lìng​mì​xīn​huān

find new lover

lìng (bones), another

Original meaning: bones

Variant of . Pictograph of bones. Based on the original meaning "bones". The meaning later shifted to "separate", "other" and "another".

Component uses

Iconic (1)

Meaning (0 of 1 verified)

Historical Pronunciations

Old Chinese
Zhengzhangreːŋs

Sources

Readings & variants
Unicode
Historical pronunciations
Zhengzhang Shangfang

seek Simplified

To search for something with eyes  and hands 

Components

Meaning component
zhǎo hand, claw
Meaning component
jiàn, xiàn, jian see

Sources

Readings & variants
Unicode

xīn new

Original meaning: firewood

Phonosemantic component. represents the sound, and (axe) and (tree) represent the original meaning "firewood", now written as . The meaning later shifted to "fresh" and "new".

Components

Sound component
xīn laborious
Iconic component
tree

Depicts a tree being cut for firewood.

Change in meaning
hints at the original meaning of , "firewood", which is no longer the most common meaning of in modern Mandarin.
Iconic component
jīn axe

Depicts an axe cutting a tree for firewood.

Change in meaning
hints at the original meaning of , "firewood", which is no longer the most common meaning of in modern Mandarin.

Character Evolution

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 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 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 Western Jin 266-316 AD
Regular Modern

Component uses

Sound (1)

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-Sagartsins.tsʰi[n] new

說文解字

《說文》:“新,取木也。从斤,新聲。”

Sources

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

huan, huān happy Simplified

Simplified form of . Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound. (yawn) is a pictograph of a person with an open mouth, used here to represent a person joyfully laughing.

Components

Simplified component
yòu again

Shorthand for the component in the traditional character .

Iconic component
qiàn, qian yawn, deficient

Depicts a person opening their mouth to laugh.

Sources

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

seek Traditional

To search for something with eyes  and hands 

Components

Meaning component
zhǎo hand, claw
Meaning component
jiàn, xiàn, jian see

Character Evolution

Bronze form
Bronze Early Western Zhou ~1000 BC
Regular Modern

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld Chinese
Zhengzhangmeːɡ
Unicodemek

Sources

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

huan, huān happy Traditional

Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound. (yawn) is a pictograph of a person with an open mouth, used here to represent a person joyfully laughing.

Components

Sound component
guàn, huán heron
Iconic component
qiàn, qian yawn, deficient

Depicts a person opening their mouth to laugh.

Character Evolution

Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 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-Sagartxwanqʷʰˤar rejoice; joyous

說文解字

《說文》:“歡,喜樂也。从欠,雚聲。”

Sources

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