bēn​mén

cardia

bēn, bì, fén forge ahead Simplified

Original meaning: adornment

Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound. Based on the original meaning "adornment". The current meaning is a phonetic loan.

Components

Sound component
bēn run fast
Change in form
Due to historical stylistic changes, this component is less similar to than it was in ancient scripts.
Meaning component
bèi sea shell
Change in meaning
hints at the original meaning of , "adornment", which is no longer the most common meaning of in modern Mandarin.

Component uses

Sound (0 of 4 verified)

Sources

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

mén, men door Simplified

Simplified form of . Pictograph of a gate.

Component uses

Sound (3 of 10 verified)

Iconic (5)

Simplified (1)

Unknown (0 of 1 verified)

Sources

Readings & variants
Unicode

forge ahead Traditional

Original meaning: adornment

Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound. Based on the original meaning "adornment". The current meaning is a phonetic loan.

Components

Sound component
bēn run fast
Change in form
Due to historical stylistic changes, this component is less similar to than it was in ancient scripts.
Meaning component
bèi sea shell

Character Evolution

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
Regular Modern

Component uses

Sound (0 of 3 verified)

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-Sagartpwonpˤur ardent, brave
pjeHpor-s ornate (name of a hexagram)
bjun[b]ur great, big

說文解字

《說文》:“賁,飾也。从貝,卉聲。”

Sources

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

mén, men door Traditional

Original meaning: outer door

Pictograph of a gate.

Character Evolution

Oracle form
Oracle Bone ~1250-1000 BC
Oracle form
Oracle Bone ~1250-1000 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Mid Western Zhou ~900 BC
Seal form
Seal Warring States (Chu) 475-221 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 Eastern Han 25-220 AD
Regular Modern

Component uses

Sound (3 of 8 verified)

Iconic (5)

Deleted (2)

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-Sagartmwonmˤə[r] gate, door

說文解字

《說文》:“門,聞也。从二戶,象形。”

Sources

Readings & variants
Unicode
Historical pronunciations
Baxter-Sagart
Historical images
Academia Sinica