姹紫嫣红
chà​zǐ​yān​hóng

colorful flowers

姹 chà beautiful Simplified

Components

女
女 Meaning component
nǚ, nü woman

woman

宅
宅 Sound component
zhái residence

Sources

Readings & variants
Unicode

紫 zǐ purple

Phonosemantic compound. 糸 represents the meaning and 此 represents the sound.

Components

糸
糸 Meaning component
mì, sī silk
此
此 Sound component
cǐ this

Character Evolution

Bronze form
Bronze Late Spring and Autumn ~500 BC
Seal form
Seal Warring States (Chu) 475-221 BC
Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Seal form
Seal Jin 266-420 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 Eastern Han 25-220 AD
Regular Modern

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld Chinese
Zhengzhangʔseʔ
Unicodetziɛ̌

說文解字

帛青赤色。从糸此聲。

Sources

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

嫣 yān charming

Components

女
女 Meaning component
nǚ, nü woman

woman

焉
焉 Sound component
yān, yí thereupon

Character Evolution

Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Regular Modern

Historical Pronunciations

Old Chinese
Zhengzhangqʰran
qran
qranʔ
qans

說文解字

長皃。从女焉聲。

Sources

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

红 hóng red Simplified

Simplified form of 紅. Phonosemantic compound. 糹 represents the meaning and 工 represents the sound.

Components

纟
纟 Meaning component
mì silk

纟 is a component form of 糸.

工
工 Sound component
gōng work

Component uses

Sound (0 of 1 verified)

荭

Sources

Readings & variants
Unicode

奼 beautiful Traditional

Components

女
女 Meaning component
nǚ, nü woman

woman

乇
乇 Sound component
tuō, zhé to depend on

Character Evolution

Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Regular Modern

Historical Pronunciations

Old Chinese
Zhengzhangʔr'aːɡs
hr'aːʔ
ʔl'aːɡs

說文解字

少女也。从女乇聲。

Sources

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

紅 hóng red Traditional

Phonosemantic compound. 糹 represents the meaning and 工 represents the sound.

Components

糹
糹 Meaning component
mì silk

糹 is a component form of 糸.

工
工 Sound component
gōng work

Character Evolution

Seal form
Seal Warring States (Chu) 475-221 BC
Seal form
Seal Western Han 202 BC-9 AD
Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Spring and Autumn 771-476 BC
Clerical form
Clerical Qin 221-206 BC
Clerical form
Clerical Western Han 202 BC-9 AD
Regular Modern

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-Sagarthuwnggˤoŋ pink

說文解字

《說文》：“紅，帛赤白色。从糸，工聲。”

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)