huà
to draw; paint (pictures)
我喜欢画画。
wǒ xǐhuān huàhuà.
I like to draw.
他正在画一幅画。
tā zhèngzài huà yīfù huà.
He is drawing a picture.
这幅画很漂亮。
zhè fú huà hěn piàoliang.
This painting is very beautiful.
素描 (sùmiáo)
sketch
写生 (xiěshēng)
sketch from life
Track your progress, master characters, and achieve your Chinese language goals.
Get Started Free
The Chinese character 画 (huà) for "to draw" or "a picture" is composed of two parts: the radical 爫 (huǒ) on the left, which represents "fire", and the phonetic component 画 (huà) on the right, which is a simplified form of the character 畵 (huà), which originally meant "to draw" or "a picture". The combination of these two components suggests the idea of "drawing with fire", which is a reference to the ancient practice of using heated metal rods to draw on bamboo or wooden slips. This etymology provides a glimpse into the historical origins of writing and art in Chinese culture.
