吓唬
xià​hu HSK7

scare

吓 xià scare Simplified

Phonosemantic compound. 口 represents the meaning and 下 represents the sound. Simplified form of 嚇.

Components

口
口 Meaning component
kǒu, kou mouth
下
下 Sound component
xià, xia under

Sources

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

唬 hu to intimidate

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

Components

口
口 Meaning component
kǒu, kou mouth
虎
虎 Sound component
hǔ, hu tiger

Character Evolution

Oracle form
Oracle Bone ~1250-1000 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Mid Western Zhou ~900 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Mid Western Zhou ~900 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Late Spring and Autumn ~500 BC
Seal form
Seal Warring States (Chu) 475-221 BC
Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Western Han 202 BC-9 AD
Regular Modern

Historical Pronunciations

Old Chinese
Zhengzhangqʰraːs
kʷraːɡ

說文解字

嗁聲也。一曰虎聲。从口从虎。讀若暠。

Sources

Readings & variants
Unicode
Historical pronunciations
Zhengzhang Shangfang
Historical images
Academia Sinica
Etymology
Shuowen Jiezi (說文解字)

嚇 xià scare Traditional

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

Components

口
口 Meaning component
kǒu, kou mouth

mouth

赫
赫 Sound component
hè, shì bright

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-Sagartxaekqʰˤ<r>ak frighten
xaeHqʰˤ<r>ak-s frighten

Sources

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