能
néngNéng HSK1

to be able

← Back to history
approved by Peter Olson · Oct 7, 2020, 03:15 PM · Reviewed by Peter Olson on Oct 7, 2020, 03:15 PM

verify, add source

Changed fields: hint, originalMeaning, isVerified, components, customSources

Original meaning: bear

Pictograph of a bear. Based on the original meaning "bear". The meaning of this character has shifted over time to mean "strong" and "ability, power".

Components

◎
◎ Iconic component

Depicts the body of the bear.

◎
◎ Iconic component

Depicts the head of the bear.

◎
◎ Iconic component

Depicts the four legs and tail of the bear.


Character Evolution

Bronze form
Bronze Early Western Zhou ~1000 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Early Western Zhou ~1000 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Late Western Zhou ~800 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Late Spring and Autumn ~500 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Late Warring States ~250 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
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-Sagartnojnˤə a kind of bear
nongnˤə(ŋ) a kind of bear
nongnˤə(ʔ)
(~ *nˤəŋ)		able; ability

說文解字

《說文》：“能，熊屬，足似鹿。从肉，聲。能獸堅中，故稱賢能，而彊壯稱能傑也。”

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)