邮资
yóu​zī

postage

邮 yóu postal Simplified

Phonosemantic compound. ⻏ represents the meaning and 由 represents the sound. Simplified form of 郵.

Components

由
由 Sound component
yóu cause
⻏
⻏ Meaning component
yì city

阝 is a component form of 邑.

Character Evolution

Seal form
Seal Warring States (Chu) 475-221 BC
Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Regular Modern

Historical Pronunciations

Old Chinese
Zhengzhanglɯw

說文解字

《說文》：“邮，左馮翊高陵。从邑，由聲。”

Sources

Character origin
漢語多功能字庫
Readings & variants
Unicode
Historical pronunciations
Zhengzhang Shangfang
Historical images
Academia Sinica
Etymology
Shuowen Jiezi (說文解字)

资 zī property Simplified

Phonosemantic compound. 贝 represents the meaning and 次 represents the sound. Simplified form of 資.

Components

次
次 Sound component
cì second, next
贝
贝 Meaning component
bèi sea shell

In ancient China shells were used as currency.

Sources

Readings & variants
Unicode

郵 yóu mail Traditional

Depicts delivering between cities (⻏) and borderlands (垂).

Components

垂
垂 Meaning component
chuí droop

Based on the original "borderlands" meaning of 垂.

⻏
⻏ Meaning component
yì city

⻏ is a component form of 邑.

Character Evolution

Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Qin 221-206 BC
Clerical form
Clerical Qin 221-206 BC
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

Old Chinese
Zhengzhangɢʷɯ

說文解字

境上行書舍。从邑、垂。垂，邊也。

Sources

Character origin
漢語多功能字庫
Readings & variants
Unicode
Historical pronunciations
Zhengzhang Shangfang
Historical images
Academia Sinica
Etymology
Shuowen Jiezi (說文解字)

資 zī property Traditional

Phonosemantic compound. 貝 represents the meaning and 次 represents the sound.

Components

次
次 Sound component
cì second, next
貝
貝 Meaning component
bèi sea shell

In ancient China shells were used as currency.

Character Evolution

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 Western Han 202 BC-9 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Eastern Han 25-220 AD
Regular Modern

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-Sagarttsij[ts]ij property, means of living

說文解字

《說文》：“資，貨也。从貝，次聲。”

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)