dàn​chén HSK7

birthday

dàn birth Simplified

Original meaning: tell false words

Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound. Based on the original meaning "tell false words". The meaning later shifted to "boast", "increase", and "give birth". Simplified form of .

Components

Meaning component
yán speech

is a component form of .

Change in meaning
hints at the original meaning of , "tell false words", which is no longer the most common meaning of in modern Mandarin.
Sound component
yán delay

Sources

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

chén early morning

Pictograph of an ancient farming tool. The current meaning is a phonetic loan.

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
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
Bronze form
Bronze Late Western Zhou ~800 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Mid Warring States ~300 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 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 Spring and Autumn 771-476 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 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 (2 of 10 verified)

Iconic (3)

Simplified (1)

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-Sagartdzyin[d]ər 5th earthly branch

說文解字

《說文》:“震也。三月陽气動,雷電振,民農時也。物皆生。从乙、匕,象芒達,厂聲也。辰,房星,天時也。从二。二,古文上字。,古文辰。”

Sources

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

dàn birth Traditional

Original meaning: tell false words

Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound. Based on the original meaning "tell false words". The meaning later shifted to "boast", "increase", and "give birth".

Components

Meaning component
yán speech
Change in meaning
hints at the original meaning of , "tell false words", which is no longer the most common meaning of in modern Mandarin.
Sound component
yán delay

Character Evolution

Bronze form
Bronze Early Western Zhou ~1000 BC
Seal form
Seal Western Han 202 BC-9 AD
Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Eastern Han 25-220 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Western Jin 266-316 AD
Regular Modern

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld Chinese
Zhengzhangl'aːnʔ
Unicodedhɑ̌n

說文解字

《說文》:“誕,詞誕也。从言,延聲。,籀文省。”

Sources

Character origin
漢語多功能字庫
Readings & variants
Unicode
Historical pronunciations
Zhengzhang Shangfang
Historical images
Academia Sinica