强力胶
qiáng​lì​jiāo

superglue

强 qiáng, qiǎng strong Simplified

Phonosemantic component. 弓 represents the meaning and 畺 represents the sound. Originally written as 彊.

Components

弓
弓 Meaning component
gōng bow
虽
虽 SoundRemnant component
suī although

The purpose of this component is unclear.

Change in form
Due to historical stylistic changes, this component is less similar to 虽 than it was in ancient scripts.

Character Evolution

Seal form
Seal Qin 221-206 BC
Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
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 Western Han 202 BC-9 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Eastern Han 25-220 AD
Regular Modern

Component uses

Sound (0 of 4 verified)

犟襁镪糨

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-SagartgjangN-kaŋ strong
gjangXm-kaŋʔ make an effort

說文解字

《說文》：“強，蚚也。从虫，弘聲。，籀文強，从从彊。”

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)

力 lì, li power

Pictograph of a plow, which requires strength to operate.

Character Evolution

Oracle form
Oracle Bone ~1250-1000 BC
Oracle form
Oracle Bone ~1250-1000 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Early Warring States ~400 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Late Warring States ~250 BC
Seal form
Seal Warring States (Chu) 475-221 BC
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 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

Meaning (24 of 47 verified)

动加务办功势男助劳努勇劲励勃劝勤幼劫勉勋勘募劾饬夯勖劭劬勐劢辦飭勞劦勢務勛勦勸勵劼劵勝勁勈動勳

Sound (4 of 9 verified)

历勒励劣肋仂阞勵艻

Simplified (3 of 5 verified)

边伤穷胁虏

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-Sagartlikk.rək strength

說文解字

《說文》：“力，筋也。象人筋之形。治功曰力，能圉大災。”

Sources

Character origin
漢語多功能字庫季旭昇《說文新證》p.918-919
Readings & variants
Unicode
Historical pronunciations
Baxter-Sagart
Historical images
Academia Sinica
Etymology
Shuowen Jiezi (說文解字)

胶 jiāo glue Simplified

Tendons that connect 交 muscles ⺼; 交 also provides the pronunciation

Components

⺼
⺼ Meaning component
ròu meat, flesh
交
交 SoundMeaning component
jiāo to cross, to mix

Historical Pronunciations

Old Chinese
Zhengzhangɡreːw

Sources

Readings & variants
Unicode
Historical pronunciations
Zhengzhang Shangfang

強 qiáng, qiǎng strong Traditional

Phonosemantic component. 弓 represents the meaning and 畺 represents the sound. Originally written as 彊.

Components

弓
弓 Meaning component
gōng bow
畺
畺 SoundRemnant component
jiāng, jiàng boundary
Change in form
Due to historical stylistic changes, this component is less similar to 畺 than it was in ancient scripts.

Character Evolution

Seal form
Seal Qin 221-206 BC
Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
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 Western Han 202 BC-9 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Eastern Han 25-220 AD
Regular Modern

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld Chinese
Zhengzhangɡaŋ
ɡaŋʔ
Unicodeghiɑng
ghiǎng

說文解字

《說文》：“強，蚚也。从虫，弘聲。，籀文強，从从彊。”

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)

膠 jiāo glue Traditional

Components

⺼
⺼ Meaning component
ròu meat, flesh

flesh

翏
翏 Sound component
liù, lù to sweep away, to remove

Character Evolution

Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Qin 221-206 BC
Regular Modern

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-Sagartkæw[k]ˤriwglue
kæwX[k]ˤriwʔglue
Zhengzhangkrɯːw
krɯːws
kʰrɯːw
Unicodegau

說文解字

昵也。作之以皮。从肉翏聲。

Sources

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