Learn a Chinese Character - 划 (Huà/Huá - Draw; mark; designate; divide; delimit; plan; scheme; arrangement; division; row; paddle; scratch; stroke)

1. Character Basics

Radical: 刂/刀 (dāo) - Knife radical

Stroke Count: 6 strokes

Stroke Order:

Pinyin: Huà (Fourth tone) and Huá (Second tone) -多音字 (duō yīn zì - multiple pronunciation character)

Basic Meaning:

Extended Meanings: Plan; scheme; arrangement; division

Additional Notes: This character has two main pronunciations with different meanings

计划 (jì huà): Plan

Example: 我们需要制定一个详细的计划。(Wǒmen xūyào zhìdìng yīgè xiángxì de jìhuà.) - We need to make a detailed plan.
划分 (huà fēn): Divide; partition

Example: 这条河划分了两个城市。(Zhè tiáo hé huàfēnle liǎng gè chéngshì.) - This river divides the two cities.
划船 (huá chuán): Row a boat

Example: 周末我们去公园划船吧。(Zhōumò wǒmen qù gōngyuán huáchuán ba.) - Let's go boating in the park on the weekend.
划痕 (huá hén): Scratch; mark

Example: 我的手机屏幕上有一道划痕。(Wǒ de shǒujī píngmù shàng yǒu yīdào huáhén.) - There's a scratch on my phone screen.
划时代 (huà shídài): Epoch-making; era-defining

Example: 这项发明是划时代的。(Zhè xiàng fāmíng shì huàshídài de.) - This invention is epoch-making.

Part of Speech: Verb; Noun

Common Usage: As a verb to indicate drawing, marking, dividing, or rowing; as a noun in certain compounds

Common Structures:

Usage Notes: Pay attention to the two different pronunciations and their corresponding meanings

Traditional Chinese Painting: The character 划 is important in traditional Chinese painting techniques
Navigation and Transportation: Historically significant in boat travel and transportation
Administrative Division: Used in the context of territorial and administrative divisions
Modern Usage: Commonly used in business planning and project management

Sentence 1: 他用铅笔在纸上划了一条线。(Tā yòng qiānbǐ zài zhǐ shàng huàle yītiáo xiàn.) - He drew a line on the paper with a pencil.

Sentence 2: 他们划着船穿过了湖面。(Tāmen huázhe chuán chuānguòle húmiàn.) - They rowed the boat across the lake.

Sentence 3: 这个项目划分为三个阶段。(Zhège xiàngmù huàfēn wéi sān gè jiēduàn.) - This project is divided into three phases.

Break it down: The character consists of 戈 (gē, weapon) and 刂 (dāo, knife) - think of marking or dividing with a tool
Sound association: "Huà" sounds similar to "draw" in English
Visual memory: Imagine drawing a line or rowing a boat
Word association: Connect it with common words like 计划 (plan) and 划船 (row a boat)
Practice writing: Write the character multiple times while saying its pronunciation and meaning