文 (wén): language; writing; culture

Meanings

1 language; writing; culture
2 literature; gentle

Examples

中文不难学。

Zhōngwén bùnán xué.

Chinese is not hard to learn.

他很有文化。

Tā hěn yǒu wénhuà.

He is very cultured/educated.

这篇文章写得很好。

Zhè piān wénzhāng xiě de hěn hǎo.

This article is very well written.

Tips

history

文 originally depicted decorative patterns — evolving to mean 'writing/culture'. Key compounds: 中文 (Chinese), 文化 (culture), 文章 (article), 文学 (literature), 语文 (Chinese language class), 文明 (civilization).

Components

pictograph

文 wén

writing; pattern; culture

文 originally pictured intersecting decorative lines — most likely a tattooed or painted pattern on the chest, in the style worn by tribal leaders or ancestors. From 'patterned mark' came 'inscribed sign' (writing) and abstractly 'civilization, refinement.' One of the script's most culturally weighted single characters, and Kangxi radical #67.

Radical

Writing Kangxi #67

Pictograph of intersecting lines — originally a tattooed or decorated chest, extended to any patterned mark and so to writing and culture. As an indexing radical it hosts very few characters today (斐, 斑, 斓), but the standalone meaning makes it one of the most culturally weighty single characters in the script.