普通高等学校招生全国统一考试 Origin

pǔ universal

Phonosemantic compound. 日 represents the meaning and 並 represents the sound.

Components

side by side

Change in sound

普 and 並 don't sound similar in modern Mandarin due to historical phonetic changes. They were more similar in Old Chinese.
普 pʰaːʔ
並 *[b]ˤeŋʔ

日 Meaning component

rì sun

Character Evolution

Clerical form — Clerical Western Han 202 BC-9 AD

Regular Modern

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Component uses

Sound (0 of 5 verified)

谱氆镨譜潽

Historical Pronunciations

	Old Chinese
Zhengzhang	pʰaːʔ

說文解字

《說文》：“暜，日無色也。从日，从竝。”

Sources

Character origin: zdic
Readings & variants: Unicode
Historical pronunciations: Zhengzhang Shangfang
Historical images: Academia Sinica
Etymology: Shuowen Jiezi (說文解字)

tōng, tòng pass through

Phonosemantic compound. 辶 represents the meaning and 甬 represents the sound.

Components

辶 Meaning component

chuò walk

辶 is a component form of 辵.

甬 Sound component

yǒng, tǒng, dòng path

Character Evolution

Bronze form — Bronze Mid Western Zhou ~900 BC

Regular Modern

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Component uses

Sound (0 of 1 verified)

嗵

Historical Pronunciations

	Middle Chinese	Old Chinese	Gloss
Baxter-Sagart	thuwng	l̥ˤoŋ	penetrate

說文解字

達也。从辵甬聲。

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)

gāo high

Pictograph of a tall building.

Components

京 Iconic component

jīng capital city

Pictograph of a tall building.

口 Distinguishing component

kǒu, kou mouth

Character Evolution

Regular Modern

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Component uses

Historical Pronunciations

	Middle Chinese	Old Chinese	Gloss
Baxter-Sagart	kaw	Cə.[k]ˤaw	high, tall

說文解字

《說文》：“高，崇也，象臺觀高之形。从冂、口，與倉舍同意。”

Sources

Character origin: 季旭昇《說文新證》p.448
Readings & variants: Unicode
Historical pronunciations: Baxter-Sagart
Historical images: Academia Sinica
Etymology: Shuowen Jiezi (說文解字)

děng rank

Phonosemantic compound. ⺮ represents the meaning and 寺 represents the sound.

Components

⺮ Meaning component

zhú bamboo

⺮ is a component form of 竹. Alludes to an orderly arrangement of writings on bamboo strips.

寺 Sound component

sì, shì temple

Change in sound

等 and 寺 don't sound similar in modern Mandarin due to historical phonetic changes. They were more similar in Old Chinese.
等 *tˤəŋʔ
寺 *s-[d]əʔ-s

Character Evolution

Regular Modern

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Historical Pronunciations

	Middle Chinese	Old Chinese	Gloss
Baxter-Sagart	tongX	tˤəŋʔ	step, grade

說文解字

《說文》：“等，齊簡也。从竹，从寺。寺，官曹之等平也。”

Sources

Character origin: 漢語多功能字庫 Wiktionary
Readings & variants: Unicode
Historical pronunciations: Baxter-Sagart
Historical images: Academia Sinica
Etymology: Shuowen Jiezi (說文解字)

xué learning Simplified

Simplified form of 學. Depicts two hands (𦥑) teaching a child (子) under a roof (宀). 爻 represents the sound.

Components

◎ Simplified component

characterless component

Shorthand for the 𦥑 and 爻 components in the traditional character 學.

宀 Iconic component

mián roof

子 Iconic component

zi, zǐ child

Component uses

Sound (1)

觉

Remnant (1)

觉

Sources

Readings & variants: Unicode

xiào school

Phonosemantic compound. 木 represents the meaning and 交 represents the sound.

Components

木 Meaning component

mù tree

交 Sound component

jiāo to cross, to mix

Character Evolution

Regular Modern

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Historical Pronunciations

	Middle Chinese	Old Chinese
Zhengzhang		kreːws
		ɡreːws
Unicode	gàu
	hàu

說文解字

《說文》：“校，木囚也。从木，交聲。”

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)

zhāo beckon

Phonosemantic compound. 扌 represents the meaning and 召 represents the sound.

Components

扌 Meaning component

shou, shǒu hand

扌 is a component form of 手.

召 Sound Meaning component

zhào summon

Character Evolution

Regular Modern

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Historical Pronunciations

	Middle Chinese	Old Chinese
Zhengzhang		tjew
Unicode	jiɛu

說文解字

《說文》：“招，手呼也。从手，召聲。”

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)

shēng, sheng life

Pictograph of a sprout (屮) emerging from the ground (一).

Components

屮 Iconic component

chè, cǎo sprout

Depicts a sprout growing.

Change in form

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

一 Iconic component

yī one

Used here to depict the ground.

Character Evolution

Regular Modern

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Component uses

Sound (7 of 11 verified)

性青星省胜姓牲甥笙旌眚

Meaning (4 of 5 verified)

靑甤甦產産

Deleted (1)

产

Historical Pronunciations

	Middle Chinese	Old Chinese	Gloss
Baxter-Sagart	sraeng	sreŋ (MC srj- > sr-; or *s.reŋ ?)	bear, be born; live
	sraeng	sreŋ	fresh, raw
	srjaeng	sreŋ (or *s.reŋ ?)	bear, be born; live

說文解字

《說文》：“生，進也。象艸木生出土上。”

Sources

Character origin: 季旭昇《說文新證》p.506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)

quán entire

Original meaning: pure jade

Depicts jade (玉) that is entirely pure and flawless. Based on the original meaning "pure jade". The meaning later shifted to "complete" and "entire".

Components

◎ Unknown component

characterless component

The purpose of this component is unclear.

王 Unknown component

wáng king

Character Evolution

Regular Modern

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Component uses

Sound (0 of 10 verified)

栓拴痊诠荃铨筌詮辁銓

Meaning (0 of 2 verified)

痊辁

Historical Pronunciations

	Middle Chinese	Old Chinese	Gloss
Baxter-Sagart	dzjwen	[dz]o[n]	complete (adj.)

說文解字

《說文》：“，完也。从入，从工。全，篆文从玉。純玉曰全。，古文仝。”

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)

guó nation Simplified

Simplified form of 國. Phonosemantic compound. 囗 represents the meaning and 或 represents the sound.

Components

囗 Meaning component

wéi, guó surround

玉 Sound Simplified component

yù jade

Shorthand for the 或 component in the traditional character 國.

Change in sound

国 and 玉 don't sound similar in modern Mandarin due to historical phonetic changes. They were more similar in Old Chinese.
国 *[C.q]ʷˤək
玉 *[ŋ](r)ok (< uvular?)

Component uses

Sound (0 of 3 verified)

帼蝈掴

Historical Pronunciations

Sources

Readings & variants: Unicode

tǒng connected Simplified

Simplified form of 統. Phonosemantic compound. 糹 represents the meaning and 充 represents the sound.

Components

纟 Meaning component

mì silk

纟 is a component form of 糸.

充 Sound component

chōng fill

Sources

Readings & variants: Unicode

yī one

A single horizontal stroke, representing the number one.

Character Evolution

Regular Modern

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Component uses

Iconic (9)

生之方或万旦曰巿丏

Meaning (2 of 7 verified)

百千兹闩戛晉閂

Unknown (2)

昼晝

Distinguishing (1)

夫

Simplified (1)

丛

Historical Pronunciations

	Middle Chinese	Old Chinese	Gloss
Baxter-Sagart	'jit	ʔi[t]	one

說文解字

《說文》：“一，惟初太始，道立於一，造分天地，化成萬物。弌，古文一。”

Sources

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

kǎo examine

Original meaning: old father

Depicts an old man (耂) with a cane (丂). Originally the same character as 老. Based on the original meaning "old father". The current meaning is a phonetic loan.