zǒng​fù​zé​rén

person in charge

zǒng collect Simplified

Simplified form of . Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound. Based on the original meaning "bind together", since thread () is used to put things together.

Components

Deleted component
silk
cōng agitated

Component uses

Sound (1)

Sources

Readings & variants
Unicode

fù, fu bear, carry Simplified

Simplified form of . Depicts a person () carrying shells () on their back.

Components

Iconic component
rén, ren person
Iconic component
bèi sea shell

Sources

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

responsibility Simplified

Original meaning: taxation

Simplified form of . Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound. Based on the original meaning "taxation". The meaning later shifted to "responsibility".

Components

Sound component
thorn, stab
Change in form
Due to historical stylistic changes, this component is less similar to than it was in ancient scripts.
Meaning component
bèi sea shell

In ancient China shells were used as currency.

Change in meaning
hints at the original meaning of , "taxation", which is no longer the most common meaning of in modern Mandarin.

Component uses

Sound (1 of 8 verified)

Meaning (0 of 1 verified)

Sources

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

rén, ren person

Pictograph of the side view of a standing person.

Character Evolution

Oracle form
Oracle Bone ~1250-1000 BC
Oracle form
Oracle Bone ~1250-1000 BC
Oracle form
Oracle Bone ~1250-1000 BC
Oracle form
Oracle Bone ~1250-1000 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Early Western Zhou ~1000 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Mid Western Zhou ~900 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Late Western Zhou ~800 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Early Spring and Autumn ~700 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Late Spring and Autumn ~500 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Late Warring States ~250 BC
Seal form
Seal Warring States (Chu) 475-221 BC
Seal form
Seal Warring States (Chu) 475-221 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 Western Han 202 BC-9 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Eastern Han 25-220 AD
Regular Modern

Component uses

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-Sagartnyinni[ŋ] (other) person

說文解字

《說文》:“人,天地之性最貴者也。此籀文,象臂脛之形。”

Sources

Character origin
季旭昇《說文新證》p.630
Readings & variants
Unicode
Historical pronunciations
Baxter-Sagart
Historical images
Academia Sinica

zǒng collect Traditional

Original meaning: bind together

Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound. Based on the original meaning "bind together", since thread () is used to put things together.

Components

Meaning component
silk

is a component form of .

Sound component
cōng agitated

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 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-Sagarttsuwng[ts]ˤoŋ bundle of threads
tsuwngX[ts]ˤoŋ bind together

說文解字

《說文》:“總,聚束也。从糸,悤聲。”

Sources

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

fù, fu bear, carry Traditional

Depicts a person () carrying shells () on their back.

Components

Iconic component
rén, ren person
Iconic component
bèi sea shell

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
Regular Modern

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-SagartbjuwX[b]əʔ carry on the back

說文解字

《說文》:“負,恃也。从人守貝有所恃也。一曰受貸不償。”

Sources

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

responsibility Traditional

Original meaning: taxation

Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound. Based on the original meaning "taxation". The meaning later shifted to "responsibility".

Components

Sound component
thorn, stab
Change in form
Due to historical stylistic changes, this component is less similar to than it was in ancient scripts.
Meaning component
bèi sea shell

In ancient China shells were used as currency.

Change in meaning
hints at the original meaning of , "taxation", which is no longer the most common meaning of in modern Mandarin.

Character Evolution

Oracle form
Oracle Bone ~1250-1000 BC
Oracle form
Oracle Bone ~1250-1000 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Late Shang ~1100 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Early Western Zhou ~1000 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Late Western Zhou ~800 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Qin 221-206 BC
Seal form
Seal Warring States (Chu) 475-221 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
Regular Modern

Component uses

Sound (3 of 6 verified)

Meaning (0 of 1 verified)

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-Sagarttsreaks-tˤrek demand payment
tsreaks-tˤrek blame
tsreaHs-tˤrek-s debt

說文解字

《說文》:“責,求也。从貝,朿聲。”

Sources

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