设想
shè​xiǎng HSK5

imagine

设 shè build Simplified

Depicts the process of setting something up using speech (讠) and a tool (殳).

Components

讠
讠 Meaning component
yán speech

讠 is a component form of 言.

殳
殳 Meaning component
shū weapon or tool

Depicts a hand holding a tool.

Sources

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

想 xiǎng think

Phonosemantic compound. 心 represents the meaning and 相 represents the sound.

Components

心
心 Meaning component
xīn, xin heart
相
相 Sound component
xiāng, xiàng mutual

Character Evolution

Bronze form
Bronze Late Spring and Autumn ~500 BC
Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Eastern Han 25-220 AD
Regular Modern

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-SagartsjangX[s]aŋʔ think

說文解字

《說文》：“想，冀思也。从心，相聲。”

Sources

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

設 shè build, set up Traditional

Depicts the process of setting something up using speech (言) and a tool (殳).

Components

言
言 Meaning component
yán speech
殳
殳 Meaning component
shū weapon or tool

Depicts a hand holding a tool.

Character Evolution

Seal form
Seal Qin 221-206 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
Clerical form
Clerical Eastern Han 25-220 AD
Regular Modern

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-Sagartsyetŋ̊et set up

說文解字

《說文》：“設，施陳也。从言，从殳。殳，使人也。”

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)