zuì​kuí​huò​shǒu HSK7

culprit

zuì, zui crime

Original meaning: fishing net

Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound. Based on the original meaning "fishing net". The current meaning, originally written , is a phonetic loan.

Components

Meaning component
wǎng net
Change in meaning
hints at the original meaning of , "fishing net", which is no longer the most common meaning of in modern Mandarin.
Sound component
fēi not

Character Evolution

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
Regular Modern

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-SagartdzwojX[dz]ˤujʔ crime, offense

說文解字

《說文》:“罪,捕魚竹网。从网、非。秦以罪為辠字。”

Sources

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

kuí, kuǐ, kuài chief

Components

Sound component
guǐ ghost
Meaning component
dòu ladle

Character Evolution

Seal form
Seal Western Han 202 BC-9 AD
Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Eastern Han 25-220 AD
Regular Modern

Component uses

Sound (0 of 1 verified)

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-Sagartkhwoj[kʰ]ˤuj great; principal; chief
khwoj[kʰ]ˤuj spoon
khwoj[kʰ]ˤuj mound

說文解字

《說文》:“魁,羹斗也,从斗。鬼聲。”

Sources

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

huò misfortune Simplified

Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound. Simplified form of .

Components

Meaning component
shì show

spirit

Sound component
guō, wāi, hé chat

Sources

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

shǒu head

Pictograph of a head (hair above a face with an eye).

Character Evolution

Oracle form
Oracle Bone ~1250-1000 BC
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 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 Qin 221-206 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 Eastern Han 25-220 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Eastern Han 25-220 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Eastern Han 25-220 AD
Regular Modern

Component uses

Iconic (4)

Meaning (0 of 3 verified)

Sound (0 of 2 verified)

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-SagartsyuwXl̥uʔ head
syuwHl̥uʔ-s turn the head towards

說文解字

《說文》:“首,同,古文也。巛象髮,謂之鬊,鬊即巛也。”

Sources

Character origin
季旭昇《說文新證》p.700
Readings & variants
Unicode
Historical pronunciations
Baxter-Sagart
Historical images
Academia Sinica

huò misfortune Traditional

Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound.

Components

Meaning component
shì show

is a component form of .

Sound component
chat

Character Evolution

Bronze form
Bronze Late Warring States ~250 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
Clerical form
Clerical Eastern Han 25-220 AD
Regular Modern

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-SagarthwaX[g]ʷˤajʔ calamity

說文解字

《說文》:“禍,害也,神不福也。从示,咼聲。”

Sources

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