画
to paint; to draw; a painting
huà
What does 画 mean?
画 (huà) is both a verb meaning 'to draw' or 'to paint' and a noun meaning 'a drawing' or 'painting.' Chinese makes no distinction between drawing and painting — the medium doesn't matter; whether you use pencil, brush, or marker, the verb is 画. As a noun, 画 covers any flat visual artwork: a child's crayon sketch (一幅画), a Tang-dynasty masterpiece (一幅古画), or a wall-hung painting.
The standard measure word is 幅 (fú) for finished artworks. English speakers should note: 画 is not used for 'drawing' in the abstract sense of 'a drawing lesson' (that's 画画 huà huà, with the noun reduplicated — 'draw-drawings'). The character itself is pictographic-ish — the bottom looks like a framed field with brushstrokes inside.
Character breakdown
to draw, to paint; a painting
Memory hook: Inside the box (框) are brushstrokes — a framed picture, both the act and the result.
Measure word for 画
Example sentences
我女儿很喜欢画画。
Wǒ nǚ'ér hěn xǐhuan huà huà.
My daughter really loves drawing.
spoken
他给我画了一张地图。
Tā gěi wǒ huàle yì zhāng dìtú.
He drew me a map.
neutral
这幅画真漂亮。
Zhè fú huà zhēn piàoliang.
This painting is really beautiful.
spoken
孩子在纸上画了一只小狗。
Háizi zài zhǐ shàng huàle yì zhī xiǎo gǒu.
The child drew a puppy on the paper.
neutral
我不会画人。
Wǒ bú huì huà rén.
I can't draw people.
spoken
Common phrases with 画
Synonyms
绘画 is the formal/academic term for 'painting (art form).' Use it in art-school or written contexts (绘画课 'painting class'). 画 is the everyday verb and noun. You'd say 我喜欢画画 casually, 我学习绘画 more formally.
图 is 'diagram / chart / picture' — leans toward functional images (地图 'map,' 图表 'chart'). 画 is artistic. A painting hanging on a wall is 画; a map or pie chart is 图.
Don't confuse 画 with
Same pinyin syllable, first tone instead of fourth. 花 = flower / to spend. 画 = to paint / a painting. Both common HSK 3 — keep tones straight.
Same pinyin and tone as 画, but 话 means 'speech / words' (说话 'to speak,' 电话 'telephone'). 画 is visual art. Tonal context is identical, so meaning must be read from the surrounding sentence.
划 (also 'huà' in this reading) means 'to plan / to mark / to scratch.' Visually similar in some fonts. 计划 'plan' uses 划, not
FAQ
Acquire by listening
Hear 画 in real Chinese, not in a flashcard.
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