观衅伺隙
guān​xìn​sì​xì

exploit weaknesses

观 guān observe Simplified

Simplified form of 觀. Phonosemantic compound. 见 represents the meaning and 雚 represents the sound.

Components

见
见 Meaning component
jiàn, xiàn, jian see
又
又 Simplified component
yòu again

Shorthand for the 雚 component in the traditional character 觀.

Sources

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

衅 xìn consecrate sacrificial vessels by smearing blood Simplified

Phonosemantic compound. 血 represents the meaning and 半 represents the sound. Simplified form of 釁.

Components

血
血 Meaning component
xuè, xiě blood
半
半 Sound component
bàn half

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-SagartxinHm̥ rər-ssmear with blood
Zhengzhanghmrɯns

Sources

Readings & variants
Unicode
Historical pronunciations
Baxter-SagartZhengzhang Shangfang

伺 cì serve

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

Components

亻
亻 Meaning component
rén person

亻 is a component form of 人.

司
司 Sound component
sī take charge of

Character Evolution

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

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld Chinese
Zhengzhangslɯ
slɯs
Unicodesiə̀

說文解字

𠊱望也。从人司聲。自低已下六字，从人，皆後人所加。

Sources

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

隙 xì crack

A crack 日 dividing two things 小; 阝 provides the pronunciation

Components

阝
阝 Sound component
fù hill, place
小
小 Meaning component
xiǎo small
日
日 Meaning component
rì sun
小
小 Meaning component
xiǎo small

Character Evolution

Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Regular Modern

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-Sagartkhjæk[k]ʰrakcrack (n.)
Zhengzhangkʰraɡ
Unicodekiæk

說文解字

壁際孔也。从𨸏从𡭴，𡭴亦聲。

Sources

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

觀 guān observe Traditional

Phonosemantic compound. 見 represents the meaning and 雚 represents the sound.

Components

見
見 Meaning component
jiàn, xiàn, jian see
雚
雚 Sound component
guàn, huán heron

Character Evolution

Oracle form
Oracle Bone ~1250-1000 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Mid Western Zhou ~900 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Late Warring States ~250 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 Shuowen ~100 AD
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-SagartkwanC.qʷˤar look (v.)
kwanHC.qʷˤar-s watchtower
kwanHC.qʷˤar-s 榮觀 imperial palace; walls and watchtowers

說文解字

《說文》：“觀，諦視也。从見，雚聲。，古文觀从囧。”

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)

釁 consecrate sacrificial vessels by smearing blood Traditional

Character Evolution

Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Three Kingdoms (Cao Wei) 222-280 AD
Regular Modern

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-SagartxinHm̥ rər-ssmear with blood
Zhengzhanghmrɯns
Unicodexyìn

說文解字

血祭也。象祭竈也。从爨省，从酉。酉，所以祭也。从分，分亦聲。

Sources

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