汉字

Why does 汉字 look like this?

The first character '汉' (Hàn) consists of the 'water' radical (氵) on the left and the 'right hand/again' component (又) on the right. Historically, it refers to the Han River, which gave its name to the Han Dynasty and the ethnic majority. The second character '字' (zì) shows a 'child' (子) under a 'roof' (宀), symbolizing the way characters multiply and grow like children in a household. Together, they represent the writing system of the Han people.