cái​jiǎn

tailor

cái cut out

To cut  cloth 

Components

𢦏
𢦏 SoundMeaning component
zāi to cut
Meaning component
clothes

Character Evolution

Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Regular Modern

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-Sagartdzoj[dz]ˤə cut out clothes

說文解字

《說文》:“裁,制衣也。从衣,聲。”

Sources

Readings & variants
Unicode
Historical pronunciations
Baxter-Sagart
Historical images
Academia Sinica

jiǎn cut

Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound.

Components

Sound component
qián in front
Meaning component
dāo knife

Character Evolution

Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Regular Modern

Component uses

Sound (0 of 1 verified)

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld Chinese
Zhengzhangʔslenʔ
Unicodetziɛ̌n

說文解字

《說文》:“(剪),齊斷也。从刀,歬聲。”

Sources

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