蒹葭倚玉树
jiān​jiā​yǐ​yù​shù

humble association

蒹 jiān reed

Components

艹
艹 Meaning component
cao, cǎo grass

grass

兼
兼 Sound component
jiān double

Character Evolution

Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Regular Modern

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-Sagartkem[k]ˤemrush, sedge
Zhengzhangkeːm
Unicodegem

說文解字

雚之未秀者。从艸兼聲。

Sources

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

葭 jiā, xiá bulrush

Components

艹
艹 Meaning component
cao, cǎo grass

grass

叚
叚 Sound component
jiǎ, xiá false

Character Evolution

Seal form
Seal Western Han 202 BC-9 AD
Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Regular Modern

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld Chinese
Zhengzhangkraː
Unicodega

說文解字

葦之未秀者。从艸叚聲。

Sources

Readings & variants
Unicode
Historical pronunciations
Zhengzhang Shangfang
Historical images
Academia Sinica
Etymology
Shuowen Jiezi (說文解字)

倚 yǐ rely on

Phonosemantic compound. 亻 represents the meaning and 奇 represents the sound.

Components

亻
亻 Meaning component
rén person

亻 is a component form of 人.

奇
奇 Sound component
qí strange

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 Western Han 202 BC-9 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Eastern Han 25-220 AD
Regular Modern

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-SagartʔjeXCə.q(r)ajʔlean on
Zhengzhangqralʔ
qrals
Unicodegyɛ̌
gyɛ̌

說文解字

依也。从人奇聲。

Sources

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

玉 yù jade

Pictograph of a ritual object made out of several pieces of jade joined together by a string. A dot was later added to 玉 to distinguish it from 王 (king).

Components

◎
◎ Iconic component
characterless component

Depicts a ritual object made out of several pieces of jade joined together by a string.

丶
丶 Distinguishing component
zhǔ dot

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
Seal form
Seal Warring States (Chu) 475-221 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 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
Regular Modern

Component uses

Meaning (2 of 8 verified)

莹璧玺钰璺鈺璽瑩

Sound (1 of 3 verified)

国钰鈺

Iconic (3)

宝弄珏

Simplified (1)

国

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-Sagartngjowk[ŋ](r)ok (< uvular?) jade

說文解字

《說文》：“玉，石之美。有五德：潤澤以溫，仁之方也；理自外，可以知中，義之方也；其聲舒揚，專以遠聞，智之方也；不橈而折，勇之方也；銳廉而不技，絜之方也。象三玉之連，丨，其貫也。，古文玉。”

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)

树 shù tree Simplified

Simplified form of 樹. Phonosemantic compound. 木 represents the meaning and 尌 represents the sound.

Components

木
木 Meaning component
mù tree
对
对 Simplified component
duì correct

Shorthand for the phonetic 尌 (shù) component in the traditional character 樹.

Sources

Readings & variants
Unicode

樹 shù tree Traditional

Phonosemantic compound. 木 represents the meaning and 尌 represents the sound.

Components

木
木 Meaning component
mù tree
尌
尌 Sound component
shù, zhù standing (something) up

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
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-SagartdzyuXm-toʔ plant (v.); place upright
dzyuHm-toʔ-s tree

說文解字

《說文》：“樹，生植之緫名。从木，尌聲。尌，籀文。”

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)