Ideogram facts for kids

An ideogram is a special kind of picture or symbol. It represents an idea or concept instead of a specific word or sound. Think of it like a shortcut for a thought! Some ideograms are easy to understand because they look like what they mean. These are called Pictograms. Others you need to learn, like a secret code, because their meaning comes from how people agree to use them.

"No Dogs!" sign in Spain. The dog illustration is a pictogram. The red circle and bar is an ideogram representing "no" or "not allowed".

What is an Ideogram?

An ideogram is a visual symbol that stands for an idea or concept. It does not represent a sound or a word directly. Instead, it shows a whole thought. For example, a picture of a heart often means "love." This is an ideogram.

Ideograms and Pictograms: What's the Difference?

It is easy to confuse ideograms with pictograms, but there is a key difference.

• A pictogram is a picture that directly shows what it means. For example, a picture of a bicycle means "bicycle."
• An ideogram goes a step further. It represents an idea. So, a picture of a bicycle with a red circle and a line through it means "no bicycles allowed." The red circle and line is the ideogram for "no" or "not allowed."

How Ideograms Work

Some ideograms are easy to understand because they look like the idea they represent. For instance, a light bulb often means "idea" or "thinking." This is because a light bulb turning on is a common way to show an idea appearing.

Other ideograms need you to learn what they mean. They are based on shared understanding. For example, the symbol for "peace" (a circle with lines inside) does not look like peace. But people around the world know what it means.

Where Do We See Ideograms?

Ideograms are all around us! They help us understand things quickly without needing to read words.

• Road Signs: Many road signs use ideograms. A red octagon means "stop." A triangle with a car means "yield."
• Public Places: Symbols for restrooms, exits, or information desks are often ideograms. They help people from different countries understand.
• Technology: Icons on your phone or computer are often ideograms. A magnifying glass means "search." A house means "home."
• Ancient Writing: Some very old writing systems, like Chinese characters, started with pictograms and ideograms. Over time, they became more complex.

Examples of Ideograms

• The "no" symbol (a red circle with a diagonal line) is a common ideogram. It means "not allowed" or "forbidden."
• The heart symbol means "love" or "affection."
• The peace symbol means "peace."
• The recycling symbol (three arrows forming a triangle) means "recycle."

Ideograms are a powerful way to share ideas quickly and across different languages. They are a big part of how we communicate visually every day.

Images for kids

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  Ideograms in the Church of the Visitation, Jerusalem. Five of the symbols are pictograms augmented with red bars representing the idea of "no" or "not allowed". The symbol at bottom left is a pictogram conveying the meaning of "silence".

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  Dongba symbols, used by the Naxi people as a way to remember oral stories.

Related pages

• Logogram
• Chinese character

See also

In Spanish: Ideograma para niños