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Beyond the textbook.
Yes, many of the oldest ones do. The character began as a small picture of the thing, and was then simplified over time.
Character
What it shows
Person
A simple figure of a standing human with two legs
Tree
An upright trunk with branches spreading above and roots below
Mountain
Three peaks rising from a base line
Sun
Began as a circle with a dot in the centre; later squared into a rectangle with a line across it
How the shape connects to the meaning: the character keeps the outline of the real thing. Once you know the picture it came from, it is easy to remember.
NCERT question · LET'S EXPLORE, page 90
The Chinese script is logographic, with characters representing entire words or morphemes (smallest meaningful units of language), rather than sounds. Explore more examples of Chinese characters that resemble the objects or ideas they represent. Note down at least two such characters and explain how their shapes are connected to their meanings.
