细皮嫩肉
xì​pí​nèn​ròu

smooth-skinned

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)

皮 pí skin

Pictograph of a hand (又) peeling off the skin from an animal.

Components

◎
◎ Iconic component
characterless component

Depicts an animal with its skin being peeled off.

又
又 Iconic component
yòu hand

Depicts a hand.


Character Evolution

Bronze form
Bronze Mid Western Zhou ~900 BC
Seal form
Seal Warring States (Chu) 475-221 BC
Seal form
Seal Warring States (Chu) 475-221 BC
Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 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 Eastern Han 25-220 AD
Regular Modern

Component uses

Sound (5 of 15 verified)

被破波彼坡颇玻疲披簸跛陂铍帔頗

Meaning (0 of 7 verified)

皱披皴皲皰皺皻

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-Sagartbjem-[p](r)aj skin

說文解字

《說文》：“皮，剝取獸革者謂之皮。从又，為省聲。，古文皮。，籀文皮。”

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)

嫩 nèn soft

Phonosemantic compound. 女 represents the meaning and 敕 represents the sound. Simplified form of 嫰.

Components

女
女 Meaning component
nǚ, nü woman
敕
敕 Sound component
chì, sōu an imperial order or decree

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld Chinese
Zhengzhangnuːns
Unicodenuə̀n

Sources

Readings & variants
Unicode
Historical pronunciations
Zhengzhang Shangfang

肉 ròu meat

Pictograph of a piece of meat.

Character Evolution

Oracle form
Oracle Bone ~1250-1000 BC
Oracle form
Oracle Bone ~1250-1000 BC
Seal form
Seal Warring States (Chu) 475-221 BC
Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Qin 221-206 BC
Regular Modern

Component uses

Iconic (5)

有多将骨將

Meaning (1 of 4 verified)

腐脔胬臠

Unknown (0 of 1 verified)

瘸

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-Sagartnyuwkk.nuk meat, flesh

說文解字

《說文》：“肉，胾肉。象形。”

Sources

Character origin
季旭昇《說文新證》p.338
Readings & variants
Unicode
Historical pronunciations
Baxter-Sagart
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)