赞美
zàn​měi HSK7

praise

赞 zàn praise, support Simplified

Phonosemantic compound. 贝 represents the meaning and 兟 represents the sound. Simplified form of 贊.

Components

兟
兟 Sound component
shēn go forward
贝
贝 Meaning component
bèi sea shell

Shells (貝) were used as currency in ancient China. Used here to depict financial support.

Component uses

Sound (0 of 6 verified)

攒瓒缵趱躜臜

Historical Pronunciations

Sources

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

美 měi beautiful

Pictograph of a person with ornamental headwear resembling sheep horns.

Components

羊
羊 Iconic component
yáng sheep

Depicts ornamental headwear resembling sheep horns.

大
大 Iconic component
dà, dài big

Used here as a pictograph of a person.


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 Early Western Zhou ~1000 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Late Warring States ~250 BC
Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Qin 221-206 BC
Regular Modern

Component uses

Sound (0 of 2 verified)

镁鎂

Meaning (0 of 1 verified)

羹

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-SagartmijX[m]rəjʔ beautiful

說文解字

《說文》：“美，甘也。从羊，从大。”

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)

讚 praise Traditional

Words 言 of praise 贊; 贊 also provides the pronunciation

Components

言
言 Meaning component
yán speech
贊
贊 SoundMeaning component
zàn praise, support

Character Evolution

Clerical form
Clerical Western Jin 266-316 AD
Regular Modern

Historical Pronunciations

Old Chinese
Zhengzhangʔsaːns

Sources

Readings & variants
Unicode
Historical pronunciations
Zhengzhang Shangfang
Historical images
Academia Sinica