zhǎn​xiàn HSK5

reveal

zhǎn, zhan open

Original meaning: roll over

Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and 𧝑 represents the sound. Based on the original meaning "roll over". The meaning later shifted to "unfold", "spread out", and "develop".

Components

Meaning component
shī sitting person

Depicts a person sitting or squatting.

𧝑
𧝑 SoundRemnant component
zhàn royal silk clothing

Character Evolution

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
Clerical form
Clerical Eastern Han 25-220 AD
Regular Modern

Component uses

Sound (0 of 6 verified)

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-SagarttrjenXtrenʔ roll over; unfold
trjenHtra[n]-s ritual robe

說文解字

《說文》:“展,轉也。从尸,省聲。”

Sources

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

xiàn appear Simplified

Simplified form of . Etymologically related to (to see). Originally these two characters were written the same, then the 𤣩 component was added to distinguish them.

Components

𤣩
jade

Distinguishes from .

SoundMeaning component
jiàn, xiàn, jian see

Sources

Character origin
Wiktionary
Readings & variants
Unicode

xiàn appear Traditional

Etymologically related to (to see). Originally these two characters were written the same, then the 𤣩 component was added to distinguish them.

Components

𤣩
jade

Distinguishes from .

SoundMeaning component
jiàn, xiàn, jian see

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-SagarthenHN-[k]ˤen-s appear

Sources

Character origin
Wiktionary
Readings & variants
Unicode
Historical pronunciations
Baxter-Sagart