称赞
chēng​zàn HSK4

praise

称 chēng, chèn call Simplified

Original meaning: measure weight

Simplified form of 稱. Phonosemantic compound. 禾 represents the meaning and 爯 represents the sound. Based on the original meaning "measure weight". The meaning later shifted to "lift", "raise", "praise", "reputation", and "call".

Components

禾
禾 Meaning component
hé grain stalk

Alludes to measuring the weight of grain.

尔
尔 Simplified component
ěr you

Shorthand for the 爯 component in the traditional character 稱.

Sources

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

赞 zàn praise, support Simplified

Phonosemantic compound. 贝 represents the meaning and 兟 represents the sound. Simplified form of 贊.

Components

兟
兟 Sound component
shēn go forward
贝
贝 Meaning component
bèi sea shell

Shells (貝) were used as currency in ancient China. Used here to depict financial support.

Component uses

Sound (0 of 6 verified)

攒瓒缵趱躜臜

Historical Pronunciations

Sources

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

稱 chēng, chèn call Traditional

Original meaning: measure weight

Phonosemantic compound. 禾 represents the meaning and 爯 represents the sound. Based on the original meaning "measure weight". The meaning later shifted to "lift", "raise", "praise", "reputation", and "call".

Components

禾
禾 Meaning component
hé grain stalk

Alludes to measuring the weight of grain.

爯
爯 SoundMeaning component
chēng, chèn, chèng pick up

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 Eastern Han 25-220 AD
Regular Modern

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-Sagarttsyhingtʰəŋ weigh; evaluate; call
tsyhingHmə-tʰəŋ-s steelyard

說文解字

《說文》：“稱，銓也。从禾，爯聲。春分而禾生，日夏至晷景可度，禾有秒，秋分而秒定。律數十二，秒而當一分，十分而寸。其以為重，十二粟為一分，十二分為一銖。故諸程品皆从禾。”

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)

讚 praise Traditional

Words 言 of praise 贊; 贊 also provides the pronunciation

Components

言
言 Meaning component
yán speech
贊
贊 SoundMeaning component
zàn praise, support

Character Evolution

Clerical form
Clerical Western Jin 266-316 AD
Regular Modern

Historical Pronunciations

Old Chinese
Zhengzhangʔsaːns

Sources

Readings & variants
Unicode
Historical pronunciations
Zhengzhang Shangfang
Historical images
Academia Sinica