Meaning component
A meaning or semantic component hints at the meaning of the character.
For example:
| Character | Meaning component |
|---|---|
妈 mother | 女 woman |
问 to ask | 口 mouth |
想 to think | 心 heart |
错 wrong | 金 metal |
Meaning components are color-coded as red.
Historical shifts in meaning
Sometimes a character does not seem related to its meaning component. This can happen when the meaning of a character changes over the course of history.
For example, the character 错 originally meant to decorate something by inlaying it with gold or silver, which is why it contains the 金 (metal) component. Later this character expanded to include other meanings:
- interlocking pattern
- stagger / crossing
- complex / chaotic
- incorrect / mistake
- bad / wrong