细嚼慢咽
xì​jiáo​màn​yàn

chew thoroughly

细 xì thin, fine Simplified

Phonosemantic compound. 纟 represents the meaning and 囟 represents the sound. Simplified form of 細.

Components

纟
纟 Meaning component
mì silk

纟 is a component form of 糸.

囟
囟 Sound component
xìn fontanel

Modern form looks like 田.

Change in form
Due to historical stylistic changes, this component is less similar to 囟 than it was in ancient scripts.

說文解字

耕也。从土豤聲。

Sources

Character origin
漢語多功能字庫
Readings & variants
Unicode
Etymology
Shuowen Jiezi (說文解字)

嚼 jué prattle

Components

口
口 Meaning component
kǒu, kou mouth

mouth

爵
爵 Sound component
jué feudal title or rank

Character Evolution

Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Regular Modern

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld Chinese
Zhengzhangzewɢ
Unicodedzhiɑk

Sources

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

慢 màn slow(ly)

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

Components

忄
忄 Meaning component
xin, xīn heart

忄 is a component form of 心.

曼
曼 Sound component
màn long

Character Evolution

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 ChineseGloss
Baxter-SagartmaenHmˤra[n]-s disrespectful

說文解字

《說文》：“慢，惰也。从心，曼聲。一曰慢，不畏也。”

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)

咽 yàn, yè, yān throat Simplified

Phonosemantic compound. 口 represents the meaning and 因 represents the sound. Simplified form of 嚥.

Components

口
口 Meaning component
kǒu, kou mouth
因
因 Sound component
yīn cause

Character Evolution

Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Regular Modern

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-Sagartʔenʔˤi[n]gullet
ʔenHʔˤi[n]-sswallow (v.)
Zhengzhangqiːn
qiːns
qiːd
Unicodeqet

說文解字

嗌也。从口因聲。

Sources

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

細 xì thin, fine Traditional

Phonosemantic compound. 糹 represents the meaning and 囟 represents the sound.

Components

糹
糹 Meaning component
mì silk

糹 is a component form of 糸.

囟
囟 Sound component
xìn fontanel

Modern form looks like 田.

Change in form
Due to historical stylistic changes, this component is less similar to 囟 than it was in ancient scripts.

Character Evolution

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 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-SagartsejH[s]ˤe(k)-s small, minute

說文解字

《說文》：“細，微也。从糸，囟聲。”

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)

嚥 yàn swallow Traditional

Components

口
口 Meaning component
kǒu, kou mouth

mouth

燕
燕 Sound component
yàn swallow (bird)

Historical Pronunciations

Old Chinese
Zhengzhangqeːns

Sources

Readings & variants
Unicode
Historical pronunciations
Zhengzhang Shangfang