逆时针
nì​shí​zhēn

counterclockwise

逆 nì disobey

Originally written as 屰, a pictograph of an upside-down person. The 辶 (walk) component was added later, representing a person walking in the wrong direction.

Components

屰
屰 SoundMeaning component
nì, pò, jí disobedient
辶
辶 Meaning component
chuò walk

辶 is a component form of 辵.

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 Mid Western Zhou ~900 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Late Western Zhou ~800 BC
Seal form
Seal Warring States (Chu) 475-221 BC
Seal form
Seal Qin 221-206 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 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
Clerical form
Clerical Eastern Han 25-220 AD
Regular Modern

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-Sagartngjaekŋrak go against

說文解字

《說文》：“逆，迎也。从辵，屰聲。關東曰逆，關西曰迎。”

Sources

Character origin
季旭昇《說文新證》p.147-148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)

时 shí time Simplified

Simplified form of 時.

Components

日
日 Meaning component
rì sun
寸
寸 Simplified component
cùn, cun (hand), inch

Shorthand for the 寺 component in the traditional character 時.

Component uses

Sound (0 of 3 verified)

鲥莳埘

Sources

Readings & variants
Unicode

针 zhēn needle Simplified

Simplified form of 針. Phonosemantic compound. 钅 represents the meaning and 十 represents the sound.

Components

钅
钅 Meaning component
jīn metal

钅 is a component form of 金.

十
十 Sound component
shí ten
Change in sound

Historical Pronunciations

Sources

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

時 shí time Traditional

Phonosemantic compound. 日 represents the meaning and 寺 represents the sound.

Components

日
日 Meaning component
rì sun
寺
寺 Sound component
sì, shì temple

Character Evolution

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 Eastern Han 25-220 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Eastern Han 25-220 AD
Regular Modern

Component uses

Sound (0 of 2 verified)

蒔鰣

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-Sagartdzyi[d]ə
(~ *[d]əʔ)		time

說文解字

《說文》：“時，四時也。从日，寺聲。旹，古文時，从之、日。”

Sources

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

針 zhēn needle Traditional

Phonosemantic compound. 釒 represents the meaning and 十 represents the sound.

Components

釒
釒 Meaning component
jīn metal
十
十 Sound component
shí ten
Change in sound

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-Sagarttsyimt.[k]əm needle

Sources

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