披荆斩棘
pī​jīng​zhǎn​jí

clear undergrowth

披 pī wear

To put on 扌 fur 皮; 皮 also provides the pronunciation

Components

扌
扌 Meaning component
shou, shǒu hand
皮
皮 SoundMeaning component
pí skin

Character Evolution

Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Eastern Han 25-220 AD
Regular Modern

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-Sagartphjepʰ(r)ajdivide
Zhengzhangpʰral
pʰralʔ
Unicodepyɛ

說文解字

从㫄持曰披。从手皮聲。

Sources

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

荆 jīng thorns Simplified

A plant 艹 armed with thorns 刂

Components

艹
艹 Meaning component
cao, cǎo grass
开
开 Meaning component
kāi open
刂
刂 Meaning component
dāo knife

Character Evolution

Oracle form
Oracle Bone Early Western Zhou ~1000 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Early Western Zhou ~1000 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Mid Western Zhou ~900 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Mid Western Zhou ~900 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Mid Western Zhou ~900 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Mid Western Zhou ~900 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
Clerical form
Clerical Eastern Han 25-220 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Three Kingdoms (Cao Wei) 222-280 AD
Regular Modern

說文解字

楚木也。从艸刑聲。

Sources

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

斩 zhǎn, zhàn chop Simplified

Phonosemantic compound. 车 represents the sound and 斤 represents the meaning. Simplified from 斬.

Components

车
车 Sound component
chē cart, vehicle
Change in sound
斤
斤 Meaning component
jīn axe

Component uses

Sound (2 of 7 verified)

渐暂惭崭堑錾椠

Meaning (0 of 1 verified)

錾

Historical Pronunciations

Sources

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

棘 jí jujube tree

Phonosemantic compound. 朿 represents the meaning and 朿 represents the sound.

Components

朿
朿 Meaning component
cì thorn, stab
朿
朿 Sound component
cì thorn, stab

Character Evolution

Bronze form
Bronze Early Warring States ~400 BC
Seal form
Seal Western Han 202 BC-9 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 ChineseGloss
Baxter-Sagartkikkrəkthorns
Zhengzhangkrɯɡ
Unicodegiək

說文解字

小棗叢生者。从並朿。

Sources

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

荊 thorns Traditional

Character Evolution

Oracle form
Oracle Bone Early Western Zhou ~1000 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Early Western Zhou ~1000 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Mid Western Zhou ~900 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Mid Western Zhou ~900 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Mid Western Zhou ~900 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Mid Western Zhou ~900 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
Clerical form
Clerical Eastern Han 25-220 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Three Kingdoms (Cao Wei) 222-280 AD
Regular Modern

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-Sagartkjæng[k]reŋbriar
Zhengzhangkeŋ
Unicodegiæng

Sources

Readings & variants
Unicode
Historical pronunciations
Baxter-SagartZhengzhang Shangfang
Historical images
Academia Sinica

斬 chop Traditional

Phonosemantic compound. 車 represents the sound and 斤 represents the meaning.

Components

車
車 Sound component
chē cart, vehicle
Change in sound
斤
斤 Meaning component
jīn axe

Character Evolution

Bronze form
Bronze Mid Western Zhou ~900 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 Three Kingdoms (Cao Wei) 222-280 AD
Regular Modern

Component uses

Sound (2 of 5 verified)

嶄慚漸塹暫

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-SagarttsreamX[ts]ramʔ cut off

說文解字

《說文》：“斬，也。从車，从斤。斬法車裂也。”

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)