Amazing Chinese Characters (218) Fortune - 福

The shell bone script of character Fortune is

On the left bottom is a sacrifice table, on the right is a wizard who sprinkles wine on the table for the sacrifice ceremony. People did the sacrifice for good fortune.

The bronze script of the character is

The left is Radical Show, the right is the rice wine jar (Post 473), no sprinkle of wine. We can think that the meaning should be similar to the shell bone script: a sacrifice for Fortune.

The big seal script of character Fortune,

Similar to the bronze script.

The small seal script of the character is

similar to the big seal script on the left, the right part changed a little bit.

The clerical script of the character is

The left is sacrifice table, which changed a little bit from the older scripts. The right part is similar to that in small seal script.

The song type face of the character is

Its Pinyin is Fu2.

I have to point out that 福 is the most popular character in China, even used more than 龍 (Dragon). Most if not all Chinese families have had at least once to stick 福 on the door or window or both in Spring festival, or wedding, more times upside down, because "福 upside down" pronounces same as "Fortune is coming" in Chinese.

Amazing Chinese characters (217) Magnificence - 华（華）

The big seal script of character of Magnificence is

which is same as character of 花 - Flower (See Post 69). They were the same originally

The small seal script of Magnificence is

which is similar to 花 (Flower) in small seal script.

The clerical script of Magnificence is

which is different from the character Flower of clerical script as the one blow.

The top is grass radical to indicate the character is related to grass type plant. The bottom is 化，which means Change. I guess that is from running or cursive script, which simplifies the character for fast writing.

Traditional song typeface is

華

Same as the clerical script.

Simplified song typeface is

华

In most cases, the Pinyin for 华 is Hua2. In comparison, Pinyin for 花（Flower) is Hua1, very close. Both characters are used as family names. 花 has the same pronunciation as Hua1, however 华 is pronounced Hua4 as a family name.

Chinese say China as 中华, 中 means middle, here is 中国 because ancient Chinese believed that China was in the center of the world, so China is a country in the center of the world: 中国（国 is country).

Chinese say themselves as 华人（Magnificent People). 华人 =  Chinese (in race, not nationality).

Another interesting thing about 华/華 is that Chinese call huge colorful decorated lantern as 华灯 （灯 is lantern) because it looks like flower.  （The small ones in family is not 华灯）

- 华灯 in Tiananmen Square

Amazing Chinese characters (216) String - 串

The bronze script for character String is

which is a string of beads

or a string of meat balls

The big seal script for this character is

very similar to the bronze script.

It is like sugar-coated haws, a famous food in north China.

The stuff may not always ball-alike, could be other shape. The following is a string of old copper coins, which was used as money in China 70+ years ago.

The small seal script for the character is

very similar too.

The clerical script for the character is

Similar to old script except the round circles become squares.

The song typeface of character String is

串

Same as the clerical script.

Its Pinyin is Chuan4.