圣诞快乐
Shèng​dàn​kuài​lè

Merry Christmas

圣 shèng sage, holy Simplified

Simplified form of 聖. Depicts listening (耳) to what is spoken (口). 𡈼 represents the sound.

Components

又
又 Simplified component
yòu again

Shorthand for the 耳 component in the traditional character 聖.

土
土 Simplified component
tǔ earth

Shorthand for the 𡈼 component in the traditional character 聖.

Character Evolution

Oracle form
Oracle Bone ~1250-1000 BC
Seal form
Seal Western Han 202 BC-9 AD
Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Regular Modern

Component uses

Sound (1 of 3 verified)

怪蛏柽

Historical Pronunciations

說文解字

《說文》：“圣，汝潁之閒，謂致力於地曰圣。从土，从又。”

Sources

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

诞 dàn birth Simplified

Original meaning: tell false words

Phonosemantic compound. 讠 represents the meaning and 延 represents the sound. Based on the original meaning "tell false words". The meaning later shifted to "boast", "increase", and "give birth". Simplified form of 誕.

Components

讠
讠 Meaning component
yán speech

讠 is a component form of 言.

Change in meaning
讠 hints at the original meaning of 诞, "tell false words", which is no longer the most common meaning of 诞 in modern Mandarin.
延
延 Sound component
yán delay

Sources

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

快 kuài, kuai rapid

Phonosemantic compound. 忄 represents the meaning and 夬 represents the sound.

Components

忄
忄 Meaning component
xin, xīn heart

忄 is a component form of 心.

夬
夬 Sound component
guài, jué parted

Character Evolution

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

Component uses

Sound (1)

筷

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-SagartkhwaejH[k]ʷʰˤret-s cheerful

說文解字

《說文》：“快，喜也。从心，夬聲。”

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)

乐 lè, yuè happy, music Simplified

Pictograph of an ancient wooden stringed musical instrument. The simplified character 乐 was adapted from the cursive form of the traditional character 樂.

Component uses

Sound (0 of 6 verified)

砾栎跞铄泺轹

Meaning (0 of 1 verified)

烁

Sources

Readings & variants
Unicode

聖 shèng sage, holy Traditional

Depicts listening (耳) to what is spoken (口). 𡈼 represents the sound.

Components

耳
耳 Iconic component
ěr ear
口
口 Iconic component
kǒu, kou mouth
𡈼
𡈼 Sound component
tǐng, tíng, zhēng stand upright

Character Evolution

Oracle form
Oracle Bone ~1250-1000 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Mid Western Zhou ~900 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Mid Western Zhou ~900 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Late Western Zhou ~800 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Late Western Zhou ~800 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Late Spring and Autumn ~500 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 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 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-SagartsyengHl̥eŋ-s sage (n.)

說文解字

《說文》：“聖，通也。从耳，呈聲。”

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)

誕 dàn birth Traditional

Original meaning: tell false words

Phonosemantic compound. 言 represents the meaning and 延 represents the sound. Based on the original meaning "tell false words". The meaning later shifted to "boast", "increase", and "give birth".

Components

言
言 Meaning component
yán speech
Change in meaning
言 hints at the original meaning of 誕, "tell false words", which is no longer the most common meaning of 誕 in modern Mandarin.
延
延 Sound component
yán delay

Character Evolution

Bronze form
Bronze Early Western Zhou ~1000 BC
Seal form
Seal Western Han 202 BC-9 AD
Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Eastern Han 25-220 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Western Jin 266-316 AD
Regular Modern

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld Chinese
Zhengzhangl'aːnʔ
Unicodedhɑ̌n

說文解字

《說文》：“誕，詞誕也。从言，延聲。，籀文省。”

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)

樂 lè, yuè happy, music Traditional

Depicts an ancient wooden stringed musical instrument. 白 represents the sound.

Components

幺
幺 Iconic component
yāo tiny

Depicts a string.

白
白 Sound component
bái, bai white
Change in sound
幺
幺 Iconic component
yāo tiny

Depicts a string.

木
木 Iconic component
mù tree

Depicts the wooden base of a musical instrument.

Character Evolution

Oracle form
Oracle Bone ~1250-1000 BC
Oracle form
Oracle Bone ~1250-1000 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Mid Western Zhou ~900 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Mid Western Zhou ~900 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Mid Western Zhou ~900 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Late Spring and Autumn ~500 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Late Spring and Autumn ~500 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Late Spring and Autumn ~500 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 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 Eastern Han 25-220 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Eastern Han 25-220 AD
Regular Modern

Component uses

Sound (1 of 4 verified)

藥櫟瓅鑠

Meaning (0 of 1 verified)

爍

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-Sagartlak[r]ˤawk to cure
lak[r]ˤawk joy; enjoy
ngaewH[ŋ]ˤrawk-s cause to rejoice
ngaewk[ŋ]ˤrawk music

說文解字

《說文》：“樂，五聲八音緫名。象鼓鞞。木，虡也。”

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)