Browse meaningful Chinese characters for names — pronunciations, core meanings, radicals, stroke counts, and structure.
to hang; to suspend; to put up
To strike; to hit; to thresh grain
To expand; to stretch; to deceive
To shake; to sway; to move back and forth
To weigh or measure with hands; to estimate; to deliberate
finger; to point; to indicate
To lift; to carry; to take along
Press; push down; according to
To play with; to fiddle with; often used in a vulgar sense referring to male masturbation.
To ward off; to protect; to shield
To strike; to fight; to resist
To compare; to check; to collate
To carry over the arm, on the shoulder, or at the side; to hold under the arm.
To stir; to agitate; to mix
To grasp, to hold; to entangle, to involve; a surname.
To carry on a shoulder pole; to choose; to pick
To twist or wrench with force; to tear apart violently; a martial arts technique involving twisting or breaking.
To spread open; to stretch out (as with fingers or limbs).
A variant form of 旅 (lǚ), meaning to travel; a journey; a brigade (military unit)
To take; to pick up; to lift
To dig, to excavate, to scoop out; also used metaphorically for uncovering or exposing something.
To pick out; to select; to weed out
To tear off, to pull off; to pluck out (regional/dialectal usage)
Raise, lift up; to elevate; to recommend
sincere, earnest; to grasp, to hold; intimate, close
To contract; to cramp; spasm
to press down forcefully; to force something upon someone; to push or shove.
To beat; to strike; to hit
to whip; to flog; to lash
To hold under the arm; to coerce; to harbor (sentiments)
to scratch; to hinder; to yield
to block; to obstruct; to shield
To raise; to lift up; to straighten
To struggle; to strive; to earn (money)
to squeeze; to press; to crowd
To wave; to brandish; to wield
To pull out, to pluck (especially hair or feathers); to tear out; to take something by force.
A rare Chinese character, historically used as a surname.
to endure, to suffer; to delay; to be close to, next to
To decline; to shirk; to evade
To move, shift, transfer; to appropriate or misappropriate funds; to delay or postpone.
To frustrate; to obstruct; to defeat
To pull out; to uproot; to extract (archaic/rare usage)
To obstruct; to hinder; to entangle
To wipe; to clean; to polish
To shake, to vibrate; to rouse, to excite; to flourish, to prosper
To rub, to knead, to twist with the fingers; to handle or manipulate with the hands.
To stroke; to rub; to caress gently with the hand.
To rub, stroke, or caress gently with the hand; to feel or handle something with the fingers.
To pull, to stretch; to support; to resist
To reach for; to take; to obtain
To stir; to mix; to meddle
To hold; to grasp; a tool for holding or carrying things
To beat; to strike; to pound
to wipe; to clean; to rub
to ladle out; to dip; to draw (water)
To stand upright; to stick out; to endure
To pull out; to draw out; to extend
To rub; to crumple; to stroke gently with the hand.
to pull; to draw; to rescue
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.