lín​dào

befall

lín draw near Simplified

Original meaning: to look down

Simplified form of . Depicts a person () looking () down at a pile of objects (). also represents the sound. Based on the original meaning, "to look down". The meaning has shifted over time and now means "draw near".

Components

chén minister

Depicts an eye.

Change in form
Due to historical stylistic changes, this component is less similar to than it was in ancient scripts.
Iconic component
rén, ren person
Change in form
Due to historical stylistic changes, this component is less similar to than it was in ancient scripts.
pǐn product

Here used to depict a pile of objects.

Sources

Character origin
漢語多功能字庫李学勤《字源》p.728-729
Readings & variants
Unicode

dào, dao go to

Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound.

Components

Meaning component
zhì reach

Depicts an arrow arriving at its target.

Sound component
dāo knife

is a component form of .

Character Evolution

Bronze form
Bronze Mid Western Zhou ~900 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Mid Western Zhou ~900 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Late Western Zhou ~800 BC
Seal form
Seal Western Han 202 BC-9 AD
Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Qin 221-206 BC
Clerical form
Clerical Western Han 202 BC-9 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Western Han 202 BC-9 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Eastern Han 25-220 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Eastern Han 25-220 AD
Regular Modern

Component uses

Sound (1)

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-SagarttawHtˤaw[k]-s arrive

說文解字

《說文》:“到,至也。从至,刀聲。”

Sources

Readings & variants
Unicode
Historical pronunciations
Baxter-Sagart
Historical images
Academia Sinica

lín draw near Traditional

Original meaning: to look down

Depicts a person () looking () down at a pile of objects (). also represents the sound. Based on the original meaning, "to look down". The meaning has shifted over time and now means "draw near".

Components

Iconic component
chén minister

Depicts an eye.

Iconic component
rén, ren person
Change in form
Due to historical stylistic changes, this component is less similar to than it was in ancient scripts.
SoundIconic component
pǐn product

Here used to depict a pile of objects.


Character Evolution

Oracle form
Oracle Bone ~1250-1000 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Early Western Zhou ~1000 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Late Western Zhou ~800 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Late Western Zhou ~800 BC
Seal form
Seal Warring States (Chu) 475-221 BC
Seal form
Seal Warring States (Chu) 475-221 BC
Seal form
Seal Qin 221-206 BC
Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Qin 221-206 BC
Clerical form
Clerical Western Han 202 BC-9 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Western Han 202 BC-9 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Western Han 202 BC-9 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Eastern Han 25-220 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Eastern Han 25-220 AD
Regular Modern

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-Sagartlim(p.)rum look down at

說文解字

《說文》:“臨,監臨也。从臥,品聲。”

Sources

Character origin
漢語多功能字庫李学勤《字源》p.728-729
Readings & variants
Unicode
Historical pronunciations
Baxter-Sagart
Historical images
Academia Sinica