塑料姐妹花
sù​liào​jiě​mèi​huā

frenemies

塑 sù sculpt, clay model, plastic

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

Components

朔
朔 Sound component
shuò first day of lunar month
土
土 Meaning component
tǔ earth

Historical Pronunciations

Old Chinese
Zhengzhangsŋaːɡs

Sources

Character origin
漢語多功能字庫
Readings & variants
Unicode
Historical pronunciations
Zhengzhang Shangfang

料 liào ingredients

Depicts a ladle (斗) full of rice (米).

Components

米
米 Iconic component
mǐ rice
斗
斗 Iconic component
dòu ladle

Character Evolution

Bronze form
Bronze Spring and Autumn 771-476 BC
Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Qin 221-206 BC
Clerical form
Clerical Three Kingdoms (Cao Wei) 222-280 AD
Regular Modern

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-SagartlewH[r]ˤew-s measure (v.)

說文解字

《說文》：“料，量也。从斗，米在其中。”

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)

姐 jie, jiě elder sister

Phonosemantic compound. 女 represents the meaning and 且 represents the sound.

Components

女
女 Meaning component
nǚ, nü woman
且
且 Sound component
qiě moreover

Character Evolution

Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Regular Modern

Historical Pronunciations

Old Chinese
Zhengzhangʔsjaːʔ

說文解字

《說文》：“姐，蜀謂母曰姐，淮南謂之社。从女，且聲。”

Sources

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

妹 mèi, mei younger sister

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

Components

女
女 Meaning component
nǚ, nü woman
未
未 Sound component
wèi not yet

Character Evolution

Oracle form
Oracle Bone ~1250-1000 BC
Oracle form
Oracle Bone ~1250-1000 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Spring and Autumn 771-476 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
Regular Modern

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-SagartmwojHC.mˤə[t]-s younger sister

說文解字

《說文》：“妹，女弟也。从女，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)

花 huā, hua flower

Phonosemantic compound. 艹 represents the meaning and 化 represents the sound.

Components

艹
艹 Meaning component
cao, cǎo grass

艹 is a component form of 艸.

化
化 Sound component
huà change

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-Sagartxwaeqʷʰˤra flower (n.)

Sources

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