump in the throat from suppressed emotion; also refers to a type of fermented beverage in ancient texts.
To brew; to ferment; to make (wine, soy sauce, etc.)
Mature wine; strong, rich, mellow wine; thick, unstrained wine.
Drunk; intoxicated; flushed with drink
To pledge a toast; to reward; to repay
Banquet, feast — refers to a formal meal or gathering for celebration,
Ling — refers to a type of fine, clear wine or liquor,
The final stage of fermentation or brewing; used in classical Chinese to describe the process of making wine or
A type of ancient fine wine; also refers to a kind of fermented beverage.
To brew, ferment; to make (wine, vinegar, soy sauce); to lead to, result in (a situation)
To quarrel; to dispute; a crack
to drain a cup; to drink to the bottom; to drink up completely.
To strain, filter, or pour wine; to sprinkle, scatter; to divide, separate.
Mash — to crush or grind into a pulp; to ferment or brew; to macerate.
Strong (of tea, wine, etc.); concentrated; thick
To distinguish, to discern; an ancient character depicting an animal's footprint, originally meaning to distinguish or
to pick; to gather; to pluck
To explain, interpret; to release, set free; to let go, relinquish
Glaze — a vitreous coating applied to ceramics or pottery to make
to explain, to interpret; to release, to set free; to let go
to release, to set free; to explain, to interpret; to let go, to relieve
Inside; within; a unit of distance (approximately 500 meters)
heavy; weighty; important
Wild; field; rustic
To measure; quantity; capacity
Li — an ancient unit of weight and length; a fraction; to regulate
gold; metal; money
Metal; gold; the metal radical (Kangxi radical 167), often used as a component in
Gadolinium — a chemical element with symbol Gd and atomic number 64,
Yttrium — a metallic chemical element (symbol Y, atomic number 39), a
Ruthenium — a rare transition metal element (atomic number 44) in the; also used in traditional Chinese medicine.
knife; blade; sword
To encourage, to exhort; to strive; to cut, to pare (archaic)
Nail — a metal fastener with a point and a head; also used metaphorically for something fixed, certain, or final.
Polonium — a rare, highly radioactive metallic element (atomic number 84); discovered by Marie Curie and named after her native Poland.
A type of crossbow mechanism; an ancient Chinese weapon component used in crossbows.
A rare character meaning 'gold' or 'metal'; historically used in ancient texts.
Cauldron — a large, deep cooking pot, often made of metal, used; symbolizes foundation or source.
Needle — a thin, pointed metal instrument used for sewing, medical injections,
Sharp edge of a blade; sharp point; acute tip.
To forge metal; to work metal with hammer and anvil; to shape metal through heating and hammering.
An archaic, rare character meaning to cut or sever; sometimes used as a variant form of other characters.
Cauldron, pot — an ancient cooking vessel similar to a tripod cauldron; variant form of 釜.
Nǎi — an obsolete or variant form of 奶 (nǎi), meaning milk; to breastfeed; grandmother (in some dialects).
To fish with a hook and line; to angle; metaphorically to pursue or seek something through indirect means.
Samarium — a chemical element (Sm, atomic number 62); also refers to a type of long-handled sickle or scythe.
Practical guidance for evaluating characters by radical, stroke balance, and cultural resonance.
Radicals group characters by their core semantic or structural elements. When you filter by radical, you surface characters that share meaning cues and writing patterns, making it easier to shortlist options with aligned symbolism.
Most parents stay within 6–16 strokes so signatures remain elegant and readable. Avoid extremes—overly complex forms slow writing, while ultra-simple characters may feel plain next to a more expressive partner character.
Chinese characters themselves are largely gender-neutral. Perceived gender comes from imagery and cultural associations, so review meanings and radicals together to find characters that match the tone you want.