pín​cì

frequency

pín frequently Simplified

Original meaning: riverside

Depicts a person standing () on the shore wading () in shallow water. Based on the original meaning "riverside", now written as . The meaning later shifted to "continuous" and "repeatedly".

Components

IconicRemnant component
shè wade
Iconic component
page

Depicts a head on top of a person.

Component uses

Sound (0 of 1 verified)

Sources

Readings & variants
Unicode

second, next

The (two) component represents the meaning "second" and also indicates the sound. The (deficient) represents the meaning "secondary" or "substandard".

Components

SoundMeaning component
èr two
Change in sound
Meaning component
qiàn, qian yawn, deficient

Alludes to the meaning "second-class" or "inferior".

Character Evolution

Oracle form
Oracle Bone ~1250-1000 BC
Oracle form
Oracle Bone ~1250-1000 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Early Western Zhou ~1000 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Mid Western Zhou ~900 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Late Spring and Autumn ~500 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Late Spring and Autumn ~500 BC
Seal form
Seal Xin 9-23 AD
Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Qin 221-206 BC
Clerical form
Clerical Qin 221-206 BC
Clerical form
Clerical Qin 221-206 BC
Clerical form
Clerical Eastern Han 25-220 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Eastern Han 25-220 AD
Regular Modern

Component uses

Sound (2 of 11 verified)

Meaning (0 of 1 verified)

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-SagarttshijH[s-n̥]i[j]-s lodge (v.)
tshijH[s-n̥]i[j]-s put in order; second

說文解字

《說文》:“次,不前不精也。从欠,二聲。,古文次。”

Sources

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

pín frequently Traditional

Original meaning: riverside

Depicts a person standing () on the shore wading () in shallow water. Based on the original meaning "riverside", now written as . The meaning later shifted to "continuous" and "repeatedly".

Components

IconicRemnant component
shè wade
Iconic component
(head), page

Depicts a head on top of a person.


Character Evolution

Seal form
Seal Western Han 202 BC-9 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Eastern Han 25-220 AD
Regular Modern

Component uses

Sound (1 of 2 verified)

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-Sagartbjin[b]i[n] frequently
bjin[m-p]i[n] river bank

Sources

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