认罪协商
rèn​zuì​xié​shāng

plea bargain

认 rèn recognize Simplified

Phonosemantic compound. 讠 represents the meaning and 人 represents the sound.

Components

讠
讠 Meaning component
yán speech

讠 is a component form of 言.

人
人 Sound component
rén, ren person

Sources

Readings & variants
Unicode

罪 zuì, zui crime

Original meaning: fishing net

Phonosemantic compound. 网 represents the meaning and 非 represents the sound. Based on the original meaning "fishing net". The current meaning, originally written 辠, is a phonetic loan.

Components

网
网 Meaning component
wǎng net
Change in meaning
网 hints at the original meaning of 罪, "fishing net", which is no longer the most common meaning of 罪 in modern Mandarin.
非
非 Sound component
fēi not

Character Evolution

Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
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
Regular Modern

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-SagartdzwojX[dz]ˤujʔ crime, offense

說文解字

《說文》：“罪，捕魚竹网。从网、非。秦以罪為辠字。”

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)

协 xié cooperate Simplified

Simplified form of 協. Phonosemantic compound. 十 represents the sound and 劦 represents the meaning.

Components

十
十 Sound component
shí ten
办
办 Simplified component
bàn manage

Shorthand for the 劦 component in the traditional character 協.

Sources

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

商 shāng commerce, business

Origin unclear. Composed of 辛 (chisel) and 丙 (pedestal) with 口 being later added as a distinguishing component for the name of an ancient kingdom.

Components

辛
辛 Unknown component
xīn laborious

The purpose of this component is unclear.

丙
丙 Unknown component
bǐng third

The purpose of this component is unclear.

口
口 Distinguishing component
kǒu, kou mouth

This component was later added when the character was used for the name of an ancient kingdom.

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 Late Shang ~1100 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Early Western Zhou ~1000 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Early Western Zhou ~1000 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Early Warring States ~400 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Qin 221-206 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
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
Regular Modern

Component uses

Sound (0 of 2 verified)

熵墒

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-Sagartsyangs-taŋ musical note
syangs-taŋ (place name)
syangs-taŋ estimate; business; trader

說文解字

《說文》：“商，从外知內也。从，章省聲。，古文商。，亦古文商。，籀文商。”

Sources

Character origin
漢語多功能字庫The Outlier Linguistics Dictionary of Chinese Characters中華語文知識庫
Readings & variants
Unicode
Historical pronunciations
Baxter-Sagart
Historical images
Academia Sinica
Etymology
Shuowen Jiezi (說文解字)

認 rèn recognize Traditional

Phonosemantic compound. 言 represents the meaning and 忍 represents the sound.

Components

言
言 Meaning component
yán speech
忍
忍 Sound component
rěn endure

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-SagartnyinHnə[n]-s know

Sources

Character origin
漢語多功能字庫
Readings & variants
Unicode
Historical pronunciations
Baxter-Sagart

協 xié cooperate Traditional

Phonosemantic compound. 劦 represents the meaning and 十 represents the sound.

Components

十
十 Sound component
shí ten
劦
劦 SoundMeaning component
xié, liè cooperate, combined labor

Character Evolution

Bronze form
Bronze Late Shang ~1100 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Late Western Zhou ~800 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Qin 221-206 BC
Seal form
Seal Western Han 202 BC-9 AD
Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Three Kingdoms (Cao Wei) 222-280 AD
Regular Modern

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-Sagarthep[ɢ]ˤep in harmony

說文解字

《說文》：“協，眾之同和也。从劦，从十。旪，古文協，从曰、十。叶，或从口。”

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)