<p>These are called <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_character_classification#Ideogrammatic_compounds" rel="noreferrer">ideogrammatic compounds</a>. I remember my teacher said about 10% of Chinese characters are ideogrammic compounds, which means there are more than 5,000 of them.</p>

<p>This <a href="http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Category%3aHan_ideogrammic_compounds" rel="noreferrer">Wiktionary page</a> lists 270 of them. </p>

<p><a href="http://www.jydoc.com/article/1743854.html" rel="noreferrer">This lesson</a> took from an elementary school book analyzes about 10 characters whose original forms were ideogrammic compounds.</p>

<p>You can find some other information on <a href="http://baike.baidu.com/view/393169.htm" rel="noreferrer">Baidu Baike</a> .</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-08-20T22:44:52.020Z
+1 for linking to Wiktionary.
deutschZuid
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-08-20T01:56:05.760Z
2012-08-20T01:56:05.760Z
NS.X.
<p>There's one I see regularly around Chinese new year, made up of 4 sinograms 招財進寶, looking like <img src="https://i.sstatic.net/RU8R2.jpg" alt="this">. Not a real sinogram, but quite nice...</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-08-20T07:58:49.827Z
2012-08-20T07:58:49.827Z
dda
<p>As far as I know there is one more character “肏” that falls into your category, if you realize the two characters that it's composed of you know what it means LOL.</p>

<p>Other examples include: 歪, 甭, etc</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-03-23T12:39:58.390Z
What are the two characters?
Mike Chamberlain
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-03-24T15:20:12.200Z
@MikeChamberlain it's “入” and “肉”
Xavier_Ex
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-08-24T18:17:35.150Z
2012-08-24T18:17:35.150Z
Xavier_Ex
<p>Some characters are visual puns: <a href="http://img2.mtime.com/mg/2009/33/a4a259de-0899-4f0f-abdf-6951542513a4.jpg">尜 (小大小)</a>, 尖 (小大); others are a phrase written as a single character: 膥 (未成肉), 籴 (入米), 汆 (入水), 奀 (不大).</p>

<p>What are some other characters which fit into these categories?</p>

<characters>
Visual puns and phrases
# Visual puns and phrases

(Asked by: username_0 on 2012-08-20)

Some characters are visual puns: [尜 (小大小)](http://img2.mtime.com/mg/2009/33/a4a259de-0899-4f0f-abdf-6951542513a4.jpg), 尖 (小大); others are a phrase written as a single character: 膥 (未成肉), 籴 (入米), 汆 (入水), 奀 (不大).

What are some other characters which fit into these categories?

**Tags:** characters

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## 3 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2012-08-20. Score: 6

These are called [ideogrammatic compounds](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_character_classification#Ideogrammatic_compounds). I remember my teacher said about 10% of Chinese characters are ideogrammic compounds, which means there are more than 5,000 of them.

This [Wiktionary page](http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Category%3aHan_ideogrammic_compounds) lists 270 of them.

[This lesson](http://www.jydoc.com/article/1743854.html) took from an elementary school book analyzes about 10 characters whose original forms were ideogrammic compounds.

You can find some other information on [Baidu Baike](http://baike.baidu.com/view/393169.htm) .

> **Comments:**
> **username_2**: +1 for linking to Wiktionary.  

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### Answer by username_3 on 2012-08-20. Score: 1

There's one I see regularly around Chinese new year, made up of 4 sinograms 招財進寶, looking like ![this](https://i.sstatic.net/RU8R2.jpg). Not a real sinogram, but quite nice...


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### Answer by username_4 on 2012-08-24. Score: 1

As far as I know there is one more character “肏” that falls into your category, if you realize the two characters that it's composed of you know what it means LOL.

Other examples include: 歪, 甭, etc

> **Comments:**
> **username_5**: What are the two characters?  
> **username_4**: @MikeChamberlain it's “入” and “肉”  

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