指事
zhǐshì
Recognizable at sight, meaning revealed upon examination - Based on pictographic characters, using abstract symbols to point out key elements, representing abstract concepts
Examples
上
shàng
Up
A short horizontal line above a baseline (一), indicating "up"
Stroke order
下
xià
Down
A short horizontal line below a baseline (一), indicating "down"
Stroke order
一
yī
One
A single horizontal line representing the number "one", the simplest ideographic character
Stroke order
二
èr
Two
Two horizontal lines representing the number "two", adding one line to "one"
Stroke order
本
běn
Root/Fundamental
A dot added at the root of "木" (tree), pointing to the "tree root", extended to mean "fundamental"
Stroke order
刃
rèn
Blade
A dot added at the blade of "刀", pointing to the "blade" and emphasizing the sharp part of the knife
Stroke order