约翰·拉贝
Yuē​hàn​· Lā​bèi

John Rabe

约 yuē agreement Simplified

Original meaning: bind

Simplified form of 約. Phonosemantic compound. 纟 represents the meaning and 勺 represents the sound. Based on the original meaning "bind". The meaning later shifted to "agreement", "restrain", "keep under control", "appointment", and "approximately".

Components

纟
纟 Meaning component
mì silk

纟 is a component form of 糸.

勺
勺 Sound component
sháo, shuò, zhuó spoon
Change in sound

Component uses

Sound (1 of 2 verified)

药哟

Historical Pronunciations

Sources

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

翰 hàn writing brush

Phonosemantic compound. 羽 represents the meaning and 倝 represents the sound.

Components

羽
羽 Meaning component
yǔ feather
倝
倝 Sound component
gàn sunrise

Character Evolution

Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Regular Modern

Component uses

Sound (0 of 1 verified)

瀚

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-SagarthanH[g]ˤar (MC implies *-s)white (of a horse)
hanH[g]ˤar-s pheasant; feather, wing
hanH[g]ˤar-s high
hanHm-kˤar-s prop up, support

說文解字

《說文》：“翰，天雞，赤羽也。从羽，倝聲。”

Sources

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

拉 lā, la pull

Phonosemantic compound. 扌 represents the meaning and 立 represents the sound.

Components

扌
扌 Meaning component
shou, shǒu hand

扌 is a component form of 手.

立
立 Sound component
lì stand
Change in sound

Character Evolution

Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Regular Modern

Component uses

Sound (1)

啦

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-Sagartlop[r]ˤəp break

說文解字

《說文》：“拉，摧也。从手，立聲。”

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)

贝 bèi sea shell Simplified

Simplified form of 貝. Pictograph of a cowrie shell. In ancient China such shells were used as currency.

Component uses

Meaning (22 of 57 verified)

资质费财货贵赛购贸赞贫赖赏贴贡贷贺赔赋赢贤赌贾赐赠账赚贩贬贿贱贮赎赁赃赣贻赓贰赡赈赊赝贲赍赅贽赀赉赒赙赕贳贶赆赇屃

Sound (1 of 6 verified)

败坝狈赘钡呗

Iconic (5)

员负贯贪𭕆

Unknown (0 of 2 verified)

琐罂

Remnant (1)

员

Sources

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

約 yuē agreement Traditional

Original meaning: bind

Phonosemantic compound. 糹 represents the meaning and 勺 represents the sound. Based on the original meaning "bind". The meaning later shifted to "agreement", "restrain", "keep under control", "appointment", and "approximately".

Components

糹
糹 Meaning component
mì silk

糹 is a component form of 糸.

勺
勺 Sound component
sháo, shuò, zhuó spoon
Change in sound

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 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 2 verified)

葯喲

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-Sagart'jiewH[q]ewk-s bond, agreement (n.)
'jak[q](r)ewk bind (v.), make an agreement

說文解字

《說文》：“約，纏束也。从糸，勺聲。”

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)

貝 bèi sea shell Traditional

Pictograph of a cowrie shell. In ancient China such shells were used as currency.

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 Late Shang ~1100 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Early Western Zhou ~1000 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Early Western Zhou ~1000 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Early Western Zhou ~1000 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Mid Western Zhou ~900 BC
Seal form
Seal Warring States (Chu) 475-221 BC
Seal form
Seal Warring States (Chu) 475-221 BC
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 Eastern Han 25-220 AD
Regular Modern

Component uses

Meaning (28 of 56 verified)

真责質貢資責貴貼費販賴貧賈賦購貯財贏貨賀賢賜贈貿賄賞貲賚賂貸貽賅賺贄贊賁眞賑贗賬賭賙賽賤贓贖贛賠賒貶貳賃贍𧸇齎𧶠

Iconic (10)

得貪負買貫賓寶賏𧴪㝵

Sound (1 of 5 verified)

贅鋇敗唄狽

Unknown (0 of 1 verified)

瑣

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-SagartpajHpˤa[t]-s cowry shell

說文解字

《說文》：“貝，海介蟲也。居陸名猋，在水名蜬。象形。古者貨貝而寶龜，周而有泉，至秦廢貝行錢。”

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)