战略轰炸机
zhàn​lüè​hōng​zhà​jī

strategic bomber

战 zhàn war Simplified

Phonosemantic compound. 戈 represents the meaning and 占 represents the sound. Simplified form of 戰.

Components

占
占 Sound component
zhàn divine
戈
戈 Meaning component
gē spear

Sources

Readings & variants
Unicode

略 lüè outline, approximately

Original meaning: demarcate land boundaries

Phonosemantic compound. 田 represents the meaning and 各 represents the sound. Based on the original meaning "demarcate land boundaries". The meaning later shifted to "outline" and "approximately".

Components

田
田 Meaning component
tián field
Change in meaning
田 hints at the original meaning of 略, "demarcate land boundaries", which is no longer the most common meaning of 略 in modern Mandarin.
各
各 Sound component
gè each
Change in sound

Character Evolution

Seal form
Seal Qin 221-206 BC
Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 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-Sagartljak[r]ak draw a boundary; outline

說文解字

《說文》：“略，經略土地也。从田，各聲。”

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)

轰 hōng rumble Simplified

Simplified form of 轟. Depicts the sound made by many vehicles (车). The meaning later shifted to "rumble".

Components

车
车 Meaning component
chē cart, vehicle
又
又 Simplified component
yòu again

Shorthand for the 車 component in the traditional character 轟.

又
又 Simplified component
yòu again

Shorthand for the 車 component in the traditional character 轟.

Sources

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

炸 zhà to fry in oil, explode

Phonosemantic compound. 火 represents the meaning and 乍 represents the sound.

Components

火
火 Meaning component
huǒ fire
乍
乍 Sound component
zhà, zuò suddenly

Historical Pronunciations

Old Chinese
Zhengzhangʔr'aːɡs
zreːb

Sources

Character origin
漢語多功能字庫
Readings & variants
Unicode
Historical pronunciations
Zhengzhang Shangfang

机 jī machine Simplified

Simplified form of 機. Phonosemantic compound. 木 represents the meaning and 几 represents the sound.

Components

木
木 Meaning component
mù tree
几
几 SoundSimplified component
jǐ, jī small table

Character Evolution

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 Western Han 202 BC-9 AD
Regular Modern

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-SagartkijXkrəjʔ small table, stool

說文解字

《說文》：“机，木也。从木，几聲。”

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)

戰 zhàn war Traditional

Phonosemantic compound. 戈 represents the meaning and 單 represents the sound.

Components

單
單 Sound component
dān single
戈
戈 Meaning component
gē spear

Character Evolution

Bronze form
Bronze Late Warring States ~250 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 Qin 221-206 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 Three Kingdoms (Cao Wei) 222-280 AD
Regular Modern

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-SagarttsyenHtar-s to fear
tsyenHtar-s battle

說文解字

《說文》：“戰，鬭也。从戈，單聲。”

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)

轟 hōng rumble Traditional

Depicts the sound made by many vehicles (車). The meaning later shifted to "rumble".

Components

車
車 Meaning component
chē cart, vehicle
車
車 Meaning component
chē cart, vehicle
車
車 Meaning component
chē cart, vehicle

Character Evolution

Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Regular Modern

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld Chinese
Zhengzhangqʰʷreːŋ
qʰʷreːŋs
Unicodexuəng

說文解字

《說文》：“轟，羣車聲也。从三車。”

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)

機 jī machine Traditional

Phonosemantic compound. 木 represents the meaning and 幾 represents the sound.

Components

木
木 Meaning component
mù tree
幾
幾 Sound component
jǐ how much

Character Evolution

Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Eastern Han 25-220 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Eastern Han 25-220 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Three Kingdoms (Wu) 222-280 AD
Regular Modern

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-Sagartkj+jkəj mechanism

說文解字

《說文》：“機，主發謂之機。从木，幾聲。”

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)