可转让
kě​zhuǎn​ràng

negotiable

可 kě able to

Original meaning: sing

Phonosemantic compound. 口 represents the meaning and a pictograph of an axe handle (丂) which is now written as 柯 represents the sound. Based on the original meaning "sing", now written as 歌. The current meaning "able to" is a phonetic loan.

Components

口
口 Meaning component
kǒu, kou mouth
Change in meaning
口 hints at the original meaning of 可, "sing", which is no longer the most common meaning of 可 in modern Mandarin.
丂
丂 SoundIconic component
kǎo, qiǎo, yú axe handle

Depicts an axe handle.

Change in sound

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 Late Western Zhou ~800 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Mid Spring and Autumn ~600 BC
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 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
Clerical form
Clerical Eastern Han 25-220 AD
Regular Modern

Component uses

Sound (6 of 20 verified)

何阿奇河哥呵柯苛珂诃轲坷舸岢疴哿蚵钶軻訶

Meaning (0 of 1 verified)

珂

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-SagartkhaX[k]ʰˤa[j]ʔ may; acceptable

說文解字

《說文》：“可，肎也。从口、丂，丂亦聲。”

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)

转 zhuǎn, zhuàn turn Simplified

Simplified form of 轉. Phonosemantic compound. 车 represents the meaning and 專 represents the sound.

Components

车
车 Meaning component
chē cart, vehicle
专
专 SoundMeaning component
zhuān monopolize

Component uses

Sound (0 of 1 verified)

啭

Sources

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

让 ràng allow Simplified

Phonosemantic compound. 讠 represents the meaning and 上 represents the sound. Simplified form of 讓.

Components

讠
讠 Meaning component
yán speech

讠 is a component form of 言.

上
上 SoundSimplified component
shàng, shang up

Sources

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

轉 zhuǎn, zhuàn turn Traditional

Phonosemantic compound. 車 represents the meaning and 專 represents the sound.

Components

車
車 Meaning component
chē cart, vehicle
專
專 SoundMeaning component
zhuān monopolize

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 1 verified)

囀

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-SagarttrjwenXmə-tronʔ turn around, transfer
trjwenXtronʔ 輾轉 toss and turn ((Ode 1.2, 145.3)

說文解字

《說文》：“轉，運也。从車，專聲。”

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)

讓 ràng allow Traditional

Phonosemantic compound. 言 represents the meaning and 襄 represents the sound.

Components

言
言 Meaning component
yán speech
襄
襄 Sound component
xiāng aid

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 Eastern Han 25-220 AD
Regular Modern

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-SagartnyangHnaŋ-s yield

說文解字

《說文》：“讓，相責讓。从言，襄聲。”

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)