竖弯钩
shù​wān​gōu

vertical curve hook

竖 shù perpendicular Simplified

Original meaning: servant

Based on the original meaning "servant". The current meaning is a phonetic loan.

Components

𰀡
𰀡 Meaning component
qiān to gouge out an eye
豆
豆 SoundSimplified component
dòu bean

Sources

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

弯 wān bend Simplified

Simplified form of 彎. Phonosemantic compound. 弓 represents the meaning and 䜌 represents the sound.

Components

亦
亦 Simplified component
yì also

Shorthand for the phonetic 䜌 component in the traditional character 彎.

弓
弓 Meaning component
gōng bow

Component uses

Sound (1)

湾

Sources

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

钩 gōu hook Simplified

A metal 钅 hook 勾; 勾 also provides the pronunciation

Components

钅
钅 Meaning component
jīn metal
勾
勾 SoundMeaning component
gōu hook

Sources

Readings & variants
Unicode

豎 shù perpendicular Traditional

Original meaning: servant

Phonosemantic compound. 臤 represents the meaning and 豆 represents the sound. Based on the original meaning "servant". The current meaning is a phonetic loan.

Components

臤
臤 Meaning component
to gouge out an eye
豆
豆 Sound component
dòu bean

Character Evolution

Bronze form
Bronze Late Warring States ~250 BC
Seal form
Seal Warring States (Chu) 475-221 BC
Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
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-SagartdzyuX[d]oʔ palace attendant; young man

說文解字

《說文》：“豎，豎立也。从臤，豆聲。豎，籀文豎从殳。”

Sources

Readings & variants
Unicode
Historical pronunciations
Baxter-Sagart
Historical images
Academia Sinica
Etymology
Shuowen Jiezi (說文解字)

彎 wān bend Traditional

Phonosemantic compound. 弓 represents the meaning and 䜌 represents the sound.

Components

䜌
䜌 Sound component
luán tie together
弓
弓 Meaning component
gōng bow

Character Evolution

Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Regular Modern

Component uses

Sound (1)

灣

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld Chinese
Zhengzhangqroːn
Unicodequan

說文解字

《說文》：“彎，持弓關矢也。从弓，聲。”

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)

鉤 gōu hook Traditional

A metal 釒 hook 句; 句 also provides the pronunciation

Components

釒
釒 Meaning component
jīn metal
句
句 SoundMeaning component
jù sentence

Character Evolution

Bronze form
Bronze Late Western Zhou ~800 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Late Western Zhou ~800 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Late Western Zhou ~800 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Late Western Zhou ~800 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Spring and Autumn 771-476 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Late Spring and Autumn ~500 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
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-Sagartkuw[kˤ](r)ohook
Zhengzhangkoː
Unicodegou

說文解字

曲也。从金从句，句亦聲。

Sources

Readings & variants
Unicode
Historical pronunciations
Baxter-SagartZhengzhang Shangfang
Historical images
Academia Sinica
Etymology
Shuowen Jiezi (說文解字)