逍遥自在
xiāo​yáo​zì​zai

carefree

逍 xiāo ramble

Phonosemantic compound. 辶 represents the meaning and 肖 represents the sound.

Components

辶
辶 Meaning component
chuò walk

辶 is a component form of 辵.

肖
肖 Sound component
xiào look like

Character Evolution

Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Regular Modern

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-Sagartsjew[s]ewbe at ease
Zhengzhangsew
Unicodesiɛu

說文解字

逍遥，猶翱翔也。从辵肖聲。

Sources

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

遥 yáo far away Simplified

Phonosemantic compound. 辶 represents the meaning and 䍃 represents the sound. Simplified form of 遙.

Components

辶
辶 Meaning component
chuò walk

辶 is a component form of 辵.

䍃
䍃 Sound component
yáo, yóu vase, pitcher

說文解字

逍遥也。又，遠也。从辵䍃聲。

Sources

Readings & variants
Unicode
Etymology
Shuowen Jiezi (說文解字)

自 zì (nose), self

Original meaning: nose

Pictograph of a nose. Original form of 鼻 (nose). In China, when people point to themselves, they typically point to their nose.

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 Early Western Zhou ~1000 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Late Western Zhou ~800 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Early Warring States ~400 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
Regular Modern

Component uses

Iconic (5)

息鼻牵牽𰄩

Sound (1 of 5 verified)

瘪憩洎邊癟

Meaning (3 of 4 verified)

咱臭戛辠

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-SagartdzijHs.[b]i[t]-s self (adv.)
dzijHs.[b]i[t]-s to follow; from

說文解字

《說文》：“自，鼻也。象鼻形。，古文自。”

Sources

Character origin
漢語多功能字庫季旭昇《說文新證》p.272
Readings & variants
Unicode
Historical pronunciations
Baxter-Sagart
Historical images
Academia Sinica
Etymology
Shuowen Jiezi (說文解字)

在 zài be at

Composed of 才 and 士, which both represent the sound.

Components

才
才 Sound component
cái, cai talent
士
士 Sound component
shì, shi scholar, soldier

Modern form looks like 土, but is unrelated.

Change in sound

Character Evolution

Oracle form
Oracle Bone ~1250-1000 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Early Western Zhou ~1000 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Early Western Zhou ~1000 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Early Western Zhou ~1000 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Early Western Zhou ~1000 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Late Spring and Autumn ~500 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 Eastern Han 25-220 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Eastern Han 25-220 AD
Regular Modern

Component uses

Sound (0 of 1 verified)

茬

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-SagartdzojX[dz]ˤəʔ be at, be present

說文解字

《說文》：“在，存也。从土，才聲。”

Sources

Character origin
季旭昇《說文新證》p.908
Readings & variants
Unicode
Historical pronunciations
Baxter-Sagart
Historical images
Academia Sinica
Etymology
Shuowen Jiezi (說文解字)

遙 yáo far away Traditional

Phonosemantic compound. 辶 represents the meaning and 䍃 represents the sound.

Components

辶
辶 Meaning component
chuò walk

辶 is a component form of 辵.

䍃
䍃 Sound component
yáo, yóu vase, pitcher

Character Evolution

Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Regular Modern

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld Chinese
Zhengzhanglew
Unicodeiɛu

Sources

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