pàn​cái

speculate rashly

pàn, pīn, biàn risk

Components

Meaning component
shou, shǒu hand

hand

Sound component
biàn, pán conical cap worn during Zhou dynasty

Character Evolution

Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Regular Modern

Historical Pronunciations

Old Chinese
Zhengzhangpʰaːn
brons
pʰaːn
puns

說文解字

拊手也。从手弁聲。

Sources

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

cái wealth Simplified

Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound. Simplified form of .

Components

Meaning component
bèi sea shell

In ancient China, shells were used as currency.

Sound component
cái, cai talent

Sources

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

cái wealth Traditional

Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound.

Components

Meaning component
bèi sea shell

In ancient China, shells were used as currency.

Sound component
cái, cai talent

Character Evolution

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 Eastern Han 25-220 AD
Regular Modern

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-Sagartdzoj[dz]ˤə wealth

說文解字

《說文》:“財,人所寶也。从貝,才聲。”

Sources

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