Mandarin

Mandarin

文

English

pattern

Listen

Pinyin

wen2

Part of speech

noun; phonetic

Mandarin

文 › pattern

wen2

Mnemonic

This person has cut out lots of little PATTERNs like that look like this character: --from krystalchu on Flickr(http://www.flickr.com/photos/krystalclear/4808004118/)

by benwhately
1 year, 8 months ago

+50

Mandarin

文 › pattern

wen2

Mnemonic

This reminds me of those paper cut-outs where you fold a piece of paper over many times, then cut out a man shape, and when you unfold it, if you have done it correctly, there is a line of little men all holding hands. This is a clever and decorative PATTERN. If you try to imagine that this decorative PATTERN is a key part of Chinese Civilization or Culture, then it might help you to remember the alternative meanings of this character - Civilization or Culture.

+33

Mandarin

文 › pattern

wen2

Mnemonic

ETYMOLOGY: This was originally supposed to be a drawing of a man with a PATTERNed shirt, or a PATTERN of tattoos on his chest. Thus it came to mean either PATTERN or, following on from that, script or writing. PATTERN is still the primary meaning of the building block, but it does still often mean "writing," or more broadly, "civilization" or "culture" as well.

by benwhately
1 year, 10 months ago

+20

Mandarin

文 › pattern

wen2

How to write

http://vzaar.com/videos/395365

by benwhately
1 year, 9 months ago

+15

Mandarin

文 › pattern

wen2

Mnemonic

This character also (primarily) means language and writing, and looks like a podium or desk with a pen or brush used to write.

by joedhoe
10 months, 3 weeks ago

+9

Mandarin

文 › pattern

wen2

Pronunciation mem

WENderful pattern!

by Andre_P
7 months, 2 weeks ago

+8

Mandarin

文 › pattern

wen2

Pronunciation mem

Imagine you have to WEND your way up a slope (rising tone) in a special PATTERN to find a hidden treasure. PATTERN = WEN2.

by paul
1 year, 1 month ago

+5

Mandarin

文 › pattern

wen2

Mnemonic

Originally this character was of a man showing the tattoo (PATTERN, WRITING) on his chest, as in this Bronze character: Did that mean he had CULTURE? Was it LITERATURE? Thanks to http://www.chineseetymology.org

by mouthsunchild
4 months ago

+3

Mandarin

文 › pattern

wen2

Pronunciation mem

This is WENdy holding up (2nd tone) the PATTERN

--from krystalchu on Flickr(http://www.flickr.com/photos/krystalclear/4808004118/)

by kevin_shan
6 months, 2 weeks ago

+3

Mandarin

文 › pattern

wen2

How to write

文 is often combined with the first character of country names to refer to the language (commonly the written form).

中国 - China - 中文 - zhong wen - Chinese

英国 - England - 英文 - ying wen - English

by Okkio
7 months, 2 weeks ago

+3

Mandarin

文 › pattern

wen2

Pronunciation mem

You can come UP with a PATTERN of semi-circles WHEN you repeat this character again and again.

by relet
5 months, 2 weeks ago

+2

Mandarin

文 › pattern

wen2

How to write

by pstario
6 months, 2 weeks ago

+2

Mandarin

文 › pattern

wen2

Pronunciation mem

When I see clouds (雯,wen2) tinted with many colors, I could discover a PATTERN in them.

by KovacsAndras
7 months, 3 weeks ago

+2

Mandarin

文 › pattern

wen2

Etymology

This is commonly used in words associated with written language or literature.

by arron.acosta
8 months, 3 weeks ago

+2

Mandarin

文 › pattern

wen2

Mnemonic

wén 文

by peijianing
5 days, 8 hours ago

+1

Mandarin

文 › pattern

wen2

Mnemonic

文wén

by peijianing
5 days, 23 hours ago

+1

Mandarin

文 › pattern

wen2

Confusable mem

met je rechterhand zet je toch nog een stip, zo krijg je een patroon

by abeeker
1 month ago

+0

Mandarin

文 › pattern

wen2

Mnemonic

This shows the characters of a lid and a right hand. Maybe the lid represents a type of tattoo on the person right extremity?

by thatgaydude
2 months, 3 weeks ago

+0

Mandarin

文 › pattern

wen2

Pronunciation mem

"WHEN will the pattern stop blinking!" Imagine a PATTERN of lights on a building, pointing up (second tone)(Imagine the picture rotated)

"WHEN will the CULTURE rise up" (second tone) 文 also is defined as "Culture" as well as "Pattern"

by fsargent
2 months, 3 weeks ago

+0

Mandarin

文 › pattern

wen2

How to write

by marcusmarcell
1 year ago

+0

Mandarin

文 › pattern

wen2

Mnemonic

11

by ahe
2 months, 1 week ago

-1

Mandarin

文 › pattern

wen2

Mnemonic

by Chemine
1 year, 1 month ago

-16

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_written language
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