单调乏味
dān​diào​fá​wèi

monotonous

单 dān single Simplified

Original meaning: hunting tool

Simplified form of 單. Pictograph of a hunting tool or weapon constructed from rocks tied to a tree branch. The current meaning is a phonetic loan.

Component uses

Sound (1 of 14 verified)

弹禅阐蝉惮婵郸掸觯殚箪瘅冁啴

Meaning (0 of 1 verified)

禅

Unknown (0 of 1 verified)

蕲

Sources

Character origin
漢語多功能字庫季旭昇《說文新證》p.105中華語文知識庫
Readings & variants
Unicode

调 diào, tiáo adjust, tune Simplified

Simplified form of 調. Phonosemantic compound. 言 represents the meaning and 周 represents the sound.

Components

讠
讠 Meaning component
yán speech

讠 is a component form of 言.

周
周 Sound component
zhōu cycle
Change in sound

Historical Pronunciations

Sources

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

乏 fá lack

Original meaning: crooked

Derived from 正, but with the line on top slanted to indicate "crooked (i.e. not straight)". The meaning later shifted to "lack".

Character Evolution

Bronze form
Bronze Late Warring States ~250 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Late Warring States ~250 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
Regular Modern

Component uses

Sound (1 of 4 verified)

泛眨砭鴔

Meaning (0 of 2 verified)

贬貶

Unknown (0 of 1 verified)

窆

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-Sagartbjop[b](r)[o]p lack (v.)

說文解字

《說文》：“乏，《春秋傳》曰：‘反正為乏。’”

Sources

Character origin
季旭昇《說文新證》p.121
Readings & variants
Unicode
Historical pronunciations
Baxter-Sagart
Historical images
Academia Sinica
Etymology
Shuowen Jiezi (說文解字)

味 wèi taste

Phonosemantic compound. 口 represents the meaning and 未 represents the sound.

Components

口
口 Meaning component
kǒu, kou mouth
未
未 Sound component
wèi not yet

Character Evolution

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-Sagartmj+jHm[ə]t-s taste (n.)

說文解字

《說文》：“味，滋味也。从口，未聲。”

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)

單 dān single Traditional

Original meaning: hunting tool

Pictograph of a hunting tool or weapon constructed from rocks tied to a tree branch. The current meaning is a phonetic loan.

Character Evolution

Oracle form
Oracle Bone ~1250-1000 BC
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 Western Zhou ~800 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Early Spring and Autumn ~700 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Early Warring States ~400 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

Sound (4 of 15 verified)

蟬鼉禪簞闡彈撣囅戰憚嘽嬋殫癉鄲

Iconic (2)

兽獸

Simplified (1)

兽

Unknown (0 of 1 verified)

蘄

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-Sagartdzyendar (< *[d]ar)單于 chányú: Xiōngnú ruler (W. Hàn)
tanCə.tˤar single, simple

說文解字

《說文》：“單，大也。从吅、，吅亦聲。闕。”

Sources

Character origin
漢語多功能字庫季旭昇《說文新證》p.105中華語文知識庫
Readings & variants
Unicode
Historical pronunciations
Baxter-Sagart
Historical images
Academia Sinica
Etymology
Shuowen Jiezi (說文解字)

調 diào, tiáo adjust, tune Traditional

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

Components

言
言 Meaning component
yán speech
周
周 Sound component
zhōu cycle
Change in sound

Character Evolution

Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 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-Sagartdew[d]ˤiw tune (v.), adjust

說文解字

《說文》：“調，和也。从言，周聲。”

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)