zhǐ​dàng

pretend

zhǐ, zhī only

Origin unclear. In simplified Chinese, in addition to the meaning "only", is also used as a measure word. In traditional Chinese this meaning is written as .

Character Evolution

Seal form
Seal Warring States (Chu) 475-221 BC
Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Regular Modern

Component uses

Sound (4 of 9 verified)

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld Chinese
Zhengzhangklje
kljeʔ
Unicodejǐɛ

說文解字

《說文》:“只,語已詞也。从口,象氣下引之形。”

Sources

Character origin
季旭昇《說文新證》p.149-150
Readings & variants
Unicode
Historical pronunciations
Zhengzhang Shangfang
Historical images
Academia Sinica

dāng, dàng, dang to match Simplified

Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound. The simplified character was adapted from the cursive form of the traditional character .

Components

Simplified component
snout

Shorthand for the component in the traditional character .

shàng, shang esteem

Shorthand for the component in the traditional character .

Component uses

Sound (2 of 6 verified)

Meaning (0 of 1 verified)

Sources

Readings & variants
Unicode

dāng, dàng, dang to match Traditional

Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound.

Components

Meaning component
tián field
Sound component
shàng, shang esteem

Character Evolution

Bronze form
Bronze Late Spring and Autumn ~500 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Mid Warring States ~300 BC
Seal form
Seal Xin 9-23 AD
Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Qin 221-206 BC
Clerical form
Clerical Eastern Han 25-220 AD
Regular Modern

Component uses

Sound (2 of 7 verified)

Meaning (0 of 1 verified)

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-Sagarttangtˤaŋ match (v.); have the value of, rank with
tangHtˤaŋ-s suitable

說文解字

《說文》:“當,田相值也。从田,尚聲。”

Sources

Character origin
漢語多功能字庫
Readings & variants
Unicode
Historical pronunciations
Baxter-Sagart
Historical images
Academia Sinica