站

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (站):
* → Vietnamese: trạm (站)

desc

→ Lü: ᦈᦱᧃᧈ (ṫsaan¹)

→ Lü: ᦈᦱᧃᧈ (ṫsaan¹)

→ Zhuang: camh

Ming Dynasty
Qing Dynasty
Yam (route)
Yuan Dynasty

Generally considered to be a Mongolian influence in the Yuan Dynasty – an abbreviation of 站赤 (zhànchì, “post stations during the Yuan Dynasty”), from Middle Mongol ᠵᠠᠮᠴᠢ (ǰamči, “post station”) (> Mongolian замч (zamč, “guide; cicerone”)), a derivative of Middle Mongol ᠵᠠᠮ (ǰam, “way, path”) (> Mongolian зам (zam)).
Mongolian ǰam is undoubtedly cognate with Proto-Turkic *jam (“post station”) (> Turkish yam; ~ Russian ям (jam)) with the same meaning; see Yam (route). Also compare Turkish yamçı (“post rider”), Russian ямщи́к (jamščík, “drive, coachman”).
There is no scholarly consensus regarding the direction of borrowing. Generally it is believed that Turkic jam and Chinese zhàn are loanwords from Mongolian ǰam, however some (e.g. Tuymebayev in Казахско-монгольские лексические параллели) believe the directionality is reversed (i.e. Chinese "to stand > stand > station" → Middle Mongol → Turkic → Russian). Whatever the etymology, what is apparent is that the word jam has been around for a long time and was used by Central Asians to designate a key postal relay station or official.
In Chinese, this word has been competing with the native equivalent 驛／驿 (yì, “post station”) since its introduction. Mongol-ruled Yuan Dynasty saw a profusion of usages of zhàn, which was deliberately suppressed in the succeeding Ming Dynasty in favour of yì. Both were used in the subsequent Qing Dynasty, with zhàn eventually predominating in the modern times, being used to render the sense of "station" in modern concepts, such as "train station". Other Sinosphere countries show preference variations too: Vietnamese uses 站 (trạm), whereas Japanese and Korean still use 驛 for "station" (Japanese 駅 (えき, eki), Korean 역 (驛, yeok)).


笑

/t͡sʰiɛu²¹³/

/t͡sʰiɛu²¹³/

Originally ideogrammic compound (會意 /会意) or phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *sqʰows): phonetic 艸 (OC *sʰuːʔ, “grass”) + semantic 犬 (“dog”).
Later, phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *sqʰows): semantic 竹 + phonetic 夭 (OC *qoːwʔ, *qrow, *qrowʔ).

Han compound

笑容

唔識笑

唔识笑

dim² gaai² nei⁵ dei⁶ seng⁴ jat⁶ siu³ ngo⁵ gaa³?

點解你哋成日笑我㗎？

点解你哋成日笑我㗎？

to make fun of them for not knowing how to speak Cantonese

siu³ keoi⁵ m⁴ sik¹ gong² gwong² dung¹ waa⁶⁻²

笑佢唔識講廣東話

笑佢唔识讲广东话

(obsolete, figurative) to blossom; to bloom


第

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *diːls): semantic 𥫗 (“bamboo”) + phonetic 弟 (OC *diːlʔ, *diːls). 竹 here refers to the bamboo strips used for writing (e.g. accounting, classification) in ancient times. See also 等.
Alternatively, may have originally been written 弟.
Karlgren (1956: 14) connects this word with → tī 梯 ‘ladder’.

Han compound

[My brother-in-law] Pei Fengshu lives in Guangde Lane.

c. 800, 柳宗元 (Liu Zongyuan), 《梓人傳》, translated by Yang Xianyi and Gladys Yang

裴封叔之第在光德里。

“My rank was too low to refuse,” apologized Wei Wu. “Still, this must not remain in my house,” declared the marshal. He thus stowed the gift over a beam in his offce in the ministry of agriculture.

814, 柳宗元 (Liu Zongyuan), 《段太尉逸事狀》, translated by Yang Xianyi and Gladys Yang

Wù xiè yuē: “Chǔ jiàn, wúyǐ jù yě.” Tàiwèi yuē: “Rán zhōng bù yǐ zài wú dì.” Yǐ rú sīnóng zhìshì táng, qī zhī liángmù shàng.

晤謝曰：“處賤，無以拒也。”太尉曰：“然終不以在吾第。”以如司農治事堂，栖之梁木上。

晤谢曰：“处贱，无以拒也。”太尉曰：“然终不以在吾第。”以如司农治事堂，栖之梁木上。

(obsolete on its own in Standard Chinese) mansion; residence (of a high official)

imperial examination
imperial examination

(historical) rank in imperial examinations

[Shentu] Jia wrote out a despatch to summon Deng Tong to come to the chancellor's office; if he refuses to come, he would behead Tong forthwith. Tong was frightened and went in to tell Emperor Wen. Emperor Wen said, “You just go. I shall send someone now to summon you back.” When Tong reached the chancellor's office, he took off his cap, bared his feet, and struck his forehead on the ground to apologize.

The Records of the Grand Historian, by Sima Qian, c. 91 BCE

Jiā wéi xí zhào Dèng Tōng yì chéngxiàngfǔ, bùlái, qiě zhǎn Tōng. Tōng kǒng, rù yán Wéndì. Wéndì yuē: “Rǔ dì wǎng, wú jīn shǐ rén zhào ruò.” Tōng zhì chéngxiàng fǔ, miǎnguān túxiǎn dùnshǒu xiè.

嘉為檄召鄧通詣丞相府，不來，且斬通。通恐，入言文帝。文帝曰：「汝第往，吾今使人召若。」通至丞相府，免冠徒跣頓首謝。

嘉为檄召邓通诣丞相府，不来，且斩通。通恐，入言文帝。文帝曰：「汝第往，吾今使人召若。」通至丞相府，免冠徒跣顿首谢。

Within my field of vision besides the mountains and the river, there are nothing but sailing boats, shorebirds, mists, clouds, and stands of bamboo.

999 September 27, 王禹偁 (Wang Yucheng), 《黃州新建小竹樓記》, translated by Luo Jingguo (罗经国)

Jiāngshān zhīwài, dì jiàn fēngfān shāniǎo, yānyún zhúshù éryǐ.

江山之外，第見風帆沙鳥，煙雲竹樹而已。

江山之外，第见风帆沙鸟，烟云竹树而已。

第二

第十

安全第一

Ordinal number marker, used before a number to make the number ordinal.


第

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (第):
* → Japanese: 第(だい) (dai)
* → Korean: 제(第) (je)
* → Vietnamese: đệ (第)

→ Khmer: ទី (tii)


筆

Sino-Xenic (筆):
* → Japanese: 筆(ひつ) (hitsu)
* → Korean: 필(筆) (pil)
* → Vietnamese: bút (筆)

→ Buryat: ᠪᠢᠷ (bir) / биирэ (biire)

desc

→ Khmer: ពិត (pɨt, “small Chinese-style writing brush”)

→ Korean: 붓 (but, “writing brush”)

→ Proto-Be: *ɓitᴰ¹

Lingao: bit⁷, bɔt⁷'

→ Manchu: ᡶᡳ (fi, “brush”), ᠪᡳᡨᡥᡝ (bithe, “book”), ᠪᡳᡨᡥᡝᠰᡳ (bithesi, “scribe”)

zh-l

→ Chinese: 筆帖式／笔帖式 (bǐtièshì, “scribe during the Qing Dynasty”)

→ Nivkh: питғы (pitγə)

desc

→ Tibetan: པིར (pir, “writing brush, pen”)

→ Mongolian: ᠪᠢᠷ (bir) / бийр (biir)

→ Proto-Turkic: *biti-

Old Turkic: 𐰋𐰃𐱅𐰃 (b²it²i /biti-/, “to write”)

→ Mongolian: ᠪᠢᠴᠢᠬᠦ (bičikü) / бичих (bičix, “to write”)

desctree

⇒ Proto-Turkic: *bitig
→ Hungarian: betű
Oghur:
Chuvash: пӗтӳ (pĕt̬ü, “amulet”)
Proto-Common Turkic: *bitig, *bitik
Proto-Oghuz: *bitig, *bitik
West Oghuz:
Old Anatolian Turkish: بِتى (biti, “letter, written document”)
Azerbaijani: bitik (archaic)
Ottoman Turkish: بتى (biti, “letter, written document; memory (literature); bill, document”)
Turkish: biti (“letter, post; amulet; notebook; book; forme; amulet; credentials, document, compass, licence; clerk”) (dialectal)
East Oghuz:
Salar: bitik
Karluk:
Karakhanid: بِتِكٔ (bitig, bitik)
Khorezmian Turkic:
→ Bulgar: بطك (bitik)
Chagatai:
Uzbek: bitik
Uyghur: بېتىك (bëtik)
Kipchak:
Kipchak: بتو (bitüv, bitiv), بتی (biti), بتك (bitik)
North Kipchak:
Bashkir: бетеү (betew, “amulet”)
Tatar: бөти (böti, “letter, amulet”)
West Kipchak:
Karaim: битик (bitik)
Kumyk: битик (bitik, “amulet”)
South Kipchak:
Caspian:
Kazakh: бітік (bıtık, “letter, scripture”)
Siberian:
Old Turkic: 𐰋𐰃𐱅𐰏 (b²it²g /bitig/)
→ Turkish: betik
Old Uyghur: [script needed] (bitig)
Western Yugur: [script needed] (pïʰtïɣ, “book”)
→ Mongolian: бичиг (bičig)
→ Kyrgyz: бичик (bicik, “book of Kalmyk”)
→ Southern Altai: бичик (bičik, “book”)
→ Khakas: пічік (pìçìk, “book”)
→ Shor: пичик (“script, alphabet”)
→ Tuvan: бижик (bijik)
→ Yakut: бичик (bicik)

→ Vietnamese: viết (“to write”)

→ Zhuang: bit

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *prud) and ideogrammic compound (會意 /会意): semantic 竹 (“bamboo”) + phonetic 聿 (OC *b·lud, “writing brush”) – a hand holding a brush 聿. The bamboo (竹) refers to the material of traditional Chinese brushes.
Possibly from Proto-Sino-Tibetan *b-ris (“to draw; picture”) or *rit (“to draw; boundary”) (STEDT). Related to 聿 (OC *b·lud); more distant cognates from the allofamic root *b-rəy (“to draw, mark; boundary”) include 理 (OC *rɯʔ, “to cut jade, put in order”), Tibetan འབྲི ('bri, “to write”), Burmese ရေး (re:, “to write”).
Benedict (1972) surmises that this might ultimately be a loan from Austro-Tai into Sino-Tibetan; compare Proto-Austronesian *bulut (“hairy filaments of certain plants, husk”) (> Cebuano bulut).

cog

GT - General Taiwanese (no specific region identified)

The character you have miswritten lacks one stroke here.

Nǐ zhè ge zì xiě cuò le, zhèlǐ shào le yī bǐ.

你這個字寫錯了，這裡少了一筆。

你这个字写错了，这里少了一笔。

Classifier for writing or drawing: stroke (of Chinese characters, in a painting, etc.)


等

A medieval word, probably related to 待 (OC *dɯːʔ, “to wait”) (Wang, 1982).

dang² ngo⁵ zou⁶ jyun⁴ je⁵ sin¹ tung⁴ nei⁵ king¹.

等我做完嘢先同你傾。

等我做完嘢先同你倾。

when (something happens at a point in time in the future)


算

desc

→ Lü: ᦉᦸᧃᧈ (ṡoan¹)

→ Lü: ᦉᦸᧃᧈ (ṡoan¹)

In current form, 竹 (“bamboo”) + 目 + 廾.
The 目 portion may have originally represented counting rods (or possibly an abacus, although the character is believed to predate its invention). Such rods were typically made from bamboo. Perhaps related to the top component of 學, hence to 爻.
Similar but unrelated to 具.
It has been compared with Tibetan གཤོར (gshor, “to count, to measure, to weigh”) by Gong (1995).

cog

(Puxian Min) to miss (to feel the absence of someone or something)


篇

(historical) bound set of bamboo slips used for recordkeeping

Classifier for written items, book leaves, etc.: piece


糖

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (糖):
* → Japanese: 糖(とう) (tō)
* → Korean: 당(糖) (dang)
* → Vietnamese: đường (糖)

→ Guiqiong: d’ɐŋ

→ Macanese: tôm-tôm

/tʰɔːŋ²¹⁻³⁵/

/tʰɔːŋ²¹⁻³⁵/

zh:临城镇 (临高县)
zh:琼山区

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *l'aːŋ): semantic 米 (“rice”) + phonetic 唐 (OC *ɡl'aːŋ).
Original meaning was “sweet rice cake” or “sugar syrup”. Cognate with 餳 (OC *ljaːŋ).
Compare Proto-Lingao lhaŋ² ("sugar"), whence Lincheng /haŋ˧/, Qiongshan /liaŋ˩˧/.

Han compound

棒棒糖

無糖薄荷糖

无糖薄荷糖

糖吃多了不好。

糖食得多冇益。

short for 糖果 (tángguǒ) sweets; candy; lollies; confectionery (Classifier: 顆／颗 m; 粒 c)

糖果

多糖

葡萄糖

(organic chemistry) saccharide; carbohydrate

吃糖

Yesterday [my] HRT drugs were discovered by my parents.

昨天糖被我爸媽發現了。

昨天糖被我爸妈发现了。

hormone replacement therapy
hormone replacement therapy

(transgender slang, figurative) HRT (hormone replacement therapy) drugs, especially pills


紅

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *ɡoːŋ): semantic 糸 (“silk”) + phonetic 工 (OC *koːŋ).
彤 (OC *l'uːŋ, “red”) could be a variant of 紅 (OC *ɡoːŋ) (Schuessler, 2007). May be related to 虹 (OC *kroːŋs, *ɡoːŋ, “rainbow”).
Originally referred to lighter shades of red; gradually replaced 赤 (chì, “red”) as the basic color term for "red".

Han compound

豬紅／猪红 [Cantonese] ― zyu¹ hung⁴ [Jyutping] ― pig blood tofu

雞紅／鸡红 [Cantonese]

(euphemistic, Cantonese, Hakka) blood tofu


紙

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (紙):
* → Japanese: 紙(し) (shi)
* → Korean: 지(紙) (ji)
* → Vietnamese: chỉ (紙)

→ Lao: ເຈ້ຍ (chīa, “paper”)

→ Shan: ၸေႈ (tsēe, “paper”)

→ Zhuang: ceij (“paper”)

→ Proto-Vietic: *k-cajʔ (see there for further descendants)

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *kjeʔ): semantic 糸 (“silk”) + phonetic 氏 (OC *skeŋ, *kje, *ɡjeʔ).
Unknown. It has been connected to Vietnamese giấy (< Proto-Vietic *k-cajʔ).
Shiming (釋名) connects it to 砥 (OC *tijʔ, “flat and smooth; fine-grained whetstone”).

och-l

草稿紙／草稿纸

She bought paper, pens, and other such stationery.

她買了紙、筆等文具。

她买了纸、笔等文具。

He wrapped brown paper around the package.

Tā yòng zōngsè de zhǐ bǎ bāoguǒ bāo qǐlái.

他用棕色的紙把包裹包起來。

他用棕色的纸把包裹包起来。

In ancient times writings and inscriptions were generally made on tablets of bamboo or on pieces of silk called zhi. But silk being costly and bamboos heavy they were not convenient to use. Cai Lun then initiated the idea of making paper from the bark of trees, remnants of hemp, rags of cloth and fishing nets. He submitted the process to the emperor in the first year of Yuanxing and received praise for his ability. From this time, paper has been in use everywhere and is universally called "the paper of Marquis Cai".

The Book of the Later Han, circa 5ᵗʰ century CE

Zìgǔ shūqì duō biān yǐ zhújiǎn, qí yòng jiānbó zhě wèi zhī wéi zhǐ. Jiān guì ér jiǎn zhòng, bìng bù biàn yú rén. Lún nǎi zàoyì, yòng shùfū, mátóu jí bìbù, yúwǎng yǐ wéi zhǐ. Yuánxìng yuánnián zòu shàng zhī, dì shàn qí néng, zì shì mò bù cóng yòng yān, gù tiānxià xián chēng “Cài hóu zhǐ”.

自古書契多編以竹簡，其用縑帛者謂之為紙。縑貴而簡重，並不便於人。倫乃造意，用樹膚、麻頭及敝布、魚網以為紙。元興元年奏上之，帝善其能，自是莫不從用焉，故天下咸稱「蔡侯紙」。

自古书契多编以竹简，其用缣帛者谓之为纸。缣贵而简重，并不便于人。伦乃造意，用树肤、麻头及敝布、鱼网以为纸。元兴元年奏上之，帝善其能，自是莫不从用焉，故天下咸称「蔡侯纸」。

(countable) paper (Classifier: 張／张; 頁／页)

十蚊紙／十蚊纸 [Cantonese] ― sap⁶ man¹ zi² [Jyutping] ― ten-dollar bill

(Cantonese, countable) banknote; bill (Classifier: 張／张 c)

出世紙／出世纸 [Cantonese] ― ceot¹ sai³ zi² [Jyutping] ― birth certificate

(cheifly, Cantonese) document; certificate

妹紙／妹纸

胖紙／胖纸

Pronunciation spelling
pronunciation spelling

(Mandarin, neologism, slang) Pronunciation spelling of 子 (zǐ).


細

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *snɯːls): semantic 糸 + phonetic 囟 (OC *snɯns). The right component is etymologically unrelated to 田 in which it was corrupted to after the Han dynasty.
From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *z(j)əj (“little; small; tiny”) (STEDT); cognate with Jingpho zi (“small”), Tibetan ཟི (zi, “small”), Burmese သေး (se:, “small”).


給

Literary and colloquial readings of Chinese characters

According to Shuowen Jiezi, Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *krub): semantic 糸 + phonetic 合 (OC *kuːb, *ɡuːb) – "rich, abundant", perhaps with a reference to precious silk; today it also means "to give". The phonetic component means "to join, to unite", however it is likely unrelated to the original meaning.
Starostin reconstructs Proto-Sino-Tibetan *qǝ̆p (“to give; to supply”), comparing it to Burmese အပ် (ap, “to commit; to deliver; to hand over”), Jingpho ap (“to hand over”), Lepcha ᰀᰤᰬᰱ (kjep, “to add to; to multiply”), ᰃᰤᰱ (gjap, “many”).
In Mandarin, Jin and Xiang, pronunciations 1 and 2 are generally thought of as colloquial and literary readings respectively, from the same Middle Chinese etymon (Zhengzhang, 2002; Liu, 2021; among others). Pronunciation 2, the literary reading, is a regular reflex from Middle Chinese. However, since pronunciation 1 is highly irregular, others have proposed alternative etymologies for it:
* From the contraction of 過與 (MC kwaH yoX, “to pass to”) (Ikeda, 1962; Hirayama, 2000, 2010; Wang, 2022);
* From 乞 (MC khj+t|khj+jH, “to give”) (Zhang, 1989); and
* From 饋 (MC gwijH, “to gift”) (Shimura, 1995).


綠

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *roɡ): semantic 糸 + phonetic 彔 (OC *b·roːɡ).
Starostin derives this from Proto-Sino-Tibetan *rwak (“leaf”), and cites Tibetan ཁྲོག་པོ (khrog po, “botanical term used of leaves standing round the stem scattered or alternately”), Burmese ရွက် (rwak), အရွက် (a.rwak, “leaf”) as cognates. Compare also Kinnauri rāgʻ (“blue, green”).
Cognate with 菉 (“name of a plant of uncertain species”). In modern times this character gave rise to 氯 (“chlorine”).
For the sense “to cuckold”, see 綠頭巾／绿头巾 (lǜtóujīn).

zh-l

綠頭巾／绿头巾 (lǜtóujīn)

綠鬢

绿鬓

(literary, only of hair) black and glossy (especially in a youthful-looking way)

綠營

绿营

(politics) related to the pro-independence pan-Green coalition of Taiwan


緊

Possibly from earlier 近處／近处 (gan6-2 cyu3, gan6-2 syu3, “future marker expressing the imminent aspect”) (Kataoka, 2018).

我讀緊書。

我读紧书。

佢著緊衫。

佢着紧衫。

(Cantonese, dialectal Hakka, Nanning Pinghua) Grammatical particle used to express progressive aspect (an ongoing activity) which may undergo a change of state. Similar to the -ing form in English.


羊

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (羊):
* → Japanese: 羊(よう) (yō)
* → Korean: 양(羊) (yang)
* → Vietnamese: dương (羊)

Wutunhua: yang

Characters in the same phonetic series (羊) (Zhengzhang, 2003)
Pictogram (象形) – picture of a ram's head. See also the original version of 沈.
From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *g-jaŋ (“sheep; yak”). Cognate with Tibetan གཡག (g.yag, “yak”), Lepcha ᰚᰩᰭ (yók, “yak”), Tangut 𗇼 (*gjwã², “goat”), Northern Tujia zo³⁵ (“goat; sheep”).

inh

caprid (e.g. sheep, goat, antelope, etc.) (Classifier: 隻／只 m c)

(slang, neologism, humorous) alternative form of 陽 /阳 (yáng, “positive result (in a medical test)”)

陽 /阳

(obsolete on its own in Standard Chinese) alternative form of 徉 (yáng)


羊

Orthographic borrowing from translingual ¥. Perhaps influenced by 大洋 (dàyáng).


翻

→ Lü: ᦝᦱᧃᧈ (faan¹, “to translate”)

→ Thai: พัน (pan, “fasten around”)

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *pʰan): phonetic 番 (OC *paːl, *paːls, *pʰaːn, *pʰan, *ban) + semantic 羽 (“wings”) – to flutter.

Han compound

翻過一座山

翻过一座山

把這段話翻成日文

把这段话翻成日文

傳譯

to translate; to do interpreting, originally referred to translation generally

鬧翻

闹翻

to fall out; to cease to be on friendly terms

翻一番


老

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (老):
* → Korean: 로/노(老) (ro/no)
* → Vietnamese: lão (老)

Characters in the same phonetic series (老) (Zhengzhang, 2003)
Ideogrammic compound (會意 /会意): 人 (“man”) + 毛 (“hair”) + 匕 (“cane”) – a man with long hair (an old man), leaning on a cane. Compare top component to 孝 (OC *qʰruːs).
Cognate to 考 (OC *kʰluːʔ); the most commonly cited example of 轉注 (“reciprocal meaning”).
Unknown. Compare Proto-Sino-Tibetan *s-raw (“withered, residue, corpse”), *rwat (“stiff, tough”), whence Burmese ရော် (rau, “wither, become overripe; age”), ရွတ် (rwat, “old, stiff, tough”). See also 古 (gǔ), 故 (gù).
An old Sino-Vietnamese borrowing is rệu (“overripe, pulpy”).

cog

老地方

老本行

1928, 魯迅 [Lu Xun], “阿長與《山海經》 [Ah-Chang and the Classic of Mountains and Seas]”, in 朝花夕拾:

She's taught me many more such lessons, for example, when someone dies, one ought not speak of their "death", but rather their "passing".

Tā jiào gěi wǒ de dàolǐ hái hěnduō, lìrú shuō rén sǐle, bùgāi shuō sǐdiào, bìxū shuō “lǎo diào le”.

她教給我的道理還很多，例如說人死了，不該說死掉，必須說「老掉了」。

她教给我的道理还很多，例如说人死了，不该说死掉，必须说「老掉了」。

1996, Tang Zhenzhu, Wu Xinmin, Wu Xinxian, 寧波方言詞典, page 80:

When I die I want to have my grave in the countryside.

等我老勒仔，墳做勒鄉下頭去。

等我老勒仔，坟做勒乡下头去。

(euphemistic, of an elderly person) to die; to pass away (usually with 了 (le) or 掉 (diào))


聲

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (聲):
* → Japanese: 声(しょう) (shō); 声(せい) (sei)
* → Korean: 성(聲) (seong)
* → Vietnamese: thanh (聲)

→ Thai: เสียง (sǐiang)

desc

→ Vietnamese: tiếng (“voice; language; sound”)

→ Zhuang: sing

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *qʰjeŋ): phonetic 殸 (OC *kʰreːŋ, *kʰeːŋs) + semantic 耳 (“ear”).

Han compound

啦啦聲／啦啦声 [Cantonese] ― laa⁴ laa⁴⁻² seng¹ [Jyutping] ― quick

𠽌𠽌聲／𠽌𠽌声 [Cantonese] ― syut⁴ syut⁴⁻² seng¹ [Jyutping] ― with a sucking sound

(Cantonese) Suffix used to form adjectives with onomatopoeia.

億億聲／亿亿声 [Cantonese] ― jik¹ jik¹ seng¹ [Jyutping] ― in the magnitudes of hundreds of millions

(Cantonese) Suffix used after large numerals to express the magnitude of a number.

shut up (literally, “say one sentence less as a help”)

ceot¹ siu² geoi³ seng¹ dong³ bong¹ mong⁴

出少句聲當幫忙

出少句声当帮忙

单句声 [Cantonese, simp.]
daan¹ geoi³ seng¹ [Jyutping]

粒聲唔出

粒声唔出

(Cantonese) something that is said (Classifier: 句 c; 粒 c)


聽

Originally 𦔻, hence ideogrammic compound (會意 /会意): 耳 (“ear”) + 口 (“mouth(s)”) – to listen. Compare the top component of 聖.
Later, rewritten as phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *l̥ʰeːŋ, *l̥ʰeːŋs): phonetic 𡈼 (OC *l̥ʰeːŋʔ) + semantic 耳 (“ear”) + semantic 㥁 on the right.
The simplified version, 𠯸 (later stylized as 听), is totally unrelated to the original character and it originally means "smiling".
This is traditionally considered to have the same origin as 聖 (OC *hljeŋs, “to hear; wise; sage”) and 聲 (OC *qʰjeŋ, “sound”). Additionally, it may be also related to 聆 (OC *reːŋ, “to hear; to listen”) (Wang, 1982).
Outside connections unclear, although note Proto-Hlai *hliːŋ (“to hear (it said)”) from Pre-Hlai *(h)leːŋ (Norquest, 2007).
Derivatives:
* 廳 (OC *l̥ʰeːŋ, “hall, i.e. where hearings take place”)
* 廷 (OC *l'eːŋ, *l'eːŋʔ, “palace courtyard”).

och-l

听
聴
聼
𦗟
𦔻
𠯸
𦔽
𦕢
𦕘
𦖆
𦘏
𪢧
听
听
𪢧


聽

听
聴
聼
𦗟
𦔻
𠯸
𦔽
𦕢
𦕘
𦖆
𦘏
𪢧
听
听
𪢧


肉

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (肉):
* → Japanese: 肉(じゅう) (jū)
* → Korean: 유(肉) (yu)

宍
𥤬
𠕜
𡧢
𠕎
𮌇
脈
𬁲

The pulp of this watermelon is too spongy.

這西瓜瓤兒太肉了。

这西瓜瓤儿太肉了。

(dialectal Mandarin) spongy; squashy; flabby

這個人做事真肉。

这个人做事真肉。


能

Characters in the same phonetic series (能) (Zhengzhang, 2003)
Pictogram (象形): bear. Compare 熊 (OC *ɢʷlɯm, “bear”). In the character, two paws are visible as a pair of 匕 and the face with the open mouth is stylized as 月.
; "bear-like animal"
; “be able to; can; ability”
: Possibly Proto-Sino-Tibetan (which STEDT tentatively reconstructs as *m-nyaŋ (“can, be able”)): compare Tibetan ནུས (nus, “to be able to; capable; to withstand; capacity; strength; force; power; function; energy”), Burmese နိုင် (nuing, “can, be able to, may; master; win; prevail”). Schuessler (2007) also derives 態 (OC *n̥ʰɯːs, “apparition, bearing, manner”) from this; see also 忍 (OC *njɯnʔ, “to suffer, endure”).
: Compare the old pre-Sino–Vietnamese loanword nổi (“be able to; capable”).

och-l

(obsolete on its own in Standard Chinese) only used in 能始 (tāishǐ, “origin; root cause”)


腿

/tʰu̯eɪ̯²¹⁴/

/tʰu̯eɪ̯²¹⁴/

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *n̥ʰuːlʔ): semantic 肉 (“flesh”) + phonetic 退 (OC *n̥ʰuːbs).
Originally 骽 (OC *n̥ʰuːlʔ).

Han compound

大腿

小腿


臉

/t͡ɕi̯ɛn²¹⁴/

/t͡ɕi̯ɛn²¹⁴/

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *ɡ·reːmʔ, *skʰlam, *kramʔ): semantic ⺼ (“body part”) + phonetic 僉 (OC *skʰlam).
From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *s-gram (“cheek; face”). Cognate with Tibetan འགྲམ་པ ('gram pa, “cheek”), འགྲམ་རུས ('gram rus, “cheekbone”) (Schuessler, 2007).


臟

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *zaːŋs): semantic ⺼ (“flesh”) + phonetic 藏 (OC *zaːŋ, *zaːŋs).
Specializational glyph of 藏 (OC *zaːŋs).

Han compound

心臟

心脏

all the human internal organs (lit. five viscera and six bowels)

五臟六腑

五脏六腑


舉

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *klaʔ): phonetic 與 (OC *la, *laʔ, *las) + semantic 手 (“hand”) as 擧／举. The 手 (shǒu) component became 𰀁. Related to 奉.
;lift
;all, whole, entire
;to pawn

Han compound

举
擧
*擧
𦦙
挙
㪯
𡕖
𣁄
𰓉
𥸦
𠃥
𠔖
𠢈
𫽛
𡴃
𢪓
𠦮
𡥳
𤼳
𤼴

If sons are born, put them aside! (lit. please not rear) If daughters, feed them with meat dried!

Shēng nán shènmò jǔ, shēng nǚ bǔ yòng fǔ.

生男慎莫舉，生女哺用脯。

生男慎莫举，生女哺用脯。

舉兵

举兵

舉行

举行

to pass the imperial examinations at the provincial level

中舉

中举

(historical) successful candidate in the imperial examination at the provincial level

舉國

举国

Two days after my father died, he was officially promoted to a god, and the rumors that he made was known to the whole town.

6 April 1996, Chuang Yu-An 莊裕安, Requiem for the Dead 為亡靈談奏, United Daily News 聯合報

Wǒ bà sǐ hòu dì'èr rì, jiù zhèngshì shēnggé wéi shénmíng, tā huì chū míngpái de chuánwén, jǔ zhèn jiē zhī.

我爸死後第二日，就正式升格為神明，他會出明牌的傳聞，舉鎮皆知。

我爸死后第二日，就正式升格为神明，他会出明牌的传闻，举镇皆知。


船

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (船):
* → Japanese: 船(ぜん) (zen); 船(せん) (sen)
* → Korean: 선(船) (seon)
* → Vietnamese: thuyền (船)

→ Manchu: ᠴᡠᠸᠠᠨ (cuwan)

→ Yukjin Korean: 촨 (chwan)

/ʈ͡ʂʰu̯än³⁵/

/ʈ͡ʂʰu̯än³⁵/

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *ɦljon): semantic 舟 (“boat”) + phonetic 㕣 (OC *lon).
From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *m-lawŋ (“boat”). Compare Burmese လောင်း (laung:, “long and narrow boat”), and Mizo lawng (“boat or ship”).
Sagart (1999) interprets Old Chinese 船 (OC *ɦljon) as a nominal derivate of the verb 沿 (OC *lon, “to go downstream a river”). The Fangyan states that this word was commonly used in western China, but, by Han times, it had completely displaced the earlier 舟 (OC *tjɯw), used in central and eastern China.
Alternatively, the Proto-Sino-Tibetan root could be a loan from Proto-Mon-Khmer *d₂lu(u)ŋ ~ *d₂l(u)əŋ (“boat”), whence Mon ဂၠုၚ် (klɜ̀ŋ, “canoe, small boat”), perhaps a derivate of Proto-Mon-Khmer *luŋh ~ *luuŋh ~ *ləŋh (“to hollow, excavate, bore”), see Khmer លុង (lung, “to dig a hole”) and Vietnamese trũng (“concave”) (Sidwell, 2006; Schuessler, 2007).
Hong Kong Cantonese “scholarship” is influenced by English scholarship.

cog

Láiqù jiāngkǒu shǒu kōng chuán, rào chuán míngyuè jiāngshuǐ hán.

來去江口守空船，繞船明月江水寒。

来去江口守空船，绕船明月江水寒。

watercraft; vessel (including ships, boats, sailing ships, hovercrafts; sometimes including submarines) (Classifier: 條／条 m; 艘 m; 隻／只 m c mn mn-t; 架 c)


花

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (花):
* → Japanese: 花(か) (ka)
* → Korean: 화(花) (hwa)
* → Vietnamese: hoa (花)

→ Ai-Cham: hwa¹

→ Zhuang: va

Han dynasty
Middle Chinese
Sinitic languages

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *hʷraː): semantic 艹 (“grass; plant”) + phonetic 化 (OC *hŋʷraːls). Originally 𠌶 or 華 before the Han dynasty.
Unclear.
Possibly of Sino-Tibetan origin. Schuessler (2007) derives it from Proto-Sino-Tibetan *baːr (“bloom, flower”) and thus an example of possible *b ~ *w variation, with final -r moved to medial position. If so, cognate with 葩 (MC phae); outside Sinitic, compare Burmese ပန်း (pan:), Lepcha ᰓᰫᰲ (búr), Mizo páar, etc. Sagart (2021) also connects it to 葩 (OC *pʰˤra), modifying Baxter and Sagart's (2014) reconstruction to *Cə-pʰˤra and proposing the sound changes *Cə-pʰ- > *Cə-ɸ- > *ɸ- > xw-.
Sagart & Baxter (2024) reconstruct 荂 (OC *pʰra) ~ 葩 (OC *pʰˤra) and 荂 (OC *X.pʰra) ~ 花 (OC *X.pʰˤra) (with unknown prefix *X turning labial stops into Middle Chinese fricative initials in 荂 (MC xju) ~ 花 (MC xwae)). Further, they propose cognacy to Proto-Karen *phɔᴬ (“flower”) and reconstruct Proto-Sino-Tibetan *p(h)a (“idem”). Outside Sino-Tibetan, they propose cognacy to Proto-Austronesian *pahpah (“flower, petal; leaf”).
Alternatively, from Austroasiatic; compare Proto-Austroasiatic *bka(ː)ʔ (“flower”) (Schuessler, 2007).
華 (OC *ɡʷraː, “to flower”) is a derivative.

cog

2016, “啥人家囡兒啥人家花 [Of whose family's this daughter, of whose family these blooms]” (Southern Wuxi folklore tune), performed by 凤娥, 金匱山房主人:

Of the Chang family is this daughter; for the Chang family this cotton blooms. It is a daughter of the Chang family, who unloads cotton here in these fields.

¹tsan-ka₁-li₀ ⁶noe-gni₂-meq₈ ¹tsan-ka₁-li₀ ¹hu ¹tsan-ka₁-li₀ ⁶noe-gni₂-meq₈ ¹ten-leq₈ ²die-tson₁ ⁵sia ²mie-hu₁

張家裡囡兒末張家裡花 張家裡囡兒末登勒田中卸棉花

张家里囡儿末张家里花 张家里囡儿末登勒田中卸棉花

(dialectal Mandarin, Northern Wu) clipping of 棉花 (“cotton”)


苦

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (苦):
* → Japanese: 苦(く) (ku)
* → Korean: 고(苦) (go)
* → Vietnamese: khổ (苦)

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *kʰaːʔ, *kʰaːs): semantic 艸 (“grass”) + phonetic 古 (OC *kaːʔ) – bitter (as in bitter plants).
From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *kaʔ (“bitter; salty”); compare Tibetan ཁ (kha, “bitter”), Tangut 𗎖 (*khie¹, “bitter”) (STEDT; Jacques, 2014). Within Chinese, cognate with 肝 (OC *kaːn, “liver”).

inh

(transitive) to cause someone suffering; to give someone a hard time


茶

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (茶):
* → Japanese: 茶(ちゃ) (cha) (see there for further descendants)
* → Okinawan: 茶(ちゃー) (chā)
* → Korean: 차(茶) (cha)
* → Vietnamese: trà (茶)

→ Betawi: té (via Hokkien)

desc

→ Cantonese: 嗲 (de¹, “to chat”) (via Teochew)

→ Classical Persian: چَا (čā) (via Mandarin), چَای (čāy) (via Mandarin, with Persian suffix -y(i) added) (see there for further descendants)

→ Drung: cha

→ Dutch: thee (via Hokkien) (see there for further descendants)

→ English: cha, char (via Cantonese)

→ Hlai: dhe (via Hainanese)

→ Khmer: តែ (tae)

→ Malay: ca, cha (via Cantonese)

desctree

→ Malay: teh (via Hokkien)
> Indonesian: teh (inherited)

desc

→ Mongolian: цай (caj), ᠴᠠᠢ (čai) (via Mandarin)

desctree

→ Portuguese: chá (via Cantonese)
→ Apalaí: xa
→ Gujarati: ચા (cā)
→ Hunsrik: Scha
→ Nheengatu: xaa
→ Spanish: cha / chá (Philippine Spanish)
→? Tagalog: tsa, sa — obsolete, cha, saa, tsaa, chaa
→? Cebuano: tsa
→ Tetum: xá

→ Punjabi: (via Mandarin)

Gurmukhi script: ਚਾਹ (cāh)

Shahmukhi script: چاہ (cāh)

→ Spanish: té (via Hokkien)
→ Asturian: té
→ Basque: te
→ Catalan: te
→ Galician: té
→ Navajo: dééh
→ Occitan: tè

→ Proto-Tai: *ɟaːᴬ

Bouyei: xaz

Lao: ຊາ (sā)

Thai: ชา (chaa)

Zhuang: caz

→ Tibetan: ཇ (ja)

→ Vietnamese: chè (茶, 𦷨)

→ Yonaguni: さー

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *rlaː): semantic 艹 + phonetic 余 (OC *la).
茶, then slightly modified into a more conservative 茶, originates as a graphical modification of archaic 荼 (*rlaː, “bitter plant”), used for “tea” in classical sources. The modern version is unrelated to the bottom component of 條.
As tea may have originated from Sichuan, where the native Yi people speak Loloish languages, Sagart (1999) suggests that the Old Chinese item was possibly originally borrowed from Proto-Loloish *la¹ (“tea”), from Proto-Sino-Tibetan *s-la (“leaf; tea”). Schuessler (2007) traces its ultimate origin to Proto-Austroasiatic *slaʔ (“leaf”) (in Sidwell's 2024 reconstruction).
Alternatively, Qiu (1988) suggests that it might be a semantic extension of 荼 (*rlaː, “bitter plant”).

茶滷

tea left out overnight, stain on teaware

早茶

去茶樓飲餐茶

去茶楼饮餐茶


草

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (草):
* → Japanese: 草(そう) (sō)
* → Korean: 초(草) (cho)
* → Vietnamese: thảo (草)

Vietnamese: tháu (“scrawling”)

/t͡sʰɑʊ̯²¹⁴/

/t͡sʰɑʊ̯²¹⁴/

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *sʰuːʔ): semantic 艹 (“grass; plant”) + phonetic 早 (OC *ʔsuːʔ). Originally referred to 皂, and later borrowed for the “grass” sense, replacing 艸.
From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *r-tswa-n (“grass”); cognate with Tibetan རྩྭ (rtswa, “grass”) (Schuessler, 2007; STEDT).
Alternatively, it may be related to 芻 (OC *sʰro, “hay”), from Austroasiatic; compare Mon ချဲ (“grass; weeds; hay”) (Schuessler, 2007).

Han compound

屮
艸
𢂉
𦯑
𦯨
𦳕
𦷣
𦳱
騲

狂草

(calligraphy) short for 草書／草书 (cǎoshū, “cursive script (grass script)”)

草書

草擬／草拟


草

/t͡sʰɑʊ̯²¹⁴/

/t͡sʰɑʊ̯²¹⁴/

Orthographic borrowing from Japanese 草 (kusa, “LOL”). See the Japanese entry for more information.
As an interjection, this term is easily confused with the native “fuck” sense above. To distinguish between the two senses, 中國語／中国语 (Zhōngguóyǔ, “Chinese”) and 日本語／日本语 (Rìběnyǔ, “Japanese”) are usually put in parentheses following the term to specify which sense is intended.

obor

屮
艸
𢂉
𦯑
𦯨
𦳕
𦷣
𦳱
騲

草（中日雙語）

草（中日双语）


菜

/t͡sʰɔːi̯³³/

/t͡sʰai̯³²⁴/

/t͡sʰɔːi̯³³/

/t͡sʰai̯³²⁴/

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *sʰɯːs): semantic 艹 (“grass; plant”) + phonetic 采 (OC *sʰɯːʔ).
From 采 (OC *sʰɯːʔ, “to gather; to pluck”) + nominalizing *-s, literally “what is gathered or plucked” (Sagart, 1999; Schuessler, 2007). See 采 for more.

冬菜

preserved dried cabbage or mustard greens; winter vegetable

蔬菜

白菜

菠菜

vegetable; greens (Classifier: 棵 m; 根 m; 條／条 c; 樖 c)

菜籽 ― càizǐ ― rapeseed

菜油 ― càiyóu ― rapeseed oil

(specifically, in compounds) rape; rapeseed (plant used for vegetable oil)

這道菜很對胃口。

这道菜很对胃口。

Whenever he comes to this place, he orders the same dish.

Měi cì tā lái zhèr, tā dōu diǎn tóngyàng de cài.

每次他來這兒，他都點同樣的菜。

每次他来这儿，他都点同样的菜。

我在考慮我晚飯做什麼菜。

我在考虑我晚饭做什么菜。

dish; course (Classifier: 盤／盘 m; 道 m; 味 m)

他是我的菜！

(colloquial) (one's) type; cup of tea(Classifier: 條／条 c)

(Hong Kong Cantonese, slang, derogatory) girlfriend (Classifier: 條／条 c; 樖 c)


著

→ English: tio

/ʈ͡ʂaʊ̯ɻʷ⁵⁵/

/ʈ͡ʂaʊ̯ɻʷ⁵⁵/

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *taʔ, *tas, *da, *taɡ, *daɡ): semantic 艸 (“grass; plant”) + phonetic 者 (OC *tjaːʔ).
From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *s-ta-t (“to put; to place”). Cognate with Tibetan སྟད (stad, “to put on; to lay on”), སྟ་གོན (sta gon, “preparation; arrangement”), Burmese ထား (hta:, “to put; to place”). See also 署 (OC *djas, “to put, place”) (STEDT).

cog

着
着
𣋐
𣥧
囉
就
着
着

揀啊揀，揀著一個賣龍眼 / 揀啊揀，揀著一个賣龍眼 / 拣啊拣，拣着一个卖龙眼

kéng--ah kéng, kéng-tio̍h chi̍t ê bē lêng-géng

(dialectal Mandarin, Xiang) all right; OK; that's exactly what I was thinking


藍

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (藍):
* → Japanese: 藍(らん) (ran)
* → Korean: 람(藍) (ram)
* → Vietnamese: lam (藍)

desc

→ Proto-Hmong-Mien: *ŋglam ~ ŋgram (“indigo”)

White Hmong: nkaj

→ Proto-Tai: *g.raːmᴬ (“indigo”)

Thai: คราม (kraam)

Lao: ຄາມ (khām)

Zhuang: gyaemq (“purple-red”)

→ Proto-Tai: *kromꟲ (“indigo”)

Thai: ฮ่อม (hɔ̂ɔm)

Zhuang: romj, goromj

→? Proto-Vietic: *ɟaːm (“indigo”)

Muong: chàm

Vietnamese: chàm

→ Khmer: ត្រុំ (trom)

→ Zhuang: lamz

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *ɡ·raːm): semantic 艸 (“grass”) + phonetic 監 (OC *kraːm, *kraːms).
From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *g-ram (“indigo”); cognate with Lepcha ᰛᰤᰨᰮ (ryom), Mru [script needed] (charam), Tibetan རམས (rams, “indigo”) (STEDT; Schuessler, 2007; Hill, 2019). However, Laufer (1916) considers the Tibetan word to be borrowed from Chinese.
Schuessler (2007) considers this an areal word, possibly from Southeast Asia; cf. Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *taʀum (“indigo plant and dye”) (> Malay tarum).

cog

Burmese ခရမ်း (hka.ram:, “purple, violet”)

木藍／木蓝

蓼藍／蓼蓝

馬藍／马蓝

菘藍／菘蓝

Blue is obtained from the indigo plant but is bluer than the indigo plant.

青，取之於藍，而青於藍。

青，取之于蓝，而青于蓝。

結球甘藍／结球甘蓝

擘藍／擘蓝 ― bòlán ― kohlrabi

芥藍／芥蓝 ― jièlán ― gailan

西藍花／西蓝花

Brassica oleracea
Brassica oleracea#Translingual

回藍

回蓝

(fantasy, roleplaying games, video games) mana points or magic points


藥

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (藥):
* → Japanese: 薬(やく) (yaku)
* → Korean: 약(藥) (yak)
* → Vietnamese: dược (藥)

→ Kavalan: iyu

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *lawɢ): semantic 艹 (“grass”) + phonetic 樂 (OC *ŋraːwɢs, *raːwɢ, *ŋraːwɢ).
According to Schuessler (2007), either:
* related to Mizo hlo (“a weed, drug, medicine”), or
* cognate to 療 (OC *rews, “to treat, to cure”), thus beloning to the same word family as 瀹 (OC *lowɢ), 爍 (OC *qʰljawɢ).

Han compound

下藥

下药

substance used for a particular purpose (e.g. poisoning, fermenting, explosion)


號

→ Zhuang: heuh, hauh

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *ɦlaːw, *ɦlaːws): phonetic 号 (OC *ɦlaːws) + semantic 虎 (“tiger”).
Originally an ideogram (指事) of a tiger and a line representing its roar, hence exhaled air while roaring. Later forms added 口 (“mouth”) or 言 (“speech”) to emphasize the act of crying or calling. The original meaning was "to roar; to shout". 号 derives from 口 and the line 丂.
From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *(g/k)aw (“to call”) (Schuessler, 2007, STEDT). Compare Kinnauri ku, Anong go, and Burmese ခေါ် (hkau). The extension of the meaning ‘shout, call’ to ‘ask, request’ is parallel to 呼 (hū).
Pronunciation 1 is the exopassive derivation of pronunciation 2, literally "what is called".


行

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (行):
* → Japanese: 行(ぎょう) (gyō)
* → Korean: 항(行) (hang)
* → Vietnamese: hàng (行)

→ Khmer: ហាង (haang)

→ Thai: ห้าง (hâang)

→ Zhuang: hangz

Characters in the same phonetic series (行) (Zhengzhang, 2003)
Pictogram (象形) – a street intersection.
Originally symmetric, it has been simplified asymmetrically; the left half 彳 (chì) is widely used as a radical, while the right half 亍 (chù) finds occasional use, and the character can be broken up as 彳 + 亍, though originally it was not a compound.

Han etyl

(Cantonese) coarse; of poor quality; too general


行

道行


街

→ Bouyei: gaail

→ White Hmong: kev

→ Zhuang: gai

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *kreː, *kreː): semantic 行 + phonetic 圭 (OC *kʷeː).
Originally, the phonetic component is not related to the concept of earth (土) since in its original form it represents a pair of ritual axes perhaps made of jade 士. Hence, the link to the concept of earth in this character and 厓 either comes from folk etymology or its appearance in the Small Seal script.
From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *r/g-wa (“village”) (STEDT); see 里 (OC *rɯʔ, “village”) for more.

Han compound

街景

地下街

If you walk two blocks down the street, there will be a lot to eat.

haang⁴ lok⁶ loeng⁵ tiu⁴ gaai¹ daai⁶ baa² je⁵ sik⁶.

行落兩條街大把嘢食。

行落两条街大把嘢食。

(countable) street (Classifier: 條／条 m c)

to win with a distance of nine street blocks

贏九條街

赢九条街

(Hong Kong Cantonese, figuratively) distance; margin (Classifier: 條／条 c)

街外人 [Cantonese] ― gaai¹ ngoi⁶ jan⁴ [Jyutping] ― outsider

街症 [Cantonese] ― gaai¹ zing³ [Jyutping] ― outpatient clinic

(Hong Kong Cantonese) outside; the public


表

/pi̯aʊ̯ɻʷ²¹⁴/

/pi̯aʊ̯ɻʷ²¹⁴/

Originally 𧘝, an ideogrammic compound (會意 /会意): 衣 (“garment; clothing”) + 毛 (“hair; feather”) — outer garment.
Officially adopted as the simplified form of 錶 (etymology 2) in the Chinese Character Simplification Scheme (《漢字簡化方案》) in 1956.

外表

月表

虛有其表／虚有其表

表裡不一／表里不一

to think in one way but speak and act in another

申請表／申请表

填表

form (blank document to be filled in) (Classifier: 張／张 m c g; 份 m c)

出師表／出师表 ― Chūshī Biǎo ― Chu Shi Biao (either of two memorials written by Zhuge Liang and presented to Liu Shan)

(historical) memorial to the throne; letter to the ruler of a place or country; from an official in court to the emperor/king


被

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *bralʔ, *brals): semantic 衣 (“clothing”) + phonetic 皮 (OC *bral).
Cognate with 披 (OC *pʰral, *pʰralʔ). The meaning of passive marker is an extension of "to wear; to be covered by something".

Han compound

被子

被褥

墊被／垫被 ― diànbèi ― mattress

2021, “記憶棉 [Pillow Talk]”, 林寶 [Jackson Lam] (lyrics), 徐浩 [Terry Chui] (music)performed by 張天賦 [MC]:

Hugging on a blanket, I thought of you in the memory foam

jan⁴ pou⁵ zoek⁶ jat¹ zoeng¹ pei⁵, zoi⁶ gei³ jik¹ min⁴ noi⁶ soeng² hei² nei⁵

人抱著一張被 在記憶棉內想起你

人抱着一张被 在记忆棉内想起你

bedding; quilt; blanket (Classifier: 床 m; 張／张 c; 領／领 mn)


裝

/t͡szʷæ̃³³⁴/

/t͡szʷæ̃³³⁴/

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *ʔsraŋ, *ʔsraŋs): phonetic 壯 (OC *ʔsraŋs) + semantic 衣 (“clothes”).

Han compound

裝個電話

装个电话

to assemble; to install (a fixture, a computer program, etc.)


裡

Wutunhua: -li

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *rɯʔ): semantic 衤 (“clothes”) + phonetic 里 (OC *rɯʔ), unorthodox form of 裏.

Han compound

誰在這房間裡？

谁在这房间里？

2024, 謝銘祐 [Ming-Yo Hsieh], “異鄉人”, in 偏南, performed by 謝銘祐 [Ming-Yo Hsieh]:

ko͘-toaⁿ ê lâng, chi̍t chōa chi̍t chōa bih bāng--lin siû

孤單的人 一逝一逝覕夢裡泅

孤单的人 一逝一逝𰴕梦里泅

暑假裡

暑假里


要

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (要):
* → Japanese: 要(よう) (yō)
* → Korean: 요(要) (yo)
* → Vietnamese: yêu (要)

Characters in the same phonetic series (要) (Zhengzhang, 2003)
Pictogram (象形): a man 大 then drawn as a woman (女) with two hands pointing to his/her midsection. On top of the character there was huge eye 目, then stylized as a horn 角. The hands gradually shifted upwards; hence, a nearly-original version of the character is 𡢗. All the upper part was eventually stylized as 覀. Unrelated to 栗 but partly related to 票.
Original meaning was “waist” (now 腰 (OC *qew)).

Han etyl

久要


要

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (要):
* → Japanese: 要(よう) (yō)
* → Korean: 요(要) (yo)
* → Vietnamese: yếu (要)

(dated Shanghainese) Used to indicate the future tense.


見

Characters in the same phonetic series (見) (Zhengzhang, 2003)
目 (“eye”) + 卩 (“kneeling person”) – a kneeling human figure with a large eye for a head. Similar but unrelated to 艮. See also 夏 and 監.
From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *ken.

Han etyl

(～母) (Chinese linguistics) the Middle Chinese initial of 見 (MC kenH)


角

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (角):
* → Japanese: 角(かく) (kaku)
* → Korean: 각(角) (gak)
* → Vietnamese: giác (角)

→ Khmer: កាក់ (kak)
→ English: kak

→ Thai: กั๊ก (gák)

→ Vietnamese: góc

/t͡ɕi̯ɑʊ̯²¹⁴/

/t͡ɕi̯ɑʊ̯²¹⁴/

Characters in the same phonetic series (角) (Zhengzhang, 2003)
Pictogram (象形) – a horn. A conservative version is 𧢲. Similar but unrelated to 甬, 用, and the bottom part of 備.
From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *krəw (“horn; angle; corner”) (STEDT). Cognate with Tibetan རྭ (rwa, “horn”), Garo grong (“horn”), Jingpho nrung (“horn”), Chepang रोङः (roŋʔ, “horn”), 觡 (OC *kraːɡ, “antler”). The Tibeto-Burman *-ŋ final variant is reflected in 觥 (OC *kʷraːŋ, “drinking vessel made from animal horn”) (Schuessler, 2007). Possibly also related to 鹿 (OC *b·roːɡ, “deer”) (Sagart, 1999).
A derivative is 餃 (“stuffed dumpling”), named for its horn-like shape (Norman, 1988).
It is probably unrelated with Proto-Indo-European *ḱr̥h₂nós (“horn”) ( < *ḱerh₂- (“horn”)) and Proto-Semitic *ḳarn- (“horn”) despite the phonological and semantic resemblance between the three.

och-l

Why is the note called jué? Jué means yuè ‘to leap’' the yang-fluid stirs and leaps; …

Ban Gu, The Comprehensive Discussions in the White Tiger Hall, 79 CE, translated based on Tjan Tjoe Som's version

Suǒyǐ míng zhī wèi jué zhě? Yuè yě, yángqì dòngyuè;.......

所以名之為角者？躍也，陽氣動躍；……。

所以名之为角者？跃也，阳气动跃；……。

(music) third note in the Chinese pentatonic scale, or mi


角

(obsolete on its own in Standard Chinese) only used in 角里 (former placename, located in Jiangsu province, now Zhūjiājiǎo)


記

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (記):
* → Japanese: 記(き) (ki)
* → Korean: 기(記) (gi)
* → Vietnamese: kí (記)

→ Vietnamese: ghi

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *kɯs): semantic 言 (“speech; words”) + phonetic 己 (OC *kɯʔ).

緬懷

to cherish the memory of, especially the deceased

birthmark (a mark on the skin formed before birth) (Classifier: 塊／块 m)


詞

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *ljɯ): semantic 言 (“speech”) + phonetic 司 (OC *slɯ).

Han compound

(literature) ci; a form of poetry originating in the Tang dynasty and flourishing during the Song dynasty (Classifier: 首 m)


試

desc

→ Vietnamese: thử (“to try, to test”), thi (“to take an exam”)

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *hljɯɡs): semantic 言 + phonetic 式 (OC *hljɯɡ).
Exoactive form of 式 (shì, “to use, to make use of”), with a causative s/h-suffix (Schuessler, 2007, p. 466).

Han compound

我切嚿蛋糕畀你试吖。 [Cantonese, simp.]
ngo⁵ cit³ gau⁶ daan⁶ gou¹ bei² nei⁵ si³ aa¹. [Jyutping]

Let me cut a piece of cake for you to try.


話

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (話):
* → Japanese: 話(わ) (wa)
* → Korean: 화(話) (hwa)
* → Vietnamese: thoại (話)

→ Lao: ວ່າ (wā)

→ Lü: ᦞᦱᧈ (vaa¹)

→ Shan: ဝႃႈ (wāa)

→ Thai: ว่า (wâa)

→ Zhuang: vah

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *ɡroːds): semantic 言 (“word”) + phonetic 𠯑 (OC *ɡroːd). The right component is not related to 舌 (OC *ɦbljed, “tongue”).
Cognate with 曰 (OC *ɢʷad) according to Sagart (1999); if so, it is from Proto-Sino-Tibetan *grwas (“to speak; word”), whence Tibetan གྲོས་སྡུར་བྱེད་པ (gros sdur byed pa, “to consult; to discuss”) (STEDT).
; "episode"

cog

གྲོས་སྡུར་བྱེད་པ

四川話

四川话

越南話

越南话

What language do you usually speak with him?

nei⁵ ping⁴ si⁴ tung⁴ keoi⁵ gong² me¹ waa⁶⁻² gaa³?

你平時同佢講咩話㗎？

你平时同佢讲咩话㗎？


該

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *kɯː): semantic 言 + phonetic 亥 (OC *ɡɯːʔ).

Han compound

(obsolete on its own in Standard Chinese) to contain; to include

(obsolete on its own in Standard Chinese) extensive; comprehensive; wide

該死

该死

我該去睡了。

我该去睡了。


說

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (說):
* → Japanese: 説(せつ) (setsu)
* → Korean: 설(說) (seol)
* → Vietnamese: thuyết (說)

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *hljods, *hljod, *lod): semantic 言 + phonetic 兌 (OC *l'oːds).
All of the pronunciations of this character are in the same word family apparently derived from a root *lo meaning “to loosen; to relax” (Schuessler, 2007); based on this, STEDT compares the word to Proto-Sino-Tibetan *g/s-lwat (“free; release; slip; dislocate”), whence also 脫 (OC *l̥ʰoːd, *l'oːd, “to peel off, take off (clothes), escape, etc.”). However, STEDT also offers an alternative derivation from a provisional Proto-Sino-Tibetan *b-tsyat (“to speak, say”), comparing Tibetan འཆད ('chad, “to say, explain”), which is semantically more appealing; the association with the words associated with "release" may be a case of phonetic pigeonholing.
According to the "release" theory, Pronunciation 1 is derived by causative devoicing of 悅 (OC *lod, “to relax; to be delighted”) (pronunciation 3).
Pronunciation 2 is probably the exoactive of pronunciation 1.

och-l

說漢語

说汉语

說話

说话

這就是我所說的。

这就是我所说的。

是說你，不是說他。

是说你，不是说他。

你怎麼天天都說我？

你怎么天天都说我？


誰

From shortening of 是誰／是谁 (chī-choa̍h), from 是誰仔／是谁仔 (chī-chūi-á).

zh-l

是誰仔／是谁仔 (chī-chūi-á)

谁
谁
倽
上
仩
谁
𪝊
𫢗
谁
谁
孰:chiâ
咜:chôa

(Hokkien, including Zhangzhou and Taichung Hokkien) who; whom


課

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *kʰloːl, *kʰloːls): semantic 言 (“to say”) + phonetic 果 (OC *kloːlʔ) – to assess; to examine.

Han compound

(modern) to pay for online goods or services


談

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *l'aːm): semantic 言 (“speech”) + phonetic 炎 (OC *ɦlam).
From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *g-tam ~ g-dam.

Han compound

奇談／奇谈

趣談／趣谈


請

/t͡ɕʰiaŋ²¹³/

/t͡sʰi̯aŋ³¹/

/t͡sʰiɪŋ⁵⁵⁴/

/t͡ɕʰiaŋ²¹³/

/t͡sʰi̯aŋ³¹/

/t͡sʰiɪŋ⁵⁵⁴/

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *sʰleŋʔ, *zleŋs, *zleŋ): semantic 言 (“say”) + phonetic 青 (OC *sʰleːŋ).

Han compound

(Internet slang, interjection) Used to form a retort.


講

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (講):
* → Japanese: 講(こう) (kō)
* → Korean: 강(講) (gang)
* → Vietnamese: giảng (講)

→ Bouyei: gaangc

→ Zhuang: gangj

/t͡ɕi̯ɑŋ²¹⁴/

/t͡ɕi̯ɑŋ²¹⁴/

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *kroːŋʔ): semantic 言 (“say”) + phonetic 冓 (OC *koː, *koːs).

Han compound

Zhanguo Ce, circa 5ᵗʰ – 3ʳᵈ centuries BCE

Qín gōng Zhào, Zhào lìng Lóu Huǎn yǐ wǔ chéng qiú jiǎng yú Qín, ér yǔ zhī fá Qí.

秦攻趙，趙令樓緩以五城求講於秦，而與之伐齊。

秦攻赵，赵令楼缓以五城求讲于秦，而与之伐齐。

1999, “無名紅歌星”performed by 豬頭皮 [zhūtóupí]:

tong-chho͘ siūⁿ kóng góa teh chò koa-chheⁿ, siōng-bô mā hông khòaⁿ khah ū ba̍k-tē

At first I thought that I, becoming a singer, would at least be seen more highly

當初想講我咧作歌星 項無嘛弘看卡有目的

当初想讲我咧作歌星 项无嘛弘看卡有目的

I had a feeling that I shouldn't be here listening to this sinful man

2010, 徐立妍 (Arlene Li-yen Hsu), 《刣死一隻鳥仔》閩南語譯文 (Taiwanese Translation of To Kill A Mockingbird), in 閩南語翻譯問題初探—以《刣死一隻鳥仔》為例 (A Preliminary Analysis of the Issues of Taiwanese Translations: A Case Study of the Taiwanese Translation of To Kill A Mockingbird), page 102

Góa kám-kak kóng góa bô èng-kai thiaⁿ chit ê pháiⁿ-lâng kóng-ōe

我感覺講我無應該聽這个歹人講話

我感觉讲我无应该听这个歹人讲话

(Hokkien) Used after a verb to introduce a clause that is the object of the verb: that

第二講／第二讲


讀

→ Vietnamese: đọc

→ Zhuang: doeg

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *l'oːɡ): semantic 言 (“to say”) + phonetic 𧶠 (OC *luɡ).
“To say aloud, to tell” (Shijing) > “to recite” > “to read”.
Cognate with Tibetan ཀློག (klog, “to read; to recite”). Starostin sets up Proto-Sino-Tibetan *k-lok (“to recite; to give notice”) for this, and also includes Burmese လျှောက် (hlyauk, “to tell; to ask; to petition; word-for-word translation; indiscriminately”) and Mizo thlûk (“accent, tone, intonation”). Related to 讟 (OC *l'oːɡ, “resentment, slander < to grumble; complaint”).
STEDT provisionally sets up Proto-Sino-Tibetan *s-g-(l/r)əwk (“to read”), relating it to 牘 (OC *l'oːɡ, “tablet”).
Sagart (1999) argues that “read” cannot be the primary meaning, since existence of the concept “to read” before the invention of writing is questionable. There was likely no writing at the time of the split between Chinese and other Sino-Tibetan languages, therefore the Tibetan word may represent a borrowing from Chinese.

inh

朗讀

朗读

read the side if any; read the middle part if there is no side

有邊讀邊，沒邊讀中間

有边读边，没边读中间

二讀

二读


變

Tai Languages

→ Proto-Southwestern Tai: *pliənᴮ²

Thai: เปลี่ยน (bplìian)

Lao: ປ່ຽນ (pīan)

desc

Lü: ᦵᦔᧃᧈ (ṗen¹)

Lü: ᦵᦔᧃᧈ (ṗen¹)

Tai Dam: ꪜꪸ꪿ꪙ

Shan: ပိၼ်ႇ (pìn)

Tai Nüa: ᥙᥤᥢᥱ (pǐn)

Northern Tai

Zhuang: bienq

Central Tai

Nong Zhuang: byenq, benq

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *prons): phonetic 䜌 (OC *b·roːn, *b·ron, *b·rons) + semantic 攴.
Likely related to 亂 (OC *roːns, “disorder”) (Baxter, 1992). Perhaps related to Tibetan སྤྲུལ་བ (sprul ba, “to transform”) (Shi, 2000) and Burmese ပြောင်း (praung:, “to change”).

改觀

to change appearance, to change one's view

春天後母面，欲變一時間 / 春天后母面，欲变一时间

chhun-thiⁿ āu-bú bīn, beh piàn chi̍t sî-kan

(Buddhism) bianwen (form of narrative literature from the Tang dynasty)


讓

The exopassive of 攘 (OC *njaŋ, *njaŋʔ, *njaŋs, “to remove”) ("to remove" > ("to remove oneself") > "to yield; to concede").
Cognate with 攘 (OC *njaŋ, *njaŋʔ, *njaŋs, “to remove; to steal”), 禳 (OC *njaŋ, “to expel; to sacrifice to expel disasters”), Tibetan གནང (gnang, “to give; to grant”), Burmese နှင်း (hnang:, “to confer; to grant”), Burmese နှင် (hnang, “to drive away; to expel”) (Schuessler, 2007); all from Proto-Sino-Tibetan *naŋ (“to drive; grant, allow”).

inh

媽媽不讓我去。

妈妈不让我去。

Let's team up to get this task finished.

Ràng wǒmen liánhé yīqǐ bǎ zhè xiàng gōngzuò zuò hǎo.

讓我們聯合一起把這項工作做好。

让我们联合一起把这项工作做好。

Yiwu informed Duke Xian of Jin [of the incident]; the Duke dispatched messengers to reprimand him (Shi Wei).

夷吾訴之，公使讓之。

夷吾诉之，公使让之。


讓

讓-雅克·盧梭

让-雅克·卢梭

A transliteration of the French surname and male given name Jean


豬

Referring to the similar-sounding word 處／处 (cyu2).

(Cantonese) virginity (Classifier: 隻／只 c)


貓

→ English: ngeow (via Teochew)

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *mreːw, *mrew): semantic 豸 + phonetic 苗 (OC *mrew). The phonetic component perhaps points to the onomatopoeic nature of this word.
Ma Xulun suggested that 豸 was the original character of 貓.
Onomatopoeic. Compare 喵 (miāo, “meow, the onomatopoeic cry of a cat”).
Schuessler (2007) minimally reconstructs Old Chinese *mau, reasoning that 貓's place among division II syllables results from its onomatopoeic nature instead of an Old Chinese medial *-r-; onomatopoeia is also responsible for the 陰平／阴平 (yīnpíng) tone instead of the expected 陽平／阳平 (yángpíng).

zh-l

陰平／阴平 (yīnpíng)

猫
猫
猫
毛
猫
猫
猫
媌

(Mandarin, colloquial) to hang around; to stay somewhere doing nothing


貓

猫
猫
猫
毛
猫
猫
猫
媌

貓腰

猫腰


貓

猫
猫
猫
毛
猫
猫
猫
媌


貴

Simplified from 䝿 (臾 → 𠀐). Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *kluds): phonetic 臾 (OC *ɡruds, *lo) + semantic 貝 (“money cowrie”).
From Sino-Tibetan; compare Tibetan གུས (gus, “respect, reverence, devotion”) (Schuessler, 2007; STEDT).

cog

貴族

贵族

Riches and honors are what men desire. If it cannot be obtained in the proper way, they should not be held. Poverty and meanness are what men dislike. If it cannot be avoided in the proper way, they should not be avoided.

The Analects of Confucius, c. 475 – 221 BCE, translated based on James Legge's version

Fù yǔ guì shì rén zhī suǒ yù yě, bù yǐ qí dào dé zhī, bù chù yě; pín yǔ jiàn shì rén zhī suǒ è yě, bù yǐ qí dào dé zhī, bù qù yě.

富與貴是人之所欲也，不以其道得之，不處也；貧與賤是人之所惡也，不以其道得之，不去也。

富与贵是人之所欲也，不以其道得之，不处也；贫与贱是人之所恶也，不以其道得之，不去也。


買

→ Proto-Hmong-Mien: *mɛjX (“to buy”)

Ideogrammic compound (會意 /会意): 网 (“net”) + 貝 (“money cowrie”). The original version is 𧵽.
Baxter and Sagart (2014) consider it to be a phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声): abbreviated phonetic 羅 (*rˤaj) + semantic 貝 (“money cowrie”).
Possibly from Proto-Sino-Tibetan *g/m/s-laj ~ *r/s-lej ~ *b-rej (“to buy; to barter”); compare Proto-Karen *breᴬ (“to buy”), Proto-Bodo-Garo *prai¹ (“to buy”), Tibetan རྗེ (rje, “to exchange; to barter”) (Schuessler, 2007; Sagart, 1999, 2011). Benedict (1967, 1972) considers this allofam to be a result of borrowing from Austro-Tai *(m)baḷi several times into Sino-Tibetan languages.
Alternatively, Haudricourt and Strecker (1991) consider 買 and 賣 to be borrowed from Hmong-Mien, which may have a family of verbs related to possession: *mɛjX (“to buy”, corresponding to 買), *mɛjH (“to buy”, corresponding to 賣), *ʔ-mɛj (“to grasp”), *n-mɛj (“to have”) (Ratliff, 2010). However, Sagart (1995) argues that the direction of borrowing is more likely to be from Chinese to Hmong-Mien because Hmong-Mien does not seem to have a suffix that would give rise to the tone in the word for “to buy”. In addition to these two ways of relating the Chinese word to Hmong-Mien, Ratliff (2010) proposes common inheritance as a third option and maintains that more evidence is needed to determine which of the three explanations are correct.
The surname only appears among Taiwanese aboriginals and Hui people in Mainland China. The surname is from the Siraya name Takalomay in Taiwan or possibly from the name 買買提 /买买提 (Mǎimǎití, “Mehmet”) for Hui people.


贏

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *leŋ): phonetic 𦝠 (luó) + semantic 貝 (“cowry; money”).
Despite STEDT, probably not related to 盈 (OC *leŋ, “to fill; full, surplus”), in light of Baxter and Sagart's reconstruction of the Old Chinese pronunciation. Instead, note similarities to Proto-Lolo-Burmese *ʔoŋ¹ (“to win, complete”), whence Burmese အောင် (aung, “to be victorious”).

cog

赢
𦢼
⿱夃𠀃
⿱亡⿵𠘨贝

(Gan, Xiang) Used with 不 or 得 to express capability.


走

Ideogrammic compound (會意 /会意): 夭 (“young, running man”) + 止 (“foot”) – a running man. The original version is 𧺆.
The top component (夭) is simplified to the unrelated 土. See also the top component of 去 and 赤.
As with 圭, there are two separate vertical strokes, not a single one.
Schuessler (2007) considers this to be part of a large Sino-Tibetan word family, including 搜 (OC *sru, “to move”), 速 (OC *sloːɡ, “quick”), 夙 (OC *suɡ, “morning”), 聳 (OC *sloŋʔ, “to excite”), 蔌 (OC *sloːɡ, “vegetables”), which derive from Proto-Sino-Tibetan *m-sow (“to arise; to awake”).

被難

to be killed in a disaster, political incident

(figurative) to learn to run before one can walk

未學行，先學走

未学行，先学走

c. 3rd century BCE, 韓非 [Han Fei], 韓非子 [Han Feizi]:

(literary or dialectal Mandarin, Cantonese, Hakka, Min, Wu) to run; to jog

煤氣管道走氣了。

煤气管道走气了。

我們可以走這邊進去。

我们可以走这边进去。


起

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *kʰɯʔ): semantic 走 + phonetic 巳 (OC *ljɯʔ, *lɯs).
Perhaps from Proto-Sino-Tibetan *kyi (“to lift, raise, awake”); cognate with Burmese ချီ (hkyi, “to lift”) (STEDT).

inh

particle placed after verbs to indicate the beginning of a continued action


跑

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *bruː, *bruːɡ): semantic 足 (“foot”) + phonetic 包 (OC *pruː).
Compare Proto-Loloish *paw¹ (“to flee”) (Schuessler, 2007).
The computing sense is a semantic loan from English run.

Han compound

跑到學堂去

跑到学堂去

(dialectal) to walk; to stroll; to go to

to rush about; to make the rounds; to be busy

我先跑了。

Samsung's DeX can be used to run Linux now

三星的DeX可以拿來跑Linux了

三星的DeX可以拿来跑Linux了

(computing, colloquial) to run (a program)


跟

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *kɯːn): semantic 足 (“foot”) + phonetic 艮 (OC *kɯːns).
Cognate with 根 (OC *kɯːn, “root”) (Wang, 1982).

Han compound

obediently look after me and my dad at home

2000, 梁左 and 梁欢, 《闲人马大姐》, episode 2, 17:42

乖乖兒地跟家伺候我和我爸

乖乖儿地跟家伺候我和我爸


路

Muong language
Proto-Vietic language
Vietnamese language
Waic languages

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *ɡ·raːɡs): semantic 足 + phonetic 各 (OC *klaːɡ).
Either related to 格 (OC *klaːɡ, *kraːɡ, “to come, to arrive (obsolete)”) (Baxter, 1992) or from Proto-Austroasiatic *kraʔ (“road, way”) (Schuessler, 2007), whence Proto-Vietic *kraːʔ (→ fossilized Vietnamese sá & Muong khá (“road, way”)), Chong [script needed] (khraa), Kuy [script needed] ((k)na), and Proto-Waic *kraʔ. Possibly cognate with 略 (OC *ɡ·raɡ).
; "-year-old, in multiples of ten"

och-l

三路進軍

三路进军

12路公交車

12路公交车


跳

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *l̥ʰeːws, *l'eːw): semantic 足 (“foot”) + phonetic 兆 (OC *l'ewʔ).
Related to 超 (OC *tʰew, “to leap onto; to leap over; to surpass”) (Schuessler, 2007).

och-l

跳級

跳级

I will never skip such an awesome opening.

我絕對不跳這麼好聽的OP。

我绝对不跳这么好听的OP。


踢

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *tʰeːɡ): semantic 足 (“foot”) + phonetic 易 (OC *leːɡs, *leɡ).
From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *r-t(j/w)ak (“to kick”) (STEDT).

inh

(Internet) to kick (from a group, forum, etc.)


躺

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *tʰaːŋʔ): semantic 身 (“body”) + phonetic 尚 (OC *djaŋ, *djaŋs).

Han compound

躺在床上


輕

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *kʰeŋ, *kʰeŋs): semantic 車 (“carriage”) + phonetic 巠 (OC *keːŋ). Explanation of semantic component: light carriage.
STEDT and Schuessler relate this to Proto-Tibeto-Burman *r-jaːŋ (“light (weight); lightweight”), but the initial in the Chinese word is incompatible.

noncog

lightweight; portable; convenient to carry or manoeuvre

Lü Bu possessed a roaring tiger's valor, yet no strategy of talented and extraordinary people's; he was frivolous, impetuous, and shifty, only looking out for his own gain. From antiquity till now, there was none like this who was not destroyed.

Chen Shou, Records of the Three Kingdoms, circa 3ʳᵈ century CE

Lǚ Bù yǒu xiāohǔ zhī yǒng, ér wú yīngqí zhī lüè, qīng jiǎo fǎnfù, wéilìshìshì. Zìgǔ jíjīn, wèiyǒu ruòcǐ bù yímiè yě.

呂布有虓虎之勇，而無英奇之略，輕狡反覆，唯利是視。自古及今，未有若此不夷滅也。

吕布有虓虎之勇，而无英奇之略，轻狡反覆，唯利是视。自古及今，未有若此不夷灭也。

(obsolete on its own in Standard Chinese) frivolous; skittish; giddy

(obsolete, chemistry) Alternative name for 氫／氢 (qīng, “hydrogen”).


輛

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *raŋs): semantic 車 (“vehicle”) + phonetic 兩 (OC *raŋʔ, *raŋs).
Generally thought to be the exopassive of 兩 (OC *raŋʔ, *raŋs, “two”), i.e. "that which is paired (a set of wheels)" (Schuessler, 2007). That said, note similarities to Proto-Tibeto-Burman *s-ljaŋ (“cart”), whence Burmese လှည်း (hlany:, “cart”) (Luce, 1981).

Han compound

一輛車

一辆车

一輛跑車

一辆跑车

Classifier for wheeled vehicles. ⇒ all nouns using this classifier


輸

→ Vietnamese: thua (“to lose”)

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *hljo, *hljos): semantic 車 + phonetic 俞 (OC *l̥ʰus, *lo).

Han compound

输
⿱亼𨊸
⿰車𬾮*
输

運輸

运输

Jìn jī, qín shū zhī sù; qín jī, jìn bì zhī dí, gù qín bó fá jìn.

晉饑，秦輸之粟；秦饑，晉閉之糴，故秦伯伐晉。

晋饥，秦输之粟；秦饥，晋闭之籴，故秦伯伐晋。

輸給一個小孩

输给一个小孩

輸畀個細路

输畀个细路

The wise exhaust their wisdom; the brave consume their bravery; the wealthy lose their wealth; [when] the entire country shares a common goal, the will of the masses forge a stronghold.

1915: 李大釗 (Li Dazhao) 《警告全國父老書》 (A Letter of Warning to All the Elders of the Country)

Zhì zhě jié qí zhì, yǒng zhě fèn qí yǒng, fù zhě shū qí cái, jǔ guó yīzhì, zhòngzhìchéngchéng.

智者竭其智，勇者奮其勇，富者輸其財，舉國一致，眾志成城。

智者竭其智，勇者奋其勇，富者输其财，举国一致，众志成城。


輸

输
⿱亼𨊸
⿰車𬾮*
输

(obsolete on its own in Standard Chinese) alternative form of 腧 (“acupoint”)


辦

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *breːns): phonetic 辡 (OC *prenʔ, *brenʔ) + semantic 力 (“strength”).
Cognate with Tibetan བྲེལ་བ (brel ba, “to be employed; busy”) (Schuessler, 2007). Note also similarities to Burmese ဖန် (hpan, “to make, create”).

cog

法辦／法办

君信可人，必能辦賊者也。

君信可人，必能办贼者也。

1888, James Dyer Ball, Cantonese Made Easy, Hongkong: The 'China Mail' Office, page 12:

He ought to be sentenced to two weeks' imprisonment.

jing¹ goi¹ baan⁶ keoi⁵ co⁵ loeng⁵ go³ lai⁵ baai³ gaam¹ aa³.

應該辦佢坐兩個禮拜監呀。

应该办佢坐两个礼拜监呀。

Pìrú Yù tàizūn suǒ bàn de rén, dàyuē shí fēn zhōng jiǔ fēn bàn shì liángmín, bànfēn shì zhèxiē xiǎodào.

譬如玉太尊所辦的人，大約十分中九分半是良民，半分是這些小盜。

譬如玉太尊所办的人，大约十分中九分半是良民，半分是这些小盗。


退

→ Thai: ถอย (tɔ̌i)

In oracle bone script, ideogrammic compound (會意 /会意): 皀 (“food vessel”) + 夊 (“downward foot”) – to leave the table after eating. Variants that depicted the vessel as 酉 or 豆 were common. Bronze inscriptions added 彳 to emphasize the action of walking away.
In the modern form the vessel 皀 has simplified to the unrelated 艮, similar to ⾷, 即, 既, 郷.
Shuowen misinterprets the seal script form as ideogrammic compound (會意 /会意): 彳 (“move”) + 夊 (“walk”) + 日 (“sun”) – to walk away from the sun, to retreat.


送

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *sloːŋs): semantic 辶 (“to walk”) + phonetic 灷 (zhuàn).
Derivative: 餸／𩠌 (sung3, “(Cantonese) accompanying dish”).


這

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *ŋrans): semantic 辶 (“walk”) + phonetic 言 (OC *ŋan).
The character was originally a verb meaning “to meet”, whose modern pronunciation is yàn. It was later borrowed for the proximal demonstrative “this/here”, by a confusion in medieval handwriting with 遮 (zhē, “this”).
First attested in the Tang dynasty; etymology unclear. Proposed etymologies:
* From 者 (OC *tjaːʔ, “one which”) (Lü, 1985). Wang (1990) notes that 者 always occurs after what is referred to, whereas 這 always before.
*: 者 (OC *tjaːʔ, “one which”) > 者 (MC tsyaeX, “this (possessive case)”) > 者 (MC tsyaeX, “this (general demonstrative)”) > Mandarin 這 /这 (zhè).
* From 之 (OC *tjɯ, “this; it”) (Wang, 1990). Norman (1988) notes that this derivation would be phonologically problematic.

ltc-l

这
遮
者
只
拓
J
迓
邇
即
此
这
这

filler particle usually used when the speaker is tongue-tied.


通

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *l̥ʰoːŋ): semantic 辶 + phonetic 甬 (OC *loŋʔ).

Han compound

I tried to call several times but couldn't get through.

ngo⁵ daa² zo² gei² ci³ dou¹ daa² m⁴ tung¹.

我打咗幾次都打唔通。

我打咗几次都打唔通。

to pass through; to travel through; to go through; or, to allow passage


進

→ Vietnamese: tiến

Ideogrammic compound (會意 /会意): 辵 (“walk”) + 隹 (“short-tail bird”). A bird can only walk forward not backward, hence implying "forward". Shuowen Jiezi interprets it as
Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *ʔslins): semantic 辵 + abbreviated phonetic 閵 (OC *rins).
Unknown (Schuessler, 2007). Note similarities to Burmese ဆန်း (hcan:, “to be new; to begin a new year or season”).

cog

一個女孩進了房間。

一个女孩进了房间。


遍

From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *p-(r/j)an (“to spread (wide), stretch out”); compare Burmese ပြန့် (pran., “flat and even, broad”) (STEDT).

cog

Multiple-pass compilation allows for more extensive and thorough optimization, resulting in a higher quality target program.

Duō biàn biānyì nénggòu shǐ yōuhuà gōngzuò zuò dé gèngduō, gèng chōngfēn, kě huòdé gèng gāo zhìliàng de mùbiāo chéngxù.

多遍編譯能夠使優化工作做得更多、更充分，可獲得更高質量的目標程序。

多遍编译能够使优化工作做得更多、更充分，可获得更高质量的目标程序。

(computing) pass, a run through a document as part of a translation, compilation or reformatting process.


過

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (過):
* → Japanese: 過(か) (ka)
* → Korean: 과(過) (gwa)
* → Vietnamese: quá (過, “too; to exceed”), qua (過, “to cross; through; across”)

→ Proto-Hmong-Mien: *KʷajH (“to cross”)

White Hmong: dhau

→ Proto-Tai: *kwaːᴮ (“to cross over”)

Lao: ກວ່າ (kuā, “than; more than”)

desc

Shan: ၵႂႃႇ (kwàa, “go; work, run (as an engine)”)

Thai: กว่า (gwàa, “than; more than; over; go; overflow; pass”)

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *kloːl, *kloːls): semantic 辵 (“walk”) + phonetic 咼 (OC *kʰʷroːl).
From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *m/s-ka-j (“to go, to stride”) (STEDT). Related to 跨 (OC *kʰʷraː, *kʰʷraːʔ, *kʰʷraːs, *kʰʷaːs, “to pass over”) and 騎 (OC *ɡral, *ɡrals, “to ride”).

och-l

過著艱苦的生活

过着艰苦的生活

He is planning to spend his summer holiday in Hong Kong.

keoi⁵ daa² syun³ faan¹ ou³ zau¹ gwo³ syu² gaa³.

佢打算返澳洲過暑假。

佢打算返澳洲过暑假。


道

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (道):
* → Japanese: 道(どう) (dō)
* → Korean: 도(道) (do)
* → Vietnamese: đạo (道)

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *l'uːʔ): semantic 辵 (“walking”) + phonetic 首 (OC *hljuʔ, *hljus).
Possibly derived from 導 (OC *duːs, “to go along, to bring along, to conduct”):
* > "to explain" > "to talk about", and
* > "road, way".
Possibly cognate with Proto-Hmong-Mien *kləuX (“road, way”) (> White Hmong kev (“road”)). See also 首 (OC *hljuʔ, *hljus).

och-l

噵
衜
衟
𡬹
𨔞
𨕐
𨕥
𨖁
𨗓

The Way that can be told is not the constant Way. The name that can be named is not the constant name.

Dào kě dào, fēi cháng dào. Míng kě míng, fēi cháng míng.

道可道，非常道。名可名，非常名。

(philosophy, Taoism) the Way; the Tao; the Dao: the way of nature and/or the ideal way to live one's life


遠

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *ɢʷanʔ, *ɢʷans): semantic 辵 (“walk”) + phonetic 袁 (OC *ɢʷan).
From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *g-wəj-n (“far”) (STEDT). Cognate with Proto-Lolo-Burmese *wəj² (“far”), whence Burmese ဝေး (we:, “far”).

Han compound

在不遠的將來／在不远的将来

我家離大學很遠。

我家离大学很远。

遠親

远亲


遠

By attracting loyal servants and keeping the petty at a distance, the Former Han prospered.

227, 諸葛亮 (Zhūgě Liàng) (Zhuge Liang), 出師表

Qīn xiánchén, yuǎn xiǎorén, cǐ Xiānhàn suǒyǐ xīnglóng yě.

親賢臣，遠小人，此先漢所以興隆也。

亲贤臣，远小人，此先汉所以兴隆也。

to distance oneself from; to keep at a distance


還

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *ɡʷraːn, *sɢʷan): semantic 辵 (“walk”) + phonetic 睘 (OC *ɡʷeŋ) – to go back; to return.
; “to return”
; "still; also"

Han compound

She can speak English and can also speak Spanish.

Tā huì shuō yīngyǔ, hái huì shuō xībānyáyǔ.

她會說英語，還會說西班牙語。

她会说英语，还会说西班牙语。

He lost a lot of money and even his job.

Tā péi le yī dà bǐ qián, hái diū le gōngzuò.

他賠了一大筆錢，還丟了工作。

他赔了一大笔钱，还丢了工作。

This year is even colder than last year.

今年比去年還冷。

今年比去年还冷。

even more; indicates an increase from a certain level or a supplement


還

(obsolete on its own in Standard Chinese) nimble; agile


邊

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (邊):
* → Japanese: 辺(へん) (hen)
* → Korean: 변(邊) (byeon)
* → Vietnamese: biên (邊)

desc

→ Vietnamese: bên (“side; edge; face; beside”)

→ Vietnamese: ven (“shore; bank; side”)

Originally 臱. Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *mpeːn): semantic 辶 (“walking; movement”) + phonetic 臱 (OC *men). The semantic component 辵 (now 辶) was added during bronze inscriptions.
Perhaps cognate with 偏 (OC *pʰen, *pʰens, “side; oblique”), 片 (OC *pʰeːns, “partial; one-sided”), 諞 (OC *ben, *brenʔ, *benʔ, “glib-tongued; insincere”) (Schuessler, 2007).
Based on Old Vietnamese data, Gong (2019) proposes the additional preinitial *tə- to the Baxter-Sagart reconstruction.
; “to have hot pot”

och-l

金邊眼鏡

金边眼镜

她的手帕有一條藍邊。

她的手帕有一条蓝边。

邊疆

边疆

戍邊

戍边

gam¹ jat⁶ gam³ dung³, bat¹ jyu⁴ bin¹ bin¹ keoi⁵ laa¹!

今日咁凍，不如邊邊佢啦！

今日咁冻，不如边边佢啦！

(Hong Kong Cantonese, usually reduplicated, always used with 佢) to have hot pot


那

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *naːl, *naːlʔ, *naːls): phonetic 冄 (OC *njam, *njamʔ) + semantic 邑 (“city”).
Originally the name of a state; later borrowed for a distal demonstrative.
Cognate with 若 (OC *njaɡ, “that”), 爾 (MC nyeX, “that”) (Norman, 1988). Also compare (Schuessler, 2007):
* Proto-Mon-Khmer *nɔʔ ~ *nɔh (“this”), whence Khmer នោះ (nuh, “that”), Vietnamese nọ (“that”);
* Khmu [script needed] (naa, “she”);
* Proto-Tai *najꟲ (“this”), whence Thai นี้ (níi, “this”), Zhuang neix (“this”).

Han compound

那我呢？

Ńg, wǒ míngbái le, nà wǒ zuìhǎo yě dǎbàn yī xià.

嗯，我明白了，那我最好也打扮一下。

You don' t like your job? In that case why don't you leave?

Nǐ bù xǐhuān zhè fèn gōngzuò? Nà nǐ zěnme bù cídiào ne?

你不喜歡這份工作？那你怎麼不辭掉呢？

你不喜欢这份工作？那你怎么不辞掉呢？


那

Derived from Proto-Tai *naːᴬ (“paddy field”) or its descendants, such as Zhuang naz.


酸

→? Proto-Hmong-Mien: *suj (“sour”)

/ɬᵘɔn³³⁻³³⁵/

/ɬᵘɔn³³⁻³³⁵/

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *sloːn): semantic 酉 + phonetic 夋 (OC *sʰlun).
From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *səwr (“sour; be acid”) (STEDT, under *suːr ⪤ *swaːr). Cognate with Mizo thûr (“acid; sour”).

inh

鹽酸／盐酸


重

/t͡sʰi̯uŋ¹¹/

/t͡sʰi̯uŋ¹¹/

Characters in the same phonetic series (重) (Zhengzhang, 2003)
Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *doŋ, *doŋʔ, *doŋs) and ideogrammic compound (會意 /会意): semantic 人 (“man”) + phonetic 東 (OC *toːŋ, “bag”) – a man carrying a bag. A glyph 土 (“earth”) was later added to show that the bag-carrying man is standing on the ground. From this composition (𡍺) is the current form. In the modern form, the man on top can be seen as 亻 (however, the upper part of the character is unrelated to 千).
See also 以, in which a person is carrying something, 央, in which a person is carrying a pole, and 年, in which a person is carrying the harvest.
Schuessler (2007) notes that the etymology is uncertain and compares the word to Burmese စုံ (cum, “to be sufficient; pair”), which STEDT puts under Proto-Sino-Tibetan *dzum ~ tsum (“pair”).
Pronunciation 3 is the exoactive derivation of pronunciation 1.


錢

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (錢):
* → Japanese: 銭(せん) (sen, “mace”)
* → Korean: 전(錢) (jeon, “mace”)
* → Vietnamese: tiền (錢, “money”)

→ English: Qian, Chien, Tsien, Chin

→ Proto-Hmong-Mien: *dzi̯en (“money”)

→ Thai: สิน (sǐn, “money”)

→ Malay: ci (“mace”)

→ Mongolian: цэн (cen)

→ Zhuang: cienz (“money; coin; mace”)

/t͡ɕʰi̯ɛn³⁵/

/t͡ɕʰi̯ɑɻ³⁵/

/t͡sʰiːn²¹⁻³⁵/

/tʰen²²⁻²²⁵/

/t͡ɕʰi̯ɛn³⁵/

/t͡ɕʰi̯ɑɻ³⁵/

/t͡sʰiːn²¹⁻³⁵/

/tʰen²²⁻²²⁵/

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *ʔslenʔ, *zlen): semantic 金 (“metal; gold; money”) + phonetic 戔 (OC *zlaːn).

Han compound

mace (unit of weight equivalent to one tenth of a 兩／两 (liǎng, “tael”) and equal to ten 分 (fēn, “candareen”))


錯

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *sʰaːɡs, *sʰaːɡ): semantic 金 (“metal”) + phonetic 昔 (OC *sjaːɡ) – grindstone.
; "whetstone, grindstone"
; "criss-cross, interlocking, alternating, ornate"
; "lake"
; "cerium"

Han compound

(chemistry, obsolete) Alternative name for 鈰／铈 (shì, “cerium”).


鐘

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (鐘):
* → Japanese: 鐘(しょう) (shō)
* → Korean: 종(鐘) (jong)

desctree

→ Middle Vietnamese: chuâng
Vietnamese: chuông

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *tjoŋ, *tjoŋ): semantic 金 + phonetic 童 (OC *doːŋ). It indicates a bell, including a bronze large bell used in rituals in ancient China.

Han compound

† - requires the classifier 個; ‡ - can be used with or without the classifier 個; § - requires the classifier 粒; * - requires the classifier 句; ¶ - requires the classifier 隻; × - cannot be used with a classifier

那個鐘每小時響一次。

那个钟每小时响一次。

Zhè ge zhōng kuài le, suǒyǐ wǒ bǎ tā jiàozhǔn le.

這個鐘快了，所以我把它校準了。

这个钟快了，所以我把它校准了。

點鐘

点钟

分鐘

分钟

秒鐘

秒钟

一个钟零十五分钟 [Cantonese, simp.]
jat¹ go³ zung¹ ling⁴ sap⁶ ng⁵ fan¹ zung¹ [Jyutping]

斷鐘計／断钟计 [Cantonese] ― dyun³ zung¹ gai³ [Jyutping] ― to be counted in hours

(Cantonese) hour (Classifier: 個／个; 粒; 句)

彈鐘／弹钟 [Cantonese] ― daan⁶ zung¹ [Jyutping] ― to reject a prostitute

落鐘／落钟 [Cantonese] ― lok⁶ zung¹ [Jyutping] ― (of a sexual service) to end

(Cantonese, colloquial) (the length or time period of) sexual services, such as that of prostitutes

(historical) metal ceremonial percussion instrument hung from a rack and struck with a mallet


長

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (長):
* → Japanese: 長(ちょう) (chō)
* → Korean: 장(長) (jang)
* → Vietnamese: trưởng (長)

Pictogram (象形) – an old man with long hair; an ancient variant still used is 镸 (e.g., ⾽ and 鬓).
Compare 彡 and the top component of 老 and its variant 考.
Three pronunciations below are cognate, all derived from the original root of 張 (*traŋ, “to make long; to stretch; to string a bow”).
Pronunciation 1 ("long") is the endopassive derivative ("be extended, be stretched"), with intransitive voicing. The lack of Tibeto-Burman cognates with the same meaning indicate that this is a Chinese innovation. Pronunciation 2 ("to grow") is the endoactive derivative. The different pronunciations are one of the few instances of contemporary grammatical tone in Mandarin.
See 張 for more.

l-lite

See also: 漲


門

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (門):
* → Japanese: 門(もん) (mon)
* → Korean: 문(門) (mun)
* → Vietnamese: môn (門)

Wutunhua: men

Characters in the same phonetic series (門) (Zhengzhang, 2003)
Pictogram (象形): a gate. Compare 戶 (OC *ɡʷaːʔ, “(one) door”), which is half of this character (𠁣).
From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *mur (“mouth; lip; to hold in mouth; to chew; face; gills”) (STEDT). Cognate with Tibetan མུར་བ (mur ba, “to masticate”), Tibetan མུར་འགྲམ (mur 'gram, “jawbone; cheek”), Mizo hmûi (“lips; upper lip”) and 吻 (OC *mɯnʔ, “lips; corner of the lips”).
; “-gate”


開

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (開):
* → Japanese: 開(かい) (kai)
* → Vietnamese: khai (開)

→ Lao: ໄຂ (khai, “open”)

→ Thai: ไข (kǎi, “open”)

→ Vietnamese: khơi

→ Zhuang: hai (“open”)

Ideogrammic compound (會意 /会意): 門 (“door”) + 一 (“latch and/or wooden pole that shuts a door”) + 廾 (“a pair of hands”) — a pair of hands opening a latched door. 一 and 廾 are combined into 开 since the Small Seal script; however, in the conservative variant 𨵑, the two hands and the latch are well visible.
Compare 闢. See also 關, in which the door is kept shut by two wooden poles.
According to STEDT, from Proto-Sino-Tibetan *m/s-k(w)a-j (“mouth; opening; spread; door; face; jaw”). Cognate with 戶 (OC *ɡʷaːʔ, “door”), Tibetan ཁ (kha, “mouth”), Tibetan སྒོ (sgo, “door”).
The word is possibly a colloquial variant of 闓 (OC *ŋ̊ʰɯːlʔ, *ŋ̊ʰɯːls) (Schuessler, 2007). Proto-Mien *kʰu̯ɔiᴬ (“to open”) (whence Iu Mien kʰɔi¹) and Thai ไข (kǎi) are Chinese loans (Ratliff, 2010).

och-l

闓 (OC *ŋ̊ʰɯːlʔ, *ŋ̊ʰɯːls)

开
𫔭
䦐
𨴉
𨳩
𨴂
𨵹
𨶘
𨵑
开
K
开
开
嗨

開工／开工

開學／开学


陰

→ Proto-Tai: *rɤmᴮ (“shade”)

desc

Thai: ร่ม (rôm, “shade, umbrella, parachute”)

According to Shuowen, a phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *qrɯm): semantic 阜 + phonetic 侌 (yīn).
From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *r(u/i)m (“dark; shade; dusk; twilight”); compare Tibetan རུམ (rum, “darkness”), Jingpho rim (“to be dusk”) (Benedict, 1972; Bodman, 1980; STEDT).
Schuessler (2007) compares it instead to Burmese အုံ့ (um., “to become overcast”), Adi mugyum (“shade; shadow”), Lepcha ᰠᰨᰌᰤᰪᰮ (so-dyŭm, “shade”).

cog

阴
侌
𠊺
𣍤
𤽎
阥
𨹉
隂
𨻔
𨼖
𨽙
𨽭
𨹩
𩃬
𣱙
𢉩
𠆭

陰暗

阴暗

天陰了。

天阴了。

陰轉晴

阴转晴

陰間

阴间

陰陽相隔

阴阳相隔

(philosophy) "female" principle; yin in yin-yang

(Chinese phonetics, of a syllable) open; not having a consonant coda


雙

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (雙):
* → Japanese: 双(そう) (sō)
* → Korean: 쌍(雙) (ssang)
* → Vietnamese: song (雙)

→ Proto-Mien: *suŋᴬ (“pair”)

→ Proto-Tai: *soːŋᴬ (“two”)

Bouyei: soongl

Proto-Southwestern Tai: *sɔːŋᴬ

Ahom: 𑜏𑜨𑜂𑜫 (soṅ)

Lao: ສອງ (sǭng)

Lü: ᦉᦸᧂ (ṡoang)

Northern Thai: ᩈᩬᨦ

Shan: သွင် (sǎung)

Tai Dam: ꪎꪮꪉ

Tai Nüa: ᥔᥩᥒᥴ (sóang)

Thai: สอง (sɔ̌ɔng)

Zhuang: song

Ideogrammic compound (會意 /会意): 雔 (“two birds”) + 又 (“hand”) – Represents two birds (隹) in someone's right hand (又).
Several etymologies have been posited:
* From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *dzum ~ tsum (“pair”), whence Jingpho zum (“to be in pairs”), Burmese စုံ (cum, “pair”), but this comparison may be problematic given the mismatch in the final nasal (STEDT, Hill, 2019).
* Related to Tibetan ཟུང (zung, “pair; couple”), Mru [script needed] (choŋ, “pair”) (Coblin, 1986; Löffler, 1966; Schuessler, 2007), but this would require assuming the Proto-Sino-Tibetan word to be *C-zuŋ (Schuessler, 2007). Jacques (2015b) rules out the possibility of comparing with the Tibetan word because Tibetan z- usually comes from *dz-.
* Doublet of 孿 (OC *smroːns, *smrons, “twin”) (Baxter, 1992), but this has been related to Jingpho marun (“to have twins”) (from run (“to be in pairs”)), which would point to yet another Proto-Sino-Tibetan root *run (Schuessler, 2007).

inh

双
㕠
䨇
䨥
𩀝
𩆿
𩀱

一雙鞋

一双鞋

一雙筷子

一双筷子

Classifier for a pair of objects. ⇒ all nouns using this classifier


雞

desc

→ Indonesian: ayam (“prostitute”) (semantic loan)

→ Malay: ayam (“prostitute”) (semantic loan)

desctree

→? Proto-Tai: *kajᴮ
Northern Tai
Bouyei: gais
Zhuang: gaeq
Saek: ไก
Central Tai
Tày: cáy
Southwestern Tai
Thai: ไก่ (gài)
Northern Thai: ᨠᩱ᩵
Lao: ໄກ່ (kai)
Lü: ᦺᦂᧈ (k̇ay¹)
Tai Dam: ꪼꪀ꪿
Shan: ၵႆႇ (kài)
Tai Nüa: ᥐᥭᥱ (kǎy)
Aiton: ကႝ (kay)
Phake: ကႝ (kay)
Ahom: 𑜀𑜩 (kay)

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *keː): phonetic 奚 (OC *ɡeː) + semantic 隹 (“short-tailed bird”).
Onomatopoeic (Schuessler, 2007). Compare Proto-Vietic *r-kaa (> Vietnamese gà), Proto-Tai *kajᴮ (“chicken”), Proto-Hmong-Mien *Kəi.
* (to fire): From 無情雞 /无情鸡 (mou⁴ cing⁴ gai¹, “pink slip”).

Han compound

弱雞／弱鸡 [Cantonese] ― joek⁶ gai¹ [Jyutping] ― weak; wimpy

揗雞／揗鸡 [Cantonese]

(Cantonese, no longer productive) Suffix for adjectives describing a weak or useless person.


離

→ Vietnamese: lìa

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *reːls, *rel, *rels): phonetic 离 (OC *rel, *r̥ʰel) + semantic 隹 (“bird”) – black-naped oriole (Oriolus chinensis). This sense is preserved in the compound 離黃.
Phonetically borrowed for the sense "to depart".
From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *g(r/l)aːj (“scatter, sow, dispersedly widely; wide; star”) (STEDT). See 侈 (OC *l̥ʰjalʔ, “extravagant”) for more.


難

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (難):
* → Japanese: 難(なん) (nan)
* → Korean: 난(難) (nan)
* → Vietnamese: nạn (難)

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *n̥ʰaːn, *naːns): abbreviated phonetic 暵 (OC *hnaːnʔ, *hnaːns) + semantic 隹 (“bird”) – a type of bird. Phonetically borrowed for other senses.
From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *mV-nar (“to suffer”).
Cognate with Tibetan མནར (mnar, “to suffer; suffering”), and possibly (via homophonous root merger) also Burmese နာ (na, “to suffer pain, to be ill”).

cog

难
𨿻
𩀏
𩀙
𩀡
𩀤
𩁘
𩁚
𩁢
𩁣
𩁤
𩁩
𩁪
𩁬
𩁮
𩁲
𩁳
𪄿
𪅀
𪇠
𪇼

質難

质难

非難

非难


雪

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (雪):
* → Korean: 설(雪) (seol)
* → Vietnamese: tuyết (雪)

→ Zhuang: siet

Ancient simplification of 䨮, which is in turn phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *sqʰʷed): semantic 雨 (“rain”) + phonetic 彗 (OC *sɢʷeds, *ɢʷeds, *sɢʷids).
Schuessler (2007) considers this to be related to Kra-Dai words: Proto-Tai *hnəiᴬ¹ (“snow”), Proto-Kam-Sui *ʔnuːi¹ (“snow”).
Starostin reconstructs Proto-Sino-Tibetan *suăt (“snow”), comparing this with Tibetan སད (sad, “frost, cold air, cold, coldness”), but this connection may be unlikely considering the phonetic part of this character.

cog

(Cantonese, figuratively) to set aside; to shelve


雲

Ideogrammic compound (會意 /会意) and phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *ɢun): semantic 雨 (“rain”) + phonetic 云 (OC *ɢun, “cloud”). Originally written 云, with the 雨 radical added to 云 to distinguish from the borrowed sense of “to speak”.
Very few outside cognates exist. Starostin compares it with Mizo vân (“sky, the skies, heaven”) and Karbi inghun (“cloud”).
Alternatively, this is a derivation from a root meaning “to revolve”. Compare 運 (OC *ɢuns, “to move”), 回 (OC *ɡuːl, “to whirl, to circle”) (Schuessler, 2007).


電

→ Bouyei: dianq (“electricity”)

→ Lü: ᦶᦎᧃᧈ (ṫaen¹, “electricity”)

→ Tai Nüa: ᥖᥦᥢᥱ (tǎen, “electricity”)

→ Zhuang: den (“electricity”)

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *l'iːns): semantic 雨 (“rain”) + phonetic 申 (OC *hlin); also ideogrammic (會意 /会意): 雨 + 申 (“lightning”).
Sino-Tibetan or area word; compare Proto-Mien *liŋ (“lightning”), Chepang प्लीङ्हसा (pliŋh‑, “to flash; to shine brightly”) (Benedict, 1976; Schuessler, 2007).

雲

basic weather words shared by most dialects

閃電

闪电

電閃雷鳴

电闪雷鸣

(dialectal, countable) battery (Classifier: 粒 c; 嚿 c)


響

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *qʰaŋʔ): phonetic 鄉 (OC *qʰaŋ) + semantic 音 (“sound”).

Han compound

响
𩐢
㗽
𥖡
𧬰
𪢞
窨
𬳧
响
响
向

響亮

响亮


頁

Pictogram (象形): 首 + 卩 – head of a kneeling person, emphasising “head”.
頁 and 首 (OC *hljuʔ, *hljus) were originally the same pictographic character with the same meaning of “head”, and the graphical difference was that 頁 also included the body in addition to the head of the person.
頁 was later used as an alternative popular form of 葉 (“leaf; page”) to mean “sheet; page (of paper)”, which is its main meaning today.
The original sense of “head” is preserved in the radical 頁, which is used in characters such as 頭 (“head”) and 頸 (“neck”).
Alternative form of 葉 /叶 (“leaf; sheet (of paper)”).

(Mainland China Hokkien) to flip through (a book, document, etc.)


頁

(obsolete on its own in Standard Chinese) head


頓

edit中斷

temporarily; to be willing to give up; chiefly in the negative

一頓飯／一顿饭

三頓／三顿 [Hokkien] ― saⁿ-tǹg [Pe̍h-ōe-jī] ― three meals of the day (breakfast, lunch, and dinner)

頓巴斯

顿巴斯

帕丁頓

帕丁顿

伊頓

伊顿

萊辛頓大道

莱辛顿大道

嘉頓

嘉顿


頓

(Mainland China Hokkien) to place somewhere for a short period of time to produce some effect


頭

/tʰɐu̯²¹⁻³⁵/

/tʰɐu̯²¹⁻³⁵/

Burmese language
French language
German language
Khmer language
Latin language
Middle High German language
Nuosu language
Proto-Loloish language
Proto-Mon-Khmer language
Proto-Sino-Tibetan language
Tibetan language

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *doː): phonetic 豆 (OC *doːs) + semantic 頁 (“head”).
Replaced earlier 首 (MC syuwX, “head”) due to homophony with 手 (ɕɨuX, “hand”) (Sagart, 1999).
Several etymologies have been proposed:
* From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *tV-pu (“head”) or its allofam *du (“head”); compare Tibetan དབུ (dbu, “head”), Burmese ဦး (u:, “head”), Nuosu ꀑ (o, “head”), Proto-Loloish *ʔ-du² (“head”) (Benedict, 1972; Schuessler, 2007; STEDT; Starostin).
* Contraction of 髑髏 (OC *doːɡ roː, “skull”) (Wu, 2006).
* From Proto-Mon-Khmer *duul() (“to carry on one's head”), whence Khmer ទូល (tul); this is phonologically plausible since final consonants are often lost after a long vowel in loanwords (Schuessler, 2007).
* A variant of 豆 (OC *doːs, “a kind of vessel”), as skulls could have been used as drinking recipients; compare French tête (“head”) from Latin testa (“pot; jug”) and German Kopf (“head”) from Middle High German kopf (“drinking vessel”) (Maréchal, 1994; Sagart, 1999). However, Schuessler (2007) notes that 豆 (*doːs) seems like a tone C (去聲) derivation from 頭 (*doː), which may have originally meant “skull”.
* Baxter and Sagart (2014) reconstructs the Old Chinese with a *m- prefix for human body parts, deriving it from 兜 (*tˤo, “helmet; hood”).

cog-lite

從頭開始／从头开始


風

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (風):
* → Japanese: 風(ふう) (fū)
* → Korean: 풍(風) (pung)
* → Vietnamese: phong (風)

→? Old Korean: (via Old Chinese) (Zhao, 2007)

desctree

Middle Korean: ᄇᆞᄅᆞᆷ (polom, “wind”)
Korean: 바람 (baram)

Drung language
Jingpho language
Shuowen
dissimilation

Characters in the same phonetic series (凡) (Zhengzhang, 2003)
Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *plum, *plums): phonetic 凡 (OC *bom) + semantic 虫 (“insects”); the point inside 凡 is still visible above the insect, hence this component appears as 䖝. Ancient Chinese people thought that insects appear with wind. (Insects refer to any kind of animal, such as tigers (大蟲)).
In the oracle bone script, the character 鳳 (OC *bums, “male fenghuang”) was phonetically borrowed to represent 風 (OC *plum, *plums). The right part of the bronze inscription of the character consists of phonetic 凡 (OC *bom) at the top, and three parts depicting the fur on the tail of the male fenghuang at the bottom. Subsequent forms of 風 are based on the right part of its bronze inscription, with two of the three threads of "fur" removed for simplification. The 虫 in the Chu script and Qin script of 風 was likely a result of further simplification of the "fur". Shuowen misinterpreted the character 風 by associating it with insects. (Li, 2012)
Possibly from Proto-Sino-Tibetan *buŋ (“wind”) (STEDT). Velar nasal final -ŋ, restored later in Middle Chinese (Schuessler, 2007), is preserved in cognates like Proto-Central Naga *m-puŋ, Jingpho mabung, nbung, Drung nvmbeung.
Pronunciations 1, 2, and 3 are all cognates; with both 2 and 3 evolving from *prəm-s, exoactive (with causative suffix -s) of *prəm (Schuessler, 2007). It is unclear how Old Chinese *prəm is related to Tibetan རླུང (rlung) and Proto-Tai *C̬.lɯmᴬ.
Korean 바람 (baram) may have been borrowed from Chinese (Zhao, 2007). The Chinese word has a wide range of extended meanings, and interestingly many of these have exact parallels in the Korean item. Compare Chinese 風流 and 風騷 with Korean 바람둥이 (baramdung'i).
Cognate with:
* 飛廉 (OC *pɯl ɡ·rem, “wind god”)
* 蜚蠊 (OC *pɯlʔ/bɯls ɡ·rem, “cockroach”) (note the preservation of the -r- infix in Old Chinese through disyllabification, also 嵐 (OC *b·ruːm), 葻 (OC *b·uːm))
* 瘋 (OC *plum, “mad, insane”)
* 諷 (OC *plums, “to mock, to advise”)
* 帆 (OC *bom, *boms, “sail”)
The development from Old Chinese to Middle Chinese was irregular, driven by dissimilation of the initial and coda bilabial consonants.

Han compound

风
凨
凬
𠙈
𠙄
𠙊
凮
𠙗
飌
𩙣
𠂡

風言風語

风言风语

風寒

风寒

風濕

风湿

traditional Chinese medicine
traditional Chinese medicine

(traditional Chinese medicine) one of the "Six Excesses" (六淫) that cause diseases in traditional Chinese medicine

(Cantonese) short for 颱風／台风 (“typhoon”) (Classifier: 個／个 c; 隻／只 c)


飛

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (飛):
* → Japanese: 飛(ひ) (hi)
* → Korean: 비(飛) (bi)
* → Vietnamese: phi (飛)

Characters in the same phonetic series (飛) (Zhengzhang, 2003)
Pictogram (象形): a bird flying upwards.
In its modern form, resembles a tasseled 升 (shēng).
* Proto-Sino-Tibetan *bjar ~ *p(i/u)r (“to fly”) → Tibetan འཕུར ('phur), Burmese ပျံ (pyam, “to fly”).
* Proto-Mon-Khmer *par (“to fly”) → Old Mon ပဝ် (pɔ); Proto-Vietic *pər (“to fly”), whereas Vietnamese bay.
Cognate with Old Chinese 翂 (*pɯn, “appearance of birds flying slowly”) and Old Chinese 奮 (*pɯns, “spread wings and fly”).
; “fare”
; “femto-”

cog

飞
𠃧
𮨶
𩙱
𦐭
𦒮
飝

still three more minutes remaining, until it's four o'clock in the morning / left with a couple of cigarettes, and my body is even a tad freezing

zung⁶ jau⁵ saam¹ fan¹ zung¹ zau⁶ ling⁴ san⁴ sei³ dim² zung¹ zing⁶ faan¹ gei² fei¹ jin¹ go³ san¹ zung⁶ jau⁵ di¹ dung³

仲有三分鐘 就零晨四點鐘 剩返幾飛煙 個身仲有D凍

仲有三分钟 就零晨四点钟 剩返几飞烟 个身仲有D冻


飯

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *bonʔ, *bons): semantic 食 (“food”) + phonetic 反 (OC *panʔ, *pʰan).
Compare Proto-Mon-Khmer *puuŋ (“cooked rice”), whence Mon ပုၚ် (pɜŋ, “cooked rice”) (Ferlus, 1988).
Pronunciation 1 is the exopassive derivation of pronunciation 2, meaning "what is eaten" (Schuessler, 2007).

Han compound

糯米飯

糯米饭

你要吃飯還是吃麵？

你要吃饭还是吃面？

(particularly) cooked rice (Classifier: 碗 m c h mn)


飽

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *pruːʔ): semantic 食 (“food”) + phonetic 包 (OC *pruː).
For etymology 2, the 食 radical specifies its dietary use (instead of just being a generic wrap).


餓

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *ŋaːls): semantic 食 + phonetic 我 (OC *ŋaːlʔ).
From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *mwat ~ *ŋ(w)at (“hungry; thirsty”). Cognate with Burmese မွတ် (mwat) and ငတ် (ngat) (STEDT).

inh

我餓了。

我饿了。

誰肚子餓？

谁肚子饿？


館

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *koːnʔ, *koːns): semantic 飠 + phonetic 官 (OC *koːn).

Han compound

旅館／旅馆

賓館／宾馆

館地／馆地

書館／书馆

蒙館／蒙馆

館賓／馆宾

(historical) traditional Chinese private school where classical literature and Confucianism used to be taught

廣州十三行的館

广州十三行的馆

(historical) factory (as a foreign trade emporium)


香

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (香):
* → Vietnamese: hương (香)

desc

→ Indonesian: hio (“joss stick, incense”)

Characters in the same phonetic series (香) (Zhengzhang, 2003)
In the oracle bone script, it was ideogrammic compound (會意 /会意): 黍 (“glutinous millet”) + 口 (“mouth”). The whole character perhaps indicate that millet was used to produce liquor from fermentation which could be drank and/or sacrificed.
In the seal script, the 口 was replaced with the related 甘 (“sweet”). Hence, the most conservative variant is 𪏽.
Currently, the 黍 has simplified into 禾 and the form of the bottom component 甘 has become akin to the unrelated 曰.

Han compound

† - euphemistic; ‡ - usually of the elderly; ¤ - humorous; § - derogatory/disrespectful

(religion) joss stick; incense (Classifier: 支 m c mn; 炷 m c; 根 m; 叢／丛 mn; 束 m; 紮／扎 c)


騎

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *ɡral, *ɡrals): semantic 馬 (“horse”) + phonetic 奇 (OC *kral, *ɡral) – to ride horseback
Wanderwort in the E/SE Asian Sprachbund. The STEDT reconstructs Proto-Sino-Tibetan *gi (“to ride; to sit astride; to sit (horse)”), and comments that "many of the TB forms seem to be borrowings from Chinese 騎".
Outside Sino-Tibetan, cognates are also found in Hmong-Mien, Tai-Kadai and some Mon-Khmer languages. Benedict (1975) surmises that this is an ancient loan into Proto-Sino-Tibetan from Austro-Tai:
... but these [Tibeto-Burman] forms appear to involve old loans from AT [Austro-Tai] with typical loss of an original medial *w (Thai *khwi ~ *gwi).
while Peiros (1998), Sagart (2006), Schuessler (2007) (who suggests that 騎 (OC gai, “to ride”) is possibly endopassive "let oneself be carried (on the back of an animal)" of 荷 (OC gâiʔ, “to carry”)) and Pittayaporn (2014) think the directionality of borrowing is reversed. The following excerpt is taken from Sagart's review (2006) of Matisoff's book Handbook of Proto-Tibeto-Burman (2003):
The collection of forms under Matisoff's high-vowelled *gyi 'ride' are from TB languages in contact with Chinese (Lolo-Burmese, Qiangic, Tujia): they are best regarded as late loans from Chinese. ... The idea that the Chinese vocabulary of agriculture, metallurgy, horse-riding etc. might contain numerous loans from an early SEA language is simply not to be taken seriously in view of modern Asian archaeology (Bellwood 1997), quite apart from the fact that it makes no linguistic sense (Sagart 1999 for metal names). Yet Matisoff's book is scattered with observations telling the reader that words like 'writing brush' and 'ride' just discussed may well be loans from Austro-Tai into ST (188; 504).
Below lists some cognates for "to ride" found in various languages in this Sprachbund.
* Lolo-Burmese: *gyi ~ dzyi: Burmese စီး (ci:), Nuosu ꋩ (zzy, “to ride; to bear (a rider)”), ꊪ (zy, “to cause to ride”)
* Southwestern Tai: *kʰwiːᴮ: Thai ขี่ (kìi), Lao ຂີ່ (khī), Zhuang gwih
* Hmong-Mien: *ɟej: White Hmong caij
* Mon-Khmer: West Bahnaric *ɟih, Khmer ជិះ (cih), Vietnamese cưỡi
Also compare Proto-Austronesian *sakay (“catch a ride, join a group, ride on something”).
Pronunciation 2 is a Late Old Chinese general purpose derivation from Pronunciation 1 (Schuessler, 2007).

blockquote

... but these 􂀿Tibeto-Burman􂁀 forms appear to involve old loans from AT 􂀿Austro-Tai􂁀 with typical loss of an original medial *w (Thai *khwi ~ *gwi).

cog

(literary) Classifier for soldiers or warhorses.


高

→ English: Gao, Kao, Ko

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (高):
* → Japanese: 高(こう) (kō)
* → Korean: 고(高) (go)
* → Vietnamese: cao (高)

Characters in the same phonetic series (高) (Zhengzhang, 2003)
Pictogram (象形) – a tall building. Compare 京, which however is not a Kangxi radical.
Possibly from Proto-Sino-Tibetan *m/s-gaw (“head”). Compare with Burmese ခေါင်း (hkaung:, “head”). However, 元 (OC *ŋon, “head”) instead is more likely to be related to this Proto-Sino-Tibetan root given its significant semantic agreement (Schuessler, 2007).
Likely allofams are 喬 (OC *ɡrew, “tall”), and perhaps 浩 (OC *ɡuːʔ, “vast”) (although the vowels do not agree).

Han etyl

很高的價格

很高的价格

高糖量

很高的標準

很高的标准

高年級

高年级

我比他高一班。

居高臨下

居高临下

求梯形的高

高錳酸鉀

高锰酸钾

高適

高适


髮

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *pod): semantic 髟 (“long hair”) + phonetic 犮 (OC *boːd).
However, the original form 𩠙 was composed by 首 and 犬 (according to Takashi Takada 高田忠周, it's the contraction of 犮).
From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *s-pu. Alternatively, it may be derived from 發 (OC *pad, “to sprout”) (Schuessler, 2007).

Han compound

頭髮

头发


魚

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (魚):
* → Japanese: 魚(ぎょ) (gyo)
* → Korean: 어(魚) (eo)
* → Vietnamese: ngư (魚)

/ᵑɡui²²⁻²²⁵/

/ᵑɡui²²⁻²¹⁵/

/ᵑɡui²²⁻²²⁵/

/ᵑɡui²²⁻²¹⁵/

Characters in the same phonetic series (魚) (Zhengzhang, 2003)
Pictogram (象形) – a fish. A conservative variant is 𤋳.
From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *s-ŋja. Cognate with 漁 (OC *ŋa, “to fish”).

Han etyl

fish (Classifier: 條／条 m c h j mb x; 尾 m h mn mn-t; 隻／只 g mn x; 頭／头 mb md; 梗 w)


黃

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (黃):
* → Japanese: 黄(おう) (ō); 黄(こう) (kō)
* → Korean: 황(黃) (Hwang)
* → Vietnamese: Huỳnh (黃), Hoàng (黃)

desc

→ English: Huang, Wong, Ng, Uy, Wee, Oei, Ooi

→ Malay: Oey, Oei

→ Tagalog: Ng, Uy, Wee

→ Vietnamese: vàng

→ Proto-Mien: *ʔgʷi̯əŋᴬ (“bright”)

Chi (2010) proposes that 黃 was originally a pictogram (象形) and the original character of 尪 (OC *qʷaːŋ, “a disabled person with a protruding chest or abdomen”). It has been phonetically borrowed for "yellow" since the era of the oracle bone script. He (1998) noted the possible ritual of burning disabled people with a protruding chest or abdomen to pray for rain as mentioned in Zuozhuan. The 口 in the upper part of the bronze inscription of 黃 might be depicting the disabled person's face facing upwards. Compare 堇.
Li (2012), on the other hand, proposes that 黃 was originally a pictogram (象形) and the original character of 璜 (OC *ɡʷaːŋ, “semicircular jade”) as the 口 in the oracle bone script resembles a ring of jade, so the character would carry the meaning of "a man wearing a ring of jade on his chest". The meaning "yellow" is the result of rebus. See also the original version of 周, which represents carved jade.
According to Shuowen, it is both a phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *ɡʷaːŋ) and ideogrammic compound (會意 /会意): phonetic 炗 (“light”) + semantic 田 (“field”) – the color of earth, with 炗 being the ancient form of 光 (OC *kʷaːŋ, *kʷaːŋs, “light”). However, this interpretation is erroneous as 廿 at the top was formed as a result of corruption of 口 in the bronze inscription.
From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *hwaŋ (“shine; bright; yellow”). Cognate with 光 (OC *kʷaːŋ, *kʷaːŋs, “light; bright”), 曠 (OC *kʰʷaːŋs, “bright; well-lit”), Burmese ဝင်း (wang:, “bright”), Burmese ဝါ (wa, “yellow”).
;“sexually obscene; pornographic”

inh

Red and yellow, black and white, they are precious in His sight—Jesus loves the little children of the world. [original English lyrics]
No matter red, yellow, black, white, they are all treasured in Jesus' heart—Jesus loves all the children of the world. [literal English translation]

1985, 耶穌喜愛小孩 (Jesus Loves the Little Children), in 《教會聖詩》 (Hymns for God's People)

Wúlùn hóng huáng hēi bái zhǒng, dōu shì Yēsū xīn bǎobèi, Yēsū xǐ'ài shìshàng suǒyǒu de xiǎohái.

無論紅黃黑白種，都是耶穌心寶貝，耶穌喜愛世上所有的小孩。

无论红黄黑白种，都是耶稣心宝贝，耶稣喜爱世上所有的小孩。


黑

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (黑):
* → Japanese: 黒(こく) (koku)
* → Korean: 흑(黑) (heuk)
* → Vietnamese: hắc (黑)

Five Punishments
Shuowen
Spring and Autumn
Warring States

Pictogram (象形) – a person (大) with a tattooed face, depicting penal tattooing (墨 and 黥), one of the five punishments of ancient China.
In the bronze inscriptions from the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, dots were sometimes added around 大, leading Shuowen to erroneously interpret the character as an ideogrammic compound (會意 /会意): 𡆧 (“chimney”) + 炎 (“fire; flame”) — fire burning under a chimney, causing it to become black from the smoke.
This word displaced the earlier word for "black", 玄. Unrelated to 熏.
From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *s-maŋ ~ s-mak. Cognate with 墨 (OC *mlɯːɡ, “ink”).
The sense of “hack” is a phono-semantic matching of English hack.

Han compound

† - usually describes the color of cloth or thread

黑客 ― hēikè ― hacker

Can you hack into Henderson's office computer?

Nǐ kěyǐ hēidiào Hēngdésēn bàngōngshì de diànnǎo ma?

你可以黑掉亨德森辦公室的電腦嗎？

你可以黑掉亨德森办公室的电脑吗？

As for this thing, I say it as it is and don't boast or libel.

Zhè jiàn shì, wǒ kě shì yǒu yī shuō yī, bù chuī bù hēi.

這件事，我可是有一說一，不吹不黑。

这件事，我可是有一说一，不吹不黑。

This is the time when **** is libelled the most badly.

Zhè shì × × bèi hēi de zuì cǎn de yī cì.

這是××被黑得最慘的一次。

这是××被黑得最惨的一次。

2019 September 9, 「TNND＋恁爸等你」 韓金句連發嗆黑韓產業鏈, 東森新聞 CH51, archived from the original on 2023-02-23:

So to the many people in the "Han [Kuo-yu] libel industry" who claim "I can't make it even by train or high-speed rail", I have four words: "Face me head on!"

Suǒyǐ de hēi hán chǎnyè jǐ wàn rén “yòng huǒchē dōu lā bù wán, yòng gāotiě dōu lā bù wán”, wǒ sì ge zì: “Fàngmǎguòlái!”

所以的黑韓產業幾萬人「用火車都拉不完，用高鐵都拉不完」，我四個字：「放馬過來！」

所以的黑韩产业几万人「用火车都拉不完，用高铁都拉不完」，我四个字：「放马过来！」


點

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *teːmʔ): semantic 黑 (“black”) + phonetic 占 (OC *ʔljem, *tjems) – black dots.

Han compound

We can join point A to point B with a straight line.

Wǒmen kěyǐ yòng yī tiáo zhíxiàn bǎ diǎn A hé B liánjié qǐlái.

我們可以用一條直線把點A和B聯結起來。

我们可以用一条直线把点A和B联结起来。

三點二四／三点二四

dot-decimal notation (lit. dot-delimited decimal)

點分十進制

点分十进制

The teacher asked you to answer the question.

老師點你回答問題。

老师点你回答问题。

你能再給我點茶嗎？

你能再给我点茶吗？

我想要點蛋糕。

我想要点蛋糕。

他有點蒼白。

他有点苍白。

今天有點冷。

今天有点冷。


法語

/fä²¹⁴⁻³⁵ y²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/fä²¹⁴⁻³⁵ y²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

(Buddhism) words about Buddhist doctrine


漢字

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (漢字):
* → Japanese: 漢字(かんじ) (kanji)
* → Okinawan: 漢字(かんじ) (kanji)
* → Korean: 한자(漢字) (hanja)
* → Vietnamese: Hán tự (漢字)

→ English: Hanzi, hanzi

→ French: hanzi

→ German: Hanzi

→ Indonesian: honji, hanzi

→ Malay: hanzi

→ Mongolian:

Cyrillic script: ханз (xanz)

Mongolian script: ᠬᠠᠨᠵᠢ (qanǰi)

→ Russian: ханьцзы́ (xanʹczý)

→ Spanish: hanzi

→ Swedish: hanzi

desc

→ Thai: ฮั่นจื้อ (hân-jʉ̂ʉ)

→ Thai: ฮั่นจื้อ (hân-jʉ̂ʉ)

→ Turkish: hanzi

/xän⁵¹⁻⁵³ t͡sz̩⁵¹/

/xæ̃⁴⁴ t͡sz̩⁴⁴/

/hɔːn³³ t͡siː²²/

/hᵘɔn³³ tu³²/

/hɵn²¹³⁻¹³ t͡sʰz̩²⁴/

/haŋ²¹³⁻⁵³ ^((t͡s-))ʒɛi²⁴²/

/han²¹⁻³³ d͡zi²¹/

/han²¹⁻⁴¹ zi³³/

/han²¹⁻⁵³ d͡zi²²/

/han¹¹⁻⁵³ li³³/

/han²¹⁻⁵³ li²²/

/han⁴¹⁻⁵⁵⁴ li⁴¹/

/haŋ²¹³⁻⁵⁵ d͡zi¹¹/

/hø³³ zz̩⁴⁴/

/xän⁵¹⁻⁵³ t͡sz̩⁵¹/

/xæ̃⁴⁴ t͡sz̩⁴⁴/

/hɔːn³³ t͡siː²²/

/hᵘɔn³³ tu³²/

/hɵn²¹³⁻¹³ t͡sʰz̩²⁴/

/haŋ²¹³⁻⁵³ ^((t͡s-))ʒɛi²⁴²/

/han²¹⁻³³ d͡zi²¹/

/han²¹⁻⁴¹ zi³³/

/han²¹⁻⁵³ d͡zi²²/

/han¹¹⁻⁵³ li³³/

/han²¹⁻⁵³ li²²/

/han⁴¹⁻⁵⁵⁴ li⁴¹/

/haŋ²¹³⁻⁵⁵ d͡zi¹¹/

/hø³³ zz̩⁴⁴/

Xiǎnzōng said: “Every day first teach hanzi, until 3–5pm when hanzi class ends. Teach the Jurchen people small characters, and they will learn the language of this dynasty.”

1343-1345, 《金史·卷九十八·完顏匡》 (History of Jin)

Xiǎnzōng yuē: “Měirì xiān jiào hànzì, zhì shēn shí hànzì kè bì, jiào nǚzhí xiǎo zì, xí guócháo yǔ.”

顯宗曰：「每日先教漢字，至申時漢字課畢，教女直小字，習國朝語。」

显宗曰：「每日先教汉字，至申时汉字课毕，教女直小字，习国朝语。」

Yes, Chinese characters are a treasure passed down from antiquity, but our ancestors are even more ancient, so we are more so a treasure passed down from antiquity. Will we sacrifice Chinese characters for our sake, or will we sacrifice ourselves for the sake of Chinese characters?

1934, 魯迅 (Lu Xun) 《漢字和拉丁化》 (Han character and its Latinization)

Bùcuò, hànzì shì gǔdài chuán xiàlái de bǎobèi, dàn wǒmen de zǔxiān, bǐ hànzì hái yào gǔ, suǒyǐ wǒmen gèng shì gǔdài chuán xiàlái de bǎobèi. Wèi hànzì ér xīshēng wǒmen, háishì wèi wǒmen ér xīshēng hànzì ne?

不錯，漢字是古代傳下來的寶貝，但我們的祖先，比漢字還要古，所以我們更是古代傳下來的寶貝。爲漢字而犧牲我們，還是爲我們而犧牲漢字呢？

不错，汉字是古代传下来的宝贝，但我们的祖先，比汉字还要古，所以我们更是古代传下来的宝贝。为汉字而牺牲我们，还是为我们而牺牲汉字呢？


英語

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (英語):
* → Japanese: 英(えい)語(ご) (eigo)
* → Korean: 영어(英語) (yeong'eo)
* → Vietnamese: Anh ngữ (英語)

→ Wutunhua: yenyek

/iŋ⁵⁵ y²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/jɪŋ⁵⁵ jyː¹³/

/in²⁴⁻¹¹ ŋi²⁴/

/(j)in²⁴⁻¹¹ ŋi²⁴/

/ʒin⁵³ ŋi⁵³/

/iŋ⁵⁵⁻⁵³ ŋy³³/

/iŋ⁵³³⁻¹¹ ⁽ᵏ⁻⁾ŋy⁴⁵³/

/iŋ⁵⁴⁴⁻²¹ ⁽ᵏ⁻⁾ŋy³³²/

/iɪŋ³³ ɡɯ⁵⁵⁴/

/iɪŋ⁴⁴⁻²² ɡi⁵³/

/iɪŋ⁴⁴⁻³³ ɡi⁴¹/

/iɪŋ⁴⁴⁻²² ɡu⁵³/

/iɪŋ⁴⁴⁻³³ ɡu⁵³/

/eŋ³³⁻²³ ɡɯ⁵²/

/in⁵⁵ n̠ʲy²¹/

/iŋ⁵⁵ y²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/jɪŋ⁵⁵ jyː¹³/

/in²⁴⁻¹¹ ŋi²⁴/

/(j)in²⁴⁻¹¹ ŋi²⁴/

/ʒin⁵³ ŋi⁵³/

/iŋ⁵⁵⁻⁵³ ŋy³³/

/iŋ⁵³³⁻¹¹ ⁽ᵏ⁻⁾ŋy⁴⁵³/

/iŋ⁵⁴⁴⁻²¹ ⁽ᵏ⁻⁾ŋy³³²/

/iɪŋ³³ ɡɯ⁵⁵⁴/

/iɪŋ⁴⁴⁻²² ɡi⁵³/

/iɪŋ⁴⁴⁻³³ ɡi⁴¹/

/iɪŋ⁴⁴⁻²² ɡu⁵³/

/iɪŋ⁴⁴⁻³³ ɡu⁵³/

/eŋ³³⁻²³ ɡɯ⁵²/

/in⁵⁵ n̠ʲy²¹/

Short for 英格蘭／英格兰 (Yīnggélán) + 語／语 (yǔ).

zh-etym-short

牛津英語詞典

牛津英语词典

以英語為母語的人

以英语为母语的人

英語國家

英语国家

講一口純正的英語

讲一口纯正的英语

我會說英語。

我会说英语。

你會說英語嗎？

你会说英语吗？

Tā jì huì shuō Yīngyǔ yòu huì shuō hànyǔ.

她既會說英語又會說漢語。

她既会说英语又会说汉语。

「地鐵站」用英語怎麽說？

「地铁站」用英语怎么说？

1904, Liang Qichao, 新大陸遊記 [Travel Notes of the New Continent], 廣智書局, published 1907, page 8:

Àozhōu zhī Xī'ào, Nán'ào liǎng shěng, xiàn néng jiě yīngyǔ wǔshí jù yǐshàng zhě, nǎi kě dēnglù.

澳洲之西澳、南澳兩省，限能解英語五十句以上者，乃可登陸。

澳洲之西澳、南澳两省，限能解英语五十句以上者，乃可登陆。


電話

→ Bouyei: dianqhuaq

desc

→ Lü: ᦶᦎᧃᧈᦧᦱᧈ (ṫaen¹ẋwaa¹)

→ Lü: ᦶᦎᧃᧈᦧᦱᧈ (ṫaen¹ẋwaa¹)

→ Zhuang: denva

/ti̯ɛn⁵¹⁻⁵³ xu̯ä⁵¹/

/ti̯ɛn⁵¹⁻⁵³ xu̯ɑɻ⁵¹/

/tiːn²² waː²²⁻³⁵/

/en³² va³²⁻³²⁵/

/tʰiɛn⁵³⁻⁵⁵ fa⁵³/

/tieŋ²⁴²⁻⁵³ ^((Ø-))ŋuɑ²⁴²/

/tɛŋ¹¹⁻⁴² ^((Ø-))ŋua¹¹/

/tɛŋ²¹⁻⁴² ^((Ø-))ŋua²¹/

/tiɛn³³⁻¹¹ ue³³/

/tiɛn³³⁻²¹ ue³³/

/tiɛn⁴¹⁻²² ue⁴¹/

/tiɛn²²⁻²¹ ue²²/

/tiɛn²²⁻²¹ ua²²/

/tiaŋ³⁵⁻¹¹ ue¹¹/

/tieŋ³⁵⁻¹¹ ue¹¹/

/ti̯ɛn⁵¹⁻⁵³ xu̯ä⁵¹/

/ti̯ɛn⁵¹⁻⁵³ xu̯ɑɻ⁵¹/

/tiːn²² waː²²⁻³⁵/

/en³² va³²⁻³²⁵/

/tʰiɛn⁵³⁻⁵⁵ fa⁵³/

/tieŋ²⁴²⁻⁵³ ^((Ø-))ŋuɑ²⁴²/

/tɛŋ¹¹⁻⁴² ^((Ø-))ŋua¹¹/

/tɛŋ²¹⁻⁴² ^((Ø-))ŋua²¹/

/tiɛn³³⁻¹¹ ue³³/

/tiɛn³³⁻²¹ ue³³/

/tiɛn⁴¹⁻²² ue⁴¹/

/tiɛn²²⁻²¹ ue²²/

/tiɛn²²⁻²¹ ua²²/

/tiaŋ³⁵⁻¹¹ ue¹¹/

/tieŋ³⁵⁻¹¹ ue¹¹/

Wasei kango (和製漢語), orthographically borrowed from Japanese 電(でん)話(わ) (denwa) (Liu et al., 1984; Huang, 2020), first attested in 《遊歷日本圖經》 by Fu Yunlong in 1889 (Huang, 2020).

wasei kango

接通電話

接通电话

騷擾電話

骚扰电话

電話接通了。

电话接通了。

我給你打電話。

我给你打电话。

打個電話俾佢

打个电话俾佢

(countable) telephone call; phone call; call (Classifier: 通 m mn; 個／个 m c)


爸爸

/pä²¹⁴⁻²¹ pä³⁵/

/pa²¹ pa²¹⁻⁵⁵/

/paː⁵⁵⁻²¹ paː⁵⁵/

/paː⁵⁵ paː⁵⁵/

/pa⁴⁵ pa⁴⁵⁻⁵³/

/pa⁴⁴⁻²² pa⁴⁴/

/pa⁴⁴⁻³³ pa⁴⁴/

/pa⁴⁴⁻³³ paʔ³²/

/pa²²⁻²¹ pa²⁴/

/pa²²⁻²¹ pa²²/

/pa²⁴⁻²² pa²⁴/

/pa⁵⁵⁻¹¹ pa⁵⁵/

/pä²¹⁴⁻²¹ pä³⁵/

/pa²¹ pa²¹⁻⁵⁵/

/paː⁵⁵⁻²¹ paː⁵⁵/

/paː⁵⁵ paː⁵⁵/

/pa⁴⁵ pa⁴⁵⁻⁵³/

/pa⁴⁴⁻²² pa⁴⁴/

/pa⁴⁴⁻³³ pa⁴⁴/

/pa⁴⁴⁻³³ paʔ³²/

/pa²²⁻²¹ pa²⁴/

/pa²²⁻²¹ pa²²/

/pa²⁴⁻²² pa²⁴/

/pa⁵⁵⁻¹¹ pa⁵⁵/

我爸爸告訴了我去哪兒。

我爸爸告诉了我去哪儿。

我爸爸請你到我家做客。

我爸爸请你到我家做客。

Dad lost his job, so the whole family had to be supported by mum.

Bàba shīqù le gōngzuò, yījiārén de shēnghuó quán kào māma zhīchēng.

爸爸失去了工作，一家人的生活全靠媽媽支撐。

爸爸失去了工作，一家人的生活全靠妈妈支撑。

(informal) dad; papa (Classifier: 個／个; 位)

(dialectal Mandarin) paternal uncle (father's younger brother)


不用

/pu⁵¹⁻³⁵ jʊŋ⁵¹/

/pɐt̚⁵ jʊŋ²²/

/put̚¹ iʊŋ⁵³/

/put̚³²⁻⁴ iɔŋ²²/

/put̚⁵⁻²⁴ iɔŋ⁴¹/

/put̚³²⁻⁵ iɔŋ²²/

/put̚³²⁻⁴ iɔŋ³³/

/put̚³²⁻⁴ iɔŋ³³/

/pu⁵¹⁻³⁵ jʊŋ⁵¹/

/pɐt̚⁵ jʊŋ²²/

/put̚¹ iʊŋ⁵³/

/put̚³²⁻⁴ iɔŋ²²/

/put̚⁵⁻²⁴ iɔŋ⁴¹/

/put̚³²⁻⁵ iɔŋ²²/

/put̚³²⁻⁴ iɔŋ³³/

/put̚³²⁻⁴ iɔŋ³³/

不用道歉，我不會接受。

不用道歉，我不会接受。

I'm taking care of it — you don't need to worry about it.

Zhè shì wǒ guǎn de shì, nǐ jiù bùyòng kǎolǜ le.

這是我管的事，你就不用考慮了。

这是我管的事，你就不用考虑了。


常常

/ʈ͡ʂʰɑŋ³⁵ ʈ͡ʂʰɑŋ³⁵/

/sœːŋ²¹ sœːŋ²¹/

/soŋ¹¹ soŋ¹¹/

/siɔŋ²⁴⁻¹¹ siɔŋ²⁴/

/siɔŋ²³⁻³³ siɔŋ²³/

/siɔŋ²⁴⁻²² siɔŋ²⁴/

/siaŋ¹³⁻²² siaŋ¹³/

/sĩẽ⁵⁵⁻¹¹ sĩẽ⁵⁵/

/ʈ͡ʂʰɑŋ³⁵ ʈ͡ʂʰɑŋ³⁵/

/sœːŋ²¹ sœːŋ²¹/

/soŋ¹¹ soŋ¹¹/

/siɔŋ²⁴⁻¹¹ siɔŋ²⁴/

/siɔŋ²³⁻³³ siɔŋ²³/

/siɔŋ²⁴⁻²² siɔŋ²⁴/

/siaŋ¹³⁻²² siaŋ¹³/

/sĩẽ⁵⁵⁻¹¹ sĩẽ⁵⁵/

這房子常常鬧鬼。

这房子常常闹鬼。

I lived in Mengzi for five months, and my family two months. I often think of the place now, especially when my social life is busy. Mengzi is good because it's small and sparsely populated.

Wǒ zài Méngzì zhù guò wǔ ge yuè, wǒ de jiā yě zài nàlǐ zhù guò liǎng ge yuè. Wǒ xiànzài chángcháng xiǎngqǐ zhè ge dìfang, tèbié shì zài rénshì fánmáng de shíhou. Méngzì xiǎo de hǎo, rén shǎo de hǎo.

我在蒙自住過五個月，我的家也在那裡住過兩個月。我現在常常想起這個地方，特別是在人事繁忙的時候。蒙自小得好，人少得好。

我在蒙自住过五个月，我的家也在那里住过两个月。我现在常常想起这个地方，特别是在人事繁忙的时候。蒙自小得好，人少得好。