Browse meaningful Chinese characters for names — pronunciations, core meanings, radicals, stroke counts, and structure.
Mute; dumb; speechless
An interjection used in classical Chinese and opera to express anger, reproach,; equivalent to 'Hey!' or 'Stop!'
An ancient variant form of 启 (qǐ), meaning 'to open; to start; to enlighten
Di — an archaic Chinese character meaning to sip, taste, or drink; also used in transliteration of foreign words.
To vomit; to spew; to retch. Often used in literary contexts to describe the act of
Mark — transliteration character for 'mark' in words like trademark; also used in Cantonese for 'mark' or 'stamp'.
Korean reading mark — used in Korean writing to indicate pronunciation; not used in standard Chinese.
A character used in onomatopoeic expressions and in transliterations of foreign words; describes sounds like gurgling, roaring, or rumbling.
To rest, to take a break; to breathe deeply; to pant (Cantonese and dialectal usage).
Korean place name character used in '唟串' (Geol-chon), a location in South; no standard meaning in Chinese.
To chatter; to talk incessantly; to nag
Liang — unit of weight equal to 1/16 of a catty (approximately; also known as a tael.
Suona — a Chinese double-reed woodwind instrument; refers specifically to the suona horn used in traditional Chinese music and
Used only in the word '啰唣' (luó zào), meaning to make trouble,
To call out; to summon; to awaken
A dialectal word, primarily used in Cantonese, meaning 'to speak nonsense' or
Particle used in dialects (especially Wu) to indicate a question or exclamation; onomatopoeic for rustling or whispering sounds.
Chirp; squeak; to suck or sip
Cantonese sentence-final particle indicating perfective aspect or change of state; used in Cantonese to mark completed actions or new situations.
A rare character used in ancient texts, possibly an onomatopoeia or variant
To recite or chant loudly, especially in a religious or ceremonial context; to intone Buddhist scriptures or prayers.
To chant, recite, or intone poetry; also an archaic variant of 吟 (yín) meaning to chant or recite.
To intimidate, to bluff, to scare; also refers to a tiger's roar.
Onomatopoeic character representing the sound of laughter or giggling; used in classical Chinese texts for laughter sounds.
To sell; to offer for sale; to dispose of goods or services in exchange for money.
Only; alone; solely
Onomatopoeic word for a swishing, rustling, or brushing sound; describes quick, light movements or actions.
To sing; to chant; to call out loudly
A descriptive character for the sound of laughter or giggling, often used
The cry of a crane or wild goose; a shrill, piercing sound made by birds.
To cry loudly; to wail or sob.
Om — a sacred syllable and mantra in Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism; also used to mean 'to put something into the mouth' or as
To sigh; to lament; to exclaim
Yo — an interjection expressing surprise, realization, or greeting; also used to indicate pain or effort.
To read aloud; to recite; to study
To laugh, to smile; an onomatopoeia for laughter.
To spit out; to eject from the mouth.
Lai — an archaic or dialectal character meaning 'to come'; used in some dialects and classical texts.
To peck (as birds); to eat or drink in small bites; the sound of chewing or pecking.
Onomatopoeia for the sound of birds chirping or twittering; also used to describe the sound of flutes or whistles.
Spit, saliva; to spit; to show contempt.
Whistle; a sharp, high-pitched sound made by forcing breath through a small opening; to call or signal with a whistle.
To bare one's teeth; to snarl; to growl (as an animal)
Chirp, twitter; to chirp; to twitter
To feed, to nurse, to suckle (archaic character used in classical texts).
To gnaw; to nibble; to bite into something hard
To peck; to pick with the beak; to strike lightly and repeatedly.
Peck; chirp; noise of birds — refers to the sound or action of birds
Commerce, trade, business; merchant; to discuss, consult
Branch, stem, root; fundamental basis or origin; also used in some characters as a phonetic component.
A rare character with two main meanings: 1) An onomatopoeia for a
To drink; also used in transliterations and certain dialectal expressions.
Ah — an interjection particle used to express various emotions like surprise,; also used as a sentence-final particle for emphasis.
An exclamation expressing disapproval or contempt; to spit; to reject
A sound; onomatopoeia for a hollow sound, a thud, or a cough-like noise; also used in describing the sound of animals or objects.
To hum; to drone; to speak slowly and heavily
To disobey; to oppose; to go against
To ask; to inquire; to question
To spit; to expectorate; an interjection expressing contempt or disdain
A rare character with multiple readings and meanings; primarily used in classical texts and onomatopoeia.
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.