新陈代谢
xīn​chén​dài​xiè HSK7

metabolism

新 xīn new

Original meaning: firewood

Phonosemantic component. 辛 represents the sound, and 斤 (axe) and 木 (tree) represent the original meaning "firewood", now written as 薪. The meaning later shifted to "fresh" and "new".

Components

辛
辛 Sound component
xīn laborious
木
木 Iconic component
mù tree

Depicts a tree being cut for firewood.

Change in meaning
木 hints at the original meaning of 新, "firewood", which is no longer the most common meaning of 新 in modern Mandarin.
斤
斤 Iconic component
jīn axe

Depicts an axe cutting a tree for firewood.

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

Character Evolution

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 Early Western Zhou ~1000 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Early Warring States ~400 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 Eastern Han 25-220 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Western Jin 266-316 AD
Regular Modern

Component uses

Sound (1)

薪

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-Sagartsins.tsʰi[n] new

說文解字

《說文》：“新，取木也。从斤，新聲。”

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)

陈 chén exhibit, display Simplified

Simplified form of 陳. Composed of 阝 and 东. The purpose of 东 is unclear.

Components

阝
阝 Meaning component
fù hill, place

阝 is a component form of 阜.

东
东 Unknown component
dōng east

The purpose of this component is unclear.

Sources

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

代 dài replace

Phonosemantic compound. 亻 represents the meaning and 弋 represents the sound.

Components

亻
亻 Meaning component
rén person

亻 is a component form of 人.

弋
弋 Sound component
yì to shoot
Change in sound

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 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 (1 of 6 verified)

袋贷黛岱玳貸

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-SagartdojHlˤək-s replace

說文解字

《說文》：“代，更也。从人，弋聲。”

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)

谢 xiè, xie thank Simplified

Simplified form of 謝. Phonosemantic compound. 言 represents the meaning and 射 represents the sound.

Components

讠
讠 Meaning component
yán speech

讠 is a component form of 言.

射
射 Sound component
shè shoot

Sources

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

陳 chén exhibit, display Traditional

Composed of 阝 and 東. The purpose of 東 is unclear.

Components

阝
阝 Meaning component
fù hill, place

阝 is a component form of 阜.

東
東 Unknown component
dōng east

The purpose of this component is unclear.

Character Evolution

Bronze form
Bronze Mid Western Zhou ~900 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Early Spring and Autumn ~700 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Warring States 475-221 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Early Warring States ~400 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Early Warring States ~400 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Mid Warring States ~300 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 Shuowen ~100 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 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
Clerical form
Clerical Western Jin 266-316 AD
Regular Modern

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-Sagartdrinlri[n] arrange
drinHlri[n]-s battle array

說文解字

《說文》：“陳，宛丘，舜後媯滿之所封。从，从木，申聲。，古文陳。”

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)

謝 xiè, xie thank Traditional

Phonosemantic compound. 言 represents the meaning and 射 represents the sound.

Components

言
言 Meaning component
yán speech
射
射 Sound component
shè shoot

Character Evolution

Seal form
Seal Western Han 202 BC-9 AD
Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Eastern Han 25-220 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Western Jin 266-316 AD
Regular Modern

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-SagartzjaeHsə-lAk-s decline, renounce

說文解字

《說文》：“謝，辤去也。从言，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)