势均力敌
shì​jūn​lì​dí

evenly matched

势 shì, shi power Simplified

Phonosemantic compound. 力 represents the meaning and 执 represents the sound. Simplified form of 勢.

Components

力
力 Meaning component
lì, li power
执
执 Sound component
zhí hold in hand

Sources

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

均 jūn equal

Phonosemantic compound. 土 represents the meaning and 勻 represents the sound.

Components

土
土 Meaning component
tǔ earth
勻
勻 SoundMeaning component
yún equal

Character Evolution

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

Component uses

Sound (0 of 1 verified)

筠

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-SagartkjwinC.qʷi[n] even, equal
hwinH[m-qʷ]<r>i[n]-s (no pre-Qín exx.)rhyme

說文解字

《說文》：“均，平，徧也。从土，从勻，勻亦聲。”

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)

力 lì, li power

Pictograph of a plow, which requires strength to operate.

Character Evolution

Oracle form
Oracle Bone ~1250-1000 BC
Oracle form
Oracle Bone ~1250-1000 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Early Warring States ~400 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 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

Meaning (24 of 47 verified)

动加务办功势男助劳努勇劲励勃劝勤幼劫勉勋勘募劾饬夯勖劭劬勐劢辦飭勞劦勢務勛勦勸勵劼劵勝勁勈動勳

Sound (4 of 9 verified)

历勒励劣肋仂阞勵艻

Simplified (3 of 5 verified)

边伤穷胁虏

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-Sagartlikk.rək strength

說文解字

《說文》：“力，筋也。象人筋之形。治功曰力，能圉大災。”

Sources

Character origin
漢語多功能字庫季旭昇《說文新證》p.918-919
Readings & variants
Unicode
Historical pronunciations
Baxter-Sagart
Historical images
Academia Sinica
Etymology
Shuowen Jiezi (說文解字)

敌 dí enemy Simplified

Simplified form of 敵. Phonosemantic compound. 攵 represents the meaning and 啻 represents the sound.

Components

舌
舌 Simplified component
shé tongue

Shorthand for the 啻 component in the traditional character 敵.

攵
攵 Meaning component
pū tap

攵 is a component form of 攴.

Sources

Readings & variants
Unicode

勢 shì, shi power Traditional

Phonosemantic compound. 力 represents the meaning and 埶 represents the sound.

Components

力
力 Meaning component
lì, li power
埶
埶 Sound component
yì, shì art, skill
Change in sound

Character Evolution

Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Regular Modern

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-SagartsyejHŋ̊et-s circumstances, setting

說文解字

《說文新附》：“勢，盛力，權也。从力，埶聲。”

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)

敵 dí enemy Traditional

Phonosemantic compound. 攵 represents the meaning and 啻 represents the sound.

Components

啻
啻 Sound component
chì, dì only
Change in sound
攵
攵 Meaning component
pū tap

攵 is a component form of 攴.

Character Evolution

Bronze form
Bronze Mid Western Zhou ~900 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Late Spring and Autumn ~500 BC
Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 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 Three Kingdoms (Cao Wei) 222-280 AD
Regular Modern

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-Sagartdek[d]ˤek oppose; enemy

說文解字

《說文》：“敵，仇也。从攴，啻聲。”

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)