洞房花烛
dòng​fáng​huā​zhú

wedding night

洞 dòng cave

Phonosemantic compound. 氵 represents the meaning and 同 represents the sound.

Components

氵
氵 Meaning component
shui, shuǐ water

氵 is a component form of 水.

同
同 Sound component
tóng, tong, tòng together

Character Evolution

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

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld Chinese
Zhengzhangdoːŋ
doːŋs
Unicodedhùng
dhung

說文解字

《說文》：“洞，疾流也。从水，同聲。”

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)

房 fáng house

Phonosemantic compound. 户 represents the meaning and 方 represents the sound.

Components

户
户 Meaning component
hù, hu door
方
方 Sound component
fāng, fang square

Character Evolution

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
Regular Modern

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-Sagartbjang[Cə-N-]paŋ side-room

說文解字

《說文》：“房，室在旁也。从戶，方聲。”

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)

花 huā, hua flower

Phonosemantic compound. 艹 represents the meaning and 化 represents the sound.

Components

艹
艹 Meaning component
cao, cǎo grass

艹 is a component form of 艸.

化
化 Sound component
huà change

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-Sagartxwaeqʷʰˤra flower (n.)

Sources

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

烛 zhú candle Simplified

Phonosemantic compound. 火 represents the meaning and 虫 represents the sound. Simplified form of 燭.

Components

火
火 Meaning component
huǒ fire
虫
虫 Sound component
chóng bug, insect

Sources

Readings & variants
Unicode

燭 zhú candle Traditional

Phonosemantic compound. 火 represents the meaning and 蜀 represents the sound.

Components

火
火 Meaning component
huǒ fire
蜀
蜀 Sound component
shǔ short name for Sichuan

Character Evolution

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 Eastern Han 25-220 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Eastern Han 25-220 AD
Regular Modern

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-Sagarttsyowktoktorch
Zhengzhangtjoɡ
Unicodejiok

說文解字

庭燎，火燭也。从火蜀聲。

Sources

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