Chengyu: Origins

Discover Chinese idioms (chengyu) through the illustrated stories behind them. Build a streak, earn coins, and unlock a growing gallery of chengyu.

Chengyu: Origins tells the stories behind four-character Chinese idioms (chengyu), each with a custom illustration.

Discover the myths, battles, and clever ministers behind commonly used idioms from the age of Pan Gu splitting heaven and earth, through the Spring and Autumn period, the Warring States, and the Qin and Han. More eras coming soon!

Why you'll like it: • The real historical or mythological origin, in plain English, with pinyin and character-by-character meaning • Original artwork for every idiom • A daily rhythm: build a streak, earn coins, and unlock new idioms • Search the whole collection, or browse era by era through Chinese history • A growing library. New illustrated idioms are added over time

No account required. No ads. Just you and a few minutes a day with one of the oldest, richest layers of the Chinese language.