學

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (學):
* → Japanese: 学(がく) (gaku); 学(かく) (kaku)
* → Okinawan: 学(がく) (gaku)
* → Korean: 학(學) (hak)
* → Jeju: ᄒᆞᆨ (hawk)
* → Vietnamese: học (學)

Pan Wuyun
Proto-Sino-Tibetan language
Shuowen

Ideogrammic compound (會意 /会意): abbreviated 敎 (“to teach”) + 𦥑 (“mingling hands; hands-on learning”) + 宀 (“house; roofed building”) – a child learns in a roofed place. See 敎／教 for more; the bottom part is partly related graphically to 字. Ancient variants include 斅 and 斆, which preserve more of 敎.
In the modern form, 宀 has corrupted to 冖 (“cover”), and the hands 𦥑 around the 爻 have become connected with the roof 冖 on top of the child 子. Shuowen regards 𦥑 as the phonetic component in the character, which may be true according to some Old Chinese reconstructions such as that of Pan Wuyun's, though probably not others.
See also the top component of 覺, which is a contraction of 學.
The earliest oracle bone script forms may be a phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *ɡruːɡ): semantic 爻 + phonetic 六 (OC *ruɡ).
May be an endopassive derivation of 覺 (OC *kruːɡs, *kruːɡ, “to awake, get insight”). Ultimately from Proto-Sino-Tibetan *kruk (“to rouse; to awaken; to disturb”).

inh-lite

学
斈
𢻯
𡕕
𣁃
𫝯
𭓕
𭓘
学
学

c. 475 - 221 BCE, Disciples of Confucius, 論語 [The Analects of Confucius]:

學習／学习

我打算學攝影。

我打算学摄影。

My parents hoped I would study medicine, but I didn't want to.

Wǒ fùmǔqīn xīwàng wǒ xué yī, dànshì wǒ bù yuànyì.

我父母親希望我學醫，但是我不願意。

我父母亲希望我学医，但是我不愿意。

He refuses to learn to say thank you, even though his teacher asked him many times.

lou⁵ si¹ giu³ gik⁶ keoi⁵ dou¹ m⁴ hang² hok⁶ gong² m⁴ goi¹.

老師叫極佢都唔肯學講唔該。

老师叫极佢都唔肯学讲唔该。

鸚鵡學人語。

鹦鹉学人语。

My little sister likes to copy everything I do.

我妹妹什麼都學我。

我妹妹什么都学我。

學人哋用叉食飯

学人哋用叉食饭

求學／求学

才疏學淺／才疏学浅

to be of humble talent and shallow learning

c. 3rd century BCE, 荀子 [Xunzi], 荀子 [Xunzi]:

化學／化学 ― huàxué ― chemistry

生物學／生物学 ― shēngwùxué ― biology

哲學

哲学

subject; branch of learning; science; -ology


學

学
斈
𢻯
𡕕
𣁃
𫝯
𭓕
𭓘
学
学

There was a man in Lu who sent his son to Mozi to study. The son perished in a battle. The father blamed Mozi for it. Mozi said: "You wanted to have your son trained. Now he had completed his training and died in battle. And you become sore."

Mozi, c. 4ᵗʰ century BCE, translated based on Y. P. Mei's version

Lǔ rén yǒu yīn Zǐ Mòzǐ ér xiào qí zǐ zhě, qí zǐ zhàn ér sǐ, qí fù ràng Zǐ Mòzǐ. Zǐ Mòzǐ yuē: “Zǐ yù xiào zǐ zhī zǐ, jīn xuéchéng yǐ, zhàn ér sǐ, ér zǐ yùn.”

魯人有因子墨子而學其子者，其子戰而死，其父讓子墨子。子墨子曰：「子欲學子之子，今學成矣，戰而死，而子慍。」

鲁人有因子墨子而学其子者，其子战而死，其父让子墨子。子墨子曰：「子欲学子之子，今学成矣，战而死，而子愠。」

In teaching the heir-sons and young men, the subjects were different at different seasons.

The Book of Rites, c. 4ᵗʰ – 2ⁿᵈ century BCE, translated based on James Legge's version

凡學世子及學士，必時。

凡学世子及学士，必时。

It is said in the Charge to Yue, "Teaching is the half of learning."

《兌命》曰：「學學半。」

《兑命》曰：「学学半。」

(obsolete) alternative form of 斆 /敩 (xiào, “to teach; to instruct; to train”)


完

→ Vietnamese: vẹn

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *ɦŋoːn): semantic 宀 (“roof”) + phonetic 元 (OC *ŋon).

Han compound

信紙用完了

信纸用完了


家

Oracle bone script: Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *kraː): semantic 宀 (“roof”) + phonetic 𢑓 (xiá, “male pig”). An archaic variant closer to the original drawing is 𡩀. See 𢑓 (xiá) for more. Similar to 冡.
Later the phonetic component have been corrupted to 豕, so Shuowen Jiezi erroneously analyzed it as Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *kraː): semantic 宀 (“roof”) + abbreviated phonetic 豭 (OC *kraː, “pig”).
All etymologies based on the modern version of the phonetic component (豕) are folk etymologies since they miss the original component (𢑓).
Cognate with Tibetan མཁར (mkhar, “castle; house”) (Schuessler, 2007).
嫁 (OC *kraːs, “to give a girl in marriage”) is the exoactive of 家 (OC *kraː, “house; household; family”).

och-l

傢
宊
𠖔
𡧚
𡩅
𡩙
𡩚
𡩵
𡩀
價

家庭

家事

李家

我家有四口人。

船家

行家

Suffix denoting a person with a certain occupation or social standing. -er

親家

亲家

仇家

老人家身體可還好啊？

老人家身体可还好啊？

Suffix used after a noun to specify a type of person.

家家

suffix used after a noun to specify a type of person


家

傢
宊
𠖔
𡧚
𡩅
𡩙
𡩚
𡩵
𡩀
價


寄

→ Vietnamese: gửi

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *krals): semantic 宀 (“house”) + phonetic 奇 (OC *kral, *ɡral) ― living away from home.
;"to commit to one's charge" (Lunyu), "to entrust, communicate" (Liji), > "send (a letter)"
;"translator, interpreter" > "an alternate name used for the Dongyi tribes during the Ming Dynasty"

Han compound

To make what was in their minds apprehended, and to communicate their likings and desires, (there were officers) - in the east, called transmitters; in the south, representationists; in the west, Di-dis; and in the north, interpreters.

The Book of Rites, c. 4ᵗʰ – 2ⁿᵈ century BCE

Dá qí zhì, tōng qí yù: dōngfāng yuē jì, nánfāng yuē xiàng, xīfāng yuē dídī, běifāng yuē yì.

達其志，通其欲：東方曰寄，南方曰象，西方曰狄鞮，北方曰譯。

达其志，通其欲：东方曰寄，南方曰象，西方曰狄鞮，北方曰译。

(historical) government official in charge of translating from and into the speech of non-Chinese ethnic groups in China's east (Dongyi)

(historical) an alternate name used for the Dongyi tribes during the Ming Dynasty


寫

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *sjaːʔ): semantic 宀 + phonetic 舄 (OC *sʰjaːɡ, *sʰaɡ, *sjaːɡ, *sjaːɡ).

Han compound

写
㝍
冩
⿱宀舃
𧭠
䥱

寫功課／写功课 ― xiě gōngkè ― to do homework


封

Ideogrammic compound (會意 /会意) and phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *poŋ, *poŋs): abbreviated phonetic 丰 (OC *pʰoŋ, “seedling”) + semantic 土 (“dirt”) + semantic 寸 (“hand”) – mark boundaries by planting trees. Compare 邦.
Originally 丰 (OC *pʰoŋ), depicting a tree seedling. Variants that added any combination of 土 (“dirt”), 又 (“hand”), 田 (“field”), 丮 (“kneeling person with hands stretched out”) appeared from bronze inscriptions onwards.
Area etymon (Schuessler, 2007). Compare Tibetan ཕུང་པོ (phung po, “heap”), Tibetan སྤུང (spung, “heap”), Lepcha ᰣᰦᰎᰪᰵ (a-pŭŋ, “a heap; a stock”), Mizo [Term?] (puŋᴴ), [Term?] (punᴸ, “increase; assemble”), Mizo vûng (vuuŋᴴ), vûn (vuunᴸ, “swollen”), Mizo vûng (vuuŋᴿ, “heap; mound”), Chepang भुङ्हसा (bhuŋh-, “to be burst or peak of activity (flowering, field work etc.)”). Compare also Khmer ពោង (poong, “protuberances/bumps on an animal's head”), Khmer សំពោង (sɑmpoong, “puffed up; swollen”).
邦 (OC *proːŋ, “country”) may be the same etymon (Wang, 1982, Schuessler, 2007).


對

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (對):
* → Japanese: 対(たい) (tai); 対(つい) (tsui)
* → Korean: 대(對) (dae)
* → Vietnamese: đối (對)

→ Ai-Cham: toi⁵

→ Vietnamese: đôi (“double”)

→ Old Turkic: tāy (“pair , side”)

→ Azerbaijani: tay

→ Turkmen: taý

In the oracle bone and bronze scripts, it was an ideogrammic compound (會意 /会意): 丵 (“tool for digging”) + 土 (“earth”) + 又 (“hand”). The original meaning of the character is unclear, but it may be “to develop (land)”. It was later borrowed for “to reply”. Compare 封, 邦.
In the seal script, 又 has become the related 寸. Shuowen has two seal script forms for this character: 𡭊 (main form) and 對 (alternative form). The main form, which has a 口 (“mouth”), was probably created to specialize the character to signify “to reply”, but this form was not inherited in later scripts. Shuowen interprets the latter form (shown above) as a form that Emperor Wen of Han created by replacing 口 with 士 (“soldier; warrior”) because many of the replies were untruthful (just lip service), but it is more likely that 士 is a corruption of 土.
Exoactive of 答 (OC *tkuːb, “to reply; to answer”) (Schuessler, 2007).

Han compound

對岸

对岸

對方

对方

對手

对手


小

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (小):
* → Japanese: 小(しょう) (shō)
* → Korean: 소(小) (so)
* → Vietnamese: tiểu (小)

Two possible interpretations:
* Ideogram (指事) – three small dots > small.
* Pictogram (象形) – three granules of sand – original character of 沙 (OC *sraːl, *sraːls) > small.
Starting from some bronze inscriptions, the dots have become elongated. Based on this form, Shuowen erroneously considers it to be an ideogrammic compound (會意 /会意): 八 (“to divide; to separate”) + 丨 (“small object”).
Compare with 少 (OC *hmjewʔ, *hmjews), represented by four dots in its oracle bone script form. Unrelated to the bottom part of 京, 示, 尞, 尗, and 原.
Often thought to be related to 少 (OC *hmjewʔ, *hmjews) (e.g. Wang, 1982), but Schuessler (2007) points out that the alternation between Middle Chinese /s-/ and /ɕ-/ within a word family is exceptional.

Han compound

For example, Someone called 李國寶／李国宝 can be called 小李.

Prefix used in front of family name to indicate informality or affection (for young people, 老 (lǎo) for elder people).


少

Pictogram (象形) – four dots, perhaps three grains of sand (see 沙), to indicate "a few, a little". Phonetically borrowed from 小 (OC *smewʔ, “small”), which is depicted by three dots.
Unrelated to 步 (and hence 歲), in which the lower component is the stylization of a foot.

少小離家老大回

少小离家老大回


就

/t͡ɕi̯oʊ̯⁵¹/

/t͡ɕi̯oʊ̯⁵¹/

Originally 𫢁, ideogrammic compound (會意 /会意): 享 + 京, a temple and a tower – meaning "to sacrifice at a high place". During the Warring States period, 享 was omitted. In seal script, 尤 (“especially; even more”) is added to the right, signifying "high; to go to a higher place".
Cognate with 造 (OC *skʰuːɡs, “to proceed to”) (Wang, 1982).

就業

就业

我就認識一個中國人。

我就认识一个中国人。

There's only one bed and one table in the room.

Fángjiān lǐ jiù yī zhāng chuáng, yī zhāng zhuōzǐ.

房間裡就一張床，一張桌子。

房间里就一张床，一张桌子。

My salary is only five thousand yuan, and he buys clothes that are as much as ten thousand yuan. The disparity between people truly is too large.

Wǒ gōngzī jiù wǔ qiān kuài, tā mǎi jiàn yīfú jiù yī wàn kuài. Rén hé rén de chājù zhēn shì tài dà le.

我工資就五千塊，他買件衣服就一萬塊。人和人的差距真是太大了。

我工资就五千块，他买件衣服就一万块。人和人的差距真是太大了。

我做完就會告訴你。

我做完就会告诉你。

[If] there were no Communist Party, [then] there would be no new China

Méiyǒu gòngchǎndǎng jiù méiyǒu xīn zhōngguó.

沒有共產黨就沒有新中國。

没有共产党就没有新中国。


山

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (山):
* → Japanese: 山(さん) (san)
* → Korean: 산(山) (san)
* → Vietnamese: sơn (山)

Characters in the same phonetic series (山) (Zhengzhang, 2003)
Pictogram (象形) – three mountain peaks. In the Oracle Bone Script, they were represented by triangles rather than vertical strokes. Compare 丘 (qiū), particularly earlier forms.
Unrelated to 出 and the top component of 岁 and 豐. Also unrelated to 屮.
Unclear – cognates not known outside Sino-Bai. Cognate with Central Bai svrt (“mountain”) < Proto-Bai *sro⁴.
Baxter and Sagart (2014) propose that it is derived from a root *ŋ(ˤ)rar (“slope, nearly vertical side”) that also derives 巘 (OC *ŋ(r)ar(ʔ), “hill”), 涯 (OC *ŋˤrar, “river bank”), 顏 (OC *C.ŋˤrar, “forehead”).
Starostin compares it with Kayan sʰôn (“mountain”).

Han etyl

登山

(countable) mountain; hill (Classifier: 座 m c; 粒 mn)

bundled straw in which silkworms spin cocoons

(Cantonese, Liuzhou Mandarin, Pinghua) tomb; grave (Classifier: 個／个 c)


左

Originally written 𠂇 and 䶹 in the oracle bone script: Pictogram (象形) – a left hand. Compare 又 (“right hand”).
Late bronze inscription forms show an added 工 (“work; to assist?”) component, making the current form a phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *ʔsaːlʔ, *ʔsaːls) and ideogrammic compound (會意 /会意): phonetic 𠂇 (“left hand”) + semantic 工 (“work”), representing the original form of 佐 (OC *ʔsaːls, “to assist”).
Cognate with 佐 (OC *ʔsaːls, “to assist”) (< be on one's left side); mirror of the semantic relationship between 右 (OC *ɢʷɯʔ, “right”) and 佑 (OC *ɢʷɯs, “to assist”) (Schuessler, 2007).
Unrelated to Proto-Tibeto-Burman *b(w)aj (“left (hand)”) (STEDT).
; “(politics) left-wing”

ncog

左多巴


差

Ideogrammic compound (會意 /会意): 來 (“wheat”) + 𠂇 (“left hand”) – to hull wheat by rubbing grains inside hands. Original form of 搓 (OC *sʰlaːl, “to rub with hands; to scrub; to twist”).
工 or 口 was later added under 𠂇 to form 左 (OC *ʔsaːlʔ, *ʔsaːls, “left”), which is also this character's phonetic component.

och-l

to differ from; to be different; dissimilar; incongruous


差

/t͡sʰaːi̯⁵⁵/

/t͡sʰaːi̯⁵⁵/

to dispatch; to assign; to send on an errand


市

Oracle bone script and bronze inscriptions: Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *djɯʔ): semantic 兮 (“bustling”) + phonetic 之 (OC *tjɯ).
Possibly related to Proto-Tai *z.ɟɯːꟲ (“to buy”), whence Thai ซื้อ (sʉ́ʉ) (Schuessler, 2007).

cog

Thai ซื้อ (sʉ́ʉ)

(Cantonese) market situation; especially the stock market

(Quanzhou and Xiamen Hokkien) business situation (buy and sell of goods)


布

→ Lao: ຜ້າ (phā, “cloth”)

→ Thai: ผ้า (pâa, “cloth”)

Characters in the same phonetic series (父) (Zhengzhang, 2003)
Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *paːs): phonetic 父 (OC *paʔ, *baʔ) + semantic 巾 (“kerchief”).
;"to spread out" (tr.)
;"cloth"
:Additionally, Schuessler suggests that the Austroasiatic word was the source of Sanskrit कर्पास (karpāsa) & Ancient Greek κάρπασος (kárpasos). Still, earlier Johnson & Decker (1980) stated that "the problem of etymological origin of karpāsa has not been resolved".

布拉提斯拉瓦

Bùlātísīlāwǎ

布拉迪斯拉發

Bùlādísīlāfā

布拉迪斯拉发

Bùlādísīlāfā

布署

布下圈套


帶

/taːi̯³³⁻³⁵/

/taːi̯³³⁻³⁵/

Pictogram (象形).
From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *s-daːj (“waist; belt; zone; flat expanse”). Cognate with Tibetan སྡེ (sde, “part; portion; district”) and Proto-Lolo-Burmese *N-day³ (“level expanse; plain”). Also compare the phonologically similar Proto-Sino-Tibetan *s-taj (“naval; abdomen; center; self”).
The internet slang usage in lieu of 大 is a written rendering of internet streamer Sun Xiaochuan's Sichuan-influenced Standard Mandarin (四川普通话) accent.

inh

带
帯
带
地
塊
處
带

GT - General Taiwanese (no specific region identified)

Should one let one's parents look after one's children?

該不該讓老人帶孩子？

该不该让老人带孩子？


常

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *djaŋ): phonetic 尚 (OC *djaŋ, *djaŋs) + semantic 巾 (“cloth”).
The character originally referred to a "lower garment" similar to a skirt, before being phonetically borrowed to mean "long-lasting; frequently". The original sense is now represented by the character 裳 (OC *djaŋ, “lower garment”).
From Proto-Sino-Tibetan; perhaps related to Tibetan ཡང (yang, “again, once more”) (Schuessler, 2007).


干

Pictogram (象形) of a shield with feather ornaments on top; in some versions in oracle bones, the central and flat part of the shield can be seen as 回.
As an alternative, it is possible 干 and 單 are variant forms of the same character in oracle bone script due to their similar shapes and its appearance in the original forms of 敢. Hence, 干 would depict a bifurcated hunting weapon, not a shield. But 單 has two dots on top that depict two stones, while these two dots are absent in 干.
Also borrowed phonetically as a simplification of 乾 (dry) and 幹. See also 盾 (the pictogram of another shield) and its possible differentiation 古.
The interpretation that links this pictogram to a pestle is folk etymology. Unrelated to 午, which however represents a pestle.
Sino-Tibetan. Cognate with 扞 (OC *ɡaːns, “to shield; to protect”), 閈 (OC *ɡaːns, “gate”), 捍 (OC *ɡaːns, *ɡraːnʔ, “to shield, ward off”). Compare Tibetan འགལ ('gal, “to go against, to violate, to contradict”), Burmese ကာ (ka, “shield; to shield; to block”).

cog

塔克拉瑪干

塔克拉玛干

布干維爾

布干维尔

烏干達

乌干达


幾

→ Thai: กี่ (gìi, “how many; how much”)

→ Northern Thai: ᨠᩦ᩵

→ Khün: ᨠᩦ᩵

desc

→ Lü: ᦂᦲᧈ (k̇ii¹)

→ Lü: ᦂᦲᧈ (k̇ii¹)

Ideogrammic compound (會意 /会意): 𢆶 (“silk threads; little things”) + 戍 (“to guard against”) – watching over the fine details.
Note that the simplified form 几 (OC *krilʔ, “small table”) is also a traditional character on its own.

Han compound

佢今年幾大呀？

佢今年几大呀？

有幾難啫？

有几难啫？

(dialectal Mandarin, Cantonese, Gan, Hakka, Pinghua) how; how much

(dialectal Mandarin, Cantonese, Gan, Hakka, Pinghua, Xiang) how; so; such


床

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (床):
* → Japanese: 床(しょう) (shō)
* → Korean: 상(床) (sang)

→ Bouyei: xaangz (“bed”)

→ Zhuang: congz (“bed”)

→ Proto-Vietic: *k-ɟəːŋ (“bed”)

Vietnamese: giường

Chut: kəcɨːŋ²

/ʈ͡ʂʰu̯ɑŋ³⁵/

/ʈ͡ʂʰu̯ɑŋ³⁵/

Originally an unorthodox variant of 牀. Now made up of 广 (“house”) + 木 (“tree”), an ideogrammic compound (會意 /会意) representing a wooden furniture item (a bed) in a house.
Schuessler (2007) suggests that it may be related to Khmer រង (rɔɔng, “to support from below”), Old Mon [script needed] (joṅ, “couch; bedstead”). Compare also Burmese စင် (cang, “platform, stage”) (Luce, 1981).
Baxter & Sagart (2014) reconstructs OC prefixal *k- based on Vietic evidences: cf. Maleng [Brô] kacɨəŋ, Maleng [Kha Pong] kəcɨːŋ² , Chut [Sách, Rục] kəcɨːŋ².

cog

車床

车床

牙床

一床棉被


座

→ Vietnamese: toà

/t͡sɔː²²⁻³⁵/

/t͡sɔː²²⁻³⁵/

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *zoːls): semantic 广 (“house on cliff”) + phonetic 坐 (OC *zoːlʔ, *zoːls).
Exopassive of 坐 (OC *zoːlʔ, “to sit; to be situated”), literally "that which is sat on" (Schuessler, 2007).

Han compound

讓座／让座

天蠍座／天蝎座

這裡是一座美麗的城

这里是一座美丽的城

Classifier for buildings, mountains and similar immovable objects.


弘

Ideogrammic compound (會意 /会意) and phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *ɡʷɯːŋ): phonetic 弓 (OC *kʷɯŋ, “bow”) + semantic 口 (“mouth”) – the sound of a bow > a loud sound.
The 口 later corrupts into 厶 (the ancient form of 肱 (OC *kʷɯːŋ)), which Shuowen interprets to be the phonetic component of the character.

Han compound

See also: 宏


往

According to the version on bronzes, originally phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *ɢʷaŋ): semantic 止 (“foot”) + phonetic 王 (OC *ɢʷaŋ, *ɢʷaŋs), hence the original version is 㞷; see also the top component of 出 and 岁. Later 彳 was added to form phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *ɢʷaŋ): semantic 彳 (“walk”) + semantic 止 (“foot”) + phonetic 王 (OC *ɢʷaŋ, *ɢʷaŋs). Hence, the new character 𢓸 was coined.
Eventually, the right component was stylized into the unrelated 主. The fooprint pointing upwards on top became a point as in the character 之.
From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *waŋ (“to go; to come”). Cognate with Burmese ဝင် (wang, “to come in; to enter”), Tibetan འོང ('ong, “to come”), ཡོང (yong, “to come”). Related to 于 (OC *ɢʷa, “to go”).

cog

徃
𢓸
㞷
𢔎
迬
𨓹
徍
𧗧
矼

往返


很

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *ɡɯːnʔ): semantic 彳 + phonetic 艮 (OC *kɯːns).
“Cruel (~ 狠); to disobey; to defy” > “very; quite” (since Yuan dynasty). Compare 蠻／蛮 (mán).

Han compound

我很好。

(Mandarin, especially before monosyllabic adjectives) (no meaning, see usage note)


後

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (後):
* → Japanese: 後(こう) (kō); 後(ご) (go)
* → Korean: 후(後) (hu)
* → Vietnamese: hậu (後)

In oracle bone script, ideogrammic compound (會意 /会意): 幺 (“thread”) + 夊 (“foot”) – a foot bound by a rope, thus lagging behind. The component 彳 was added afterwards to emphasize this action.
Note that the simplified form 后 is also a traditional character on its own, with a different meaning.
From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *hwak (“below”) (STEDT). Cognate with Tibetan འོག ('og, “below”), Burmese အောက် (auk, “under; below”), Burmese နောက် (nauk, “behind”) (from Proto-Lolo-Burmese *ʔok (“lower side; below”)).

cog

無後

无后

Qian Yi, the author of A New Book in the South, is a descendant of Qian Liu, the King of Wuyue.

“Nánbù Xīnshū” zuòzhě Qián Yì, nǎi Wúyuèwáng Qián Liú zhī hòu.

《南部新書》作者錢易，乃吳越王錢鏐之後。

《南部新书》作者钱易，乃吴越王钱镠之后。


得

Ideogrammic compound (會意 /会意). The ancient form of 得 is 㝵, composed of 貝 (“cowry”) + 又 (“hand”) — to pick up a cowry > to obtain valuables. A component 彳 was sometimes added to show that the cowry was picked up on the road.
In the Qin Bamboo and Slip script:
* a horizontal line was added to the 又, which means it is replaced with the related 寸. This is a feature of Qin script, and many characters that used to compound with 又 now compound with 寸.
In the Shuowen seal script:
* the 貝 corrupts into something resembling 見. However, this should be an error of Shuowen because it can only be only found in Shuowen and not in historical Qin Seal script, Qin Bamboo, and Slip script.
In the clerical script:
* the 貝 is simplified as 目 (“eye”); such simplification can be seen in its early form in Spring and Autumn and Warring States bronze inscriptions, Chu Bamboo, and Silk script, as well as other characters such as 具. Then it corrupts into 旦 (“dawn”) in later clerical script, and Regular script inherited it.
Pulleyblank (1991) relates it to Tibetan ཐུབ (thub, “to be able to; to withstand”).

㝵
淂
𠭁
𧴫
䙷
㝶
𮙮


從

/t͡sʰi̯uŋ¹¹/

/t͡sʰi̯uŋ¹¹/

Ideogrammic compound (會意 /会意): 辵 (“walk”) + 从 (“follow”).
Etymology not certain. Perhaps cognate with Tibetan རྫོང་བ (rdzong ba, “to dispatch; to dismiss”) (Schuessler, 2007). Alternatively, compare Tibetan སྟོངས་པ (stongs pa, “to accompany”), or perhaps 送 (OC *sloːŋs, “to escort; to send”).
Pronunciation 2 is a derivation of pronunciation 1.

cog

盲從

盲从

to follow a teacher and learn from him/her

從師

从师

(obsolete on its own in Standard Chinese) to follow; to come after

從目前來看

从目前来看


忘

Characters in the same phonetic series (亡) (Zhengzhang, 2003)
Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *maŋ, *maŋs) and ideogrammic compound (會意 /会意): phonetic 亡 (OC *maŋ, “to lose, disappear, flee”) + semantic 心 (“heart”). Doublet of 忙 (OC *maːŋ).
From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *ma (“not”). Originally the same word as 亡 (OC *maŋ, “to lose, disappear, flee”) as suggested by Shijing rimes, but it was later suffixed with a perfective suffix *-s (or *-h), literally "it has disappeared (from mind)" (Schuessler, 2007).


忙

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *maːŋ): semantic 忄 + phonetic 亡 (OC *maŋ). Doublet of 忘 (OC *maŋ, *maŋs).

Han compound

你最近忙嗎？

你最近忙吗？


快

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *kʰʷraːds): semantic 忄 + phonetic 夬 (OC *kʷraːds).
Unknown (Schuessler, 2007).

Han compound

Shīfu, néng bùnéng zài kāi kuài yī diǎn?

師傅，能不能再開快一點？

师傅，能不能再开快一点？

快啲啦！

反應快

反应快

腦子快

脑子快

我快到了。

快八點了。

快八点了。

2010, Qian Nairong, “從〈滬語便商〉所見的老上海話時態 [Tenses and Aspects? Old Shanghainese as Found in the Book Huyu Bian Shang]”, in (Please provide the book title or journal name):

落下來快哉。

落下来快哉。

(dated Shanghainese) Used to indicate the near future tense.


念

Characters in the same phonetic series (今) (Zhengzhang, 2003)
Shuowen: Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *nɯːms): phonetic 今 (OC *krɯm) + semantic 心 (“heart”).
Alternatively: Ideogrammic compound (會意 /会意): 今 + 心 (see: 張富海：《利用諧聲構擬上古音應該註意的幾個問題》，《出土文獻》，2021年第1期，頁134。)
From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *s-njam. Cognate with Tibetan ཉམ (nyam), ཉམས (nyams, “soul, mind, heart”), སྙམ (snyam, “to think, to feel”) (Quan, 1996). Related to 恁 (OC *njɯm, *njɯmʔ, “to think, to miss”).
Schuessler (2007) notes it may be an area word; compare Khmer ចំណាំ (cɑmnam, “memory; recollection”), Proto-Austronesian *nemnem (“to think”).

cog

to miss; to long for; to think of; to recall


怕

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *pʰraːɡs, *pʰraːɡ): semantic 心 (“heart”) + phonetic 白 (OC *braːɡ).
Cognate with 怖 (OC *pʰaːs) (Wang, 1982; Schuessler, 2007). Compare Proto-Kuki-Chin *phoo(k/ŋ) (“to startle; to alarm; to wake up”), whence Mizo phâwk (“to startle; to frighten”) (STEDT; Schuessler, 2007). Also compare Proto-Monic *phiic (“to be afraid”), whence Mon ဖေက် (“to fear”) (Schuessler, 2007).

cog

不要怕！

怕針怕血

怕针怕血

佢已經怕咗你。

佢已经怕咗你。

1936, Lu Xun, “關於世界語”, in 倪海曙, editor, 魯迅論語文改革, 時代出版社, published 1949, page 18:

Wǒ zìjǐ quèxìn, wǒ shì zànchéng shìjièyǔ de. Zànchéng de shíhòu yě zǎo dé hěn, pà yǒu èrshí nián le ba.

我自己確信，我是贊成世界語的。贊成的時候也早得很，怕有二十年了吧。

我自己确信，我是赞成世界语的。赞成的时候也早得很，怕有二十年了吧。

perhaps; supposedly; fearfully; I'm afraid that


怕

(literary) alternative form of 泊 (“indifferent to fame or gain”)


急

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *krɯb): phonetic 及 (OC *ɡrɯb) + semantic 心 (“heart”).
Etymology not clear. Not a variant of 亟 (OC *kɯɡ, “urgent”) (Schuessler, 2007).
Old Burmese ခုပ် (hkup, “swift, quick, urgent”) bears a resemblance to the Old Chinese lemma.

cog

急病

水流很急

急事

急尿 [Cantonese] ― gap¹ niu⁶ [Jyutping] ― to need to urinate

我好急啊！

(specifically) to need to use the toilet urgently

to hurry; to hasten
to need to use the toilet urgently

急公好義／急公好义 ― jígōnghàoyì

急性子


您

Han dynasty
Jin dynasty
Sui dynasty
Tang dynasty
Yuan dynasty

Ideogrammic compound (會意 /会意): 你 (“you”) + 心 (“heart”). 心 (MC sim) may also phonetically signify the original -m ending (Yuan et al., 1996).
This character was not listed in Sui/Tang rhyme books. First attested in Jin/Yuan-era literature, when it was also written as 恁 and probably pronounced as *nim at the time (Lü, 1940; Norman, 1988). The pronoun was used both in the singular and the plural.
The pronoun used in Jin/Yuan-era literature is generally thought to be a fusion of 你們／你们 (nǐmen, “you (plural)”) or 你每 (nǐměi, “you (plural)”) (Lü, 1940; Norman, 1988). Compare 怹 (tān, “he, she (polite)”) ( < 他們／他们 (tāmen, “they”)).
The honorific usage may simply be a development of the plural usage (Norman, 1988); compare English you, French vous. However, others have argued for a different etymology for the honorific pronoun. Wang (1984) and Lü (1985) argue that it is a contraction of 你老 (“you (honorific for seniors)”): /ni lau/ → /nil/ → /nin/. Alternatively, Zhang (2001) suggests that it comes from 仁 (MC nyin), an honorific used in Buddhist texts from the Han dynasty.
In Cantonese and Hakka, this character is simply read as 你; in Teochew, it is read as 汝.

Han compound

(polite, honorific, sometimes sarcastic) you (usually singular, may be plural)


想

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (想):
* → Vietnamese: tưởng (想)

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *slaŋʔ): phonetic 相 (OC *slaŋ, *slaŋs) + semantic 心 (“heart, mind”) – to think, to consider. The phonetic component has a reference as well to the act of thinking, hence "visualizing" in one's own mind.
From 相 (OC *slaŋ, *slaŋs, “to observe; appearance”) (“appearance > to visualise > to think”).
Cognate to Japhug sɯso (“to think”) and Situ ka-səsō (“to think”) (Zhang, Jacques and Lai 2019 p. 84); from this, one can reconstruct Proto-Sino-Tibetan *saŋ (“to think”).

少年袂曉想，食老毋成樣 / 少年袂晓想，食老毋成样

siàu-liân bē-hiáu siūⁿ, chia̍h-lāu m̄-chiâⁿ-iūⁿ

I'm planning to get a job for the summer.

我想在暑假打工。

to think about; to plan; to be considering

還想喝一杯嗎？

还想喝一杯吗？

她想當芭蕾舞演員。

她想当芭蕾舞演员。

I'm really sleepy (lit. I really want to sleep.)

我很想睡。

watched so much that one doesn't want to watch any more

睇到唔想睇

你走了我會想你的。

你走了我会想你的。

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


慢

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *mroːns): semantic 忄 (“heart”) + phonetic 曼 (OC *moːn, *mons) – a character trait or behavior (of the heart), sluggish. Note that 曼 also means “long, extended”, so connotations of “take a long time, leisurely, sluggish”.

Han compound

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

Ruò wú xìngdé zhī yán, zé zé Yōuzhī, Yī, Yǔn děng zhī màn.

若無興德之言，則責攸之、禕、允等之慢。

若无兴德之言，则责攸之、祎、允等之慢。

(literary) slack; sluggish; remiss; idle


懂

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *toːŋʔ): semantic 心 (“heart”) + phonetic 董 (OC *toːŋʔ).
Perhaps cognate with 黨 (OC *taːŋʔ, “to know”), an ancient Chu dialect word (Schuessler, 2007).


成

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (成):
* → Vietnamese: thành (成)

→ Zhuang: cingz (“tenth”)

Characters in the same phonetic series (成) (Zhengzhang, 2003)
Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *djeŋ): semantic 戊 + phonetic 丁 (OC *rteːŋ, *teːŋ). The phonetic component is not 囗 or 口, as folk etymology states. According to Ji Xusheng 季旭昇, its original meaning was "city walls", with a reference to something protected conveyed by the weapon. Its original meaning is preserved in 城.
Cognate with 盛 (OC *djeŋ, “to hold with a receptacle”), 城 (OC *djeŋ, “city wall; city”), 盛 (OC *djeŋs, “abundant; flourishing”) (Schuessler, 2007).
According to Bodman (1980), cognate with Tibetan གྱང (gyang, “wall”), Tibetan འགེངས་པ ('gengs pa, “to fill”), Tibetan བཀང (bkang, “to fill to the brim”), Tibetan སྐོང་བ (skong ba, “to fulfill”).

cog

你不去可不成。

三成

五成半

八成九

成塊肉

成块肉

成隻狗噉

成只狗噉

成件事


我

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (我):
* → Japanese: 我(が) (ga)
* → Korean: 아(我) (a)
* → Vietnamese: ngã (我)

Wutunhua: nga, ngu

→ Betawi: gua (via Min Nan)

→ Indonesian: gua, gue

→ Malay: gua (via Min Nan)

→ Thai: อั๊ว (úua)

A pictogram (象形) of a trident-like weapon or tool (note the oracle bone script form 𢦐). Jao & Zeng (1985, pp. 289–290) conjecture about its similarity to a kind of three-bladed polearm found at archaeological sites. Cf. 戈 (gē, “polearm”), which is the same weapon but with a single blade instead of three. It was already borrowed for sound to mean "I" (in the sense of "first-person subject") since the oracle bone script.
Guo Moruo considers it to be the original character for 錡 (OC *ɡral, “a kind of war axe with three blades or teeth”).
Folk etymology considers it to be an ideograph of a hand (手 (shǒu)) holding a weapon (戈 (gē)) to protect oneself.
From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *ŋa. Cognate with 吾 (OC *ŋaː), Burmese ငါ (nga, “I”), Hakka 𠊎 (ngài). The expected Mandarin pronunciation is ě (now only found in a few Northern dialects); wǒ is "a col[loquial] archaism" (Schuessler, 2007).

och-l

𠨂
𢦐
𢦓
𢦖
𢦠
𨈟
𩇶
吾
瓦

used without 的; GT - General Taiwanese (no specific region identified)

(obsolete) to stubbornly hold to one's own opinion


戴

In the oracle bone script, a pictogram (象形) of a person holding something on their head with both hands. Possibly originally the same character as 異 (“person wearing a mask” or “person carrying something on their head”), see there for more.
Later, a phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声), with 異 (OC *lɯɡs) serving as the semantic (and also possibly phonetic) component, and either 弋 (OC *lɯɡ), 𢦏 (OC *ʔslɯː), or 之 (OC *tjɯ) acting as a phonetic component.

to wear something on the head; to carry on the head

to put on; to wear (a hat, scarf, jewelry, wristwatch, glasses, flower or other object that is “attached” to the body)

戴季陶


手

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (手):
* → Japanese: 手(しゅ) (shu)
* → Korean: 수(手) (su)
* → Vietnamese: thủ (手)

Characters in the same phonetic series (手) (Zhengzhang, 2003)
Pictogram (象形) – hand and fingers. The top stroke is the bent over middle finger, while the horizontal strokes are each two fingers. Compare 爪, 寸, 九, 又, and 彐 as a stylized hand. Compare 丑 as an animal claw. See also the bottom part of 举 and 奉.
Note that unlike the other hand/claw characters, 手 has consistently had five fingers: a mammalian/human hand, as opposed to the three digits often found in the others.
Compare also 止 (“foot”), derived from a footprint pointing upward, originally composed of 3 toes and a sole.
STEDT compares this word to Proto-Sino-Tibetan *g-(t)sjəw-k/ŋ (“wing; hand”) based on Karlgren's Archaic Chinese (Old Chinese) reconstruction *śi̯ôg, connecting it to Tibetan གཤོག (gshog, “wing”).
However, this comparison is not supported by more recent scholarship, in which the Old Chinese is reconstructed with an alveolar nasal (Unger, 1995; Zhengzhang, 1995; Baxter and Sagart, 2014). Evidence for the nasal initial is given in Sagart (1999):
* 杻 (“handcuffs”) can be written as 杽, so 丑 (OC *ᵇhnruʔ) (with a nasal initial) and 手 seem to be interchangeable as phonetics.
* The ancient graph 丑 resembles the graph of 又 (“right hand”). 狃 (OC *ᵇnruʔ, “animal track; claw”) seems to be the modern specialized form of 丑, which has been borrowed to represent an earthly branch.
As done by Sagart (1999), Baxter and Sagart (2014) put 杻 (OC *n̥uʔ, “handcuffs”) and 狃 (OC *Cə.nuʔ, “animal track; claw”) into the same word family as 手 (OC *n̥uʔ). Zhengzhang (1995) suggests a connection to the ညှိုး (hnyui:) in Burmese လက်ညှိုး (lakhnyui:, “forefinger”), which STEDT derives from Proto-Sino-Tibetan *s-njuŋ ~ *s-m-juŋ ~ *s-m-juw (“finger”). See Proto-Sino-Tibetan *C-njuʔ (“finger”) for more.
Alternatively, Schuessler (2007) suggests a tone B endoactive derivation from 收 (OC *nhiu?, “to take; to gather”), literally “that which is doing the taking”.


才

/t͡sʰɔːi̯²¹/

/t͡sʰɔːi̯²¹/

Pictogram (象形) — a sharp peg. Same as 弋 and 尗. See also the top component of 𢦏.
Xu Shen erroneously analyzed this character as a sprout growing from the ground.
From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *tsa ~ za (“child, offspring, relatives; to come forth (as child at birth); to love; loving”) (STEDT; Schuessler, 2007). "Birth" and "natural characteristic / endowments" are semantically connected, compare 生 (OC *sʰleːŋ, *sreŋs, “live, give birth”) and its derivative 性 (OC *sleŋs, “nature; character; personality; quality”) & 姓 (OC *sleŋs, “family name”). Cognate with 子 ("son").
Derivatives: 材 (OC *zlɯː, “material; timber”), 財 (OC *zlɯː, “riches; property; money”), and 存 ("to exist").

och-l

纔
裁
乍
則
即
者
隻

alt. forms: 材 (cái)


才

纔
裁
乍
則
即
者
隻


打

desc

→ Korean: 치다 (chida, “to call (on the telephone)”) (semantic loan)

→ Zhuang: daj

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *rteŋʔ, *teːŋʔ): semantic 扌 (“hand”) + phonetic 丁 (OC *rteːŋ, *teːŋ).
This post-classical word (its earliest extant attestation is in Shuowen) was pronounced *teŋ in Late Old Chinese, as would be expected from a 丁 phonetic. By the early Ming period, the character had been borrowed (訓讀／训读) for another word with the same meaning but a different pronunciation, without the nasal ending. This may be related to the previous reading, as a dialectal variant. In Mandarin and some other varieties, the new reading became standard; however, derivations of the older pronunciation are still used in other varieties such as Wu and Min Nan, as well as Vietnamese (đánh).
It has been compared to Mizo dêng (“to throw; to fling; to hammer”) and proposed to be from Sino-Tibetan (Schuessler, 2007). Also compare Proto-Mon-Khmer *dah ~ daʔ (“to hit, to meet”), whence Mon ဒး (tɛ̀h, “to hit (a mark), meet with, reach [goal], be correct, apposite, to fit”) and Khmer ទះ (tĕəh, “to slap, to strike”).
The pronunciation da is recorded in 六書故 as 都假切.

cog

to hit (a mark), meet with, reach 􂀿goal􂁀, be correct, apposite, to fit

打醬油／打酱油

打飯／打饭 ― dǎ fàn

打牛奶 ― dǎ niúnǎi

Used as a dummy verb to make a verbal phrase from a noun, including but not limited to:

(metonymic) to buy unpackaged or simply packaged goods (meat, soy sauce, oil, etc. at a grocery store)

「o的」字點打？

「o的」字点打？

打蟲／打虫

打胎 ― dǎ tāi ― to abort a fetus


打

→ Vietnamese: tá

→ Zhuang: daj

一打雞蛋／一打鸡蛋


把

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *praːʔ): semantic 扌 (“hand”) + phonetic 巴 (OC *praː).

Han compound

to give money (to children) during the Chinese New Year

把壓歲錢

把压岁钱

把本書你

把本书你

把我一本書

把我一本书

Yú jiā xiǎosī yòu qiāoqiāo de cóng hòumén jiào le yī ge mài cǎo de, bǎ tā sì ge qián.

虞家小廝又悄悄的從後門叫了一個賣草的，把他四個錢。

虞家小厮又悄悄的从后门叫了一个卖草的，把他四个钱。

(archaic or dialectal Mandarin, Gan, Xiang) to give


抬

Considered a 後起字／后起字 (hòuqǐzì). Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *l'ɯː): semantic 扌 (“hand”) + phonetic 台 (OC *l̥ʰɯː, *l'ɯː, *l'ɯː, *lɯ).

zh-l

後起字／后起字 (hòuqǐzì)

Han compound

(of more than one person) to carry on hands or shoulders together


抱

Characters in the same phonetic series (勹) (Zhengzhang, 2003)
Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *buːʔ): semantic 扌 + phonetic 包 (OC *pruː) – hold in one’s hands. Note that 包 has the meaning of “wrap”, hence connotations of “wrap in one’s hands, embrace”, thereby also making it an ideogrammic compound.
From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *puʔ (“to carry (on back or shoulders)”). Cognate with 保 (OC *puːʔ, “to protect, rear”), Manipuri ꯄꯨ (pu, “to carry”), Mizo pu (“to carry (on the back / shoulders)”), Burmese ပိုး (pui:, “to carry on the back, add onto”) (STEDT).

cog

Classifier for things held or encircled with both arms (books, hay, firewood, trees, etc.).


抽

desc

→ Mongolian: татах (tatax, “to inhale”) (semantic loan)

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *l̥ʰɯw): semantic 扌 (“hand”) + phonetic 由 (OC *lɯw).
The slang sense is short for 抽風／抽风 (chōufēng).

Han compound

to take out (object, person, time, etc.)

抽獎／抽奖

抽籤／抽签


抽

一抽鎖匙／一抽锁匙 [Cantonese] ― jat¹ cau¹ so² si⁴ [Jyutping] ― a bunch of keys

一抽提子 [Cantonese] ― jat¹ cau¹ tai⁴ zi² [Jyutping] ― a bunch of grapes

(Cantonese) Classifier for strung, bunched or clustered objects.


拉

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *ruːb): semantic 手 (“hand”) + phonetic 立 (OC *rɯb).


拿

合 + 手.
A later alternative glyph of 拏 and 挐 for senses related to “to take with hand”. Originally regarded as unorthodox by Zhengzitong and Zihui.

我拿著一杯水

我拿着一杯水

別把書拿走。

别把书拿走。

拿我開玩笑

拿我开玩笑

我拿他沒有辦法。

我拿他没有办法。

used to introduce the target of a following verb phrase


指

→ Thai: ชี้ (chíi, “to point”)

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *kjiʔ): semantic 扌 + phonetic 旨 (OC *kjiʔ).

Han compound

手指

指出

指人

Spring refers to the season after winter.

Chūntiān zhǐ de shì dōngtiān hòumiàn de nàge jìjié.

春天指的是冬天後面的那個季節。

春天指的是冬天后面的那个季节。


挺

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *l'eːŋ, *l'eːŋʔ): semantic 手 (“hand”) + phonetic 廷 (OC *l'eːŋ, *l'eːŋʔ).
From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *(p/b)ljaŋ (“straight; straighten”) (STEDT; Schuessler, 2003, 2007). Compare Burmese ဖြောင့် (hpraung., “straight”), as well as the following Chinese terms:
* 𡈼 (OC *l̥ʰeːŋʔ, “good, virtuous; to be good at”)
* 庭 (OC *l'eːŋ, “straight (of growing grain), upright (of morality); courtyard”)
* 梃 (OC *l'eːŋʔ, “stick, staff, club”)
* 筳 (OC *l'eːŋ, “bamboo rod”)
* 鋌 (OC *l'eːŋʔ, “metal rod, ingot”)
* 珽 (OC *l̥ʰeːŋʔ, “jade scepter”)
The Sino-Tibetan root is allofamic with Proto-Sino-Tibetan *(p/b)ljaŋ (“plank, palm, flat surface, wing”) (whence 平 (OC *ben, *beŋ, “flat, even”)) and Proto-Sino-Tibetan *(p/b)liŋ (“full; to fill”) (whence 盈 (OC *leŋ, “to fill; full, surplus”)), with the semantic core of these roots being a "complete realization of a dimensional quality".
The intensifier usage “quite; very” is most likely a grammaticalized usage from “outstanding; prominent” (Liu, 2008; Yang, 2021). Alternatively, it may be from Manchu ᡨᡝᠨ (ten, “extreme”) (Aixinjueluo, 1993).

傲人

nowadays especially of breasts, body curve

挺不錯／挺不错

挺可愛／挺可爱

(chiefly Mandarin, Jin, colloquial) quite; rather; pretty; very


掉

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *deːwʔ, *deːwɢs, *rneːwɢ): semantic 扌 (“hand”) + phonetic 卓 (OC *rteːwɢ).

Han compound

他戒掉了煙。

他戒掉了烟。

把燈關掉。

把灯关掉。

家裡的電飯鍋壞掉了。

家里的电饭锅坏掉了。

Used along with a verb to indicate completion, usually together with 了 (le); or to indicate imperative mood.


掛

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *kʷreːs): semantic ⺘ (“hand”) + phonetic 卦 (OC *kʷreːs). It expresses the idea of hooking or hanging something with the hand. Originally, it was a popular form of the character 挂.

Han compound

挂
挂
罣
𦊱
絓
𫭳
𭁹

被難

to be killed in a disaster, political incident


接

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (接):
* → Vietnamese: tiếp (接)

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *ʔseb): semantic 扌 + phonetic 妾 (OC *sʰeb) – to receive (in the hand).
From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *tsap (“to join, connect”). Related to 際 (OC *ʔsleds, “connection, border”), as well as to Burmese စပ် (cap, “to adjoin”) (STEDT).
STEDT also adduces another family, with similar phonetics and semantics, which however does not appear to be related:
* 揖 (OC *qib, “to cluster together, crowd”)
* 輯 (OC *zib, “to gather up, fold up, be crowded together”)
* 集 (OC *zub, “to collect, come together, unite, accomplish”)
* 雜 (OC *zuːb, “variegated, mixed”)

och-l

接觸

接触

to come near to; to be close to; to come into contact

接管

無人接聽

无人接听

I'm driving to the airport to pick you up right now.

ngo⁵ ji⁴ gaa¹ zaa¹ gan² ce¹ heoi³ gei¹ coeng⁴ zip³ nei⁵.

我而家揸緊車去機場接你。

我而家揸紧车去机场接你。

to meet, greet and welcome (someone); to pick up (a person)


推

Sino-Xenic (推):
* → Vietnamese: suy (推)

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *tʰuːl, *tʰjul): semantic 扌 (“hand”) + phonetic 隹 (OC *tjul) – push with the hand.
Middle Chinese distinguishes 推 (MC thwoj, “to push”) and 推 (MC tsrhwij, “to proceed; to promote; to deduce”).
Older Mandarin dictionaries give chuī (the Mandarin reflex of 推 (MC tsrhwij)) as a variant reading for all senses, while Cantonese dictionaries only assign ceoi1 to the "to deduce" sense (e.g. in 推測 (“to surmise”)). Most modern Sinitic varieties use the reflexes of 推 (MC thwoj) for all meanings, while Sino-Xenic use the reflexes of 推 (MC tsrhwij) (in Korean, however, the reflex of 推 (MC thwoj) is also used in a few words). Some varieties (including certain Hakka, Min, and sometimes Yue dialects) preserve both readings, but not necessarily disambiguate them by meaning.
See also 揣 (MC tsrhjweX|twaX).
; “to support”; “oshi”

ref

Samuel Wells Williams, 1874; Herbert Allen Giles, 1892

John Chalmers, 1855; Samuel Wells Williams, 1856; 廣話國語一貫未定稿, 1916

推薦

推荐

推選

推选

Li Bai and Du Fu are ranked the top among the Tang-era poets.

唐代詩人首推李杜。

唐代诗人首推李杜。


提

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *deː, *dje): semantic 扌 (“hand”) + phonetic 是 (OC *djeʔ).


提

only used in 提防 (dīfang, “to take precautions against; to watch out for”)


提

GT - General Taiwanese (no particular region identified)

(Hokkien) to obtain; to acquire (a degree, certificate, etc.)


換

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *ɢʷaːns): semantic 手 (“hand”) + phonetic 奐 (OC *qʰʷaːns).

Han compound

換衣服／换衣服

OK, the head of government has changed; so what?

政府換咗人又點啫？

政府换咗人又点啫？

to change; to exchange; to replace; to swap; to switch; to substitute


搞

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *kruːʔ): semantic 扌 (“hand”) + phonetic 高 (OC *kaːw).


搬

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *paːn): semantic 扌 (“hand”) + phonetic 般 (OC *praːn, *paːn, *baːn).

Han compound

搬球門

搬球门

to move; to shift the position of; to transport (something large)

to apply mechanically; to use indiscriminately


擠

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *ʔsliːl, *ʔsliːls): semantic 扌 (“hand”) + phonetic 齊 (OC *zliːl, *zliːls).

Han compound

挤
㨈
𡬚
挤
績:to squeeze out
勣:to injure the bones
muscles
or joints
挤

擠得像沙丁魚

挤得像沙丁鱼

to squeeze out; to wring; to use pressure to extract


擦

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *sʰlaːd): semantic 扌 (“hand”) + phonetic 察 (OC *sʰreːd) – wipe, scrub by hand.

Han compound

(Taiwanese Hokkien) hanging scroll; wall hanging (a scroll that unrolls vertically for hanging on a wall)


擺

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *preːlʔ): semantic 手 (“hand”) + phonetic 罷 (OC *breːlʔ, *bral, *bralʔ).

Han compound

(obsolete on its own in Standard Chinese) to get rid of; to break free from; to push aside

鐘擺／钟摆

擺鐘／摆钟

單擺／单摆


擺

Zhao (1990) and Li (2005) consider this to be a Kra-Dai substrate word; compare Zhuang baez, Bouyei baiz, Lingao fɔi³.

逐擺

逐摆

這擺

这摆

(Southern Min, Hakka, Malaysian Cantonese) Classifier for occurrences: time


收

→ Thai: ซิว (siu)

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *qʰljɯw, *qʰljɯws): semantic 攴 + phonetic 丩 (OC *kɯw, *krɯw) – to arrest.

Han compound

deoi³ m⁴ zyu⁶, ngo⁵ dei⁶ m⁴ sau¹ seon³ jung⁶ kaat¹.

對唔住，我哋唔收信用卡。

对唔住，我哋唔收信用卡。


改

In the oracle bone script, a phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *klɯːʔ): phonetic 巳 (OC *ljɯʔ, *lɯs) + semantic 攴.
The interpretation linked to a child beaten or threathened by a stick in hand to indicate "correct, amend" referred to educating a child is probably folk etymology.
Since the small seal script, the phonetic component has been changed to 己 (OC *kɯʔ).
Related to 革 (OC *krɯːɡ, “to change”), 更 (OC *kraːŋ, “to change”) (Wang, 1982).

Han compound

I heard you've quit smoking and drinking

聽講你菸酒攏改啊

听讲你烟酒拢改啊

(Hokkien) to give up; to quit; to abstain from (a bad habit)


教

/t͡ɕi̯ɑʊ̯⁵⁵/

/t͡ɕi̯ɒu̯⁴⁵/

/t͡ɕi̯ɑʊ̯⁵⁵/

/t͡ɕi̯ɒu̯⁴⁵/

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *kraːw, *kraːws): phonetic 爻 (OC *ɢraːw, “divination”) + semantic 子 (“child”) + semantic 攵 (“teaching cane; stick that represents authority”) – teaching a child either counting with bamboo slips or divination with yarrow stalks. See also 學 and 算.

Han compound

敎
斅/𢽾
𧧿
𤕝
敎
𡥉
𡥈

我來教你。

我来教你。


教

/t͡ɕi̯ɑʊ̯⁵¹/

/t͡ɕi̯ɑʊ̯⁵⁵/

/t͡ɕi̯ɑʊ̯⁵¹/

/t͡ɕi̯ɑʊ̯⁵⁵/

敎
斅/𢽾
𧧿
𤕝
敎
𡥉
𡥈

教人哭笑不得

A! Wēifēng chuī dòng le wǒ de tóufà, jiào wǒ rúhé bù xiǎng tā?

啊！微風吹動了我的頭髮，教我如何不想她？

啊！微风吹动了我的头发，教我如何不想她？


教

/t͡ɕi̯ɑʊ̯⁵¹/

/t͡ɕi̯ɒu̯⁴⁵/

/t͡ɕi̯ɑʊ̯⁵¹/

/t͡ɕi̯ɒu̯⁴⁵/

敎
斅/𢽾
𧧿
𤕝
敎
𡥉
𡥈

(obsolete or Southern Min) to tell (someone to do something); to let; to instruct


敢

→ Zhuang: gamj

In oracle bone script, ideogrammic compound (會意 /会意): Two hands 廾 holding a weapon 干 hunting a wild boar 豕.
In the Zhou dynasty one of the hands was removed and a phonetic component 甘 (OC *kaːm) was added. The boar shape got progressively corrupted until it looked like a hand 彐, thus obtaining the very old and rather conservative variant 𢼿.
The sound component 甘 and the weapon 干 stylized and merged into 古, leading to the seal script form 𢽤. Then, the wild boar on top stylized into 爫, thus obtaining 𠭖.
Eventually, the left half corrupted further into the traditional version ⿱丅耳, which was then stylized.
From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *s/m-wam (“to dare”), which Schuessler reconstructs as *k-wam to account for the initial velar in the Chinese form. Compare Burmese ဝံ့ (wam., “to dare”) (Schuessler, 2007; STEDT).

敢肯定

敢說

敢说

Wǒ gǎn shuō nǐ jiějuébuliǎo zhè ge nántí.

我敢說你解決不了這個難題。

我敢说你解决不了这个难题。

to be sure; to be certain; to bet; to presume

敢通按呢？

(literary or Hokkien, Teochew, Taiwanese Hakka, rhetorical question) can it be possible that; how

你敢有閒？

你敢有闲？

(Hokkien, Taiwanese Hakka) Interrogative adverb, placed before the verb to create a yes-no question.


數

Exopassive derivation of Etymology 1 with suffix *-s, meaning "what is counted" (Schuessler, 2007).

(obsolete on its own in Standard Chinese) legal system


斤

Characters in the same phonetic series (斤) (Zhengzhang, 2003)
Pictogram (象形) - an axe.
;ax


新

Cao Wei
Chen dynasty
Eastern Han dynasty
Eastern Wei
Eastern Wu
Eastern Zhou dynasty
Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms
Han dynasty
Jin dynasty (1115–1234)
Jin dynasty (265–420)
Liang dynasty
Liao dynasty
Liu Song dynasty
Ming dynasty
Northern Qi
Northern Wei
Northern Zhou
Northern and Southern dynasties
Qin dynasty
Qing dynasty
Shang dynasty
Shu Han
Song dynasty
Southern Qi
Southern and Northern dynasties
Spring and Autumn period
Sui dynasty
Tang dynasty
Three Kingdoms
Warring States period
Western Han dynasty
Western Liao
Western Wei
Western Xia
Western Zhou dynasty
Xia dynasty
Xin dynasty
Yuan dynasty
Zhou dynasty

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (新):
* → Japanese: 新(しん) (shin)
* → Korean: 신(新) (sin)
* → Vietnamese: tân (新)

→ Thai: ซิง (sing)

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *siŋ): phonetic 亲 (OC *siŋ, “hazelnut tree”) + semantic 斤 (“axe”) – to cut down a tree with an axe (hence starting something new). In this character, 亲 is the stylized form of 𣓀, a chisel over a tree to indicate the hazelnut tree or the hazelnut branch, that could be used as a whip.
Also ideogrammic compound (會意 /会意). Original form of 薪 (OC *siŋ, “firewood”).
Sino-Tibetan; cognate with Burmese သစ် (sac, “new”). Compare the cognacy between 薪 (OC *siŋ, “firewood”) and Burmese သစ် (sac, “wood; timber”).
This word may belong to the Sino-Tibetan stem Proto-Sino-Tibetan *sreŋ (“alive, fresh, green”) and may hence be related to 青 (OC *sʰleːŋ, “green”) as well as 薪 (OC *siŋ, “firewood”) (Schuessler, 2007).

inh

新戊烷


早

Early bronze inscriptions: Pictogram (象形) – acorn. Original form of 皂 (OC *zuːʔ) through an intermediate variant 皁 (once also written as 草 (cǎo)). Borrowed phonetically for "morning" sense.
Late bronze inscriptions: Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *ʔsuːʔ): semantic 日 (“sun”) + phonetic 棗 (OC *ʔsuːʔ), with 棗 sometimes simplified as 朿.
Small seal script: Ideogrammic compound (會意 /会意): 日 (“sun”) + 甲 (“first”) – when the sun first rises. However, Xu Shen's interpretation is not based on oracle bones and bronzes inscriptions.
In some ancient texts, 蚤 (OC *ʔsuːʔ) was often used instead.
Unrelated to the ancient version of 是: in this character, it doesn't represent an acorn but a spoon.
Possible cognate found in Proto-Hmong-Mien *ntsi̯ouˣ (“early”), whence White Hmong ntxov and Iu Mien nziou (Baxter and Sagart, 2014; Schuessler, 2007), and Proto-Tai *ɟaːwꟲ (“early morning”), whence Thai เช้า (cháao) and Lü ᦋᧁᧉ (tsaw²). Note also similarities to Burmese စော (cau:, “early”).

Han compound

我醒得很早。

你能不能早一點來？

你能不能早一点来？

Qǐngwèn, wǒ jīntiān zǎo zǒu yīhuìr xíng ma?

請問，我今天早走一會兒行嗎？

请问，我今天早走一会儿行吗？

他早走了。

This transformer has burnt out. It should have been replaced a long time ago.

Zhè ge biànyāqì yǐjīng shāo huǐ le, zǎo gāi chāi huàn yī ge xīn de le.

這個變壓器已經燒毀了，早該拆換一個新的了。

这个变压器已经烧毁了，早该拆换一个新的了。

老師早！

老师早！

So now you are in a hurry. What were you doing before?

Xiànzài zhème cōngmáng, nǐ zǎo gànmá qù le.

現在這麼匆忙，你早幹嗎去了。

现在这么匆忙，你早干吗去了。


春

Possibly from Proto-Sino-Tibetan *d(w)əj (“egg; testicle”) (Baxter and Sagart, 2014). Sagart (2023b) reconstructs Old Chinese *tʰu[n] ~ *tʰu[r] from tentative Proto-Sino-Tibetan *tʰur, some of whose other descendants are Bodo (India) dəy, Mizo tui, Proto-Karen *ʔdejᴮ, etc.; he also relates it to 春 (chūn) "springtime" after noting a connection between eggs and Chinese new year season, as birds generally nest and lay eggs in the warmer months in the north (ibid.).

inh

你識條春咩？

你识条春咩？

(Cantonese, vulgar, always with the classifier) nothing; damn all; jack shit; bugger all (Classifier: 條／条 c)


是

Characters in the same phonetic series (是) (Zhengzhang, 2003)
Originally a phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *djeʔ): semantic 早 + phonetic 止 (OC *kjɯʔ), but the original meaning is unclear. It has been suggested that 早 looks like a spoon, so 是 may have been the original character for 匙 (OC *dje, “spoon”). As early as in late bronze inscriptions, the lower part of 早 split off and combined with 止 to give 昰, which carried over to the small seal script, and Shuowen considers this a compound of 日 (“sun”) + 正 (“upright; right”) (i.e. as the upright sun).
“This [an independent pronoun] > this, it [object recapitulation], be right, correct, so > to be, indeed”. The modern copulative sense only emerged by the Eastern Han dynasty (Dobson, 1964; Norman, 1988; Zürcher, 2013), and gradually replaced the archaic 唯 (OC *ɢʷi, “to be”) and the classical copulative construction with 也 (OC *laːlʔ).
This was due to the lack of a left-branching copula as archaic 唯 shifted into a contrasting and restricting particle, as well as its frequent use in presentational copulative constructions, often in the form of "A, 是 B 也" ("A, this is B"), which led to it being gradually reinterpreted as the copula instead of 也. Also note the semantic opposition with literary negative copula 非 (OC *pɯl) as in "right" and "wrong", which emerged by the Warring States period from the frequent collocation of the expression "是 X 也, 非 Y 也" (This is X, not Y) (Pulleyblank, 1995) .
To understand this development, compare 之 (OC *tjɯ, “him, it, this > possessive”), 其 (OC *kɯ, “he, his, its > dialectal possessive”). Compare French c'est which in colloquial speech often replaces copula est, as well as Japanese は, the topic particle like Old Chinese 者 (OC *tjaːʔ), 也 (OC *laːlʔ, “topicalizer”) and left-branching 夫 (OC *ba), but frequently misinterpreted as the copula by learners.
From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *m-daj ~ m-di (“that; this”). In Chinese, cognate with 寔 (OC *djɯɡ, “this (subject contrastive)”), 實 (OC *ɦliɡ, “this (subject contrastive)”), 之 (OC *tjɯ, “this; him; her; it (oblique)”), 諟 (OC *djeʔ, “to examine, to consider”). In Tibeto-Burman, cognate with Tibetan དེ (de, “that”), Jingpho dai, ndai (“this”), and Burmese ဒီ (di, “this”).

och-l

是我


晚

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *monʔ): semantic 日 + phonetic 免 (OC *mronʔ).

Han compound

Wǒ zuótiān wǎnshang tài wǎn shuìjiào le.

我昨天晚上太晚睡覺了。

我昨天晚上太晚睡觉了。

不好意思，你來晚了。

不好意思，你来晚了。

late (in relation to the expected or proper time)


更

Originally an ideogrammic compound (會意 /会意), showing two chariots (丙). Later 攴 was added and a 丙 omitted to create the form seen in the Shuowen Jiezi (㪅), a phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *kraːŋ, *kraːŋs): abbreviated phonetic 𰀒 (“two chariots”) + semantic 攴 (“hand holding a whip; action”). The remaining 丙 eventually corrupted into a shape similar to 雨.


會

/wuːi̯²²⁻³⁵/

/vᵘɔi³²⁻³²⁵/

/wuːi̯²²⁻³⁵/

/vᵘɔi³²⁻³²⁵/

Characters in the same phonetic series (會) (Zhengzhang, 2003)
Pictogram (象形). The upper part and the lower part of the character, on the basis of the original versions, can be unified into 合 (two open mouths) with a food container in the middle; this character means both "bring together" (e.g., bring together people to discuss, putting a lid on a vessel) and "close, shut". The top of the character resembles 食, but it's connected to another mouth at the bottom of the character. The food container could be a kuài 膾, an ancient container for raw fish and finely minced/chopped meat.
As an alternative, it's a pointed lid on top of a container, with a mouth at the bottom either to indicate the activity of talking or as a distinguish mark to differentiate it from 食.
Most of the pronunciations are ultimately cognate, derived from a root meaning "to join, to come together ~ to meet, to gather ~ to match, to fit ~ to understand". Perhaps related to 合 (OC *kuːb, *ɡuːb, “to match”) ~ 蓋 (OC *kaːbs, *kaːb, *ɡaːb, “lid”).
However, Min Nan ē instead derives from 解 (OC *kreːʔ, *kreːs, *ɡreːʔ, *ɡreːs, “to understand”) (Yang, 2001).

och-l

会
㑹
㞧
㣛
𠃐
𣌭
𣥈

月餅會／月饼会 [Cantonese] ― jyut⁶ beng² wui⁶⁻² [Jyutping]

union; group; association (Classifier: 個／个)

(Cantonese) mutual aid association that raises fund


有

desc

→ English: got (Singapore English) (semantic loan)

→ Betawi: ada (semantic loan)

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (有):
* → Japanese: 有(う) (u); 有(ゆう) (yū)
* → Vietnamese: hữu (有)

Characters in the same phonetic series (又) (Zhengzhang, 2003)
Ideogrammic compound (會意 /会意) and phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *ɢʷɯʔ): phonetic 又 (OC *ɢʷɯs, “hand”) + semantic ⺼ (“meat”) – a hand holding meat, hence “in possession of”. The hand shape has been significantly abstracted; compare 右 (OC *ɢʷɯʔ, *ɢʷɯs).
Alternatively, the graph was perhaps originally intended for the word 醢 (OC *qʰɯːʔ, “minced pickled meat”), which also has the 又 (OC *ɢʷɯs) element as phonetic.
Shuowen Jiezi and other ancient sources have erroneously analyzed the character as a phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *ɢʷɯʔ): phonetic 又 (OC *ɢʷɯs) + semantic 月 (“moon”). Shuowen Jiezi defines 有 as "不宜有也" ("[to have something that] not should be had"), citing the Spring and Autumn Annals (春秋傳): "日月有食之" ("There are solar and lunar eclipses"). As eclipses were not auspicious to the Chinese, they were "something that should not be happening". The 月 component alludes to the inauspicious lunar eclipse.
Possibly Sino-Tibetan. Compare Tibetan ཡོད (yod, “to be; to have”). Related to:
* 侑 (OC *ɢʷɯs, “to offer, to sacrifice”) [causative, i.e. “to cause to have”]
* 又 (OC *ɢʷɯs, “again”) [adverbial]
* 或 (OC *ɡʷɯːɡ, “some; or”) [indefinite]

och-l

右 (OC *ɢʷɯʔ, *ɢʷɯs)

害人之心不可有，防人之心不可無 / 害人之心不可有，防人之心不可无

hàirén zhī xīn bùkě yǒu, fángrén zhī xīn bùkě wú

明知山有虎，偏向虎山行

míngzhī shān yǒu hǔ, piān xiàng hǔ shān xíng

有夏

to understand (when listening); to be able to hear

聽有

听有

揣有

(Hokkien, Teochew) Particle used after a verb to indicate accomplishment or accomplishability of a goal.

得到

particle used after a verb to indicate accomplishment


本

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (本):
* → Japanese: 本(ほん) (hon)
* → Okinawan: 本(ふん) (fun)
* → Korean: 본(本) (bon)
* → Vietnamese: bổn (本), bản (本)

desc

→ Thai: พื้น (pʉ́ʉn, “foundation, floor”)

→ Vietnamese: vốn

Ideogram (指事): a tree (木 (mù)) with its bottom highlighted with an extra stroke, accentuating the roots; contrast 末, 朱.
From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *(b/p)ul (“root; stump; tree”) (STEDT). Cognate with Mizo bul (“cause; beginning; root; stump”), Jingpho phun (“tree; bush; stalk; wood”), Garo bol (“tree”).

cog

Hard work is the ultimate source of success.

努力工作是成功之本。


束

Characters in the same phonetic series (束) (Zhengzhang, 2003)
Ideogram (指事) – bag tied at both ends (earlier forms were often vertically symmetric). See also 東 and 柬.

Han etyl

光束

平面束

(geometry) pencil (family of geometric objects with a common property)

一束玫瑰

Classifier for objects in bunches or bundles, such as bouquets of flowers. ⇒ all nouns using this classifier


束

(Xiamen and Zhangzhou Hokkien) to cling to something and climb upwards (of a person)

(Xiamen and Zhangzhou Hokkien) to absorb (moisture, etc.)


杯

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (杯):
* → Japanese: 杯(はい) (hai)

→ Zhuang: boi

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *plɯː): semantic 木 + phonetic 不 (OC *pɯ, *pɯʔ, *pɯ'). According to a variant, the phonetic component is 否, which also had the ancient meaning of "to block", perhaps referred to liquids in a glass.
Sino-Tibetan; compare Tibetan ཕོར་པ (phor pa, “bowl; cup”) (Schuessler, 2007).

Han compound

(Cantonese, Eastern Min, Southern Min) moon blocks (divination device)


查

Originally written as 査, hence it is a Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *ʔsraː, *zraː, *zraː): semantic 木 (“wood”) + phonetic 且 (OC *sʰjaːʔ, *ʔsa). Today, the bottom part is stylized as 旦.
It originally indicates Chinese hawthorn, also known as mountain hawthorn, today written as 山楂; it also indicates a wooden raft. The original meanings are both preserved in the syllable 楂.

Han compound

(alt. form 槎) Original form of 楂 (chá, “wooden raft”).

查票

查電表／查电表

查出真相 ― chá chū zhēnxiàng

查無此人／查无此人 ― chá wú cǐ rén

to check the levels of the six female sex hormones

查激素六項

查激素六项

to investigate; to examine; to look into; to probe

查詞典

查词典

查檔案

查档案

你查邊本書㗎？

你查边本书㗎？

to look up something in; to search in; to consult


查

孟元老 (Meng Yuanlao), 飲食果子, in 東京夢華錄 (The Eastern Capital: A Dream of Splendor)

河陽查子、查條

河阳查子、查条

Louis Cha (Chinese novelist, better known by his pen name Jin Yong)

查良鏞

查良镛


根

Monic languages
redundancy (linguistics)

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *kɯːn): semantic 木 + phonetic 艮 (OC *kɯːns).
Possibly of Austroasiatic origin (Schuessler, 2007). Compare Proto-Mon-Khmer *(d)kər (“tree, plant”) (whence Proto-Vietic *kəl > Vietnamese cây, Muong câl), *d₂gəl ~ d₂g(əə)l (“trunk; stump”) (whence Khmer គល់ (kŭəl, “stump; floating log”), Proto-Monic *t(l)gəl (“stump”)).
Alternatively, Smith (2011) proposes a derivation from 荄 (OC *kɯː, “grassroot”) with redundant nominalizing suffix *-n. See 荄 for more.


條

→ Zhuang: diuz

/tʰi̯aʊ̯ɻʷ³⁵/

/tʰi̯aʊ̯ɻʷ³⁵/

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *l'ɯːw): phonetic 攸 (OC *lɯw) + semantic 木. Originally it indicates a small branch, perhaps with some reference to a wooden stick (in the top component, there is a man warned by a hand holding a vertical stick). The bottom part of the character is unrelated to 茶.
Related to 悠 (OC *lɯw, “remote; distant”), 修 (OC *slɯw, “long and thin”) (Schuessler, 2007).

Han compound

一條數學題／一条数学题 [Cantonese] ― jat¹ tiu⁴ sou³ hok⁶ tai⁴ [Jyutping] ― a math problem

Classifier for something that can be listed item by item, such as reasons, (pieces of) news, messages, advices, etc.

听讲猫有九条命。 [Cantonese, simp.]
teng¹ gong² maau¹ jau⁵ gau² tiu⁴ meng⁶. [Jyutping]

I've heard it said that cats have nine lives.


樓

→ Thai: เหลา (lǎo, “restaurant”)

→ Vietnamese: lầu

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *ɡ·roː): semantic 木 (“tree”) + phonetic 婁 (OC *ɡ·roː, *ɡ·ro).

Han compound

教學樓

教学楼

Dēng sī lóu yě, zé yǒu xīnkuàngshényí, chǒngrǔ jiē wàng, bǎjiǔ línfēng, qí xǐyángyáng zhě yǐ.

登斯樓也，則有心曠神怡，寵辱皆忘，把酒臨風，其喜洋洋者矣。

登斯楼也，则有心旷神怡，宠辱皆忘，把酒临风，其喜洋洋者矣。

building (of two or more stories) (Classifier: 棟／栋 m c; 幢 m; 躉／趸 c; 間／间 c)

那個房子有三層樓。

那个房子有三层楼。

我住喺二樓。

我住喺二楼。

賣咗層樓

卖咗层楼

(Hong Kong) flat; apartment (Classifier: 層／层 c)

城樓

城楼

角樓

角楼

9樓

9楼

樓主

楼主

蓋樓

盖楼

borrowing the existing thread to ask a question

借樓問一下

借楼问一下


樹

/t͡sʰiɛu²¹³/

/t͡sʰiɛu²¹³/

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *djoʔ, *djos) and ideogrammic compound (會意 /会意): semantic 木 (“tree”) + phonetic 尌 (OC *djos, “a hand planting a tree”).
Originally written 尌, see there for more.
Area word (Schuessler, 2007): Mizo tuh (“to plant, to sow”), Khmer ដុះ (doh, “to grow, to bud”). Starostin compares it with Tibetan གདོས (gdos), གདོས་པ (gdos pa, “mast”) and Burmese ထူ (htu, “to erect (a post), to raise (a flag)”).
Related to 豎 (OC *djoʔ, “to erect; to make vertical”).

och-l

树
𣗬
尌
𡬾
𣕒
𣗳
侸
𠊪
𣚤
𢒳

別樹一幟

别树一帜


橋

→ Proto-Hmong-Mien: *ɟow

→ Vietnamese: cầu

→ Zhuang: giuz

/t͡ɕʰi̯ɑʊ̯³⁵/

/t͡ɕi̯ɒu̯¹³/

/t͡ɕʰi̯ɑʊ̯³⁵/

/t͡ɕi̯ɒu̯¹³/

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *ɡrew): semantic 木 (“wood”) + phonetic 喬 (OC *krew, *ɡrew).
Possibly related to 撟 (OC *krew, *krewʔ, “to raise; to lift”), 高 (OC *kaːw, “high; tall”) (Liu, 1999).

och-l

橋樑／桥梁 ― qiáoliáng ― bridge

廊橋／廊桥

(countable) bridge (over a river) (Classifier: 座 m c mn; 道 m g; 條／条 c h mn mn-t; 戙 c; 板 h mn)


橋

/kʰiːu̯²¹⁻³⁵/

/kʰiːu̯²¹⁻³⁵/

(Cantonese, countable) idea; plan (Classifier: 條／条 c)

(Cantonese, countable) plot; storyline (Classifier: 條／条 c)


橋

(Cantonese) alternative form of 巧 (kiu2, “coincidental”)


次

Characters in the same phonetic series (次) (Zhengzhang, 2003)
Ideogrammic compound (會意 /会意) and possibly phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *sn̥ʰis): phonetic 二 (OC *njis, “two”) + semantic 欠. Given that the right part of the character depicts a man kneeling with an open mouth, the number two perhaps indicates "two people speaking".
As an alternative, the two horizontal traits 二 are the representation of some saliva spitted while speaking; hence, the act of speaking is represented without a reference to blown air or breathing (e.g., 曰, 丂, 于, 只). The original meaning was "to consult", 咨. Perhaps related to 㳄, which means "saliva"; however, this is not the original version of the character, but a variant.
Given that the character started meaning "following; inferior (to)", the component 二 in this second translation adds part of the meaning if interpreted as a number.
In all cases, the Kangxi radical "Ice" is a false friend of either "Number two" or two drops representing saliva; however, in some fonts, it is still possible to see 二. An old variant of the character is 𣄭.
Probably from *s- + 二 (OC *njis, “two”), from Proto-Sino-Tibetan *kV-ni-s (Pulleyblank, 1962; Sagart and Baxter, 2012; STEDT).

Han compound

Xiao He compiled laws and regulations, and Han Xin re-established military disciplines.

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

蕭何次律令，韓信申軍法。

萧何次律令，韩信申军法。

(literary) to arrange into ordered form; to put into sequence; to impose order; to compile

客次 ― kècì

The second SIX, divided, shows the stranger, occupying his lodging-house, carrying with him his means of livelihood, and provided with good and trusty servants.

Liù èr: lǚ jí cì, huái qí zī, dé tóngpú zhēn.

六二：旅即次，懷其資，得童僕貞。

六二：旅即次，怀其资，得童仆贞。


歌

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *kaːl): phonetic 哥 (OC *kaːl) + semantic 欠 (“blow”). Specialized form of 哥 (OC *kaːl, “to sing”).
From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *gaːr ~ *ga (“to dance; to sing; to leap; to stride”). Cognate with Burmese က (ka., “to dance”).

inh

歌曲

民歌

Cripple: This song is really interesting.

Chiok Sèng-tàn Ke̍k 祝聖誕劇, part 1, in 台語文數位典藏資料庫 [Digital Archive Database for Written Taiwanese]

跛：這條歌真有意思。

跛：这条歌真有意思。

song; tune (Classifier: 首 m c mn; 支 m c; 闋／阕 m; 隻／只 c w; 條／条 h mn mn-t; 塊／块 mn)


正

Burmese language
Chepang language
Jingpho language
Khmer language
Mizo language
Proto-Sino-Tibetan language
Thai language
Tibetan language

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *tjeŋ, *tjeŋs): phonetic 丁 (OC *rteːŋ, *teːŋ) + semantic 止 (“foot”) – to go on a long journey. Original form of 征 (OC *tjeŋ, “to go on long campaign”).
Later, 丁 was simplified into a horizontal stroke, as in 旦. Folk etymologies do not recognize 丁. Graphically, the modern version of the character is the reverse of 之.
Sino-Tibetan or area word: “centre; target; first (month); straight; correct”.
Compare Mizo dîng (“to go straight or direct (as person, arrow etc.); to go straight through without breaking the journey; straight; direct”). Matisoff sets up Proto-Sino-Tibetan *m-tjak/ŋ ~ tik/ŋ (“good; very; real; straight”) for this, which includes 正, 直 (OC *dɯɡ, “straight; right”) and 實 (OC *ɦliɡ, “solid; true”).
Additionally, Matisoff has Proto-Sino-Tibetan *t(r)waŋ (“straight; straighten”), whence Chepang धेङ्सा (dʰeŋ-, “straight”), Jingpho ding (“straight”), Tibetan དྲང་པོ (drang po, “straight; correct; upright; just; fair”), Burmese တန်း (tan:, “straight; to head straight for”). Also compare Khmer ទៀង (tiĕng, “accurate; correct; exact; precise; honest”) and Thai ดิ่ง (dìng, “vertically; straight; to plummet”).
Derivatives:
* 征 (OC *tjeŋ, “to go straight > to go on a journey”)
* 政 (OC *tjeŋs, “correct; to govern; government; to determine”)
* 整 (OC *tjeŋʔ, “orderly; to arrange; to dispose”)
For etymology of pronunciation 正 (zhĕng) in the month 正月 (zhēngyuè)'s name, see there.

och-l

正音


歲

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (歲):
* → Japanese: 歳(さい) (sai)
* → Korean: 세(歲) (se)
* → Vietnamese: tuế (歲)

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *sqʰʷads, *sqʰʷad): semantic 步 + phonetic 戉 (OC *ɢʷad) to indicate the passing of time as "movement". Hence, the original version was close to 𢧁. In addition to 戉, various components such as 月 (“moon; month”) used to be present, sometimes as simple as two dots.
The current form derives from the Qin-style handwriting of the late Warring States (with a full-width 止 on the top and a bottom-left 撇 stroke extending outward as in 戊 or 戌 instead of bending inward as in 戉), which was also inherited by the clerical script.
A derivative of 越 (OC *ɢʷad, “to pass over”) (Mei, 1979, 1992). Ultimately probably from Proto-Sino-Tibetan *ɢʷrat (“to travel; to go through”); compare Tibetan སྐྱོད (skyod, “to go”) (Mei, 1979, 1992; Gong Hwang-cherng, 2002; STEDT).
The functions of the *s- prefix and the *-s suffix are not clear. Possible explanations include:
* *s- as a directive prefix and *-s as a nominalizer (Mei, 1992);
* *s- is an iterative prefix, literally "to pass on again" (Schuessler, 2007);
* *s- (possibly with *-s) as a nominalizer (Smith, 2012).
Alternatively, it may be derived from a word like 圓 (OC *ɢon, “round; circle”) (< Proto-Sino-Tibetan *wal (“round; circular”)), literally "to start the circle/cycle again" (Schuessler, 2007).
Outside of Sino-Tibetan, this word has been compared to Thai ขวบ (kùuap, “year”), which Bodman (1980) considers to be a loan from Chinese, as well as Proto-Austronesian *kawaS (“year; season; sky”) (Sagart, 2005).
Also see Schuessler (2007) and Smith (2012) for a discussion on the semantic development of this word, especially the connection between "Jupiter" and "year".

cog

岁
嵗
亗
㞸
㱑
歳
𡻕
𫞓
𢧡
𢧁
𭭚
㒸
⿵𡶔𡭕

Formerly when King Wu attacked Yin, the Year Star / Jupiter was in Quail Fire, … The Year Star / Jupiter was in the [heavenly] region allotted to us, the Youzhou, …

Xī Wǔwáng fá Yīn, Suì zài Chúnhuǒ,...... Suì zhī suǒzài, zé wǒ Yǒuzhōu zhī fēnyě yě,......

昔武王伐殷，歲在鶉火，……歲之所在，則我有周之分野也，……

昔武王伐殷，岁在鹑火，……岁之所在，则我有周之分野也，……

Tai Sui, the god representing each of these years

你現在幾歲？

你现在几岁？

我十八歲。

我十八岁。

一個十歲的女孩

一个十岁的女孩

Classifier for age (of a person or animal): year old


死

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (死):
* → Japanese: 死(し) (shi)
* → Korean: 사(死) (sa)
* → Vietnamese: tử (死)

Wutunhua: se

→ Thai: ซี้ (síi)

Ideogrammic compound (會意 /会意): 歹 (“carcass”) + 人 (“person”) – death.
From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *sij.

Han compound

𣦸
𣦹
𠒁
𠑾
𦭀
𦫺
𤯽
𣥴

被難

to be killed in a disaster, political incident

死機

死机

死結

死结

路被垃圾堵死了。


段

→ Thai: ตอน (dtɔɔn)

In the bronze script it is a phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *doːns) and ideogrammic compound (會意 /会意): phonetic 厂 (OC *hŋaːnʔ, *hŋaːns) + semantic 殳, showing a hammer in hand breaking a stone with fragments coming off (Li Xueqin, 2012); 殳 was the pictogram of a hammer and later was borrowed to indicate a bamboo halberd. Most of the character is identical to 叚.

Han compound

Classifier for a distance or a period of time.


每

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (每):
* → Japanese: 每(まい) (mai)
* → Korean: 매(每) (mae)
* → Vietnamese: mỗi (每)

→ Vietnamese: mọi

Shuowen: Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *mɯːʔ): semantic 屮 + phonetic 母 (OC *mɯʔ). Perhaps, in this character, the top component represents a hairpin (笄) made of bamboo to indicate that the woman was at least 15 years old.
Otherwise, partly in accordance to the interpretation of Xu Shen, the sprout indicates that the woman was considered adult and ready to be married and generate sons.
See the original form of 敖, in which the top component is the same. See also 毒.
The top component of the character is unrelated to 旅, 伤, 复, 乞 as well as 人.
;each, every
;lush

Han compound

Lush are the fields! The old are about to be discarded; the new are being planned (or "making a plan"). (Ominous song heard before the Battle of Chengpu, precise meaning debated.)

Yuántián měiměi, shě qí jiù ér xīn shì móu.

原田每每，舍其舊而新是謀。

原田每每，舍其旧而新是谋。

(obsolete on its own in Standard Chinese) lush


毛

→ Arabic: مَاو (māw)

→ English: Mao

→ French: Mao

→ German: Mao

→ Italian: Mao

→ Persian: مائو (mâ'u)

→ Russian: Ма́о (Máo)

→ Turkish: Mao

→ Uyghur: ماۋ (maw)

Characters in the same phonetic series (毛) (Zhengzhang, 2003)
Pictogram (象形) – feather or hair.
From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *s/r-m(u/i/ja)l (“hair; fur; feather”); related to 眉 (OC *mril, “eyebrow”) and cognate with Manipuri ꯃꯨꯅ (mun, “pubic hair”), Garo খিমিল (khimil, “hair; fur”), Proto-Lolo-Burmese *ʔ-məw¹ (“body hair”) (STEDT; Schuessler, 2007).
(Cantonese) (mold): folk etymology suggests from English mold.

cog

發毛／发毛 [Cantonese] ― faat³ mou⁴⁻¹ [Jyutping] ― to become moldy


沒

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *mɯːd): semantic 水 (“water”) + phonetic 𠬛.
Possibly a colloquial variant of 勿 (MC mjut) or 未 (MC mj+jH), which fused with or was influenced by 有 (MC hjuwX); not derived from 沒 (OC *mɯːd, “to dive; to drown”) (Schuessler, 2007).

Han compound

没
没
⿰氵𠬛
没
没
𣴬
𣳚
歿


河

Wutunhua: xhe

Hejin
Tong Pass
Xiongnu language
Yeniseian languages
Zhengzhou

Characters in the same phonetic series (可) (Zhengzhang, 2003)
Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *ɡaːl): semantic 氵 (“water”) + phonetic 可 (OC *kʰaːlʔ).
Originally particularly used for the Yellow River, with other rivers known as 水 (OC *qʰʷljilʔ). Later extended generally as a word for rivers in northern China but the influence of 江 (OC *kroːŋ, “Yangtze River; river in southern China”) has meant that modern usage tends to favor it for shorter rivers and creeks except in historical cases.
Further etymology uncertain. Various hypotheses have been proposed:
* Sino-Tibetan. Either:
** Cognate with Tibetan རྒལ (rgal, “to cross, to traverse”) (Coblin, 1986), or
** Derived from 湖 (OC *ɡaː, “lake”) (Matisoff, 1995), or
** that the Yellow River's name stems from the shape, which resembles an adze handle 柯 (OC *kaːl), of a stretch spanning 500 to 600 kilometers "from Héjīn, Tóngguān to east of Zhèngzhōu" (Takashima, 2012).
* A Mongolic loan. Compare Proto-Mongolic *gowl (“river”) > Mongolian ᠭᠣᠣᠯ (ɣool, “river”) (Norman and Mei, 1976). This was argued against in Zhang (1998).
** Miyake (2017) surmises that Proto-Mongolic *gowl (“river”) and 河 (OC *[C.g]ˤaj < *[C.g]ˤal)), even if related, might have come from a third source language, e.g. Xiongnu. If so, compare also Proto-Yeniseian *xur₁ (“water”) in light of speculated Xiongnu's linguistic affinity with the Yeniseian languages.


活

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (活):
* → Japanese: 活(かつ) (katsu)

Aslian languages
Blang language
Lawa language
Wa language

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *koːd, *ɡoːd): semantic 氵 (“water”) + phonetic 𠯑 (OC *ɡroːd). The 𠯑 later transformed into 舌; a conservative variant is 𣴠.
Schuessler (2007) proposes possible Austroasiatic etymology; compare Wa-Lawa-Bulang *gɑs "alive (of plants)" & Aslian *gɔs "to live"


派

Azerbaijani: pay, paylamaq

Turkish: pay

Turkmen: paý, paýlamak

Tatar: пай (pay)

→ Russian: пай (paj, “share, interest”)

/pʰaːi̯³³⁻⁵⁵/

/pʰaːi̯³³⁻⁵⁵/

Ideogrammic compound (會意 /会意) and phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *m̥ʰreːɡs): semantic 氵 (“water; river”) + phonetic 𠂢. Originally written 𠂢.
;pi (irrational constant)
;pie


流

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *ru): semantic 水 (“water”) + phonetic 㐬.
Cognate with Tibetan རྒྱུ་ (rgyu, “to move, to go, to wander”) (Hill, 2019).

cog

汖
㳅
𡵰
𣳛
𭰈
𣴑
𣹭
𣹳
𣻤
⿰氵巟
⿰氵𡿮
⿰𣴑水
⿲水𡿮水
⿲氺⿱一𠫝水
⿰氵⿱厶⿲丿丨㇏

流嘢


海

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (海):
* → Japanese: 海(かい) (kai)
* → Korean: 해(海) (hae)
* → Vietnamese: hải (海)

→ Bouyei: haaic

→ Zhuang: haij

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *hmlɯːʔ): semantic 氵 (“water”) + phonetic 每 (OC *mɯːʔ).
Probably related to 晦 (OC *hmɯːs, “dark”); in numerous Zhou texts 海 is described as 晦 (Schuessler, 2007). Compare the parallelism in Chinese: 溟 (OC *meːŋ, *meːŋʔ, “ocean”) < 冥 (OC *meːŋ, “dark”).
STEDT compares 海 (OC *hmlɯːʔ) to Proto-Sino-Tibetan *muːŋ ~ r/s-muːk (“foggy; dark; sullen; menacing; thunder”).

inh

海棗

海枣

(dialectal, colloquial) profuse; numerous

(dialectal, colloquial) unrestrainedly; randomly; casually

Hai Rui (Chinese scholar-official of the Ming dynasty)

海瑞

a surname, Hai (Mainland China, Taiwan) or Hoi (Hong Kong)


深

Liji
Mainland Southeast Asia linguistic area
Rites of Zhou

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *hljum, *hljums): semantic 氵 (“water”) + phonetic 𥥍.
Unger (1995) that 深 (shēn) had Old Chinese initial *n- because of 淰 (shěn)'s phonetic component 念 (niàn).
Schuessler (2007) reconstructs 深 (OC *nhəm) & proposes relations to Mizo hniam (“to be low, to sink into (land)”), Burmese နိမ့် (nim., “low”), Tangkhul Naga [script needed] (kʰənim, “to be humble”), Tibetan ནེམས་ (nems, “sink a little, give way”), which Schuessler traces to Proto-Tibeto-Burman *nem (“low”), which STEDT in turn derives from Proto-Sino-Tibetan *s-n(i/u)(ː)p/m ~ *r/s-nyap/m (“pinch, squeeze; press, oppress; submerge, sink into, west, low, soft”). If so, 深 (OC *nhəm) is from Proto-Sino-Tibetan.
Schuessler also notices 深 (OC *nhəm)'s similarity to 沉 (OC *d-ləm), which he considers to be an areal etymon.
Possibly cognate with 探 (tàn) and 揇 (nǎn) (however, see there).
深 (OC *nhəms), "depth" (in Rites of Zhou) & whence MC ɕiɪmᴴ, is nominal derivation with suffix *-s (> departing tone).
淰 (OC *nhəmʔ), "be startled and flee (of fish); i.e. to sink into the deep" (in Liji) & whence Mandarin shěn, is endoactive derivative with *-ʔ (> rising tone).

cog

For the spokes, the depth of the stud hole in the hub equals the width of the spokes.

Fán fú, liàng qí záo shēn yǐwéi fú guǎng.

凡輻，量其鑿深以為輻廣。

凡辐，量其凿深以为辐广。

呢一題好深。

呢一题好深。

This book is too hard; I still can't get it after reading it many times.

bun² syu¹ taai³ sam¹ laa³, ngo⁵ duk⁶ gik⁶ dou¹ m⁴ ming⁴.

本書太深喇，我讀極都唔明。

本书太深喇，我读极都唔明。

(of difficulty) great; profound; obtuse; obscure


淺

/t͡ɕʰi̯ɛn²¹⁴/

/ˈt͡ɕʰiɛn²¹³/

/t͡sʰe̞ŋ⁴⁵³/

/t͡sʰiɛn⁵⁵⁴/

/t͡ɕʰi̯ɛn²¹⁴/

/ˈt͡ɕʰiɛn²¹³/

/t͡sʰe̞ŋ⁴⁵³/

/t͡sʰiɛn⁵⁵⁴/

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *sʰlenʔ, *ʔsleːn): semantic 氵 + phonetic 戔 (OC *zlaːn).

Han compound

superficial; surface; minimal; insignificant


淺

(obsolete on its own in Standard Chinese) only used in 淺淺／浅浅 (qiǎnqiǎn, “gurgle; babble of running water”)


渴

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *kʰaːd, *ɡrad): semantic 氵 (“water”) + phonetic 曷 (OC *ɡaːd); dry, exhausted (of water).

Han compound

(obsolete) alternative form of 竭 (jié, “to use up; to exhaust; to cause to dry up”)


湖

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (湖):
* → Japanese: 湖(こ) (ko)
* → Korean: 호(湖) (ho)
* → Vietnamese: hồ (湖)

→ Ai-Cham: fu²

→ Zhuang: huz

Characters in the same phonetic series (古) (Zhengzhang, 2003)
Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *ɡaː): semantic 水 (“water”) + phonetic 胡 (OC *ɡaː).

Han compound

內湖

内湖

Fenqihu (a town in Zhuqi, Chiayi, Taiwan)

奮起湖

奋起湖


湯

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *l̥ʰaːŋ, *l̥ʰaːŋs, *hljaŋ): semantic 氵 (“water”) + phonetic 昜 (OC *laŋ).
From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *r-la(w)ŋ (“steam; hot (liquid)”); compare Tibetan རླངས (rlangs, “steam, vapour; steamy”) (Bodman, 1980; STEDT).
Related to 盪 (OC *l̥ʰaːŋ, *l̥ʰaːŋs, *l'aːŋʔ, “basin for holding hot water for washing; wash basin”), 煬 (OC *laŋ, *laŋs, “to heat; to roast”) (Wang, 1982; Schuessler, 2007).

och-l

喝湯兒

喝汤儿


滿

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *moːnʔ): semantic 水 (“water”) + phonetic 㒼 (mán).
; “Manchu”
; “Classifier for occurrences of events”

Han compound

滿身是血

满身是血


為

Characters in the same phonetic series (爲) (Zhengzhang, 2003)
Simplified from 爲.
In the oracle bone script, it is an ideogrammic compound (會意 /会意): 又 (“hand”) + 象 (“elephant”) — a hand holding an elephant. The 又 later became 爪 (“hand; claw”).
Shuowen Jiezi interprets the character as a representation of the female macaque.
The two pronunciations below (“to make; to do; to be”, “for; to; because”) are cognate; the latter is the *–s derivative of the former. Words meaning “to make, to do” often have secondary meanings of “for, as” – compare 作.
Etymology not certain. Starostin compared this word with Tibetan བགྱིད (bgyid, “to make, to manufacture”), བགྱི་བ (bgyi ba, “action, deed”), ཡིན (yin, “is, be”) and Burmese ဝေ (we, “to distribute, to share”). Schuessler (2007) listed *ʔaajh (“to give”) (> Khmer ឲ្យ (ʼaoy, “to give, to donate”)) and Khmer ធ្វើ (thvəə, “to do, to make”), although the vowels do not match.
The graphic representation using a monkey or an elephant probably stems from a homophonic or near-homophonic etymon which was rarely attested; compare Proto-Sino-Tibetan *b/g-woj-n > Jingpho woi (“monkey”) and possibly 猿 (OC *ɢʷan, “ape”). STEDT considers this word to be a possible descendant of Proto-Sino-Tibetan *m-gwi(j) (“elephant”). Outside Sino-Tibetan, compare Proto-Vietic *-vɔːj (“elephant”) > Vietnamese voi (“elephant”).

cog

If good men were to govern a country in succession for a hundred years, they would be able to transform the violently bad, and dispense with capital punishments.

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

Shànrén wéi bāng bǎinián, yì kěyǐ shèng cán qù shā yǐ.

善人為邦百年，亦可以勝殘去殺矣。

善人为邦百年，亦可以胜残去杀矣。

King Wen used the strength of the people to construct his tower and his pond.

文王以民力為臺為沼。

文王以民力为台为沼。

There was a man of Song who was skilful at making a salve which kept the hands from getting chapped.

Sòng rén yǒu shàn wéi bù jūn shǒu zhī yào zhě.

宋人有善為不龜手之藥者。

宋人有善为不龟手之药者。

大為不滿／大为不满

廣為流傳／广为流传

Suffix used after a single-character adjective to form an adverb

頗為激動／颇为激动

極為緊張／极为紧张

Suffix used after a single-character adverb for emphasis


熟

→ Thai: สุก (sùk)

→ Zhuang: sug

Ideogrammic compound (會意 /会意) and phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *djɯwɢ): phonetic 孰 (OC *djɯwɢ, “cooked; ripe”) + semantic 灬 (“fire”) – cooked with fire.
Sino-Tibetan. Cognate with Proto-Kiranti (*tʰok ~ tʰuk, "ripen; cooked") (Schuessler, 2007)

Han compound

香蕉熟了沒？

香蕉熟了没？

麵條不要煮太熟。

面条不要煮太熟。

熟鐵

熟铁

把曲子練熟／把曲子练熟

熟黎

(historical ethnography) civilized; settled

秋熟


熱

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (熱):
* → Japanese: 熱(ねつ) (netsu)
* → Korean: 열(熱) (yeol)
* → Vietnamese: nhiệt (熱)

/d͡ziɛt̚¹²¹/

/d͡ziɛt̚¹²¹/

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *ŋjed): phonetic 埶 (OC *ŋeds) + semantic 灬 (“fire”).
Schuessler (2024) considers this a *-t derivation of Proto-Sino-Tibetan *nwe (“warm”), whence also Burmese နွေး (nwe:, “warm; lukewarm”), နွှေး (hnwe:, “to warm something; to revise”).
Often considered to be related to 爇 (OC *ŋʷjed, “to burn; to toast”) and 焫 (OC *njod, “hot”).

Han compound

一杯熱茶

一杯热茶

di¹ tong¹ zung⁶ hou² jit⁶, siu² sam¹ di¹ laa¹.

啲湯仲好熱，小心啲啦。

啲汤仲好热，小心啲啦。

湯還熱呢，要小心。

汤还热呢，要小心。

Once the pan is hot enough, you must put the oil down quickly.

Thèng-hāu tiáⁿ lia̍t ê sî, ài kóaⁿ-kín khǹg iû lo̍h-khì.

聽候鼎熱的時，愛趕緊囥油落去。

听候鼎热的时，爱赶紧囥油落去。

piano craze; intense enthusiasm for learning the piano

鋼琴熱

钢琴热

熱鬧

热闹

用烏麻油的物件真熱。

用乌麻油的物件真热。

traditional Chinese medicine
traditional Chinese medicine

He is deeply immersed in playing chess that he even disregarded reading the book.

Kiâⁿ-kî kiâⁿ kah chin lia̍t, chheh soah bōe-kò͘-tit tha̍k.

行棋行甲真熱，冊煞𣍐顧得讀。

行棋行甲真热，册煞𫧃顾得读。

Recently, people have been singing pop songs with high enthusiasm.

Chit-pái ta̍k-ê chhiùⁿ liû-hêng koa-khek chhiùⁿ kah chin lia̍t.

這擺逐個唱流行歌曲唱甲真熱。

这摆逐个唱流行歌曲唱甲真热。

(Mainland China Hokkien) deeply immersed; highly enthusiastic (into something)


燈

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *tɯːŋ): semantic 火 (“candlelight”) + phonetic 登 (OC *tɯːŋ).
; to jinx

Han compound

(Hong Kong Cantonese) traffic light (Classifier: 支 c)


爬

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *braː): semantic 爪 + phonetic 巴 (OC *praː).
Cognate with 匍 (OC *baː).

Han compound

我們的寶寶剛開始會爬。

我们的宝宝刚开始会爬。

狗爬到汽車下藏著。

狗爬到汽车下藏着。

爬山

猴子爬上了樹。

猴子爬上了树。

爬上張凳

爬上张凳

給老子爬！

给老子爬！

(Sichuanese or Internet slang, dismissal, derogatory or self-deprecatory) to leave; to get out

dismissal; derogatory or self-deprecatory; dismissal; derogatory or self-deprecatory


牆

→ Lü: ᦌᧂᧉ (sang²)

→ Zhuang: ciengz

/t͡ɕʰi̯ɑŋ³⁵/

/t͡sʰi̯oŋ¹¹/

/t͡ɕʰi̯ɑŋ³⁵/

/t͡sʰi̯oŋ¹¹/

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *zaŋ): phonetic 爿 (OC *braːn, *zaŋ) + semantic 嗇 (“wheat in a granary”).

Han compound

墙
墻
廧
𤖧
𤖣
𤖠
𢉈

翻牆

翻墙

The Great Firewall becomes higher during the Two Sessions. My proxy is not working.

Liǎnghuì qījiān qiáng gāo le, wǒ de jiédiǎn shīxiào le.

兩會期間牆高了，我的節點失效了。

两会期间墙高了，我的节点失效了。

(Mainland China, Internet slang) Great Firewall


片

→ Proto-Southwestern Tai: *pʰɛːnᴮ¹

Ahom: 𑜇𑜢𑜐𑜫 (phiñ)

Lao: ແຜ່ນ (phǣn)

Northern Thai: ᨹᩯ᩠᩵ᨶ

Shan: ၽႅၼ်ႇ (phèn)

Tai Dam: ꪵꪠ꪿ꪙ

Tai Nüa: ᥚᥦᥢᥱ (phǎen)

Thai: แผ่น (pɛ̀n)

/pʰiːn³³⁻³⁵/

/pʰen³³⁻³³⁵/

/pʰiːn³³⁻³⁵/

/pʰen³³⁻³³⁵/

Mirror image of 爿 (OC *braːn, “piece”), which is the pictogram of a bed.
Shuowen: half of 木 (“wood; tree”) to denote “to pare; to slice”; but this interpretation is not based on oracle bones and bronzes.


牛

Wutunhua: nek

/n̠ʲi̯əu̯¹³/

/n̠ʲi̯əu̯¹³/

Pictogram (象形) of a bull's head.
From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *ŋwa.
;"awesome"

傲人

nowadays especially of breasts, body curve

細漢偷挽匏，大漢偷牽牛 / 细汉偷挽匏，大汉偷牵牛

sè-hàn thau bán pû, tōa-hàn thau khan gû

牛屄

牛人

(Mainland China, Mandarin, slang) awesome; powerful


玩

Wutunhua: wan

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *ŋoːns): semantic 玉 (“jade”) + phonetic 元 (OC *ŋon) – ancient toys made of jade.

Han compound

同朋友玩

去北京玩

to play; to hang out; to have a good time; to have fun; to spend time socially (e.g. with friends); to go out


班

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (班):
* → Japanese: 班(はん) (han)
* → Korean: 반(班) (ban)
* → Vietnamese: ban (班)

Ideogrammic compound (會意 /会意): 珏 (“pieces of jade”) + 刀 (“knife”) – to cut jade to pieces with knife. The pieces of jade appear as a more conservative version 玨. The knife in the middle is well visibile in the conservative variant 𤤻. Unrelated to 师.
From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *(b/p)ral (“to leave, depart, separate”) (STEDT). Cognate with Tibetan བྲལ་བ (bral ba, “to be separated”), འཕྲལ་བ ('phral ba, “to cause to be separated, to separate”), Miju phɑ̆l⁵³ (“to pull (weeds)”), phɹɯl⁵⁵ lɑ³⁵ (“to collapse”), Thulung phal si- (“to collapse”), Burmese ပြား (pra:, “various”), Jingpho pə³¹-ran³¹.
Karlgren (1933) grouped 班 (OC *praːn), 半 (OC *paːns), and 釆 (OC *brens) into one word family.
Schuessler (2007) also pointed to Austroasiatic comparanda semantically closer to Chinese; such as Khmer រាល (riəl, “to spread, extend, distribute”) and Khmer ព្រាល (priəl, “to spread”) with causative prefix *p-.
Possibly the same etymon as 斑 (OC *praːn, “variegated, spotted, striped”), which may be cognate to 羆 (OC *pral, “brown bear”) (Zhang, 2019).

och-l

Wǔ Jǔ bēn Zhèng, jiāng suì bēn Jìn, Shēngzǐ jiāng rú Jìn, yù zhī yú Zhèng jiāo, bān jīng xiāngyǔ shí, ér yán fù gù.

伍舉奔鄭，將遂奔晉，聲子將如晉，遇之於鄭郊，班荊相與食，而言復故。

伍举奔郑，将遂奔晋，声子将如晋，遇之于郑郊，班荆相与食，而言复故。


瓶

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (瓶):
* → Japanese: 瓶(びん) (bin)
* → Korean: 병(甁) (byeong)
* → Vietnamese: bình (瓶)

→ Bouyei: bingz

→ Zhuang: bingz

/pʰɛːŋ²¹⁻¹³/

/pʰiaŋ²²⁻²¹/

/pʰɛːŋ²¹⁻¹³/

/pʰiaŋ²²⁻²¹/

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *beːŋ): phonetic 并 (OC *peŋ, *peŋs) + semantic 瓦 (“earthenware”). According to the radical, it originally indicates an earthenware vessel, i.e., not a glass bottle. It had a long slender neck opening up to a narrow mouth. However, 瓶 was also part of ritual bronzes in ancient China, hence it was made of bronze when used during rituals.
Today, it indicates bottles of any kind and dimension.
Austroasiatic; compare Khmer ពីង (piing, “swollen, potbellied, earthen water pot”) (Schuessler, 2007).

cog

瓶子

花瓶

熱水瓶

热水瓶

一瓶酒

Classifier for bottled objects: bottle ⇒ all nouns using this classifier


用

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (用):
* → Japanese: 用(よう) (yō)
* → Korean: 용(用) (yong)
* → Vietnamese: dụng (用)

→ Iu Mien: longc

→ Vietnamese: dùng

→ Zhuang: yungh

Pictogram (象形): a water bucket. Compare 桶. Similar but unrelated to 甬, which represents a bronze bell, and 角, which represents a horn. Unrelated to the bottom part of 備, which represents a quiver. Eventually, unrelated to 甫, in which it is the stylization of 田.
From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *z(j)um ~ *zuŋ, provisionally set up by STEDT. Cognates to 傭 (OC loŋ) and 庸 (OC loŋ), outside Sinitic, Southern Bai zv³¹ (“to use”) Burmese သုံး (sum:, “to use”), Ersu zi⁵⁵ (“to use”), Nuosu ꌬ (ssi, “to use”), Pa'o Karen [script needed] (sūŋ, “to use”).
Sun (1999) and Schuessler (2007) consider this word a cognate to Tibetan ལོངས (longs, “use”)

cog

你會不會用電腦？

你会不会用电脑？

我用海綿來吸水。

我用海绵来吸水。

費用

费用

用度

家用

(obsolete on its own in Standard Chinese) expenses; outlay

用叉子吃東西

用叉子吃东西

我用筷子吃飯。

我用筷子吃饭。

我用濕抹布擦桌子。

我用湿抹布擦桌子。

我老闆用姓稱呼我。

我老板用姓称呼我。

不用急，慢慢來。

不用急，慢慢来。

(chiefly used in the negative or interrogative) to need

The Master said, "Bo Yi and Shu Qi did not keep the former wickednesses of men in mind, and hence (i.e. "because of this") the resentments directed towards them were few."

Zǐyuē: “Bóyí Shūqí, bùniànjiù'è, yuàn shìyòng xī.”

子曰：「伯夷叔齊，不念舊惡，怨是用希。」

子曰：「伯夷叔齐，不念旧恶，怨是用希。」


男

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (男):
* → Japanese: 男(なん) (nan); 男(だん) (dan)
* → Korean: 남(男) (nam)
* → Vietnamese: nam (男)

Ideogrammic compound (會意 /会意): 田 (“field”) + 力 (“strength”) – man providing the strength for agricultural and/or other kinds of (physical) labour on a field.
Probably an area word. Compare Proto-Kiranti *nam (“man”), Proto-Monic *k()ɲoom (“young child”), Proto-Wa *h/ʔn[o]m (“young man”), Thai หนุ่ม (nùm, “young man; young”) (Schuessler, 2007).
Wang (1982) connects it to 農 (OC *nuːŋ, “farmer”). Goldin (2021) suggests a connection to 任 (OC *njɯms, “to bear; to be in charge”).

och-l

男人

男孩

man; (only of human in Standard Chinese) male


留

In bronze inscriptions, phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *m·ru, *m·rus): phonetic 卯 (OC *mruːʔ) + semantic 田 (“field”). Later in small seal script, phonetic 丣 (OC *luʔ) + semantic 田.

Han compound

畄
畱
㽞
𤰛
𤱊
𬎿
𢕍
𢔲

你可以給我留個電話嗎？

你可以给我留个电话吗？

to leave behind (a package, a message, an impression, etc.)


留

畄
畱
㽞
𤰛
𤱊
𬎿
𢕍
𢔲


畫

Shuowen Jiezi
Stroke (CJK character)
Zuozhuan

Li Shoukui (2016): Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *ɡʷreːɡs, *ɡʷreːɡ): semantic 聿 (“brush”) + phonetic 乂 (OC *ŋads). During the Western Zhou period, 周 was added as seen in the bronze inscriptions.
Traditionally explained as an ideogrammic compound (會意 /会意): 聿 (“pen brush”) + 画 (“a field (田) enclosed on four sides”). Meaning of "field boundaries recorded with a brush".
畫 (OC *C-ɡʷˤrek-s, “drawing”) is exopassive derivation of 畫 (OC *ɡʷˤrek, “to draw”) (Schuessler, 2007; Baxter & Sagart, 2014). Schuessler additionally relates 畫 to 劃／划 (huá ~ huà) < 劃 (OC *ɡʷˤrek) "to plan, to delineate" < "to mark off" (Zuozhuan), "to cut open" (Wang, 1982) < "to cut (with a knife)" (SWJZ) (ibid.).
For more, see 劃／划 (huá).

Han compound

画
晝
畵
𠚇
𡇍
𤰱
𨽶
𤲯
𤲿
𦘕
𦘚
𤱪

畫幅畫

画幅画

drawing; painting; picture (Classifier: 幅 m c mn; 張／张 m)


疼

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *dɯːŋ, *duːŋ): semantic 疒 (“sickness”) + phonetic 冬 (OC *tuːŋ).
Wang (1982) suggests that it is cognate with 痛 (OC *l̥ʰoːŋs, “painful”).
Coblin (1986) derives it from Proto-Sino-Tibetan *gdəngw (“pain; hurt”), comparing it to Tibetan གདུང་བ (gdung ba, “to feel pain”) and keeping it separate from the word family with 痛. Schuessler (2007) notes that this is a post-classical word.

cog

我牙疼。


疼

Unclear. Possibly from 聽 (OC *l̥ʰeːŋs, “to allow > to love”) (Li and Chen, 1991).

(Eastern, Southern and Puxian Min) painful; aching; sore


疼

(Cantonese) alternative form of 痛 (“painful; aching; sore; to be fond of; to love”)


病

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (病):
* → Vietnamese: bệnh (病)

→ Zhuang: bingh

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *braŋs): semantic 疒 (“sickness”) + phonetic 丙 (OC *pqraŋʔ) – illness. Note that 丙 also means “fire”, hence connotations of “lying feverishly in bed”.
Cognate with 怲 (OC *praŋʔ, *praŋs, “to worry”) (Schuessler, 2007). This may be part of larger word family including 炳 (OC *praŋʔ, “bright”) with the basic meaning of “warm; hot” (ibid.). It has also been connected with 傷 (OC *hljaŋ) (Unger, 1986).

Han compound

我姥姥病了。


的

Wutunhua: -de

→ Khmer: ទី (tii)

Tang Dynasty
Thomas Barclay (missionary)
zh-min-nan:Lîm Iàn-sîn
zh:林燕臣

First attested in the Tang Dynasty as 底. This glyph was borrowed later to represent de, the possessive marker in Northern Chinese, superseding the earlier 底 as a way to write this word.
There are three main competing proposals for its etymology:
* Derived from the lenition of the literary genitive marker 之 (OC *tjɯ) (Demiéville, 1950; Wang, 1958; Mei, 1988), which is still preserved in many phrases, and in the written form to some extent, especially in Taiwan.
* Derived from the lenition of 者 (OC *tjaːʔ, “nominalizer > medieval possessive”) (Lü, 1943; Yuan et al., 1996; Yang, R., 2016). Note that 的 is also a nominalizer like 者 in Classical Chinese.
* Derived from the lenition of Middle Chinese demonstrative 底 (MC tejX) (Shi, 2015, 2023).
If from either of the first two etymons, possibly cognate with the demonstrative 這／这 (zhè).
Possibly cognate with the particle sense of 地, which is homophonic but now has its specialised usage.
In contemporary times it is also used to represent unrelated equivalent particles in other Chinese varieties. Examples include Hokkien ê (variously also written as 个, 之, 兮, 亓, ㄟ, possibly derived from 其 according to Douglas (1873) although the Arte de la Lengua Chiõ Chiu (1620) and Dictionario Hispanico Sinicum (1626-1642) historically used 个), Eastern Min gì (其), Wu geq (個) and Cantonese ge³ (嘅 < 個).

och-l

旳
㢩
墑
𥡦
𤾠
𬐄
ㄉ
der
个
兮
ㄟ
之
亓

† - may use corresponding classifier in certain contexts

我的書／我的书

這本書是老王的。

这本书是老王的。

別開他的玩笑了。

别开他的玩笑了。

蛇的毒

人民的國家／人民的国家

Used after an attribute. Indicates that the previous word has possession of the next one. It functions like ’s in English (or like the word “of” but with the position of possessor and possessee switched). ’s; of

我愛吃辣的。

我爱吃辣的。

The chrysanthemums are in bloom; some are red and some yellow.

Júhuā kāi le, yǒu hóng de, yǒu huáng de.

菊花開了，有紅的，有黃的。

菊花开了，有红的，有黄的。

Let him say what he likes; I'll just get on with my work.

他說他的，我幹我的。

他说他的，我干我的。

On the train some people were reading and some were chatting.

Huǒchē shàng kàn shū de kàn shū, liáotiān de liáotiān.

火車上看書的看書，聊天的聊天。

火车上看书的看书，聊天的聊天。

I want two of the thirty-cent ones. (i.e. two items worth thirty cents each)

我要兩個三毛的。

我要两个三毛的。

Why do you get excited for no reason at all?

無緣無故的，你著什麼急？

无缘无故的，你着什么急？

Zhèlǐ yòng bù zháo nǐ, nǐ zhǐguǎn shuì nǐ de qù.

這裡用不著你，你只管睡你的去。

这里用不着你，你只管睡你的去。

Used to form a noun phrase or nominal expression.

You've really been working hard the past few days.

你們這兩天真夠辛苦的。

你们这两天真够辛苦的。

Used at the end of a declarative sentence for emphasis.

This room is five metres by three, or fifteen square metres.

Zhè jiān wūzǐ shì wǔ mǐ de sān mǐ, hé shíwǔ píngfāngmǐ.

這間屋子是五米的三米，合十五平方米。

这间屋子是五米的三米，合十五平方米。

Two pieces and three pieces—there are five in all.

兩個的三個，一共五個。

两个的三个，一共五个。

(informal) Used to express multiplication or addition. and, by


省

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (省):
* → Japanese: 省(しょう) (shō)
* → Korean: 성(省) (seong)
* → Vietnamese: tỉnh (省)

→ Bouyei: senj

→ Lü: ᦵᦌᦲᧃ (soen)

→ Zhuang: sengj

Originally 眚. In oracle bone script, an ideogrammic compound (會意 /会意) and phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *sreŋʔ, *sleŋʔ): phonetic 生 (OC *sʰleːŋ, *sreŋs, “sprout”) + 目 (“eye”) – "to inspect plants". In Shuowen Jiezi, 眚 and 省 became separate characters. 生 corrupted over time into 少.
; verb senses

Han compound

𥅱
𥄾
眚
䁞
𡮀
𡨽
𥅱
𥄾
眚
䁞
𡮀
𡨽

省港澳 ― Shěng-Gǎng-Ào ― Guangzhou, Hong Kong, and Macau

(chiefly Guangdong, especially) Guangzhou


看

Ideogrammic compound (會意 /会意): 手 (“hand”) + 目 (“eye”) – to put a hand above eyes to gaze afar.
STEDT compares it to Proto-Tibeto-Burman *ka(n/ŋ) (“to know; to see”).
Also compare Tibetan མཁན་པོ (mkhan po, “professor; abbot”) (Schuessler, 2007).

cog

我們有時去看我們的祖母。

我们有时去看我们的祖母。


看

He's not competent to look after young children.

他沒有看小孩的本事。

他没有看小孩的本事。

to look after; to take care of; to tend; to keep an eye on


真

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (真):
* → Japanese: 真(しん) (shin)
* → Korean: 진(眞) (jin)
* → Vietnamese: chân (真)

→ Lao: ຈິງ (ching)

→ Proto-Turkic: *čïn (see there for further descendants)

→ Thai: จริง (jing)

/t͡sz̩ʷøŋ⁵²/

/t͡sz̩ʷøŋ⁵²/

Originally phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *ʔljin): phonetic 𠂈 (OC *l'ɯːnʔ) + semantic 貝 (“cowry”); 𠂈 (a knife or dagger) was then a phonetic component. Often 丁 (OC *rteːŋ, *teːŋ) (a nail) was added as a second phonetic component at the bottom; originally, it appeared as a black dot. He Linyi posits it to be the original character for 珍 (OC *ʔl'ɯn, “rare; valuable”).
The sound component 𠂈 corrupted into 十 in the modern form, and into 匕 in the orthodox seal script form 眞. The bottom of the character in both forms derives from the components 貝 and 丁 corrupting into 目 and 丌.
From Proto-Sino-Tibetan; cognate with Tibetan བདེན (bden, “true; truth”). Possibly connected with 貞 (OC *teŋ) (Schuessler, 2007).

Han compound

眞
𡙊
𠤛
⿱𥃭大
⿱𥃰大
⿱𥃰六
𰶵
𰶱
⿳上目大
⿳止目六
⿳十且八


睡

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *djols): semantic 目 (“eye”) + phonetic 垂 (OC *djol) – sleep.
May be from Proto-Sino-Tibetan *(d/n)waj (“to hang from; to cling to; creeper”); see 垂 (OC *djol, “to hang down”) for more (STEDT).

inh

Zhanguo Ce, circa 5ᵗʰ – 3ʳᵈ centuries BCE

Dúshū yù shuì, yǐn zhuī zì cì qí gǔ, xuè liú zhì zú.

讀書欲睡，引錐自刺其股，血流至足。

读书欲睡，引锥自刺其股，血流至足。


短

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *toːnʔ): semantic 矢 + phonetic 豆 (OC *doːs).
The Proto-Min reconstructed form is *toiᴮ (Bodman, 1980). The relationship of this to the -n forms in other dialects is unclear and two theories exist:
* Old Chinese *tˤorʔ divergently developed into (1) *toj in southeastern China, and (2) *ton elsewhere (Baxter and Sagart, 2014). Compare also:
** 端 (OC *tˤor) vs 瑞 (OC *[d]or-s)
** 算 (OC *[s]ˤorʔ-s)
** 卵 (OC *k.rˤorʔ).
* Proto-Min may represent the original Old Chinese form, and the forms in other Chinese varieties are due to confusion with 斷 (OC *toːnʔ, *toːns, *doːnʔ, “to cut”) (Schuessler, 2007).
STEDT sets up two roots for this: Proto-Sino-Tibetan *t(j)u(ŋ/n) (“short”), whence Burmese တောင်း (taung:, “short (as in garment)”), and *dəw (“short”), whence Burmese တို (tui, “short”), Mizo tawi (“short”).

cog

(Mainland China, transitive) to text; to send a text message to


矮

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *qraːlʔ): semantic 矢 + phonetic 委 (OC *qrol, *qrolʔ).

Han compound

矮牆／矮墙

張凳太矮喇。

张凳太矮喇。

(Mainland China Hokkien) to fall short (compared to someone else)


破

→ Thai: ผ่า (pàa)

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *pʰaːls): semantic 石 + phonetic 皮 (OC *bral).
According to Schuessler (2007), cognate with Burmese ဖဲ့ (hpai., “to break off a small piece”), Dimasa bai (“break”), Mizo peh (peʔ, “to break; be broken”); the connection to the Burmese is supported by Hill (2019). However, STEDT derives the above three terms from Proto-Tibeto-Burman *(p/b)aj (“to break out; to break off; to hatch”) and does not compare 破 (OC *pʰaːls) to it.

cog

to remove; to clear; to eliminate; to dispel


碗

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (碗):
* → Japanese: 碗(わん) (wan)

→ Ahom: 𑜈𑜃𑜫 (ban)

→ Jingpho: wan

desc

→ Lü: ᦛᦱᧃᧈ (v̇aan¹)

→ Lü: ᦛᦱᧃᧈ (v̇aan¹)

→ Tai Nüa: ᥝᥣᥢᥱ (wǎan)

→ Zhuang: vanj

Wutunhua: wan

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *qoːnʔ): semantic 石 (“stone”) + phonetic 宛 (OC *qon, *qonʔ).
From 甌 (OC *qoː, “bowl”) + -n (“nominalizing suffix”) (Schuessler, 2007).

Han compound

洗碗

bowl (Classifier: 個／个 m c; 隻／只 m c h; 塊／块 mn)


碰

→ English: pung, pong

→ Japanese: 碰(ポン) (pon)

→ Tagalog: pong

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声): semantic 石 (“rock”) + phonetic 並.
Appears in Zihui [Ming dynasty] as 掽, but only attested in literary works since Qing dynasty. Probably a recent colloquial form of 逢 (MC bjowng) (Wang, 1982; Schuessler, 2007).


祝

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (祝):
* → Vietnamese: chúc (祝)

Ideogram (指事) – a man kneeling with open mouth (兄) next to an altar (示).
Perhaps related to 觸 (OC *tʰjoɡ, “to butt, knock against”); see there for more (STEDT).

祝你身體健康！

祝你身体健康！

(literary) temple attendant who burns joss sticks and candles

(literary) to break off; to cut off; to sever


票

Simplified from 𤐫 (火 → 示 and 𢍱 → 覀). Ideogrammic compound (會意 /会意): semantic 火 (“fire”) + semantic 𢍱 (“to rise high”), which represents two pairs of hands holding and rising an object, perhaps a bag or basket (西). The character originally represented the idea of sparks rising up. By extension, it was also used to mean "token" or "label." Then, the two pair of hands disappeared in the modern version.
Unrelated to the original version of 要 and 栗.

Han compound

Do you want a single or a return ticket?

Nǐ yào dānchéng piào háishì wǎngfǎn piào?

你要單程票還是往返票？

你要单程票还是往返票？

我投王先生的票。

ballot; voting slip; vote (Classifier: 張／张 m)

(Chinese opera) amateur performance of Chinese opera


種

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *tjoŋʔ, *tjoŋs): semantic 禾 + phonetic 重 (OC *doŋ, *doŋʔ, *doŋs).
Perhaps Sino-Tibetan: Chepang [script needed] (tuŋʔ-, “to plant”), दुङ् (duŋ, “shoot; sprout”), दुङ्सा (duŋ-, “to sprout; to grow”). Compare 腫 (OC *tjoŋʔ, “to swell”) and 踵 (OC *tjoŋʔ, “heel”).
Related to Proto-Vietic *k-coːŋʔ (“seed”) (Vietnamese giống (“seed”)), which is likely a loanword from Chinese (Wang, 1948).
Pronunciation 2 (“to sow; to plant”) is the exoactive derivation of pronunciation 1 (“seed”).

cog

种
穜
𥡰
𥢖
𥻝
𦔉
𥠭


穿

/ʈ͡ʂʰu̯än⁵⁵/

/t͡sʰuaŋ⁵³³/

/t͡sʰuoŋ⁵⁴⁴/

/t͡ɕʰy̯e̞³³/

/ʈ͡ʂʰu̯än⁵⁵/

/t͡sʰuaŋ⁵³³/

/t͡sʰuoŋ⁵⁴⁴/

/t͡ɕʰy̯e̞³³/

Ideogrammic compound (會意 /会意): 穴 (“cave”) + 牙 (“tooth”) – to penetrate through, to pass through.
From Proto-Sino-Tibetan [Term?]; cognate with Tibetan རྟོལ (rtol, “to bore; to pierce; to perforate”) (Schuessler, 2007).

cog

我們穿綠色的運動鞋。

我们穿绿色的运动鞋。

to wear; to put on (clothing); to have (clothing) on

placed after verbs to indicate “thoroughly; completely”


穿

From 上 (OC *djaŋʔ, *djaŋs) (Yang, 2016).

(Min) to wear; to put on (clothing); to have (clothing) on


窗

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (窗):
* → Korean: 창(窓) (chang)
* → Vietnamese: song (窗)

→ Zhuang: cueng

/ʈ͡ʂʰu̯ɑŋ⁵⁵/

/tʰɔŋ³³⁻³³⁵/

/t͡ɕʰy̯æn³³/

/ʈ͡ʂʰu̯ɑŋ⁵⁵/

/tʰɔŋ³³⁻³³⁵/

/t͡ɕʰy̯æn³³/

Ideogrammic compound (會意 /会意): 穴 (“hole”) + 囱 (“window”).
From circumstantial noun prefix *s- + 通 (OC l̥ˤoŋ, “to penetrate”), literally "where light penetrates" (Baxter and Sagart, 2014).

Han compound

*窻
䆫
*窓
牕
*囪
囱
牎
𤗄
𪺠
𤗉
𮈾
𡆧

窗簾

窗帘

打開個窗

打开个窗


站

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *rteːms): semantic 立 + phonetic 占 (OC *ʔljem, *tjems). A relatively late character – not found in Shuowen; found in Guangyun.
A Northern Chinese word attested since the 9th-10th centuries. Displaced earlier 立 (OC *rɯb) in most modern northern Chinese varieties.

Han compound

(figurative) to take a firm stance; to uphold the stand