襟怀坦白
jīn​huái​tǎn​bái

candid

襟 jīn lapel

Cloth 衤 that restricts 禁; 禁 also provides the pronunciation

Components

衤
衤 Meaning component
yī clothes
禁
禁 SoundMeaning component
jìn, jīn prohibit, forbid

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-Sagartkimkr[ə]moverlap of a robe
Zhengzhangkrɯm
Unicodegyim

Sources

Readings & variants
Unicode
Historical pronunciations
Baxter-SagartZhengzhang Shangfang

怀 huái bosom, embrace Simplified

Phonosemantic compound. 忄 represents the meaning and 褱 represents the sound. Simplified form of 懷.

Components

忄
忄 Meaning component
xin, xīn heart

忄 is a component form of 心.

不
不 Simplified component
bù, bu no

Shorthand for the phonetic 褱 component in the traditional character 懷.

Sources

Character origin
漢語多功能字庫
Readings & variants
Unicode

坦 tǎn flat

Phonosemantic compound. 土 represents the meaning and 旦 represents the sound.

Components

土
土 Meaning component
tǔ earth
旦
旦 Sound component
dàn dawn

Character Evolution

Seal form
Seal Warring States (Chu) 475-221 BC
Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Western Jin 266-316 AD
Regular Modern

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-SagartthanX[tʰ]ˤa[n]ʔ level, at ease

說文解字

《說文》：“坦，安也。从土，旦聲。”

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)

白 bái, bai white

Origin unclear. Possibly depicts a thumb or a person's face.

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 Early Western Zhou ~1000 BC
Seal form
Seal Warring States (Chu) 475-221 BC
Seal form
Seal Qin 221-206 BC
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 (8 of 15 verified)

百怕伯迫拍帕柏泊舶魄珀帛粕铂樂

Meaning (2 of 13 verified)

的珀皓皖皑皋皙皎皤皅皦皒皚

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-Sagartbaekbˤrak white

說文解字

《說文》：“白，西方色也。陰用事，物色白。从入合二。二，陰數。，古文白。”

Sources

Character origin
季旭昇《說文新證》p.625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)

懷 huái bosom, embrace Traditional

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

Components

忄
忄 Meaning component
xin, xīn heart

忄 is a component form of 心.

褱
褱 Sound component
huái to carry in the bosom or the sleeve

Character Evolution

Bronze form
Bronze Early Western Zhou ~1000 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 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 Three Kingdoms (Cao Wei) 222-280 AD
Regular Modern

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-Sagarthweaj[g]ˤruj bosom; embrace

說文解字

《說文》：“懷，念思也。从心，褱聲。”

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)