检察官
jiǎn​chá​guān

prosecutor

检 jiǎn inspect Simplified

Original meaning: label on a book

Phonosemantic compound. 木 represents the meaning and 佥 represents the sound. Simplified form of 檢. Based on the original meaning "label on a book". The meaning later shifted to "arrange" and "examine".

Components

木
木 Meaning component
mù tree
佥
佥 Sound component
qiān together

Sources

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

察 chá examine

Original meaning: eaves

Phonosemantic compound. 宀 represents the meaning and 祭 represents the sound. Based on the original meaning "eaves". The meaning later shifted to "observe from above", "examine", and "inspect".

Components

宀
宀 Meaning component
mián roof
Change in meaning
宀 hints at the original meaning of 察, "eaves", which is no longer the most common meaning of 察 in modern Mandarin.
祭
祭 Sound component
jì, zhài sacrifice to
Change in sound

Character Evolution

Bronze form
Bronze Late Western Zhou ~800 BC
Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
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 Eastern Han 25-220 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Eastern Han 25-220 AD
Regular Modern

Component uses

Sound (1 of 5 verified)

擦嚓檫镲鑔

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-Sagarttsrheat[tsʰ]ˤret examine

說文解字

《說文》：“察，覆也。从宀、祭。”

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)

官 guān official

Depicts an official person (師) working in a governmental institution (宀).

Components

宀
宀 Meaning component
mián roof
師
師 MeaningRemnant component
shī teacher

𠂤 is used here as an abbreviation of 師.

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 Late Western Zhou ~800 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 9 verified)

管馆棺倌绾涫菅逭館

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-Sagartkwankʷˤa[n] official (n.)

說文解字

《說文》：“官，吏事君也。从宀，从。猶眾也，此與師同意。”

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)

檢 jiǎn inspect Traditional

Original meaning: label on a book

Phonosemantic compound. 木 represents the meaning and 僉 represents the sound. Based on the original meaning "label on a book". The meaning later shifted to "arrange" and "examine".

Components

木
木 Meaning component
mù tree
僉
僉 Sound component
together

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
Regular Modern

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-SagartkjemX[k]r[a]mʔ measure (n.)

說文解字

《說文》：“檢，書署也。从木，僉聲。”

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)