粗茶淡饭
cū​chá​dàn​fàn

simple fare

粗 cū rough, coarse

Phonosemantic compound. 米 represents the meaning and 且 represents the sound.

Components

米
米 Meaning component
mǐ rice
且
且 Sound component
qiě moreover
Change in sound

Character Evolution

Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Regular Modern

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-SagarttshuNə-s.r̥ˤa coarse, thick (as hair)

說文解字

《說文》：“粗，疏也。从米，且聲。”

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)

茶 chá tea

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

Components

艹
艹 Meaning component
cao, cǎo grass

艹 is a component form of 艸.

余
余 Sound component
yú I
Change in sound

Component uses

Sound (0 of 1 verified)

搽

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-Sagartdraelˤra(name of a plant)

Sources

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

淡 dàn weak, bland, watery

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

Components

氵
氵 Meaning component
shui, shuǐ water

氵 is a component form of 水.

炎
炎 Sound component
yán flame

Character Evolution

Oracle form
Oracle Bone ~1250-1000 BC
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 Eastern Han 25-220 AD
Regular Modern

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-SagartdamX[l]ˤamʔ insipid

說文解字

《說文》：“淡，薄味也。从水，炎聲。”

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)

饭 fàn cooked rice Simplified

Simplified form of 飯. Phonosemantic compound. 饣 represents the meaning and 反 represents the sound.

Components

饣
饣 Meaning component
shí eat

饣 is a component form of 食.

反
反 Sound component
fǎn reverse

Sources

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

飯 fàn cooked rice Traditional

Phonosemantic compound. 飠 represents the meaning and 反 represents the sound.

Components

飠
飠 Meaning component
eat

飠 is a component form of 食.

反
反 Sound component
fǎn reverse

Character Evolution

Bronze form
Bronze Late Spring and Autumn ~500 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
Regular Modern

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-SagartbjonXbo[n]ʔ eat
bjonHbo[n]ʔ-s cooked rice or millet

說文解字

《說文》：“飯，食也。从食，反聲。”

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)