书写语言
shū​xiě​yǔ​yán

written language

书 shū book Simplified

Simplified form of 書. Phonosemantic compound. 聿 represents the meaning and 者 represents the sound. The simplified character 书 is derived from the cursive form of 書.

Components

聿
聿 MeaningSimplified component
yù writing brush
者
者 SoundSimplified component
zhě one who...
Change in sound

Sources

Character origin
漢語多功能字庫
Readings & variants
Unicode

写 xiě write Simplified

Original meaning: relocate

Phonosemantic compound. 宀 represents the meaning and 舄 represents the sound. Based on the original meaning "relocate". The meaning later shifted to "copy" and "write". The simplified character 写 was adapted from the cursive form of the traditional character 寫.

Components

冖
冖 Meaning component
mì cover

冖 is a component form of 宀.

Change in meaning
冖 hints at the original meaning of 写, "relocate", which is no longer the most common meaning of 写 in modern Mandarin.
与
与 Simplified component
yǔ, yù and

Shorthand for the 舄 component in the traditional character 寫.

Component uses

Sound (0 of 1 verified)

泻

Sources

Character origin
Wiktionary漢語多功能字庫
Readings & variants
Unicode

语 yǔ language Simplified

Simplified form of 語. Phonosemantic compound. 言 represents the meaning and 吾 represents the sound.

Components

讠
讠 Meaning component
yán speech

讠 is a component form of 言.

吾
吾 Sound component
wú, yú, yá I, me

Sources

Character origin
漢語多功能字庫
Readings & variants
Unicode

言 yán speech

Pictograph of a tongue (舌) sticking out of a mouth. In old scripts 言 was written the same as 舌 but with an extra line.

Components

◎
◎ Iconic component
characterless component

Depicts movement of the tongue coming out of the mouth.

舌
舌 Iconic component
shé tongue
Change in form
Due to historical stylistic changes, this component is less similar to 舌 than it was in ancient scripts.

Character Evolution

Oracle form
Oracle Bone ~1250-1000 BC
Oracle form
Oracle Bone ~1250-1000 BC
Oracle form
Oracle Bone ~1250-1000 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Early Western Zhou ~1000 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Late Warring States ~250 BC
Seal form
Seal Warring States (Chu) 475-221 BC
Seal form
Seal Warring States (Chu) 475-221 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 Eastern Han 25-220 AD
Regular Modern

Component uses

Meaning (68 of 163 verified)

信该警誉誓譬詹詈謇誊說論證診調訇認請謝訾話誤計語謂議護讀訓識讓設試記許討詳該辯諡諸談誌霅謹詞評訢詢課誘託訚講訂訴讕讚謦詣詩讞詼訪訌訛詿諄譜訕訝詠訃詫詬詮誠謬譯譽訟詭誕誡訣詰誰諛諮諱謨譫詒誇讙讌誾詐諧謚詛諂罰諉諒諦諺謀謠諠註説謄諳誦謌謫譴讎詡獄誙誚誹訥諤諫謾譚訶謎譖誼諭謔詔誑謗謙謅讒誒諙諶諷謊詆誅謳譏譙誣譭訖諾誆謐譎諜諢讖謁誨

Sound (3 of 5 verified)

善這唁狺䜌

Iconic (2)

音訊

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-Sagartngjonŋa[n] (a particle)
ngjonŋa[n] I, we
ngjonŋa[n] speak; speech
ngjonŋa[r] tall

說文解字

《說文》：“言，直言曰言，論難曰語。从口，聲。”

Sources

Character origin
季旭昇《說文新證》p.160
Readings & variants
Unicode
Historical pronunciations
Baxter-Sagart
Historical images
Academia Sinica
Etymology
Shuowen Jiezi (說文解字)

書 shū book Traditional

Phonosemantic compound. 聿 represents the meaning and 者 represents the sound.

Components

聿
聿 Meaning component
yù writing brush
者
者 Sound component
zhě one who...
Change in sound
Change in form
Due to historical stylistic changes, this component is less similar to 者 than it was in ancient scripts.

Character Evolution

Bronze form
Bronze Mid Western Zhou ~900 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Late Western Zhou ~800 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Spring and Autumn 771-476 BC
Seal form
Seal Warring States (Chu) 475-221 BC
Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Qin 221-206 BC
Clerical form
Clerical Eastern Han 25-220 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Eastern Han 25-220 AD
Regular Modern

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-Sagartsyos-ta write

說文解字

《說文》：“書，箸也。从聿，者聲。”

Sources

Character origin
漢語多功能字庫
Readings & variants
Unicode
Historical pronunciations
Baxter-Sagart
Historical images
Academia Sinica
Etymology
Shuowen Jiezi (說文解字)

寫 xiě write Traditional

Original meaning: relocate

Phonosemantic compound. 宀 represents the meaning and 舄 represents the sound. Based on the original meaning "relocate". The meaning later shifted to "copy" and "write".

Components

宀
宀 Meaning component
mián roof
Change in meaning
宀 hints at the original meaning of 寫, "relocate", which is no longer the most common meaning of 寫 in modern Mandarin.
舄
舄 Sound component
xì, què, tuō a shoe

Character Evolution

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 Eastern Han 25-220 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Eastern Han 25-220 AD
Regular Modern

Component uses

Sound (0 of 1 verified)

瀉

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-SagartsjaeXs-qʰAʔ depict
sjaeXs-qʰAʔ drain off

說文解字

《說文》：“寫，置物也。从宀，舄聲。”

Sources

Character origin
Wiktionary漢語多功能字庫
Readings & variants
Unicode
Historical pronunciations
Baxter-Sagart
Historical images
Academia Sinica
Etymology
Shuowen Jiezi (說文解字)

語 yǔ language Traditional

Phonosemantic compound. 言 represents the meaning and 吾 represents the sound.

Components

言
言 Meaning component
yán speech
吾
吾 Sound component
wú, yú, yá I, me

Character Evolution

Bronze form
Bronze Late Spring and Autumn ~500 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Late Warring States ~250 BC
Seal form
Seal Warring States (Chu) 475-221 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 Eastern Han 25-220 AD
Regular Modern

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-SagartngjoXŋ(r)aʔ speak
ngjoHŋ(r)aʔ-s tell

說文解字

《說文》：“語，論也。从言，吾聲。”

Sources

Character origin
漢語多功能字庫
Readings & variants
Unicode
Historical pronunciations
Baxter-Sagart
Historical images
Academia Sinica
Etymology
Shuowen Jiezi (說文解字)