shí​jiān​jìn​chéng

time course

shí time Simplified

Simplified form of .

Components

Meaning component
sun
Simplified component
cùn, cun (hand), inch

Shorthand for the component in the traditional character .

Component uses

Sound (0 of 3 verified)

Sources

Readings & variants
Unicode

jiān, jian, jiàn space Simplified

Simplified form of . Depicts sunlight () shining through the gap in a door ().

Components

Iconic component
mén, men door
Iconic component
sun

Component uses

Sound (1 of 4 verified)

Meaning (0 of 1 verified)

Sources

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

jìn advance Simplified

Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound. Simplified form of .

Components

Meaning component
chuò walk

is a component form of .

jǐng well

Simplified from in the traditional character .

Sources

Readings & variants
Unicode

chéng sequence

Original meaning: unit of measurement

Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound. Based on the original meaning "unit of measurement". The meaning later shifted to "rule", "procedure", "sequence", and "journey".

Components

Meaning component
grain stalk
Change in meaning
hints at the original meaning of , "unit of measurement", which is no longer the most common meaning of in modern Mandarin.
Sound component
chéng submit

Character Evolution

Bronze form
Bronze Early Spring and Autumn ~700 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

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-Sagartdrjeng(C.)lreŋ Chéng (a surname)
drjengl<r>eŋ rule, norm

說文解字

《說文》:“程,品也。十髮為程,十程為分,十分為寸。从禾,呈聲。”

Sources

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

shí time Traditional

Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound.

Components

Meaning component
sun
Sound component
sì, shì temple

Character Evolution

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

Component uses

Sound (0 of 2 verified)

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-Sagartdzyi[d]ə
(~ *[d]əʔ)
time

說文解字

《說文》:“時,四時也。从日,寺聲。旹,古文時,从之、日。”

Sources

Readings & variants
Unicode
Historical pronunciations
Baxter-Sagart
Historical images
Academia Sinica

jiān, jian, jiàn space Traditional

Depicts sunlight () shining through the gap in a door ().

Components

Iconic component
mén, men door
Iconic component
sun

Component uses

Sound (1 of 2 verified)

Meaning (0 of 1 verified)

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-Sagartkeankˤre[n] interval
keankˤre[n] 間關 sound of a chariot's linchpin (Ode 218.1)
heanN-kˤre[n] idle

Sources

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

jìn go forward Traditional

represents the meaning and depicts a bird, which is unable to walk backwards.

Components

Meaning component
chuò walk

is a component form of .

Iconic component
zhuī, cuī, wéi bird

Used here because birds are not able to walk backwards.

Character Evolution

Oracle form
Oracle Bone ~1250-1000 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Early Western Zhou ~1000 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
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 Eastern Han 25-220 AD
Regular Modern

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-SagarttsinH[ts][i][n]-s advance (v.)

說文解字

登也。从辵,閵省聲。

Sources

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