现代五项
xiàn​dài​wǔ​xiàng

modern pentathlon

现 xiàn appear Simplified

Simplified form of 現. Etymologically related to 见 (to see). Originally these two characters were written the same, then the 𤣩 component was added to distinguish them.

Components

𤣩
𤣩 Distinguishing component
yù jade

Distinguishes 现 from 见.

见
见 SoundMeaning component
jiàn, xiàn, jian see

Sources

Character origin
Wiktionary
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)

五 wǔ five

Origin unclear. Originally an X-shape.

Character Evolution

Oracle form
Oracle Bone ~1250-1000 BC
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 Mid Western Zhou ~900 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Early Warring States ~400 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Early Warring States ~400 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 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 Jin 266-420 AD
Regular Modern

Component uses

Sound (1 of 2 verified)

伍吾

Meaning (0 of 1 verified)

伍

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-SagartnguXC.ŋˤaʔ five

說文解字

《說文》：“五，五行也。从二。陰陽在天地間交午也。，古文五省。”

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)

项 xiàng neck Simplified

Phonosemantic compound. 页 represents the meaning and 工 represents the sound. Simplified form of 項.

Components

工
工 Sound component
gōng work
Change in sound
页
页 Meaning component
yè page

Depicts a head.

Historical Pronunciations

Sources

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

現 xiàn appear Traditional

Etymologically related to 見 (to see). Originally these two characters were written the same, then the 𤣩 component was added to distinguish them.

Components

𤣩
𤣩 Distinguishing component
yù jade

Distinguishes 現 from 見.

見
見 SoundMeaning component
jiàn, xiàn, jian see

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-SagarthenHN-[k]ˤen-s appear

Sources

Character origin
Wiktionary
Readings & variants
Unicode
Historical pronunciations
Baxter-Sagart

項 xiàng neck Traditional

Phonosemantic compound. 頁 represents the meaning and 工 represents the sound.

Components

工
工 Sound component
gōng work
Change in sound
頁
頁 Meaning component
yè (head), page

Depicts a head.

Character Evolution

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 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

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-SagarthaewngX[g]ˤroŋʔ neck

說文解字

《說文》：“項，頭後也。从頁，工聲。”

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)