笨嘴拙舌
bèn​zuǐ​zhuō​shé

inarticulate

笨 bèn foolish

Phonosemantic compound. ⺮ represents the meaning and 本 represents the sound.

Components

⺮
⺮ Meaning component
zhú bamboo

⺮ is a component form of 竹.

本
本 Sound component
běn root

Character Evolution

Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Regular Modern

Historical Pronunciations

Old Chinese
Zhengzhangpɯːnʔ
bɯːnʔ

說文解字

《說文》：“笨，竹裏也。从竹，本聲。”

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)

嘴 zuǐ mouth

Phonosemantic compound. 口 represents the meaning and 觜 represents the sound.

Components

口
口 Meaning component
kǒu, kou mouth
觜
觜 SoundMeaning component
zuǐ, zī beak

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld Chinese
Zhengzhangʔseʔ
Unicodetziuɛ̌

Sources

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

拙 zhuō stupid

Phonosemantic compound. 扌 represents the meaning and 出 represents the sound.

Components

扌
扌 Meaning component
shou, shǒu hand

扌 is a component form of 手.

出
出 Sound component
chū go out

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
Regular Modern

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-Sagarttsywet[t]otstupid, inept
Zhengzhangkljod
Unicodejiuɛt

說文解字

不巧也。从手出聲。

Sources

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

舌 shé tongue

Depicts a tongue sticking out of a mouth.

Components

◎
◎ Iconic component
characterless component

Depicts a tongue.

口
口 Iconic component
kǒu, kou mouth

Character Evolution

Oracle form
Oracle Bone ~1250-1000 BC
Oracle form
Oracle Bone ~1250-1000 BC
Oracle form
Oracle Bone ~1250-1000 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Late Shang ~1100 BC
Seal form
Seal Warring States (Chu) 475-221 BC
Seal form
Seal Western Han 202 BC-9 AD
Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Qin 221-206 BC
Clerical form
Clerical Qin 221-206 BC
Regular Modern

Component uses

Sound (2 of 6 verified)

适恬蛞鸹栝鴰

Simplified (4)

敌乱辞讠

Meaning (1 of 4 verified)

甜舔舐聒

Iconic (3)

言讠訁

Unknown (0 of 1 verified)

憩

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-Sagartzyetmə.lat tongue

說文解字

《說文》：“舌，在口所以言也，別味也。从千，从口，千亦聲。”

Sources

Character origin
季旭昇《說文新證》p.145
Readings & variants
Unicode
Historical pronunciations
Baxter-Sagart
Historical images
Academia Sinica
Etymology
Shuowen Jiezi (說文解字)