add

From English add. Compare Mandarin 加 (jiā, “to friend”).

(Hong Kong Cantonese, social media) to friend; to add someone as contact, friend, or follower


take

(Hong Kong Cantonese, film) take; attempts of recording or filming at one time (Classifier: 個／个 c)


SL

ㄞˊ ˙ㄙ ㄞˊ ˙ㄌㄡ

/ˀaɪ̯³⁵ sz̩³ ˀaɪ̯³⁵ loʊ̯³/

/ˀaɪ̯³⁵ sz̩³ ˀaɪ̯³⁵ loʊ̯³/


boy

(Hong Kong Cantonese) The name of the Latin-script letter B/b.


零

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (零):
* → Japanese: 零(れい) (rei)
* → Korean: 령(零) (ryeong)
* → Vietnamese: linh (零)

→ Bouyei: lingz

→ Lü: ᦟᦲᧃᧉ (liin²)

→ Zhuang: lingz

/liaŋ²²⁻²²⁵/

/liaŋ²²⁻²²⁵/

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *riːŋ, *reːŋ, *reːŋs): semantic 雨 (“rain”) + phonetic 令 (OC *ren, *reŋ, *reŋs, *reːŋ, *reːŋs). On the oracle bone script, only thick raindrops are depicted falling from the sky.
Unclear. Schuessler (2007) proposes several possibilities:
* From Austroasiatic; compare Khmer ភ្លៀង (phliəng, “rain”), from Proto-Mon-Khmer *(p)liɲ ~ *(p)liəɲ ~ (p)liiɲ (“sky, rain”).
* Possibly related to Jingpho marang (“rain”), for which STEDT sets up Proto-Sino-Tibetan *m/s-raŋ (“rain”). Starostin also relates it to this Jingpho word and sets up Proto-Sino-Tibetan *rēŋ (“to drop”), also comparing Tibetan སྤྲིན (sprin, “cloud”) and Burmese ရည် (rany, “liquid; juice”).
* Possibly related to 隕 (OC *ɢunʔ, “to drop”) and 霣 (OC *ɢunʔ, “to rain; to fall down like rain”) if one assumes Proto-Sino-Tibetan *r/s/g-wa (“water; rain”) (or its variant *rwe-) can be simplified to *re- and *we-.
Sense "zero" is introduced in 1248 by Chinese mathematician Li Ye.

inh

〇
𠏡
𡈍
𤅫
𥥋
𮖿
𩂙
霗
𩃞
𩅶
𩆖
𩆼
⿳⻗人𰆊


bug

(Hong Kong Cantonese, of software) to have bugs; to fault


bug

(Hong Kong Cantonese, of software) buggy; bugged


cut

(film and television) An instruction to cease recording


十

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (十):
* → Japanese: 十(じゅう) (jū)
* → Korean: 십(十) (sip)
* → Vietnamese: thập (十)

→ Ahom: 𑜏𑜢𑜆𑜫 (sip)

→ Bouyei: xib

→ Khmer: ដប់ (dɑp), សិប (səp)

→ Lao: ສິບ (sip)

→ Lü: ᦉᦲᧇ (ṡiib)

desc

→ Saek: ซิ̄บ

→ Saek: ซิ̄บ

→ Shan: သိပ်း (síp)

→ Tai Dam: ꪎꪲꪚ

→ Tai Nüa: ᥔᥤᥙᥴ (síp)

→ Thai: สิบ (sìp)

→ Zhuang: cib

Unlike 一, which was one horizontal stroke meaning one, 十 was originally simply a vertical stroke. In later forms 一 was added, forming a cross.
Possibly a pictogram (象形) for a needle, later written as 針 (OC *kjum, *kjums), borrowed phonetically for 十 (OC *ɡjub, “ten”).
Unrelated to 支, 卖, 直, 真, 德, 甫， and 七 but related to the original version of 丈 and perhaps related to 由.
From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *gip.


入

Ideogram (指事) - an arrowhead indicating "to enter".
Compare 人 (rén).
From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *nup ~ nip. Cognate with Tibetan ནུབ (nub, “to fall (gradually), sink, to set; to decay, to decline”) and Burmese နိပ် (nip, “to decline (e.g. price); to be suppressed, to settle, to be quelled”).
Chinese characters belonging to the same word family include:
* 納 (OC *nuːb, “to make enter”)
* 內 (OC *nuːbs, “inside”)
* 軜 (OC *nuːb, “reins on the inside of the horse”)
* 妠 (OC *nuːms, *nuːb, *rnoːd, “to marry (a girl)”)
* 躡 (OC *neb, “to tiptoe, tread”)
* 攝 (OC *neːb, *ʔnjeb, “to take in, photograph, grasp”)
* 鑷 (OC *neb, “tweezers, forceps”)
* and potentially Cantonese 擸 (laap3, “to bring together, to collect”)
The regular Mandarin pronunciation as predicted from Middle Chinese is rì. The irregular sound change is for taboo reasons - to avoid homophony with its derived vulgar meaning "to enter > to have sexual intercourse", nowadays represented by 日 (rì).

zh-m

陽入

阳入

(Chinese phonetics) Short for 入聲／入声 (rùshēng, “the checked tone”).


二

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (二):
* → Japanese: 二(に) (ni)
* → Korean: 이(二) (i)
* → Vietnamese: nhị (二)

→ Bouyei: ngih

→ Northern Thai: ᨿᩦ᩵

→ Lao: ຍີ່ (nyī)

→ Thai: ยี่ (yîi)

→ Vietnamese: nhì

→ Zhuang: ngeih

Ideogram (指事) - two parallel strokes. Compare with 一, one stroke meaning one, 三, three strokes meaning three, and 亖 (sì), four strokes meaning four. Duplication of 一 (“one”).
From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *g/s-ni-s. Cognate to Tibetan གཉིས (gnyis), Sikkimese ཉི (nyi), Tangut 𗍫 (*njɨ̱¹), Burmese နှစ် (hnac), and Nuosu ꑍ (nyip). See also: 次 (OC *sn̥ʰis, “second; next”), a cognate within Chinese languages.

二號線

二号线

The Master said, on this, "The ways of good men (different seem). This in a public office toils; that in his home the time beguiles. One man his lips with silence seals; another all his mind reveals. But when two men are one in heart, not iron bolts keep them apart; the words they in their union use, fragrance like orchid plants diffuse."

Zǐ yuē: “Jūnzǐ zhī dào, huò chū huò chǔ, huò mò huò yǔ, èr rén tóng xīn, qí lì duàn jīn. Tóng xīn zhī yán, qí xiù rú lán.”

子曰：「君子之道，或出或處，或默或語，二人同心，其利斷金。同心之言，其臭如蘭。」

子曰：「君子之道，或出或处，或默或语，二人同心，其利断金。同心之言，其臭如兰。」

Alternative forms: 𠄠 (èr), 𖿣

(handwritten, dated, now informal) An iteration mark denoting the repetition of the previous hanzi; often written at a smaller size when used for this purpose.

※ Such a definition of a number results from a number's being used without a unit after a quantity with both a value (exists even if hidden) and a unit to indicate the quantity with the value being the number and the unit one grade lower. So does the next definition.

百二

百二

Buying the computer cost me a thousand and two hundred bucks.

買電腦花了一千二。

买电脑花了一千二。

Short for "twenty, two hundred or two thousand" after hundreds, thousands and ten thousands.

The cucumbers are one dollar twenty per half kilogram.

黃瓜一塊二一斤。

黄瓜一块二一斤。


中文

Sino-Xenic (中文):
* → Japanese: 中文(ちゅうぶん) (chūbun)
* → Korean: 중문(中文) (jungmun)
* → Vietnamese: Trung văn (中文)

/ʈ͡ʂʊŋ⁵⁵ wən³⁵/

/ʈ͡ʂuŋ²⁴ vəŋ²⁴/

/t͡sʊŋ⁵⁵ mɐn²¹⁻³⁵/

/t͡sʊŋ⁵⁵ mɐn²¹/

/t͡ʃuŋ⁵³ vun⁵⁵/

/t͡sʊŋ⁴⁴⁻³⁵ ʋun¹¹/

/tiɔŋ⁴⁴⁻²² bun²⁴/

/tiɔŋ⁴⁴⁻²² bun¹³/

/tiɔŋ⁴⁴⁻³³ bun²⁴/

/tiɔŋ⁴⁴⁻³³ bun²³/

/toŋ³³⁻²³ buŋ⁵⁵/

/t͡soŋ⁵⁵ vən²¹/

/ʈ͡ʂʊŋ⁵⁵ wən³⁵/

/ʈ͡ʂuŋ²⁴ vəŋ²⁴/

/t͡sʊŋ⁵⁵ mɐn²¹⁻³⁵/

/t͡sʊŋ⁵⁵ mɐn²¹/

/t͡ʃuŋ⁵³ vun⁵⁵/

/t͡sʊŋ⁴⁴⁻³⁵ ʋun¹¹/

/tiɔŋ⁴⁴⁻²² bun²⁴/

/tiɔŋ⁴⁴⁻²² bun¹³/

/tiɔŋ⁴⁴⁻³³ bun²⁴/

/tiɔŋ⁴⁴⁻³³ bun²³/

/toŋ³³⁻²³ buŋ⁵⁵/

/t͡soŋ⁵⁵ vən²¹/

以中文書寫的文章

以中文书写的文章

He grew up in the United States and can't read Chinese.

keoi⁵ hai² mei⁵ gwok³ daai⁶, m⁴ sik¹ tai² zung¹ man⁴⁻².

佢喺美國大，唔識睇中文。

佢喺美国大，唔识睇中文。

中文授課

中文授课

你說中文嗎？

你说中文吗？

spoken Chinese, including all dialects and varieties

ngo⁵ zung¹ man⁴⁻² meng⁴⁻² m⁴ hou² teng¹.

我中文名唔好聽。

我中文名唔好听。

(Mainland China, Taiwan, proscribed) Mandarin


九

Sino-Xenic (九):
* → Japanese: 九(く) (ku); 九(きゅう) (kyū)
* → Korean: 구(九) (gu)
* → Vietnamese: cửu (九)

desctree

→ Proto-Tai: *kɤwꟲ (“nine”)
Northern Tai:
Bouyei: guz
Zhuang: gouj
Saek: กู̂
Tai Do: cau
Central Tai:
Caolan: cáu
Nùng: càu
Tày: cẩu
Wenma-Southwestern Tai:
Sapa-Southwestern Tai:
Proto-Southwestern Tai:
Thai: เก้า (gâao)
Northern Thai: ᨠᩮᩢ᩶ᩣ
Lao: ເກົ້າ (kao)
Lü: ᦂᧁᧉ (k̇aw²)
Tai Dam: ꪹꪀ꫁ꪱ (cảu)
Shan: ၵဝ်ႈ (kāo)
Tai Laing: ကႍဝ်
Tai Nüa: ᥐᥝᥲ (kàw)
Ahom: 𑜀𑜧 (kaw)

/t͡ɕi̯oʊ̯²¹⁴/

/t͡ɕi̯əu̯⁴¹/

/t͡ɕi̯oʊ̯²¹⁴/

/t͡ɕi̯əu̯⁴¹/

Characters in the same phonetic series (九) (Zhengzhang, 2003)
Pictogram (象形) – a stylized hand, with bent wrist/forearm (hence the hook stroke at lower right). Earlier forms resemble 手 (shǒu), 寸 (cùn). The original meaning of the glyph was “elbow”, which is now written 肘 (OC *tkuʔ).
After the meaning “elbow” was forgotten, 九 was taken to symbolize a fist tightening to bump up against something; thus, there is a metaphorical bumping up of nine against ten, which is the last number when counting on one's fingers.
From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *d/s-kəw. Compare Tibetan དགུ (dgu).

Han etyl

(Cantonese, minced oath, euphemistic) Synonym of 㞗 (gau1, “penis”)


日本語

/ʐ̩⁵¹ pən²¹⁴⁻³⁵ y²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/jɐt̚² puːn³⁵ jyː¹³/

/nˡiʔ⁵⁻²¹ puoŋ³³⁻³⁵ ŋy³³/

/ʐ̩⁵¹ pən²¹⁴⁻³⁵ y²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/jɐt̚² puːn³⁵ jyː¹³/

/nˡiʔ⁵⁻²¹ puoŋ³³⁻³⁵ ŋy³³/


仟

/t͡ɕʰi̯ɛn⁵⁵/

/t͡ɕʰi̯ɛn⁵⁵/

Alternative form of 芊 (“lush (vegetation)”)


並

From the clerical script (隸書) of 竝 (OC *beːŋʔ), originally depicting two people standing side-by-side.

(～母) (Chinese linguistics) the Middle Chinese initial of 並 (MC bengX)


三

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (三):
* → Japanese: 三(さん) (san)
* → Korean: 삼(三) (sam)
* → Vietnamese: tam (三)

→ Proto-Tai: *saːmᴬ (“three”)

Lao: ສາມ (sām)

Thai: สาม (sǎam)

Zhuang: sam

Characters in the same phonetic series (三) (Zhengzhang, 2003)
Ideogram (指事) - three parallel strokes. Compare with 一, one stroke meaning “one”, 二, two strokes meaning “two”, and 亖, four strokes meaning “four”.
Triplication of 一 (“one”). See also 畺. Unrelated to 丰.
From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *g-sum.
Pronunciation in Early Middle Chinese should be *srim, but actually is *sam, with a non-retroflex initial consonant. This irregular development should be due by analogy with the initial of number four in EMC, *sijH.

Han etyl

叄/叁/參/参
𠫰/𠬅/𠬄
弎
𢦘

(Mainland China, slang, neologism) the other woman; the other man

(Mainland China, slang, neologism)
a surname


云

(～母) (Chinese linguistics) the Middle Chinese initial of 云 (MC hjun), equivalent to the 3rd 等 (děng) of the initial 喻 (MC yuH)


伍

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (伍):
* → Japanese: 伍(ご) (go)
* → Korean: 오(伍) (o)

(Hokkien dialect) Tagalog: Go

(Mandarin) Tagalog: Wu

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *ŋaːʔ): semantic 亻 + phonetic 五 (OC *ŋaːʔ). Also ideogrammic compound (會意 /会意).

Han compound

Wu Lien-teh (Malayan Chinese physician and epidemiologist)

伍連德

伍连德

伍家崗區

伍家岗区


佰

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *mbraːɡ): semantic 亻 + phonetic 百 (OC *praːɡ).

Han compound

(archaic) troop of 100 soldiers, or a leader of such unit, centurion


侉

(dialectal) speaking with an accent, especially a non-local one


主

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (主):
* → Japanese: 主(しゅ) (shu)
* → Korean: 주(主) (ju)
* → Vietnamese: chủ (主)

→ Proto-Tai: *ɕɤwꟲ (“master”)

desc

Lao: ເຈົ້າ (chao, “lord, master, owner”)

Thai: เจ้า (jâao, “lord, master, owner”)

→ Vietnamese: chúa (主, “retired father of a king”), Chúa (主, “Lord”)

Pictogram (象形). Three distinct forms can observed in ancient scripts, all of which have merged into the same character in modern script:
A lamp or torch with a flame at the top. Original form of 炷.
Wood (木, now 王) on fire.
A spirit tablet. Same character as 示.
Unrelated to the right component of 往 (< 𢓸).
Unclear. Compare Tibetan ཇོ་བོ (jo bo, “elder brother, nobleman, lord”), Tibetan ཇོ་མོ (jo mo, “mistress, lady, goddess”), Tibetan ཐུ། (thu, “chief”), Proto-Monic *(d)ndooʔ (“to teach, to instruct; headman”), and Thai โจก (jòok, “leader, chief”) (Schuessler, 2007)
Also compare Burmese အတို့ (a.tui., “honorific personal pronoun”).


亂

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *roːns): phonetic 𤔔 (*[r]ˁo[n]-s) + semantic 乚. The left-side component 𤔔 is itself ideogrammatic, depicting the effort to comb a tangle of threads, hence the semantic link to order and disorder.
Area word of Austroasiatic origin. Compare Khmer ប្រួល (pruəl, “changing; unstable”) < Khmer រួល (ruəl, “to cook; to grill”), and also Khmer កំរោល (kɑmraol, “to go berserk; to become excited”) < Khmer រោល (rool, “to burn; to roast”) (Schuessler, 2007). Burmese ရုန်း (run:, “to struggle, to warp, to cause chaos”) and Tibetan ཁྲལ་ཁྲུལ (khral khrul, “fragments; scattered”) are Austroasiatic loans. Compare also Vietnamese lộn (“to turn the inside out, upside down, to reverse, to return, etc.”) and trộn (“to mix; to blend; to turn upside down”).

cog

乱
乨
乿
𠃶
𠃹
𠃿
𢿢
𢿮
𤕅

The Master said, "When the music master Zhi first entered on his office, the finish of the Guan Ju was magnificent — how it filled the ears!"

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

Zǐyuē: “Shī Zhì zhī shǐ, “Guānjū” zhī luàn, yángyáng hū yíng ěr zāi!”

子曰：「師摯之始，《關雎》之亂，洋洋乎盈耳哉！」

子曰：「师挚之始，《关雎》之乱，洋洋乎盈耳哉！」

(obsolete, literary, music or poetry) coda; finale; conclusion of a piece


令

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (令):
* → Japanese: 令(りょう) (ryō); 令(れい) (rei)
* → Vietnamese: lệnh (令), lành (令)

Ideogrammic compound (會意 /会意): 亼 + 卩. The upper part is an open mouth to convey the idea of giving orders, while the bottom part is a kneeling man. Compare 兄, in which an open mouth on top of the character conveys the same idea of giving orders.
Usually thought to be related to 命 (OC *mreŋs, “order”) (Schuessler, 2007). As a surname, 令 has many origins, one of them is 令狐 (Línghú).


以

Pictogram (象形) – a person (人) carrying something. It is often simplified to 㠯 in pre-Qin ancient scripts. Today, the person is partly visibile on the right (see also the stylization in 从). See also 重, in which a person is carrying a bag.
From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *la-k (“to take; to fetch”) (Schuessler, 2007; STEDT). Cognate with 式 (OC *hljɯɡ, “model; form; rule”), 試 (OC *hljɯɡs, “to test; to try”).

inh

(～母) (Chinese linguistics) the Middle Chinese initial of 以 (MC yiX), equivalent to the 4th 等 (děng) of the initial 喻 (MC yuH)


佳

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *kreː): semantic 人 (“man; person”) + phonetic 圭 (OC *kʷeː).

Han compound

(～日) (telegraphy) the ninth day of a month


儷

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *reːls): semantic 人 (“person”) + phonetic 麗 (OC *reːls, *rel).


來

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (來):
* → Japanese: 来(らい) (rai)
* → Korean: 래(來) (rae)
* → Vietnamese: lai (來)

Shuowen
Warring States period
Western Zhou

Pictogram (象形) of wheat – original character of 麥 (OC *mrɯːɡ, “wheat”) or 麳 (OC *rɯː, “wheat”). The line in the middle represents the ear, the two lines pointing upwards represent leaves, and the lines pointing downwards represent the stem and roots. An additional horizontal line was often added at the top end of the character, possibly used to emphasize the ear of the wheat. Compare 禾; both are unrelated to 釆.
This character has been borrowed for “to come” since the oracle bone script. During the Western Zhou and Warring States periods, additional semantic components, such as 止 (“foot”) or 辵 (“to walk”), were added to differentiate the original sense from the borrowed sense. However, these additions were not inherited in later scripts.
Some consider the derivative 麥 from the addition of 夊 (“to walk slowly”) to be the original form for the meaning “to come”. If so, their meanings have interchanged due to frequent use of 來 for “to come”.
Shuowen connects “wheat” and “to come” from a mythological standpoint: 天所來也 (“it comes from the heavens”). This may be supported by archaeological evidence, which suggests that wheat is not native to China, but originated in the Fertile Crescent.
來 and 麥 have both been reconstructed to begin with *mr- in Old Chinese. The former retains the liquid as /l/, while the latter retains the nasal /m/.
From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *la-j ~ ra (“to come”) (STEDT). Cognate with 迨 (OC *l'ɯːʔ, “to reach; until”), 賚 (OC *rɯːs, “to bestow”), Burmese လာ (la, “to come”). Also cognate with 蒞 (OC *rɯbs, “to arrive”) according to Schuessler (2007).

inh

来
𧼛
倈
逨
徠
来
麳
䅘

(～母) (Chinese linguistics) the Middle Chinese initial of 來 (MC loj)


東

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (東):
* → Japanese: 東(とう) (tō)
* → Korean: 동(東) (dong)
* → Vietnamese: đông (東)

Japanese: 東(トン) (ton, “east wind (mahjong tile)”)

Jiajie (假借) and Ideogram (指事): 束 (OC *hljoɡ) or 橐 (OC *tʰaːɡ) borrowed for sound 東 (OC *toːŋ), with a horizontal stroke added as a distinguishing mark to differentiate the character from 束.
Alternatively, it is also thought to be a pictogram (象形) of either a bundle of faggots tied together or a bag tied at both ends (like a cellophane-wrapped candy with the ends twisted).
Interpreted in the Shuowen Jiezi as an ideogrammic compound (會意 /会意) the sun (日) rising behind a tree (木). According to Allan (1991) p. 47-50, the character represents the Fu Sang tree. However, the original form is rather different, hence any interpretation tied to a tree is most likely a folk etymology.
See the top component of 曹 in the original version. See also 柬, 熏, 西 and 鹵/卤.
Cognate with Burmese ထွန်း (htwan:, “be bright”), Chepang थोङ्सा (thoŋ‑, “lighten; be bright”) and Chepang थोङ्ह (thoŋh, “awake time (as opposed to dream time)”) (Schuessler, 2007). Perhaps related to or influenced by 暾 (OC *tʰuːn, “rising sun”).

cog

(～日) (telegraphy) the first day of a month


一

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (一):
* → Japanese: 一(いち) (ichi); 一(いつ) (itsu)
* → Okinawan: 一(いち) (ichi)
* → Korean: 일(一) (il)
* → Jeju: 일 (il)
* → Vietnamese: nhất (一)

→ Ahom: 𑜒𑜢𑜄𑜫 (ʼit)

→ Bouyei: idt

→ Chadong: jit⁷, ji⁴

→ Lao: ເອັດ (ʼet)

→ Shan: ဢဵတ်း (ʼáet)

→ Tai Nüa: ᥟᥥᥖᥱ (ʼět)

→ Thai: เอ็ด (èt)

→ Zhuang: it

Standard Chinese phonology#Tones on special syllables

Ideogram (指事): a horizontal stroke, indicating the number “one”.
From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *ʔit. Descendants from the *ʔit etymon account for the majority of the dialectal forms for “one” in Chinese (Mandarin, Jin, Gan, Hakka, Hui, Xiang, Yue, Wu groups, etc.).

看一看

望一望 [Cantonese] ― mong⁶ jat¹ mong⁶ [Jyutping] ― to have a look

With the verb modified reduplicated, expressing the transience of the verb:

Indicating that the action has occurred only once

一讲曹操，曹操就到 [Cantonese, simp.]
jat¹ gong² cou⁴ cou¹ ，cou⁴ cou¹ zau⁶ dou³ [Jyutping]

It slows down once I get to the opening.

一到OP就卡。

As soon as I took a picture, she ran towards the limelight.

Wǒ yī pāi le zhàopiàn, tā jiù lìjí chéngwéi zhòngrén zhǔmù de jiāodiǎn.

我一拍了照片，她就立即成為眾人矚目的焦點。

我一拍了照片，她就立即成为众人瞩目的焦点。

一見如故／一见如故


兆

Pictogram (象形) – the cracks in a shell during fortune-telling, an omen.
Compare Chepang ह्रावःसा (hrawʔ‑, “to forebode; to portend ill fortune”).

cog

In this month orders are given to the Grand Scribe to smear with blood the tortoise-shells and divining stalks, and by interpreting the indications of the former and examining the figures formed by the latter, to determine the good and evil of their intimations.

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

Shì yuè yě, mìng tàishǐ xìn guīcè, zhānzhào shěnguà jíxiōng.

是月也，命大史釁龜策，占兆審卦吉凶。

是月也，命大史衅龟策，占兆审卦吉凶。

That being so, there was no selecting of [auspicious] times and days, no divining by trigrams or shell cracks, no scheming about where to begin, no discussion of where to end.

Shìyǐ bù zé shírì, bù zhān guàzhào, bù móu suǒshǐ, bù yì suǒzhōng.

是以不擇時日，不占卦兆，不謀所始，不議所終。

是以不择时日，不占卦兆，不谋所始，不议所终。

(historical) cracks formed on heated tortoise plastrons and mammal bones used in ancient divination

吉兆

The work of the hunchbacked shamans and lame-footed seers is to assess the yin and the yang, to divine the omens and portents, to drill the tortoise-shells and lay out the hexagrams, to preside over ceremonies for warding off ills, selecting lucky days, and the five prognostications, and to know good and bad fortune, the auspicious and the inauspicious.

Xiàng yīnyáng, zhān jìnzhào, zuàn guī chén guà, zhǔ rǎngzé wǔbǔ, zhī qí jíxiōng yāoxiáng, yǔwū bǒjī zhī shì yě.

相陰陽，占祲兆，鑽龜陳卦，主攘擇五卜，知其吉凶妖祥，傴巫跛擊之事也。

相阴阳，占祲兆，钻龟陈卦，主攘择五卜，知其吉凶妖祥，伛巫跛击之事也。

(chiefly Taiwan) trillion (million million), tera-, 10¹²

I thought of my prince alone, and of no other; and that, too, was a thing that the mob of hundreds of myriads abhorred.

The Verses of Chu, 4ᵗʰ century BCE – 2ⁿᵈ century CE, translated based on David Hawkes' version

Zhuān wéi jūn ér wú tā xī, yòu zhòngzhào zhī suǒchóu.

專惟君而無他兮，又眾兆之所讎。

专惟君而无他兮，又众兆之所雠。

(Mainland China) (SI prefix) million, mega-, 10⁶


傳

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (傳):
* → Japanese: 伝(でん) (den)
* → Korean: 전(傳) (jeon)
* → Vietnamese: truyện (傳)

→ Vietnamese: chuyện (𡀯)

/t͡syːn²²⁻³⁵/

/t͡syːn²²⁻³⁵/

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *tons, *don, *dons): semantic 人 (“man”) + phonetic 專 (OC *tjon).
Related to 轉 (OC *tonʔ, *tons, “to turn around; to transfer”); see there for more.

och-l

In the histories (i.e., the Book of Documents) it is written: "I, the One, enjoy felicity; the people will look to me as their sure dependence," which refers to this.

Zhuàn yuē: “Yīrén yǒu qìng, zhào mín lài zhī.” Cǐ zhī wèi yě.

傳曰：「一人有慶，兆民賴之。」此之謂也。

传曰：「一人有庆，兆民赖之。」此之谓也。

(historical, literature) a category of historical literary works

historical narrative; record; chronicle; historical documents

《公羊傳》

《公羊传》

The Grand Commentary to the Yi (i.e., the Xi Ci) has it, that "All under heaven, the one answer is found by myriad contemplations, the one destiny is reached by diverse routes."

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

“Yì” dàzhuàn: “Tiānxià yīzhì ér bǎilǜ, tóngguī ér shūtú.”

《易》大傳：「天下一致而百慮，同歸而殊塗。」

《易》大传：「天下一致而百虑，同归而殊涂。」

a category of historical literary works
commentary; annotation

to be a nobody (literally, "the name does not appear in canons or para-canons")

名不見經傳

名不见经传

Beside the canons (i.e. in Xunzi), the following is written: "How is it that rain comes after a sacrifice of rain-dance? Answer: There is no 'how'. It is the same as any occurrence of rain without the rain-dance."

c. 2nd century BCE, Han Shi Wai Zhuan (《韓詩外傳》)

Zhuàn yuē: “Yú ér yǔ zhě, hé yě? Yuē: wúhé yě, yóu bùyú ér yǔ yě.”

傳曰：「雩而雨者，何也？曰：無何也，猶不雩而雨也。」

传曰：「雩而雨者，何也？曰：无何也，犹不雩而雨也。」

The Annalist wrote: In the para-canons (i.e. the Analects, itself not considered canonical at the time) it is written: "When one's own personal conduct is correct, his government is effective without the issuing of orders. If not correct, he may issue orders, but they will not be followed." Is this not a proper description of General Li?

Tàishǐgōng yuē: zhuàn yuē: “Qí shēn zhèng, bù lìng ér xíng; qí shēn bùzhèng, suī lìng bù cóng,” qí Lǐ jiāngjūn zhī wèi yě?

太史公曰：傳曰：「其身正，不令而行；其身不正，雖令不從，」其李將軍之謂也？

太史公曰：传曰：「其身正，不令而行；其身不正，虽令不从，」其李将军之谓也？

paracanonical work (any work that complements a canon or a canonical body of texts but not considered canonical by itself, often including the above)

自傳

自传

列傳

列传

《水滸傳》

《水浒传》

(historical, literature) novel or story written in the historical style


刪

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *sraːn): phonetic 冊 (OC *sʰreːɡ) + semantic 刀 (“knife”).

Han compound

(～日) (telegraphy) the fifteenth day of a month


代

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (代):
* → Japanese: 代(だい) (dai)
* → Korean: 대(代) (dae)
* → Vietnamese: đại (代)

→ Vietnamese: đời (𠁀)

Second round of simplified Chinese characters

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *l'ɯːɡs): semantic 亻 (“person”) + phonetic 弋 (OC *lɯɡ)
;state's name → toponym
Most of the people with this surname in Mainland China were originally with the surname 戴 (Dài) and was a result of second-round simplification of Chinese characters.

Han compound

(grammar) Short for 代名詞／代名词 (dàimíngcí); short for 代詞／代词 (dàicí, “pronoun”).


價

→ Lao: ຄ່າ (khā)

→ Thai: ค่า (kâa)

→ Zhuang: gyaq

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *kraːs): semantic 人 + phonetic 賈 (OC *kraːʔ, *kraːs, *klaːʔ, “sell”).
Perhaps related to 賈 (OC *kraːʔ, *kraːs, *klaːʔ, “to sell”).


刷

/t͡sʰaːt̚³⁻³⁵/

/t͡sʰat̚³³⁻²¹⁵/

/t͡sʰaːt̚³⁻³⁵/

/t͡sʰat̚³³⁻²¹⁵/

Perhaps from Proto-Sino-Tibetan *s(u/i)t (“to wipe, sweep, rub, scrub”) (STEDT). Cognate with Tibetan བཤུད (bshud, “to wipe”), Burmese သုတ် (sut, “idem”) (though STEDT mistakenly puts down 恤 (OC *sqʰʷiɡ, “to sympathize, compensate”) for the Chinese character instead).

och-l

刷錢／刷钱

刷車器／刷车器 ― shuā chē qì ― car spawner


文

Characters in the same phonetic series (文) (Zhengzhang, 2003)
Ideogram (指事): a man with a painted or tattooed chest – original form of 紋. The tattoo was usually a cross, a V shape or a stylized heart. In current form, tattoo has vanished, so simply an outline of a man (head, outstretched arms, legs, chest) similar to 立. Compare 大, which has no chest.
Unrelated to the Kangxi radicals 齐 and 攵.
Possibly a derivation, with -n nominal suffix, of 煤 (*mɯː) "soot (obs.), ink (obs.), coal" (Schuessler, 2007).
Semantic shift: "pattern, tattoo (made of soot)", "written glyph (made of ink)" > "literature" > "refined, cultured" (Schuessler, 2007).

Han etyl

文夕大火

(～日) (telegraphy) the twelfth day of a month


吟

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *ŋɡrɯm, *ŋɡrɯms): semantic 口 + phonetic 今 (OC *krɯm).


副

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *pʰɯɡs, *pʰrɯɡ, *pʰɯɡ): phonetic 畐 (OC *pʰrɯɡ, *bɯɡ) + semantic 刂 (“knife”).

Han compound

(grammar) Short for 副詞／副词 (fùcí, “adverb”).


参

Simplified from 參, which is in turn simplified from 曑.


加

Shuowen: ideogrammic compound (會意 /会意): 力 (“strength”) + 口 (“mouth”) — exaggerate; slander.
Sun Changxu: ideogrammic compound (會意 /会意): 力 (“plowing”) + 口 (“mouth”) — to put more effort. 口 here indicates exclamations or breath associated with the effort.
駕 (OC *kraːls, “to yoke”) is the exopassive of 加 (OC *kraːl, “to add; to attach”) (Schuessler, 2007). Cognate with Tibetan ཁྲལ (khral, “to impose a tax”), Burmese ကြား (kra:, “between”).

掃碼加我

扫码加我

加你微信


動

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (動):
* → Japanese: 動(どう) (dō)
* → Korean: 동(動) (dong)
* → Vietnamese: động (動)

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *doːŋʔ): phonetic 重 (OC *doŋ, *doŋʔ, *doŋs) + semantic 力 (“strength”). However, the phonetic component is a reference to a heavy bag ready to be moved by a human being.

Han compound

动
㣫
働
勭
𡺍
𨔝
𭜀
𢳾

(grammar) Short for 動詞／动词 (dòngcí, “verb”).


喵

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声): semantic 口 + phonetic 苗.

Let's learn the cat's cry together. Meow, meow, meow, meow, meow together.

wǒmen yīqǐ xué māo jiào, yīqǐ miāo miāo miāo miāo miāo

我們一起學貓叫，一起喵喵喵喵喵

我们一起学猫叫，一起喵喵喵喵喵

(onomatopoeia) the sound of a cat: meow, mew.


含

閃含語系

闪含语系


呼

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *qʰaː): semantic 口 (“mouth”) + phonetic 乎 (OC *ɢaː) – to exhale, call, or shout from the mouth.
From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *ʔaːw (“to shout, cry out”). Cognate with Burmese အော် (au, “to shout, berate”), as well as with the following Sinitic words (STEDT):
* 嚆 (“to make noise”)
* 嚎 (“to howl, bawl”)
* 呴 (OC *qʰoːʔ, *qʰos, “to breathe on, yawn, roar”)
* 呵 (OC *qʰaːl, *qʰaːls, “to shout, cry out”)

och-l

(Chinese phonetics) medial; in Middle Chinese: being open-mouthed (開口／开口) or closed-mouthed (合口), also called 開合／开合); or, for modern Chinese: one of four medials (四呼)


反

STEDT compares it to Proto-Sino-Tibetan *par (“to trade; to buy; to sell”), from which Tibetan ཕར (phar, “interest (on money); exchange”) is derived.
Cognate with 販 (OC *pans, “to trade”), which is an exoactive of 反 (OC *panʔ, *pʰan, “to return, lit. to make someone return”) (Schuessler, 2007).
番 (OC *pʰan, “a turn; a time”) is the iterative of 反 (OC *panʔ, *pʰan).


反

(phonetics) Short for 反切 (fǎnqiè, “fanqie”).


上

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (上):
* → Japanese: 上(じょう) (jō)
* → Korean: 상(上) (sang)
* → Vietnamese: thượng (上, “upper”), thướng (上, “to go up”)

Ideogram (指事): a line above another (contrast 下 (xià)) — up. Originally written as 𠄞, but changed to this form to prevent confusion with 二 (èr).
From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *s-tjaŋ (“top”). Cognate with Tibetan སྟེང (steng), Tibetan ཡང་རྩེ (yang rtse, “summit; pinnacle”) (Bodman, 1980), Mizo zo (“to be high”), zah (“to respect; to revere”) (STEDT).
Shijing rimes indicate occasional level tone for pronunciation 2 (Schuessler, 2007).
Pronunciation 1 is the exopassive of pronunciation 2 with suffix *-s, literally meaning "what has been raised" (Schuessler, 2007). The rising tone in Middle Chinese words with voiced stop initials regularly evolves into departing tone in Mandarin. Pronunciation 3 results from 叶韻 (xiéyùn), i.e. its pronunciation has been artificially changed to preserve rhymes in classical poetry.

cog

(～聲) (Chinese phonetics) rising tone in Chinese phonetics


冠

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *kŋoːn, *kŋoːns) and ideogrammic compound (會意 /会意): semantic 冖 (“hat”) + phonetic 元 (OC *ŋon, “head”) + semantic 寸 (“hand”) – a hand putting a hat on the head.
Earlier forms are phono-semantic (形聲 /形声, OC *kŋoːn, *kŋoːns): semantic 冃 (“hat”) + phonetic 元 (OC *ŋon).
From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *(g/k)wa-n (“to put on; to wear; to clothe”). Cognate with Tibetan བགོ (bgo, “to put on; to wear; clothing”), གོས (gos, “clothes; garments; dress”), གོན (gon), གྱོན (gyon, “to put on; to wear”), སྐོན (skon, “to dress; to clothe”).
Pronunciation 2 is the exopassive derivation of pronunciation 1, literally "(make someone to) be capped" (Schuessler, 2007).

cog

(linguistics) Short for 冠詞／冠词 (guàncí, “article”).


冬

Ideogrammic compound (會意 /会意) and phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *tuːŋ): phonetic 夂 (, “end”) + semantic 日 (“day”) or 仌 (“ice”).
;Bronze script and Chu slip script
:Composed of the early form of 終 (“end”, as well phonetic), here represented by Shuowen ancient script , + 日 (“day”). In bronze script, 日 () was inside . In Chu slip script, 日 () was below ().
; Seal script, Qin clerical script and after
:Composed of (“end”, as well phonetic) + 仌 (“ice”).
Possibly related to 終 (OC *tjuŋ, “to end”) (Wang, 1982, Sagart, 2023b). Sagart (ibid.) also proposes cognacy to Chepang त्युङ्हसा (tyuŋh, “at end, be weak, exhausted”), द्युमःसा (dyumʔ, “at ease after completing work”), द्युम्सा (dyum, “terminate, reach end; to be at end”), Jingpho chatum (“end, finish”), Limbu [script needed] (tum-ma, “ripe, mature”), Proto-Ao *a-thəm (“end, finish”).

cog

昸
㫡
𠔙
𣆼
𠘀
𣅈
𠘗

(～日) (telegraphy) the second day of a month


切

/t͡sʰiɛt̚³²/

/t͡sʰiɛt̚³²/


包

Sino-Xenic (包):
* → Vietnamese: bao (包)

→ English: bao, bau, bow, pao, pau

⇒ Khmer: នំប៉ាវ (num paaw)

⇒ Lao: ກະລາເປົ໋າ (ka lā pao)

→ Malay: pau

⇒ Thai: ซาลาเปา (saa-laa-bpao)

Pictogram (象形) – a fetus (巳 (sì)) in the womb (勹), or a swaddled baby. Shuowen gives both interpretations.


合

Sino-Xenic (合):
* → Vietnamese: hợp (合)

Burmese language
Proto-Sino-Tibetan language

Ideogrammic compound (會意 /会意): 亼 + 口 (“mouth”) : Two mouths speaking together. See also 會.
From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *gap ~ kap. Compare 蓋 (OC *kaːbs, *kaːb, *ɡaːb, “to cover”) and 盍 (OC *ɡaːb, “to unite”) (STEDT). Outside of Sinitic, possibly cognate with Burmese ကပ် (kap, “to approach”).

Han compound

(Chinese phonetics) Short for 合口 (hékǒu, “closed-mouthed”).


嘆

(grammar) Short for 嘆詞／叹词 (tàncí, “interjection”).


哪

/ⁿdai²¹⁻²¹⁵/

/ⁿdai²¹⁻²¹⁵/

Written as 那 before the 20th century.
It is generally considered to be the fusion of 奈何 (OC *naːls ɡaːl, “how”) (Wang, 1990; Sun, 1992; Shimura, 1995), usually citing Gu Yanwu's (顧炎武) commentary on Zuozhuan. Lü (1985) distinguishes between “which” (choosing among several choices), which he derives from 若 (OC *njaɡ), and “how” (asking for something), which he considers to be a fusion of 若何 (OC *njaɡ ɡaːl, “how”).

他哪像個學生。

他哪像个学生。

我哪知道。

哪會按呢？

哪会按呢？

(rhetorical question) how (used in rhetorical questions)


壹

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *qlid): semantic 壺 + phonetic 吉 (OC *klid). (Shuowen)

Han compound

壱
㚃
夁
𡕍
𡔾
𡔹
𡕋

以懲不壹。

以惩不壹。

[He] lives [his] body in frugality and uses [his] heart committedly.

居身儉而用心壹。

居身俭而用心壹。


名

/ᵐbiaŋ²²⁻²²⁵/

/ᵐbiaŋ²²⁻²²⁵/

Ideogrammic compound (會意 /会意): 夕 (“crescent moon”) + 口 (“mouth”) — to say one's own name to identify oneself in the dark.
An alternative theory has been proposed based on Shang era texts. 口 was originally used to write both 口 and 名. 夕 standing for what later came to be written 明, was added as a phonetic indicator to disambiguate the two meanings.
From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *r-miŋ (“name”). Cognate with Tibetan མིང (ming), Burmese အမည် (a.many), and Mizo hming.

Coordinate term: 姓 (xìng)

(grammar) Short for 名詞／名词 (míngcí, “noun”).

專有名詞 專有名詞#Chinese

专有名词 专有名词#Chinese

(grammar) Short for 專有名詞／专有名词 (zhuānyǒu míngcí, “proper noun”).


奉

Originally phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *boŋʔ): phonetic 丰 (OC *pʰoŋ) + semantic 廾 (“two hands”)， hence the original version is 𠬻. 手 (“hand”) was later added at the bottom, and the original character was corrupted into 𡗗. Related to 舉.

Han compound

(～母) (Chinese linguistics) the Middle Chinese initial of 奉 (MC bjowngX)


單

Characters in the same phonetic series (單) (Zhengzhang, 2003)
Pictogram (象形) of a war or hunting weapon, a, Y-shaped wooden stick with two stones attached on top. The component in the middle in some oracle bones was a huge point wich represented a rope around the stick; perhaps, this weapon was used as a spear and then retrieved through this rope. Otherwise, the huge point in the middle was another stone attached to the stick. The huge point was then stylized as an horizontal trait, as 口 (the stick resembled 中) and eventually as 田. The horizontal stroke at the bottom of the character was added later.
An alternative theory suggests that it represents a net to catch animals with two weights on top, but the huge point in the middle of the character in some oracle bones may not be a web or net.
From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *(d/t)a(n/j) (“single; one; whole; only”). Cognate with 但 (OC *daːn, *daːnʔ, *daːns, “only; but”).

och-l

(linguistics) Short for 單數／单数 (dānshù, “singular”).


墨

→ Buryat: бэхэ (bexe, “ink”)

→ Indonesian: bak

→ Javanese: ꦧꦏ꧀ (bak)

→ Khmer: មឹក (mɨk, “squid; ink”)

→ Korean: 먹 (meok)

desc

→ Lao: ມຶກ (mưk, “ink; black”), ໝຶກ (mưk, “sepia from cuttlefish; ink; black”)

→ Mongolian: бэх (bex, “ink”)

→ Sogdian: 𐼺𐼸𐼰 (mkʾ /*makā/, “ink”)

→ Thai: หมึก (mʉ̀k, “ink”), ปลาหมึก (bplaa-mʉ̀k, “cuttlefish”)

→ Vietnamese: mực (“cuttlefish; ink”)

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *mlɯːɡ): phonetic 黑 (OC *hmlɯːɡ) + semantic 土 (“soil”).
From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *s-maŋ ~ s-mak. Cognate with 黑 (OC *hmlɯːɡ, “black”).

Han compound

(figurative) someone's poetry, essays, handwriting, or paintings


季

Ideogrammic compound (會意 /会意): 禾 + 子.
Etymology not clear (Schuessler, 2007).


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"


埃

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *qlɯː): semantic 土 (“earth; soil”) + phonetic 矣 (OC *ɢlɯʔ).

Han compound

Obsolete. 皮 is used for SI prefix pico-.

(obsolete) the number 10⁻¹⁰; one ten-billionth


寒

Ideogrammic compound (會意 /会意): 宀 (“house”) + 人 (“person”) + 茻 (“grass”) – a person in a house, sleeping in the grass to protect from the cold. In some bronze inscriptions, 二 is added at the bottom of the character; this may simply be decorative or may represent a mat. In the seal script, 二 is changed to 仌 (“ice”) to emphasize its meaning of coldness.
Contrast 宿.
Unknown (Schuessler, 2007).

(～日) (telegraphy) the fourteenth day of a month


元

Cao Wei
Chen dynasty
Eastern Han dynasty
Eastern Wei
Eastern Wu
Eastern Zhou dynasty
Emperor Xiaowen of Northern Wei
Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms
Garo language
Han dynasty
I Ching
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
Proto-Sino-Tibetan language
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
Tibetan language
Warring States period
Western Han dynasty
Western Liao
Western Wei
Western Xia
Western Zhou dynasty
Xia dynasty
Xianbei
Xin dynasty
Yuan dynasty
Zhou dynasty

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (元):
* → Korean: 원(元) (won)
* → Vietnamese: nguyên (元)

→ English: yuan

Pictogram (象形) – a figure with two lines 二 for a head (one connected to body, one above it), emphasizing the head.
Possibly from Proto-Sino-Tibetan *m/s-gaw (“head”), with a noun-forming suffix *-n (Schuessler, 2003; STEDT). If so, cognate with 后 (OC *ɡoːʔ, “ruler; lord; queen”), Tibetan མགོ (mgo, “head; summit; beginning”), མགོན (mgon, “protector; master; lord”), Garo sko (“skull”), Northern Tujia kho⁵⁵ pa⁵⁵ (“head”) (Schuessler, 2007; STEDT). 原 (OC *ŋʷan, “source; origin; basic; primary”) and 黿 (OC *ŋoːn, *ŋon, “large turtle”) may be the same word (Schuessler, 2007). It may also be related to 君 (OC *klun, “lord; prince; ruler”), 尹 (OC *ɢʷlinʔ, “magistrate; governor”), 侯 (OC *ɡoː, “marquis”) (Mei, 1985).
The name of the dynasty comes from the I Ching:
:
Part of the people with this surname are Xianbei descendants. It was changed from 拓跋 (Tuòbá) as ordered by Emperor Xiaowen of Northern Wei.

och-l

Vast is the ‘great and originating (power)’ indicated by Qian! All things owe to it their beginning: - it contains all the meaning belonging to (the name) heaven.

I Ching, 11ᵗʰ – 8ᵗʰ century BCE, translated based on James Legge's version

Dà zāi qián yuán, wànwù zī shǐ, nǎi tǒng tiān.

大哉乾元，萬物資始，乃統天。

大哉干元，万物资始，乃统天。

(～日) (telegraphy) the thirteenth day of a month


日

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (日):
* → Japanese: 日(にち) (nichi); 日(じつ) (jitsu)
* → Okinawan: 日(なち) (nachi); 日(にち) (nichi)
* → Korean: 일(日) (il)
* → Vietnamese: nhật (日)

/ᵑɡit̚²¹⁻²¹⁵/

/ᵑɡit̚²¹⁻²¹⁵/

Characters in the same phonetic series (日) (Zhengzhang, 2003)
Pictogram (象形) – the Sun. A dot or line was added in the centre to distinguish it from visually similar characters, e.g. 囗 (early form of 丁). Compare earlier forms of the character with the astronomical and astrological symbol for the Sun (☉) and the Egyptian hieroglyph 𓇳.
From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *s-nəj. Cognate to Tibetan ཉི་མ (nyi ma, “sun, day”), Burmese နေ (ne, “sun”) or Burmese နေ့ (ne., “day”), S'gaw Karen နံၤ (nĩ, “day”), and Nuosu ꑍ (nyip, “day, daytime”).

Han etyl

囸
𡆠
𡇁
𡆸
𡇗
𡈎
入
㒲
肏

(～母) (Chinese linguistics) the Middle Chinese initial of 日 (MC nyit)


庫

→ Mongolian: хүү (xüü)

Ideogrammic compound (會意 /会意) and phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *kʰaːs): semantic 广 (“building”) + phonetic 車 (OC *kʰlja, *kla, “carriage”) – a carriage in a building.
According to Karlgren (1956), cognate with 車 (OC *kʰlja, *kla, “carriage”) (< "storehouse for carriages").


定

→ Thai: เที่ยง (tîiang)

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *teːŋs, *deːŋs): semantic 宀 + phonetic 正 (OC *tjeŋ, *tjeŋs)
Possibly related to Burmese တည် (tany, “to lie in repose; to build, form, establish”) (Luce, 1981).

cog

(～母) (Chinese linguistics) the Middle Chinese initial of 定 (MC dengH)


廿

Two 十 ("ten") written side by side, with a horizontal stroke at the bottom that fuses them. See also 卅.
In characters such as 漢 and 黄, it represents an open mouth 口, while in 度 and 席 it actually represents a stylized rock 石.
The pronunciation in most dialects is a contraction of 二十 (èrshí) (Early Middle Chinese: *nyijH dzyip). The irregular pronunciation (e.g. /nVm/) dates back to the Song dynasty, to avoid homophony with a vulgar word; see 入 (rù) (now commonly written as 日 (rì) in dialects).


庸

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *loŋ) and ideogrammic compound (會意 /会意): abbreviated semantic 庚 + phonetic 用 (OC *loŋs).

Han compound

Ziyi held the earldom for fourteen years; those who took measures to call in your lordship, how did they not show a divided allegiance?

Zǐyí zàiwèi, shísì nián yǐ; ér móu zhào jūn zhě, yōng fēi èr hū?

子儀在位，十四年矣；而謀召君者，庸非貳乎？

子仪在位，十四年矣；而谋召君者，庸非贰乎？

(literary, rhetorical question) how; how can it be that (used in rhetorical questions)


彎

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (彎):
* → Japanese: 彎(わん) (wan)
* → Korean: 만(彎) (man)
* → Vietnamese: loan (彎)

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *qroːn): semantic 弓 (“bow”) + phonetic 䜌 (OC *b·roːn, *b·ron, *b·rons).
May be cognate with 迂 (OC *qʷa, *qʷaʔ, *ɢʷa).
; “homosexual”

Han compound

(Chinese calligraphy) a bend (such as in ㇉, ㇌, ㇟, or ㇠)


娘

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (娘):
* → Japanese: 嬢(にょう) (nyō); 嬢(じょう) (jō); 嬢(にゃん) (nyan)
* → Korean: 낭(娘) (nang)
* → Vietnamese: nương (娘)

desc

→ Khmer: នាង (niəng, “young woman; girl”)

→ Lao: ນາງ (nāng, “woman; girl; lady; Mrs.”)

→ Thai: นาง (naang, “woman; wife; female lover”)

→ Vietnamese: nàng (“lady; young woman; she”)

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *naŋ): semantic 女 + phonetic 良 (OC *raŋ).
Not attested in pre-Tang texts. It may ultimately have been a fusion of 女郎 (MC nrjoX lang, “lady”) (Coblin, 1994).
Alternatively, from 女 (OC *naʔ, *nas, “woman”) with an attached suffix *-ŋ also found in 卬 (OC *ŋaːŋ, *ŋaŋʔ, “I for my part”) as against 我 (OC *ŋaːlʔ, “I”) (Sagart, 1999: 134). However, evidence for this suffix is sparse; Sagart only adduces these two pairs of words.
As yet another suggestion, it may be a loan from Proto-Turkic *ana ~ *eńe (“mother”); compare Turkish ana and Uyghur ئانا (ana) (Vovin and McCraw, 2011).

Han compound

(～母) (Chinese linguistics) the Middle Chinese initial of 娘 (MC nrjang)


徹

Oracle bone inscriptions: Ideogrammic compound (會意 /会意): 鬲 (“pot”) + 又 (“hand”) – a hand removing utensils after eating. Bronze inscriptions replaced 又 with 攵 to emphasize action.
In seal script 彳 was added to further emphasize action, and what was originally a pot had corrupted into the unrelated 育.
The r-causative of 逝 (OC *ɦljeds) (Schuessler, 2007).
Cognate with 撤 (OC *tʰed, *ded, “to take away”), 滯 (OC *dads, “to discard; to leave over; to accumulate”) and perhaps 適 (OC *tjeɡ, “to go”).

och-l

(～母) (Chinese linguistics) the Middle Chinese initial of 徹 (MC trhjet)


幫

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *paːŋ): phonetic 封 (OC *poŋ, *poŋs) + semantic 帛 (“silk”) – originally, the upper part of a shoe (鞋幫).

Han compound

帮
幇
幚
鞤
縍
䩷
㿶

(～母) (Chinese linguistics) the Middle Chinese initial of 幫 (MC pang)


巧

/t͡ɕʰi̯ɑʊ̯²¹⁴/

/t͡ɕʰi̯ɑʊ̯²¹⁴/

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *kʰruːʔ, *kʰruːs): semantic 工 + phonetic 丂 (OC *kʰluːʔ)

Han compound

(～日) (telegraphy) the eighteenth day of a month


式

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *hljɯɡ): phonetic 弋 (OC *lɯɡ) + semantic 工 (“work”).

Han compound

敘述式

叙述式


微

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (微):
* → Japanese: 微(み) (mi); 微(び) (bi)
* → Korean: 미(微) (mi)
* → Vietnamese: vi (微)

In oracle bone script, it may be written as 𡵂 or 𢼸.
The former is a variant of 美 (OC *mriʔ), borrowed for sound, pictogram (象形) of a person with long hair.
The latter an ideogrammic (會意 /会意) and phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *mɯl): phonetic 𡵂 (OC *mriʔ) + semantic 攵 (“hand with tool”) – splitting or combing hairs; minute. Possibly the original form of 媺 (OC *mrɯlʔ).
彳 (OC *tʰeɡ) was added to emphasize action to create the modern form.
; "not; no"
; "small"

Han compound

(～母) (Chinese linguistics) the Middle Chinese initial of 微 (MC mj+j)

(～日) (telegraphy) the fifth day of a month


字

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (字):
* → Japanese: 字(じ) (ji)
* → Korean: 자(字) (ja)
* → Vietnamese: tự (字)

→ Proto-Tai: *ɟɤ:ᴮ (“name”)

Lao: ຊື່ (sư̄, “name”)

Thai: ชื่อ (chʉ̂ʉ, “name”)

Zhuang: coh (“name”)

desc

→ Vietnamese: chữ (“script; letter; writing; word”), chửa (“to be pregnant”)

Characters in the same phonetic series (子) (Zhengzhang, 2003)
Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *zlɯs): semantic 宀 (“roof”) + phonetic 子 (OC *ʔslɯʔ, “child”).
From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *tsa ~ za (“child; to give birth; to take care; to be kind”). Related to:
* 子 (OC *ʔslɯʔ, “child, son”) (also its phonetic component)
* 慈 (OC *zɯ, “to be kind, loving”)
* 滋 (OC *ʔsɯ, “to nourish, to grow”)
* 詞 (OC *ljɯ, “word, term”)
* 辭 (OC *ljɯ, “word, from testimony”)
Original sense (1): “to become pregnant, to give birth to, to nurture, to love” has essentially become obsolete. The sense (2) “letter, character” is either from a different root or a derivation from the sense “to produce, to generate”.
Cognate with Tibetan ཚ་བོ (tsha bo, “nephew”), Tibetan ཚ་རུས (tsha rus, “descendant”), Tibetan བཙའ (btsa', “to give birth to; to guard”), Tibetan མཛའ (mdza', “kind, peaceful, friendly”) (Quan, 1996), Burmese စာ (ca, “writing, letter”).

cog

柳字 ― liǔzì ― style of calligraphy of Liu Gongquan

(calligraphy) style of handwriting; printing type

字畫／字画

(calligraphy) (a calligrapher's) calligraphy work


態

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *n̥ʰɯːs): phonetic 能 (OC *nɯː, *nɯːs, *nɯːŋ, *nɯːŋʔ) + semantic 心 (“heart”) – one’s heart-felt attitude.
Probably from Proto-Sino-Tibetan *m-nyaŋ (“can; be able to”); see 能 (OC *nɯː, *nɯːs, *nɯːŋ, *nɯːŋʔ, “able, capable”) for more.


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


念

除了報告內容外，今年外界關注，已69歲的習近平是否會比照5年前的19大朗讀報告全文。19大的政治報告總共3萬2000多字，當時習近平以近3個小時唸完全文。

2022 October 16, “69歲習近平20大政治報告 未讀全文省略1小時”, in Central News Agency, archived from the original on 2022-10-16:


捺

扌 (“hand”) + 奈 – to press down with the hand, stamp.

yī zì bù èr nà

one character does not have two falling strokes (rule used in calligraphy)

一字不二捺

(Chinese calligraphy) a stroke that falls downwards towards the right (㇏)


形

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (形):
* → Vietnamese: hình (形)

Characters in the same phonetic series (井) (Zhengzhang, 2003)
Ideogrammic compound (會意 /会意): 幵 + 彡. In current form 幵 has been simplified to 开.
It may also be interpreted as a phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *ɡeːŋ): phonetic 井 (OC *skeŋʔ) + semantic 彡, if the original character was 𢒈.

Han compound

(grammar) Short for 形容詞／形容词 (xíngróngcí, “adjective”).


性

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (性):
* → Japanese: 性(せい) (sei); 性(しょう) (shō)
* → Korean: 성(性) (seong)
* → Vietnamese: tính (性)

→ Tangut: 𗵤 (*sjij¹)

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *sleŋs): semantic 忄 (“heart”) + phonetic 生 (OC *sʰleːŋ, *sreŋs) – nature, personal quality, hence of the heart.
Derived from 生 (OC *sʰleːŋ, *sreŋs, “to live; to be born; innate”).


影

→ Zhuang: ingj (“to take (a picture)”)

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *qraŋʔ): phonetic 景 (OC *kraŋʔ) + semantic 彡. The original meaning is "shadow". The left component indicates both the pronunciation and the concept of image, hence the shadow is the ornament of something concrete or an ornament that shapes an image (e.g., on the ground).
Unclear. Various etymologies have been proposed:
* Cognate with 景 (OC *kraŋʔ, “image”), 鏡 (OC *kraŋs, “mirror”) (Wang, 1982; Baxter and Sagart, 2014), which STEDT compares to Proto-Kuki-Chin *klaaŋ-I, *klaan-II (“to shine; light; bright”);
* Cognate with 英 (OC *qraŋ, “brilliant; flower”) or rather its Austroasiatic comparanda, including Proto-Bahnaric *ʔaːŋ (“bright (light)”) (Schuessler, 2007);
* Related to 苑 (OC *qonʔ, *qons, “garden”) (Schuessler, 2007).

Han compound

(～母) (Chinese linguistics) the Middle Chinese initial of 影 (MC 'jaengX)


拾

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *ɡjub): semantic 扌 (“hand”) + phonetic 合 (OC *kuːb, *ɡuːb) – to pick up by hand.

Han compound

I take up a sheet of paper and fold a little boat

sap⁶ hei² zoeng¹ zi² zip³ zek³ siu² syun⁴

拾起張紙摺隻小船

拾起张纸折只小船


撇

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *pʰeːd): semantic 手 (“hand”) + phonetic 敝 (OC *beds, *bed).

Han compound

(Chinese calligraphy) stroke that falls downwards towards the left (㇒)


折

Characters in the same phonetic series (折) (Zhengzhang, 2003)
Originally 㪿, an ideogrammic compound (會意 /会意): ⿱屮屮 (“a tree 木 cut in half”) + 斤 (“axe”) – an axe cutting a tree in half.
In the current form, the left side has become 扌 (“hand”).
From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *tsjat (“to cut off; to sever; to break”).

inh

(Chinese calligraphy) a change in direction of a stroke (such as in ㇕, ㇉, or ㇜)


怪

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (怪):
* → Japanese: 怪(かい) (kai)
* → Vietnamese: quái (怪)

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *kruːds): semantic 忄 + phonetic 圣 (OC *kʰuːd).
怪 (OC *kwrêh; *kwêh) seemingly had the same OC rhyme as 傀 (OC *kûi); They may be variants (Schuessler, 2007).

Han compound

打怪

non-player character
non-player character

(video games) Short for 怪物 (guàiwu, “monster, a non-player character that player(s) fight against in role-playing games”).


掛

挂
挂
罣
𦊱
絓
𫭳
𭁹

被難

to be killed in a disaster, political incident

(video games) cheating plug-in or software


敷

Variant form of 𢾭. Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *pʰa) and ideogrammic compound (會意 /会意): phonetic 尃 (OC *pʰa, “distribute”) + 攵 (“hand with whip; action”). The bottom left 寸 has been replaced with 方.

Han compound

(～母) (Chinese linguistics) the Middle Chinese initial of 敷 (MC phju)


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”) (Schuessler, 2007; STEDT).

Alternative form: 豈 /岂

敢通按呢？

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


曬

Compare Proto-Monic *caj (“to spread in the sun to dry”) (Schuessler, 2007).
; “(slang) to share; to show”

cog

(Cantonese, photography) to print photos


攝

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *neːb, *ʔnjeb): semantic 扌 (“hand”) + phonetic 聶 (OC *neb).
Probably from the same word family as 入 (OC *njub, “to enter”) (STEDT); see there for more.

Han compound

(Chinese phonetics) rhyme group; rhyme class (one of 16 sets of 韻 in Middle Chinese)


旁

Chu Silk Manuscript
Qin (state)
Shang dynasty
Spring and Autumn period
Warring States period
Wei (state)
Western Zhou
Wu (state)

Probably phono-semantic (形聲 /形声) following the pronunciation of 方 (OC *paŋ, *baŋ).
The upper component, which perhaps indicates the semantic field, is unclear and has evolved significantly in time, including 冖 (Shang), 凡 (Western Zhou), or forms resembling 辛 (Spring and Autumn bronze of Wu) or 用 (Warring States bronze inscription of Wei and proto-clerical script of Qin). In the Chu Silk Manuscript the form was much simplified.
The modern form was a descendant from the clerical script. Hence, a knife or chisel to mark prisoners 辛 is written above the phonetic component 方, perhaps to indicate the concept of moving to remote. However, as already stated, the semantic component in this character is unclear and evolved during time, hence more explanations linked to the earlier versions can be formulated.
From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *paŋ ~ *pak (“side”) (STEDT). Cognate with Mizo bǎng (“wall, stockage”), as well as possibly Burmese ဘက် (bhak, “side”).


提

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

Han compound

(Chinese calligraphy) a rising stroke (㇀)


散

The original version visible on oracle bone script is 㪔, hence Ideogrammic compound (會意 /会意): 林 (“trees, forest”) + 攴 (“to knock, to tap”), also written with hemp stalks 𣏟 (> 𢽳) or bamboo 竹 instead of two trees. The original meanings are "to clear a place from vegetation; to kill". The character later started meaning "to dissipate, to disperse" since bamboo in particular breaks easily into pieces; eventually, the meaning shifted to "to walk around, to stroll".
Shuowen: Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *saːnʔ, *saːns): semantic 肉 + phonetic 𢽳 (), written as 𣀙, in which 林 is well visible on top.
From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *sjwar ~ g/b-sjwa-n/t (“flow; pour; scatter; spill; sow; broadcast”). Cognate with 撒 (OC *saːd, “to cast away; to let go”), 宣 (OC *sqʰon, “to spread; to proclaim”), Tibetan འཆོར་བ ('chor ba, “to escape; to flow out”), Burmese သွန် (swan, “to pour out; to spill”), Lahu šē (“to sow; to broadcast”), Lahu šêʔ (“to pour; to spill; to disperse; to sow; to broadcast”).

cog

㪔
𢽳
𢿷
𣀙
𢿱
㪚
撒
嘇
糝
剼


曰

Characters in the same phonetic series (曰) (Zhengzhang, 2003)
Ideogram (指事): a mouth (口) with word or breath (一) coming out. Compare 言, in which a small stroke on top of a bifurcated tongue (舌) is also used to represent words; see also 四 and 只. Unrelated to 甘.
Cognate with 話 (OC *ɡroːds) according to Sagart (1999); if so, it is from Proto-Sino-Tibetan *grwas (“to speak; word”), whence Tibetan གྲོས་སྡུར་བྱེད་པ (gros sdur byed pa, “to consult; to discuss”) (STEDT).

cog

གྲོས་སྡུར་བྱེད་པ

The Master said, "If a man keeps cherishing his old knowledge, so as continually to be acquiring new, he may be a teacher of others."

Zǐ yuē: “Wēn gù ér zhī xīn, kěyǐ wèi shī yǐ.”

子曰：「溫故而知新，可以為師矣。」

子曰：「温故而知新，可以为师矣。」

The old man laughed and said, "In normal days we don't have much of a relation, why would you want to call back the dead's soul in my house?"

Wēng xiào yuē: “Píng xī bù xiàng wǎng hái, hé yóu yí hún wú jiā?”

翁笑曰：「平昔不相往還，何由遺魂吾家？」

翁笑曰：「平昔不相往还，何由遗魂吾家？」

(literary or Shuangfeng Xiang) to say; to speak


斜

(Chinese calligraphy) a bend to the right (such as in ㇂, ㇃, or ㇠)


支

Sino-Xenic (支):
* → Vietnamese: chi (支)

→ Vietnamese: chia

Characters in the same phonetic series (支) (Zhengzhang, 2003)
Ideogrammic compound (會意 /会意): 又 (“hand”) + 十 (“(half of 竹) branch of bamboo”) – a hand breaking off a branch of bamboo.
Similar but unrelated to 攴, 丈, 尹 and 父.
From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *s-ka(ː)k (“fork, branch, crotch”). Cognate with the first syllable of Burmese ခက်ရင်း (hkak-rang:, “fork”), as well as the following words (STEDT):
* 枝 (OC *kje, “branch (of tree); to resist, go astray”)
* 肢 (OC *kje, “limb (of body)”)
* 翅 (OC *qʰjes, “wing”)
* 歧 (OC *ɡe, “bifurcating, forked (as of a road)”)

och-l

(～日) (telegraphy) the fourth day of a month


平

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (平):
* → Japanese: 平(へい) (hei)
* → Korean: 평(平) (pyeong)
* → Vietnamese: bình (平)

→ Iu Mien: baengh (“level”)

desc

→ Proto-Palaungic: *-pre/iŋ (“equal, level”) (Sidwell, 2015)

→ Proto-Tai: *biangᴬ (“flat, even”)

Lao: ພຽງ (phīang, “flat, even, equal”)

Lü: ᦵᦗᧂ (peng, “flat, even, equal”)

Northern Thai: ᨻ᩠ᨿᨦ (“flat, even, equal”)

Shan: ပဵင်း (páeng, “flat, even, equal”)

Thai: เพียง (piiang, “equal, as, only, just”)

Characters in the same phonetic series (平) (Zhengzhang, 2003)
Uncertain. Various explanations include:
* According to the Shuowen, 八 (“division”) + 亏 (“exhaled air”) — the smooth flow of speech.
* Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *ben, *beŋ): phonetic 釆 () + semantic 二 (“two equal lines”) (Lin Yiguang, 1920)
* A pictogram (象形) of waterweed spread flat on the surface of water. Original form of 苹 (OC *beŋ, “duckweed”). (Lawrence J. Howell)
* Pictogram (象形) of a balance scale. (Karlgren, 1973)
From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *(p/b)ljaŋ (“plank; palm; flat surface; wing”), whence Jingpho phun-pyen (phun⁵⁵ pjen³³, “plank”) and Burmese ပြန့် (pran., “flat and even”) (STEDT).

cog

平上去入

the four tones of Middle Chinese: level, rising, departing and checked

陽平／阳平

(Chinese phonetics) level tone (one of the four tones in Middle Chinese)


數

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

單數／单数 ― dānshù ― singular


氪

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声): semantic 气 (“air; gas”) + phonetic 克 (kè).

Han compound

(video games, informal) Short for 氪金 (kèjīn, “to pay a premium in a freemium game”).


檔

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *taːŋ, *taːŋs): semantic 木 (“tree”) + phonetic 當 (OC *taːŋ, *taːŋs).

Han compound

八點檔／八点档


明

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
Shuowen
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 (明):
* → Japanese: 明(みょう) (myō); 明(めい) (mei); 明(みん) (Min)
* → Korean: 명(明) (Myeong)
* → Vietnamese: minh (明)

Characters in the same phonetic series (明) (Zhengzhang, 2003)
Ideogrammic compound (會意 /会意): 日 (“sun”) + 月 (“moon”) – the sun just rising and the moon not yet set – dawn (天明 (tiānmíng)). Alternatively, it may be interpreted as two bright celestial bodies – bright. This form was already found in the oracle bone script and was prevalent throughout the eras.
Three other forms were found in the oracle bone script:
* 朙 (míng) < 囧 (“window”) + 月 – the moon shining through a window – moonlight. This form was also prevalent in the ancient scripts and was considered to be the standard form in Shuowen. See this form's entry for its historical forms.
* 眀 (míng) < 目 (“eye”) + 月 – bright eyes. This form was rarely attested, so it is still uncertain whether this form is actually equivalent to 明. It reappeared in the bamboo script of the Qin dynasty, but this was probably a corruption of 朙 (míng).
* 𤰾 < 田 + 月 – probably a corruption of the above forms.
Of either Proto-Sino-Tibetan origin, compare
* Tibetan མདངས (mdangs, “facial color, appearance, brightness”) (Bodman, 1980), or
* Proto-Sino-Tibetan *brwaŋ (“loud; bright”) (STDET); making it cognate with Burmese ပြင်း (prang:, “acute; violent”), Burmese ပြောင် (praung, “to shine”).
Or from Austroasiatic, cognate with 亮 (OC *raŋs, “bright”) (Schuessler, 2007). For more see 亮 (OC *raŋs).
盟 (OC *mraŋ, *mraːŋs, “covenant”) is a derivative (Schuessler, 2007).

cog

(～母) (Chinese linguistics) the Middle Chinese initial of 明 (MC mjaeng)


小

小你！

(Cantonese, minced oath) A euphemism of 屌 (“to fuck”).


橫

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *ɡʷraːŋ, *ɡʷraːŋs, *kʷaːŋ): semantic 木 (“wood”) + phonetic 黃 (OC *ɡʷaːŋ).
; “crosswise > door rail; side; cross-grained; unrestrained”
* Related to 衡 (OC *ɡraːŋ, “crossbar”), 桁 (OC *ɡaːŋ, *ɡraːŋ, “purlin”), 珩 (OC *ɡraːŋ, “top horizontal gem of a girdle-pendant”) and 璜 (OC *ɡʷaːŋ, “jade pendant”) (Wang, 1982), and possibly 樑 (OC *raŋ, “roof beam”) (Schuessler, 2007).
* Schuessler (2007) connects these with Khmer ខ្វែង (khvaeng, “to cross; to intersect; to crisscross; diagonal; etc.”) < Old Khmer khveṅ (“to go far around; to encircle; to enclose”). Compare Thai ขวาง (kwǎang, “to lie across; to bar; to obstruct; to thwart”) and the Khmer derivatives កំពែង (kɑmpɛɛng, “enclosing wall; rampart”), កំពង់ (kɑmpŭəng, “crossing-place; ford; port; shore”) (cf. Malay kampung).

cog

(Chinese calligraphy) horizontal stroke (㇐)


時

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (時):
* → Japanese: 時(じ) (ji)
* → Korean: 시(時) (si)
* → Vietnamese: thời (時), thì (時)

→ Vietnamese: giờ

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *djɯ): semantic 日 (“sun; day”) + phonetic 寺 (OC *ljɯs). The phonetic component however represents a footprint pointing up, which could be linked to the concept of the movement of the sun and hence the passing of time.
In ancient scripts, it had the form 旹, with 之 (OC *tjɯ) as the phonetic instead (as well as a reference to the passing of time). The component 寸 was added later.
; "time", "duration"
; "this"

Han compound

過去時

过去时


渺

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *mewʔ): semantic 氵 + phonetic 眇 (OC *mewʔ).


滂

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *pʰaːŋ): semantic 水 (“water”) + phonetic 旁 (OC *baːŋ).

Han compound

(～母) (Chinese linguistics) the Middle Chinese initial of 滂 (MC phang)


格

Characters in the same phonetic series (各) (Zhengzhang, 2003)
Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *klaːɡ, *kraːɡ): semantic 木 (“wood”) + phonetic 各 (OC *klaːɡ).
; “to go; to come; to arrive”
: Baxter (1992) proposes that this is related to 路 (OC *ɡ·raːɡs, “road”). Compare 客 (OC *kʰraːɡ, “guest, visitor”), 旅 (OC *ɡ·raʔ, “travel, lodge”), and 行 (OC *ɡaːŋ, *ɡaːŋs, *ɡraːŋ, *ɡraːŋs, “to go”)
; “to obstruct; to hinder”
; “frame; square”
; “style; form; pattern; standard; personality; character”

och-l

共格

益格


漠

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *maːɡ) and ideogrammic compound (會意 /会意): phonetic 莫 (OC *maːɡ, “no; there is no”) + semantic 水 (“water”). A place with no water — a desert.


洗

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *sɯːlʔ, *sɯːnʔ): semantic 水 (“water”) + phonetic 先 (OC *sɯːn, *sɯːns).
From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *m/b-s(j)il ~ *m/b-sjal (“to wash; to bathe”) (STEDT). Cognate with 洒 (OC *sraːls, *sɯːlʔ, “to wash”), Tibetan བསིལ (bsil, “to wash”), Mizo sil (“to wash”); more distant cognates may include Burmese ဆေး (hce:, “to wash”).

inh

沖洗／冲洗

(photography, figurative, colloquial) to print (a photo) from digital camera


澄

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *dɯːŋs, *dɯŋ, *rdɯŋ): semantic 氵 (“water”) + phonetic 登 (OC *tɯːŋ) – clear water.

Han compound

(～母) (Chinese linguistics) the Middle Chinese initial of 澄 (MC draeng)


溪

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *kʰeː): semantic 氵 + phonetic 奚 (OC *ɡeː).
Compare Proto-Hmong-Mien *gle, whence Chuanqiandian Cluster Miao tl̥e (“river”) (Schuessler, 2007). Also compare Tibetan རྐ (rka, “gutter; channel”) (Sagart, 2020b).

cog

(～母) (Chinese linguistics) the Middle Chinese initial of 溪 (MC khej)


江

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (江):
* → Japanese: 江(こう) (kō)
* → Korean: 강(江) (gang)
* → Vietnamese: giang (江)

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *kroːŋ): semantic 氵 (“water”) + phonetic 工 (OC *koːŋ).
; "Yangtze River"
Borrowed from a substrate Austroasiatic language as Proto-Sino-Tibetan *kl(j)u(ŋ/k) (“river, valley”); compare Proto-Mon-Khmer *ruŋ ~ ruuŋ ~ ruəŋ (“river”) > Proto-Vietic *k-roːŋ (“river”) (Vietnamese sông), Mon ကြုၚ် (krɜŋ, “small river, creek”).
Derivative: 港 (OC *kroːŋʔ, *ɡloːŋs, “harbour”).

cog

(～日) (telegraphy) the third day of a month


泥

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *niːl, *niːls): semantic 氵 (“water”) + phonetic 尼 (OC *nil).
Schuessler (2007) suggests it is of Sino-Tibetan origin and compares it to Lai [script needed] (nôoy-I, nǒoy-II, “be muddy”), which STEDT derives from Proto-Kuki-Chin *nooy ~ *naay (“muddy; dirty”). According to Schuessler (2007), 泥 (OC *niːl, “mud”) is also cognate with 濘 (OC *neːŋs) but not with 涅 (OC *niːɡ), and is distinct from 泥 (OC *niːls, “impeded”).
On the other hand, STEDT compares 泥 (OC *niːl, *niːls) to Proto-Sino-Tibetan *s-njak (“filth(y); excrement”), to which 敜 (OC *nɯːb) and 涅 (OC *niːɡ) are also compared.

cog

GT - General Taiwanese (no specific region identified)

(～母) (Chinese linguistics) the Middle Chinese initial of 泥 (MC nej)


方

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (方):
* → Japanese: 方(ほう) (hō)
* → Korean: 방(方) (bang)
* → Vietnamese: phương (方)

→ English: Fang, Fong, Png

→ Vietnamese: vuông

Characters in the same phonetic series (方) (Zhengzhang, 2003)
Ideogrammic compound (會意 /会意): 一 + 刀 (“sword”) – blade; tip of a blade. Original form of 芒 (OC *maːŋ, *maŋ, “awn (of cereal); tip (of blade)”); later borrowed to mean “side”. Other theories regarding the origin of this character also exist.
It is unrelated to 㫃 (“fluttering flag”), from which characters like 旗 (OC *ɡɯ, “flag”) and 旅 (OC *ɡ·raʔ, “troops”) are derived.
; "side; square; region"
; "parallel boats"
; "just now"; "now"
; "method; law"

och-l

(lexicography) Short for 方言 (fāngyán, “dialect”).


澗

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *kreːns, *kraːns): semantic 水 (“water”) + phonetic 閒 (OC *ɡreːn)
For the Hokkien sense of "alleyway; alley; narrow street", possibly a semantic loan from Dutch gang (“alleyway, alley, narrow street”) or possibly related to 間 /间 (kàn, “gap; partition”) or from Malay pekan as a clipping.

sl

涧
㵎
𡼥
𡼏
礀
磵
𧯎
𧯑


濁

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *rdoːɡ): semantic 氵 + phonetic 蜀 (OC *djoɡ).


爿

Pictogram (象形) – a bed. The original form of 牀 (OC *zraŋ). In the character 臧, it appears as a contracted form.

(Hokkien, Eastern Min, linguistics) radical


玖

/t͡ɕi̯oʊ̯²¹⁴/

/t͡ɕi̯oʊ̯²¹⁴/

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *kʷlɯʔ): semantic 玉 + phonetic 久 (OC *kʷlɯʔ).


清

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
Mainland Southeast Asia linguistic area
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

→ English: Ching, Cing, Qing

/t͡sʰi̯aŋ²⁴/

/t͡sʰi̯aŋ²⁴/

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *sʰleŋ): semantic 氵 (“water”) + phonetic 青 (OC *sʰleːŋ).
From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *(t)s(j)aŋ (“clear; pure; clean”); cognate with Tibetan གཙང (gtsang, “clean; pure”), Mizo thiang (“to be clear; to be clean; to be pure”), Southern Qiang ɕó, Drung cangma (“clean”), Burmese စင် (cang, “clean, pure”) (Schuessler, 2007; STEDT).
Within Chinese, cognate with 淨 (OC *zeŋs, “clean”), 醒 (OC *seːŋ, *seːŋʔ, *seːŋs, “to wake up; to become sober”), and allofamic with 星 (OC *sleːŋ, “star”), 晴 (OC *zleŋ, “(of weather) clear; fine”); possibly also related to 靜 (OC *zleŋʔ, “quiet”) (Schuessler, 2007).
Perhaps an areal word; compare Proto-Mon-Khmer *caŋ (“to glitter”) (Schuessler, 2007).


灰

Ideogrammic compound (會意 /会意): 又 (“hand”) + 火 (“fire”) – fire that can be touched with the hand (ash). 又 has been modified to 𠂇; compare 友 (“friend”), 右 (“right”).
From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *pʷut ~ hwut (“ashes, dust”) (STEDT; Schuessler (2007) reconstructs Proto-Sino-Tibetan *wu). Compare Mizo vutᴸ, Apatani mù-bu, Manipuri ut, Northern Tujia bu³ ci².

inh

(～日) (telegraphy) the tenth day of a month


皓

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *ɡuːʔ): semantic 白 (“white”) + phonetic 告 (OC *kuːɡs, *kuːɡ).
Compare Proto-Tai *xaːwᴬ (“white”) (whence Zhuang hau and Thai ขาว (kǎao)) and Proto-Hlai *kʰaːw (“white”) (Matisoff, 1988).

Han compound

皓電

皓电

(～日) (telegraphy) the nineteenth day of a month


疑

Chu (state)
Duan Yucai
Mawangdui
Qin (state)
Shuowen
Western Zhou

Originally an ideogrammic compound (會意 /会意): 大 or 文 (“standing human figure”) + 夂 (“tilted head with open mouth”) + 丨 (“cane”) – a man with a cane looking around with his mouth wide open, not know where to go – to be confused; to doubt. Compare: 欠 and 既, both showing the "open-mouth" component but on a seated figure. In the oracle bone script and bronze inscriptions, 彳 or 辵 = 彳 + 止 (“foot; toes”) was often added to indicate travelling or movement.
Various components were added later, e.g. 牛 in the bronze script of Western Zhou, 子 in the Qin-style scripts including the proto-clerical script, and 乙 in the early clerical script of Western Han. Meanwhile the main graphical element showing a standing figure eventually became 𠤕 or sometimes 矣 as in the Chu-style script (shown in the table). The Chu also added a 心 (“heart”) component indicating "the mind".
The Shuowen, in which headwords were written in the Qin-style seal script, interpreted the character as “a child standing on an obstructed road to compare the paths”: semantic 子 (“child”) + semantic 止 (“to be obstructed”) + semantic 匕 (“to compare”) + phonetic 矢 (OC *hliʔ). Duan Yucai's commentary on Shuowen offered an alternative interpretation, pointing out that 矢 was unlikely to have a the phonetic component: semantic 子 (“child”) + semantic 𠤕 (“uncertain”) + phonetic 止 (OC *kjɯʔ). However, it is unlikely that any of the currently extant components had once indicated the pronunciation. Zhengzhang (2003) conjectured that the 子 was a corruption of 牛 (OC *ŋʷɯ) that had been the phonetic component.
The current form is derived from the Qin–Han clerical scripts, where on the right-hand side the elements 子 + 止 or 子 + 乙 have recombined into 龴 + 疋.
Perhaps related to 礙 (OC *ŋɯːs, “to obstruct”) (Schuessler, 2007); Cf. Proto-Tibeto-Burman *ʔ/N-g(r)ak (“to block; to obstruct”) (STEDT, provisional).

(～母) (Chinese linguistics) the Middle Chinese initial of 疑 (MC ngi)


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.

廣府片／广府片 [Cantonese] ― gwong² fu² pin³ [Jyutping] ― Guangfu subgroup (of Yue Chinese)

(linguistics) subgroup; subdivision of a language


磔

(literary, Chinese calligraphy) Synonym of 捺 (nà)


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

正整數

正整数


秭

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *ʔsiʔ): semantic 禾 (“rice”) + phonetic 𠂔.

Han compound

a numeral that refers to various numbers, including 10⁹, 10¹² and 10²⁴


端

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (端):
* → Japanese: 端(たん) (tan)
* → Korean: 단(端) (dan)
* → Vietnamese: đoan (端)

Characters in the same phonetic series (耑) (Zhengzhang, 2003)
Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *toːn): semantic 立 + phonetic 耑 (OC *toːn).

Han compound

(～母) (Chinese linguistics) the Middle Chinese initial of 端 (MC twan)


篠

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *slɯːwʔ): semantic 竹 (“bamboo”) + phonetic 條 (OC *l'ɯːw).

Han compound

(～日) (telegraphy) the seventeenth day of a month


直

desc

→ Old Turkic: tik (vertical, straight, straightforward)

Oghuz: دیك

Azerbaijani: dik

Turkish: dik

Turkmen: dik

Turkmen: dikan (honest, straight, direct)

Oracle bone script: Ideogrammic compound (會意 /会意): 目 (“eye”) + 丨 (“vertical stroke”) – vertical stroke above the eye; looking straight ahead. Then, a black dot was drawn inside the vertical stroke and this point later became a horizontal stroke (hence getting a shape similar to 十).
The line on the side appears in bronze script and subsequently stretched under the 目 shape, while the traditional form appears in seal script.
A conservative version is used inside the character 𢛳 (> 德), while the modern version is used inside its variant 惪. Unrelated to 具 and 真.
; "simply; only"
; "straight; right"
; “heterosexual”

Han compound

(Chinese calligraphy) vertical stroke in Chinese characters


策

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (策):
* → Japanese: 策(さく) (saku)

/t͡sʰiɪk̚³²/

/t͡sʰiɪk̚³²/

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *sʰreːɡ): semantic 竹 (“bamboo”) + phonetic 朿 (OC *sʰeɡs).

Han compound

筞
*筴
箣
𠞁
𠞦
𠷽
𢄆
𥳯

Eight Principles of Yong
w:Eight Principles of Yong

(calligraphy) upward horizontal stroke (the fifth of the Eight Principles of Yong)


知

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (知):
* → Japanese: 知(ち) (chi)
* → Korean: 지(知) (ji)
* → Vietnamese: tri (知)

Han_dynasty#Western_Han
Warring States
oracle bone inscriptions

Originally the same character as 智, used interchangeably. In oracle bone inscriptions, ideogrammic compound (會意 /会意): 大 (“adult”) + 口 (“mouth”) + 子 (“child”) – to transmit knowledge. In the Warring States period, 大 corrupted into 矢 (OC *hliʔ) and became a sound component. In Western Han script the component 子 started being dropped, arriving at the modern form.
The two pronunciations are cognate. The word is possibly of Sino-Tibetan origin, compare Mizo hria, hriat (“to know”), Jingpho chye (“to know”), Tibetan རིག (rig, “to know”) (Schuessler, 2007). Cognate with 智 (OC *ʔl'es).

Han compound

(～母) (Chinese linguistics) the Middle Chinese initial of 知 (MC trje)


罢

Simplified from ⿱罒䏻 (elimination of 䏍). Officially adopted as the simplified form of 罷 in the Chinese Character Simplification Scheme (《漢字簡化方案》) in 1956.


真

CJKV/code

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

→ Lao: ຈິງ (ching)

→ Old Turkic: 𐰲𐰃𐰣 (čin)

→ Kazakh: шын (şyn)

→ Uzbek: chin

→ Uyghur: چىن (chin)

→ Karakalpak: шын

→ Nogai: шын (şın)

→ Kyrgyz: чын (cın)

→ Yakut: дьиҥ (jiñ)

→ Tatar: чын (çın)

→ Tuvan: шын (şın)

→ Southern Altai: чын (čïn)

→ Bashkir: ысын (ısın)

→ Turkmen: çyn (чын)

→ Chuvash: чӑн (čăn)

→ Eastern Mari: чын (čyn)

→ Thai: จริง (jing)

/t͡sz̩ʷøŋ⁵²/

/t͡sz̩ʷøŋ⁵²/

Originally phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *ʔljin): phonetic 𠂈 (OC *l'ɯːnʔ) + 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

(Chinese calligraphy) Short for 真書／真书 (zhēnshū, “regular script”).

(～日) (telegraphy) the eleventh day of a month


纖

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *sem): semantic 糸 (“silk”) + phonetic 韱 (OC *sem).


翰

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *ɡaːn, *ɡaːns): phonetic 倝 (OC *kaːns) + semantic 羽 (“feather”).

Han compound

I halted my carriage before going farther,
To take a brush and write what is in my heart.

272, Xiang Xiu (向秀),《思舊賦》(Recalling Old Time), translated by Burton Watson

Tíngjià yán qí jiāng mài xī, suì yuán hàn ér xiě xīn.

停駕言其將邁兮，遂援翰而寫心。

停驾言其将迈兮，遂援翰而写心。

(literary, or in compounds) writing brush

(literary, or in compounds) writing; literary work


絲

qualifier

see <i class="Latn mention" lang="la">sēricus</i> for descendants of this

→ Ancient Greek: Σήρ (Sḗr, “Chinese; silkworm”)
→ Latin: Sēres
English: Seres
Portuguese: Seres
Spanish: Seres
 (see sēricus for descendants of this)

→ Aramaic:

desc

Classical Syriac: ܫܺܐܪܳܐ (šērā), ܫܺܐܪܳܝܳܐ (šērāyā), ܫܻܝܪܳܝܳܐ (šērāyā, “silk; silk garment”)

Jewish Babylonian Aramaic: שִׁירָאָה (šērāʾā), שִּׁירָא (šērā, “silk; silk garment”)

Mandaic: ࡔࡉ࡚ࡓࡀࡉࡀ (/šērāyā/)

→ Arabic: سِيرَاء (sīrāʔ, “a kind of silk garment”)

ሢራይ, ሥራይ, ሤራይ

→ Ge'ez: ሢራይ, ሥራይ, ሤራይ (śiray, śəray, śeray, “silk; silk garment”)

→? Old Korean: 糸利 (*SIli, “thread”)

Middle Korean: 실〯 (sǐl, “id.”)

Korean: 실 (sil, “id.”)

→ Vietnamese: tơ

絲竹

丝竹


群

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (群):
* → Japanese: 群(ぐん) (gun)

/t͡ɕʰyə̯ɻ³⁵/

/t͡ɕʰyə̯ɻ³⁵/

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *ɡlun): phonetic 君 (OC *klun) + semantic 羊 – a herd of sheep; a group.
From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *m-kul (“twenty; all”); cognate with 昆 (OC *kuːn, “swarming”), Tibetan ཀུན (kun, “all”), Burmese အကုန် (a.kun, “all”) (Benedict, 1972; STEDT).

inh

入群、退群

群裡的dalao們

群里的dalao们

發錯群

发错群

(～母) (Chinese linguistics) the Middle Chinese initial of 群 (MC gjun)


等

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (等):
* → Japanese: 等(とう) (tō)
* → Korean: 등(等) (deung)
* → Vietnamese: đẳng (等)

→ Proto-Turkic: *teŋ (“equal”) (see there for further descendants)

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *tɯːʔ, *tɯːŋʔ): semantic 竹 (“bamboo”) + phonetic 寺 (OC *ljɯs).
竹 here refers to the bamboo strips used for writing (e.g. grading, classification) in ancient times. 寺 (OC *ljɯs) was originally used phonetically; the character was subsequently borrowed for another word with the same meaning, but with no phonetic resemblance to 寺.
From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *s-tjaŋ (“top; to rise; to raise”) (STEDT). Endoactive of 登 (OC *tɯːŋ, “to rise; to ascend”) (Schuessler, 2007).

liushu

OC *tɯːʔ, *tɯːŋʔ

inh

the third division member of a rime doublet

重紐三等

重纽三等

Middle Chinese finals
w:Middle Chinese finals

(Chinese phonetics) one of the "divisions" of a rime table, encoding some phonological distinction; see Middle Chinese finals on Wikipedia.Wikipedia


肯

Ideogrammic compound (會意 /会意): abbreviated 冎 (“bone”) + 肉 (“meat”) – meat attached to the bone. Originally written more like 肎 or 𦘫, the top component is now written 止.

Han compound

(archaic, rhetorical question) how could it be that


皮

/pʰei̯²¹⁻³⁵/

/pʰei²²⁻²²⁵/

/pʰei̯²¹⁻³⁵/

/pʰei²²⁻²²⁵/

Characters in the same phonetic series (皮) (Zhengzhang, 2003)
Pictogram (象形) – a hand (又) stripping the fur from an animal pelt (similar to 革). The pelt moved to the top left and became abstracted.
The character 叚 is similar, but actually it depicts two hands and some rocks 石 on oracle bones; a conservative variant is 𠭊.
;“skin”
; “pico-”


肝

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *kaːn): semantic ⺼ (“flesh”) + phonetic 干 (OC *kaːn) – a body part.
Probably from Proto-Sino-Tibetan *b-ka-(n/m/ŋ) (“bitter; salty; bile; liver”), in which case it would be related to 苦 (OC *kʰaːʔ, *kʰaːs, “bitter”); also compare Proto-Bodo-Garo *bi-ka (“liver”), whence Bodo (India) [script needed] (bi-ka, “liver”), Garo bika (“liver”).
Alternatively, Schuessler (2007) compares it with Proto-Sino-Tibetan *m-kal ~ *s-gal (“lower back; kidney”), whence Tibetan མཁལ་མ (mkhal ma, “kidney”), Mizo kal (“kidney”), Chepang गल् (“kidney”), Burmese ခါး (hka:, “waist”).

cog

This game is attractive, but I really can't grind anymore. It's too grindy.

Zhè yóuxì hěn xīyǐn rén, dàn wǒ shízài gān bù dòng le. Tā tài gān le.

這遊戲很吸引人，但我實在肝不動了。它太肝了。

这游戏很吸引人，但我实在肝不动了。它太肝了。

(video games, neologism) to grind; to repeat a task day and night, which may exhaust the liver, in order to achieve a specific goal


翻

→ Lü: ᦝᦱᧃᧈ (faan¹, “to translate”)

→ Thai: พัน (pan, “fasten around”)

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


絕

Originally ideogrammic compound (會意 /会意): 刀 (“knife”) + 幺 (“silk”) or ideogrammic compound (會意 /会意): 刀 (“knife”) + 𢆶 (“silk”) — to cut silk threads.
Now phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声): semantic 糹 (“silk”) + semantic 刀 (“knife”) + phonetic 巴 (卪).
Most likely unrelated to 色.

绝
絶
㔃
𢇍
𠤉
撧
𢴭

七絕

七绝


肆

(financial) Alternative form of 四 (“four”) (used in official documents or checks to avoid forgery)


腔

/t͡ɕʰi̯ɑŋ⁵⁵/

/t͡ɕʰi̯ɑ̃ɻ⁵⁵/

/t͡ɕʰi̯ɑŋ⁵⁵/

/t͡ɕʰi̯ɑ̃ɻ⁵⁵/

Ideogrammic compound (會意 /会意) and phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *kʰroːŋ): semantic 肉 (“meat; flesh”) + phonetic 空 (OC *kʰoːŋ, *kʰoːŋs, “empty; hollow”).
Cognate with 空 (OC *kʰoːŋ, *kʰoːŋs, “empty; hollow”) (Wang, 1982).

Han compound

Alternative form: ⿰音空

腔調

腔调

四縣腔

四县腔

榕腔


聊

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *m·rɯːw): semantic 耳 (“ear”) + phonetic 卯 (OC *mruːʔ).

Han compound

你和他聊了些什麼？

你和他聊了些什么？

Let's stop chatting, I'm going to sleep.

不聊了，我要睡覺了。

不聊了，我要睡觉了。

民不聊生

聊且

For the time being, I go along with nature's course when living the rest of my life.

聊乘化以歸盡。

聊乘化以归尽。

(literary, or in compounds) for the time being; tentatively


精

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *ʔsleŋ, *ʔsleŋs): semantic 米 (“rice”) + phonetic 青 (OC *sʰleːŋ) – polished rice.

Han compound

(～母) (Chinese linguistics) the Middle Chinese initial of 精 (MC tsjeng)


興

Characters in the same phonetic series (興) (Zhengzhang, 2003)
Ideogrammic compound (會意 /会意): 舁 (“to raise”) + 同 (“together”) – to hold up together.

Han compound

(poetry) association; speaking first of something else to lead up to the main theme


聲

CJKV/code

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

→ Thai: เสียง (sǐiang)

desc

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

→ Zhuang: sing

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


虞

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *ŋʷa): semantic 虍 (“tiger”) + phonetic 吳 (OC *ŋʷaː).

Han compound

(～日) (telegraphy) the seventh day of a month


草

CJKV/code

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

Vietnamese: tháu (“scrawling”)

/t͡sʰɑʊ̯²¹⁴/

/t͡sʰɑʊ̯²¹⁴/

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

Han compound

屮
艸
𢂉
𦯑
𦯨
𦳕
𦷣
𦳱
騲

狂草

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


訊

Characters in the same phonetic series (卂) (Zhengzhang, 2003)
Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *sins): semantic 言 + phonetic 卂 (OC *sins, *tods).


號

→ Zhuang: heuh, hauh

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

Han compound

See also: 字號


誇

→ Vietnamese: khoe

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *kʰʷraː): semantic 言 (“words, language”) + phonetic 夸 (OC *kʰʷraː)


血

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (血):
* → Vietnamese: huyết (血)

Characters in the same phonetic series (血) (Zhengzhang, 2003)
Ideogrammic compound (會意 /会意): 一 (“drop of blood”) + 皿 (“container”) - a drop of blood inside a chalice for sacrificial uses.
From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *s-hjwəj-t (“blood”) (STEDT; Schuessler, 2007).
Baxter and Sagart (2014) reconstruct the Old Chinese as *m̥ˤik to account for word-family connections with 脈 (OC *C.mˤ[i]k, “vein”), 衊 (OC *mˤi[k], “defiled blood”) as well as its use as a phonetic component in 侐 (OC *m̥(r)ik, “still; quiet”), which is in the same word family as 宓 (OC *mi[k], “quiet; silent”) (Sagart, 1999b; Baxter and Sagart, 2017). Sagart (1999b) argues that this word is not genetically related to the Tibeto-Burman form with *s-hjw-, but that this word has been borrowed into Tibeto-Burman.

Han compound

血量


譯

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (譯):
* → Japanese: 訳(やく) (yaku)
* → Korean: 역(譯) (yeok)
* → Vietnamese: dịch (譯)

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *laːɡ): semantic 言 (“say”) + phonetic 睪 (OC *neb, *laːɡ, *kuː).
Same word as 繹 (OC *laːɡ, “to unravel”) (Schuessler, 2007). See there for more.


評

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *beŋ, *beŋs): semantic 言 + phonetic 平 (OC *ben, *beŋ).


豈

Possibly a variation of 壴 with the top part modified. May have been the original form of 凱 (“music of triumph”).

豈有此理

岂有此理

Did we not long to return? Yet we were reverent to our command.

The Classic of Poetry, c. 11ᵗʰ – 7ᵗʰ centuries BCE, translated based on James Legge's version

豈不懷歸，畏此簡書。

岂不怀归，畏此简书。

(literary, rhetorical question) how; how can it be that (used in rhetorical questions)


貶

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *promʔ): semantic 貝 (“shell”) + phonetic 乏 (OC *bob).


賦

fu, a literature form developed during the Han dynasty that combines prose and poetry, sometimes translated as ode or rhapsody


訓

Perhaps from Proto-Sino-Tibetan *s-kul (“to instruct, explain, admonish”). Compare Tibetan སྐུལ་བ (skul ba, “to exhort”).

訓誨

chiefly of superiors to subordinates, or old to young

(linguistics) To interpret / read a Chinese character or phrase by associating it with a (usually) non-Sinitic native morpheme or phrase with identical meaning. Applied in Sinitic dialects to Mandarin or Literary Chinese characters, and in the Sinosphere to Literary Chinese. For example, reading (訓／训) the character 人 (“person”) as Min Nan lâng (“person”), Korean 사람 (saram, “person”), or Japanese ひと (hito, “person”).


貳

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *njis): semantic 貝 + phonetic 弍 (OC *njis, “two”).


贊

Originally 賛. Ideogrammic compound (會意 /会意): 㚘 + 貝 (“money”) – to help with money.
Now phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *ʔsaːns): phonetic 兟 (OC *srin) + semantic 貝 (“money”).

Han compound

(literature) a form and style of writing that summarizes and concludes a narrative, biography, or portrait, etc.


豎

Possibly phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *djoʔ): semantic 臤 + phonetic 豆 (OC *doːs).

Han compound

竖
竪
𠐊
㒘
䜿
䝂
𥪛

(Chinese calligraphy) a vertical stroke (㇑)


讚

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *ʔsaːns): semantic 言 (“say”) + phonetic 贊 (OC *ʔsaːns).


賓

Shuowen: Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *mpin): phonetic 𡧍 (OC *meːnʔ) + semantic 貝.
In oracle bone script, ideogrammic compound (會意 /会意): a person 人 in a building 宀 – a guest.
Variants that replaced 人 with 万 (OC *mans, *mɯːɡ) were also common, and posited to be the original form of 丏 (OC *meːnʔ), which would also act as the character's phonetic component, which has corrupted into ⿱一𣥂 in the modern form.
Bronze inscriptions added 貝 (“money; valuables”), signifying gifts.
From n-nominalization of Proto-Sino-Tibetan *hin (“to give”). Cognate with 嬪 (OC *bin, “to become a bride”), which is an endopassive of 賓 (OC *mpin, “lit, "to be received like a guest"”). See 畀 (OC *pids, “to give”) for more cognates.

och-l

宾
賔
𧶉
𧶎
𥦎
𡪛
𡧍
𡫅
𢊟
𧶑
𠆄


議

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *ŋrals): semantic 言 (“talk”) + phonetic 義 (OC *ŋrals).
Cognate with 儀 (OC *ŋral, “ceremony; appearance”). See there for more.

Han compound

Today we will discuss the military situation.

今天我們就議一下軍情。

今天我们就议一下军情。


詞

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

Han compound

詞典

词典

單詞

单词

詞語

词语

See also: 辭

phrase; expression; speech; statement; lyrics

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

(traditional lexicology, obsolete) function word; particle


調

/ti̯aʊ̯ɻʷ⁵¹/

/ti̯aʊ̯ɻʷ⁵¹/

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *dɯːw, *dɯːws, *tɯw): semantic 言 + phonetic 周 (OC *tjɯw).


言

Characters in the same phonetic series (言) (Zhengzhang, 2003)
Ideogram (指事): 言 was created by adding a horizontal stroke to the top of the ancient version of 舌 to indicate movement of the tongue. This indicates speech, where 舌 is a mouth (口) with a tongue sticking out; hence 舌 doesn't indicate the speech, but the tongue as an organ of the body. In the modern version, another horizontal stroke (then stylized as a point) was added on top and the vertical body of the tongue disappeared.
See also 音.
Shuowen erroneously analyzes the glyph as a phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声): phonetic 䇂 () + semantic 口 (“mouth”).
According to Schuessler (2007: 74) this word is derived from 語 (OC *ŋaʔ, “to speak”) + -n nominal suffix.

Han compound

語言

语言

諾言

诺言

發言

发言

謠言

谣言

to be very lengthy (of an article, essay)

洋洋萬言

洋洋万言

我能留個言嗎？

我能留个言吗？


軸

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *l'ɯwɢ) and ideogrammic compound (會意 /会意): semantic 車 (“cart, carriage”) + phonetic 由 (OC *lɯw, “to pass through”) — the axle that passes through a cartwheel.

Han compound

See also: 鍵軸

Cherry MX軸

Cherry MX轴


見

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

Han etyl

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


谷

(Hong Kong Cantonese, social media, Internet slang) group (Classifier: 個／个 c)


說

CJKV/code

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

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

och-l

把話說清楚

把话说清楚

沒有好說的。

没有好说的。

你怎麼天天都說我？

你怎么天天都说我？


說

Sino-Xenic (說):
* → Korean: 세(說) (se)

(Quanzhou Hokkien) to swindle; to defraud; to cheat out of


透

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *l̥ʰoːs, *hljuɡ): semantic 辵 (“walking”) + phonetic 秀 (OC *slus).
This character is not attested in the oracle bone script or bronze inscriptions.

Han compound

(～母) (Chinese linguistics) the Middle Chinese initial of 透 (MC thuwH)


鉤

(Chinese calligraphy) a stroke with a hook (such as in ㇠, ㇆, ㇚, or ㇟)


邪

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *ljaː, *laː): phonetic 牙 (OC *ŋraː) + semantic 邑 (“town; city”).
The semantic component suggests that this character was originally used in a place name, which Shuowen suggests to be 琅邪. It was later borrowed for other meanings, the most prominent being “wrong; evil” (originally written as 衺).

Han compound

(～母) (Chinese linguistics) the Middle Chinese initial of 邪 (MC yae)


銑

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *sɯːnʔ): semantic 釒 + phonetic 先 (OC *sɯːn, *sɯːns).
Compare Tibetan གསེར (gser, “gold”) (Hill, 2019).

Han compound

(～日) (telegraphy) the sixteenth day of a month


語

/ᵑɡui²¹⁻²¹⁵/

/ᵑɡui²¹⁻²¹⁵/

Characters in the same phonetic series (五) (Zhengzhang, 2003)
Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *ŋaʔ, *ŋas): semantic 言 + phonetic 吾 (OC *ŋraː, *ŋaː).
Compare Tibetan ངག (ngag, “speech”).
According to Schuessler (2007), 言 (OC *ŋan, “to speak; speech; talk”) is 語 (OC *ŋaʔ) with a nominal n-suffix.

Han compound

(linguistics) spoken language (contrary to written language 文)


通

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

Han compound

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

ngo⁵ daa² zo² gei² ci³ dou¹ daa² m⁴ tung¹.

我打咗幾次都打唔通。

我打咗几次都打唔通。

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


邊

我邊記得啫？

我边记得啫？

You did not do this piece of assignment.

你邊有做份功課呀？

你边有做份功课呀？

What will tomorrow be like in the end? How can one think about it so much? [i.e., there is no point in thinking about it so much]

ming⁴ tin¹ gau³ ging² wui⁵ jyu⁴ ho⁴, bin¹ jau⁵ dak¹ nam² gam³ do¹

明天究竟會如何 邊有得諗咁多

明天究竟会如何 边有得谂咁多


韻

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *ɢʷɯns): semantic 音 + phonetic 員 (OC *ɢon, *ɢun).

Han compound

(linguistics) rhyme; rime; final sound of a syllable (in a syllabic language)

(linguistics) rhyme group (in a rime dictionary)


閃

閃含語系

闪含语系


非

CJKV/code

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

Characters in the same phonetic series (非) (Zhengzhang, 2003)
Pictogram (象形) - two wings facing opposite directions. Originally, it represented wings; then, according to Xu Shen, its meaning changed into "leave; disobey" (違). Eventually, it was used perhaps as a phonetic loan to mean "not to be".
Unrelated to the Kangxi radical 韭.
非 (OC *pɯj) is the fusion of the negation particle 不 (OC *pɯ, *pɯʔ, *pɯ', “not”) and the copula 惟 (OC *ɢʷi, “to be”), attested in oracle bone inscriptions.
;“to have got to”

Han etyl

(～母) (Chinese linguistics) the Middle Chinese initial of 非 (MC pj+j)


關

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (關):
* → Japanese: 関(かん) (kan)
* → Korean: 관(關) (gwan)
* → Vietnamese: quan (關)

→ English: Guan, Kwan

The bronze inscription was in the form of 門 (“door”) + 卝 (“locked door; two wooden sticks to lock a door”). 卝 might also serve as a phonetic component. The whole character represents a door locked with two wooden sticks.
Then, the character slightly evolved into Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *kroːn): semantic 門 (“door”) + phonetic 𢇅 (), in which two couples of rings similar to 幺幺 are visible on top of the two wooden sticks.
Compare Proto-Southwestern Tai *klɔːnᴬ² (“latch of door; rafter”), whence Thai กลอน (glɔɔn) (Schuessler, 2007).

cog

关
関
𨶚
𢇅
𬮦
闗
閞


陸

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *m·ruɡ): semantic 阝 + phonetic 坴 (OC *m·ruɡ).
Perhaps related to Proto-Wa (*[ʔ]rok, "dry land") (Schuessler, 2007).

Han compound

陆
𤱒
𡽷
𨽐
𨽰
𨽫
𨽱
𠃈

陸本

陆本

student from mainland China studying in Taiwan

陸生

陆生

中國大陸 中國大陸#Chinese

中国大陆 中国大陆#Chinese

Short for 中國大陸／中国大陆 (Zhōngguó dàlù, “mainland China”).


陽

CJKV/code

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

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *laŋ) and ideogrammic compound (會意 /会意): semantic 阜 (“hill”) + phonetic 昜 (OC *laŋ, “sunshine”) – sun shining on a hill.
Either Sino-Tibetan or a Mainland Southeast Asian (MSEA) Wanderwort; compare Burmese လင်း (lang:, “bright”), Lepcha ᰣᰦᰜᰩᰵ (a-lóṅ, “reflective light”), Thai ปลั่ง (bplàng, “bright; shiny”) (Schuessler, 2007).
STEDT provisionally sets up Proto-Kuki-Chin *klaaŋ-I, klaan-II (“shine; light; bright”) and compares it to the following:
* 陽 (OC *laŋ, “sunshine”)
* 景 (OC *kraŋʔ, “bright; scenery”)
* 鏡 (OC *kraŋs, “mirror”)
* 亮 (OC *raŋs, “bright”)
* 章 (OC *kjaŋ, “brilliant, splendid; rule; emblem; display (v.)”)

och-l

阳
𣆄
氜
阦
𨹈
𥌖
𨼗
𨼘
𨼡
𨽐
羊

(Chinese phonetics, of a syllable) closed with a nasal consonantal coda


類

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *ruːls, *ruds): phonetic 頪 (OC *roːds) + semantic 犬.
From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *rus (“bone”) (STEDT).

Han compound

object-oriented programming
object-oriented programming


陰

→ Proto-Tai: *rɤmᴮ (“shade”)

desc

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

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

cog

阴
侌
𠊺
𣍤
𤽎
阥
𨹉
隂
𨻔
𨼖
𨽙
𨽭
𨹩
𩃬
𣱙
𢉩
𠆭

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


開

CJKV/code

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

→ Lao: ໄຂ (khai, “open”)

→ Thai: ไข (kǎi, “open”)

→ Vietnamese: khơi

→ Zhuang: hai (“open”)

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

och-l

闓 (OC *ŋ̊ʰɯːlʔ, *ŋ̊ʰɯːls)

开
𫔭
䦐
𨴉
𨳩
𨴂
𨵹
𨶘
𨵑
开
K
开
开
嗨

(Chinese phonetics) Short for 開口／开口 (kāikǒu, “open-mouthed”).


體

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *r̥ʰiːʔ): semantic 骨 (“bone”) + phonetic 豊 (OC *riːʔ).
From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *sri (“to exist”) (Benedict, 1976); cognate with Proto-Tibeto-Burman *s-ri(t), whence Tibetan སྲིད་པ (srid pa) and Burmese ရှိ (hri., “to be, to exist”).
Schuessler (2007) derives Proto-Sino-Tibetan *s-riŋ ~ s-r(j)aŋ (“live, alive, green, raw”) from this root, yet points out that 生 (OC *sʰleːŋ, *sreŋs)'s initial *sr- cluster was retained instead of becoming voiceless /r̥/ as in 體 (OC *r̥ʰiːʔ), possibly owing to re-analysis of *s- as a causative prefix.

cog

文體

文体

(literature) style; form; genre; structure

進行體

进行体

(Mainland China, grammar) aspect of a verb


音

Characters in the same phonetic series (音) (Zhengzhang, 2003)
Ideogram (指事): 言 (“word”) with something in 口 (“mouth”) written like 甘 – sound coming from the mouth. The vertical trait, that used to represent the body of the tongue, then disappeared as in 言, and 甘 was stylized as 曰.

Han etyl

京音

潮音

中古音

方音

陽江音

阳江音


齊

Characters in the same phonetic series (齊) (Zhengzhang, 2003)
Ideogram (指事): a field of grain, hence of uniform height. Compare 森, in which three trees represent a whole forest.
Either related to Mizo čelʔᴸ (“equal, to endure”) or, more phonologically likely, Tibetan ཚིར (tshir, “queue, order, succession”) as Tibetan /tsʰir/'s final /-r/ can explain the Middle Chinese retroflex initial of 儕 (OC *zriːl), which is derived from 齊 (OC *zliːl). Note also similarities to Burmese စီ (ci, “to line up”), စေ့ (ce., “to keep things close together”).

cog

齐
斉
斊
立
亝
𠫼
𠄷
齐
褿
全
仝
巢
樵
昭
𤍫
焦
勻

(～日) (telegraphy) the eighth day of a month


魚

CJKV/code

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

/ᵑɡui²²⁻²²⁵/

/ᵑɡui²²⁻²¹⁵/

/ᵑɡui²²⁻²²⁵/

/ᵑɡui²²⁻²¹⁵/

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

Han etyl

(～日) (telegraphy) the sixth day of a month


點

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