https://DevOpsCloud.io -- Cloud Monk Losang Jinpa, Ph.D., MCSE/MCT, GitOps DevOps Engineer

change, convert, -ize

C J K

化化化

huà か (ka) / け (ke) 화 /hɒʌ/

匕 4

① 化学: huà xué ① 化学: かがく ① 化學: 화 학

② 化妆: huàzhuāng ② 化粧: けしょう ② 化粧: 화 장

③ 化石: huà shí ③ 化石: かせき ③ 化石: 화석

① chemistry, chemical ② makeup, cosmetics ③ fossil

A compound ideogram from a bronze object inscription depicting a standing 'man (亻)' and another standing 'upside down man (匕)', coming to mean 'change', but also 'death' and 'become'.

105: 北

north, northern, northward

C J K

北北北

běi ほく (hoku) 북 /buɡ/

匕 5

① 台北: tái běi ① 台北: たいほく ① 台北: 태북

② 北美: běi měi ② 北米: ほくべい ② 北美: 북 미

③ 北欧: běiōu ③ 北欧: ほくおう ③ 北歐: 북 구

① Taipei, ROC Capital ② North America ③ Scandinavia, Northern Europe

A compound ideogram of two men standing and facing away from each other, originally meaning 'back', but came to mean 'north' because people faced south for the sun and north was at their rear. Later, 背 was devised for 'back'.

106: 區

area, district, region, ward

C J K

区区區

qū く (ku) 구 /ɡu/

匸 4

匸 11

① 区域: qū yù ① 区域: くいき ① 區域: 구 역

② 区分: qū fēn ② 区分: くぶん ② 區分: 구 분

③ 区别: qū bié ③ 区別: くべつ ③ 區別: 구 별

① zone, district, region ② classify, division, distinguish ③ distinction, differentiate, discriminate

A compound ideogram between 'goods (品)' and 'conceal (匸)', coming to mean 'district'.

107: 十

ten, X

C J K

十十十

shí じゅう (juu) 십 /sɪb/

十 2

① 十年: shínián ① 十年: じゅうねん ① 十年: 십년

② 十戒: shí jiè ② 十戒: じっかい ② 十誡: 십계

③ 十字: shí zì ④ 十字: じゅうじ ④ 十字: 십자

① decade, ten years ② The Ten Commandments, Decalogue ③ cross

A simple ideogram meaning the number 'ten', from oracle bone inscriptions where horizontal lines indicated one-digit numbers ([]一 = 1, 二 = 2, 三 = 3) and vertical line tens (丨=10, 丨丨=20, 丨丨丨=30).

108: 千

thousand, many, numerous

C J K

千千千

qiān せん (sen) 천 /tʃ ən/

十 3

① 千年: qiānnián ① 千年:せんねん ① 千年: 천년

② 千万: qiān wàn ③ 千円: せんえん ④ 千萬: 천만

⑤ 千里: qiān lǐ ⑤ 千里: せんり ⑤ 千里: 천 리

① millennium, one-thousand years ② never, absolutely ③ one-thousand yen ④ you're welcome, ten million ⑤ one-thousand 'lis'

A simple ideogram from oracle bone inscriptions equating the value of one hundred (百) with the thumb and one's body with one thousand (千), adopting the current form much later.

109: 午

noon

C J K

午午午

wǔ ご (go) 오 /ɔ/

十 4

① 午前: wǔ qián ① 午前: ごぜん ① 午前: 오 전

② 午后: wǔ hòu ② 午後: ごご ② 午後: 오 후

③ 正午: zhèng wǔ ③ 正午: しょうご ③ 正午: 정 오

① morning, ante meridian ② afternoon, post meridiem ③ high noon, midday

A pictogram from an oracle bone inscription originally depicting a pestle, later coming to mean the horse or the seventh of the 12 signs of the 'Zodiac (地支)'. Then, when it came to mean 'noon', 杵 was devised for pestle with the addition of 'tree or wood (木)'.

110: 卒

soldier, servant, at last, finally

C J K

卒卒卒

zú そつ (sotsu) 졸 /dʒ ɔl/

十 8

① 卒业: zú yè ① 卒業: そつぎょう ① 卒業: 졸업

② 小卒: xiǎo zú - ② 卒兵: 졸병

③ 卒子: zú zi - -

① graduation, completion of studies ② soldier, private ③ pawn

A simple ideogram between 'clothes (衣)' and 'one ([]一)', where '[]一' indicated clothes dyed of a more striking (read: dark) color than those worn by ordinary folk, meaning such persons in such garb do public services for having committed offenses. Only later coming to mean 'soldier'.

111: 協

be united, cooperate

C J K

协協協

xié きょう (kyou) 협 /hyəb/

十 6

十 8

① 协商: xié shāng ① 協商: きょうしょう ① 協商: 협 상

② 协力: xié lì ② 協力: きょうりょく ② 協力: 협 력

③ 协会: xié huì ③ 協会: きょうかい ③ 協會: 협 희

① bargaining, negotiate ② cooperation, collaboration ③ association, society, organization

A phono-semantic compound between the semantic 'ten (十)', and the phonetic 'amalgamate strength (劦)' meaning the power of many are combined for 'unity' and 'cooperation'.

112: 半

half, fifty-fifty

C J K

半半半

bàn はん (han) 반 /bʌn/

十 5

① 半月: bànyuè ① 半月: はんつき ① 半月: 반 월

② 前半: qián bàn ② 前半: ぜんはん ② 前半: 전 반

③ 后半: hòu bàn ③ 後半: こうはん ③ 後半: 후 반

① half-moon, crescent moon ② first-half ③ second-half, latter half

A compound ideogram combining 'cow (牛)' with 'eight (八) = divide (分)', meaning to 'halve'.

113: 南

south, southward

C J K

南南南

nán なん (nan) 남 /nʌm/

十 9

① 越南: yuènán ① 越南: えつなん ① 越南:월남

② 南美: nánměi ② 南米: なんべい ② 南美: 남미

③ 南非: nánfēi ④ 南京: ナンキン ④ 南京: 남경

① Vietnam, SRV ② South America, Latin America ③ South Africa, RSA ④ Nanjing

A pictogram evolved from an oracle bone inscription of a tent pitched to face 'south' towards the warmth of the sun.

114: 印

print, seal, stamp

C J K

印印印

yìn いん (in) 인 /ɪn/

卩 6

① 印度: yìndù ① 印度: インド ① 印度: 인 도

② 印刷: yìnshuā ② 印刷: いんさつ ② 印刷: 인쇄

③ 印泥: yìnní ④ 印鑑: いんかん ③ 印朱:인 주

① India ② print, printing ③ red stamping ink, cinnabar seal-ink ④ seal, stamp

A compound ideogram combining 'hand (爪)' and 'marker (卩)', meaning that man goes about his worldly affairs by putting his name on the line.

115: 危

dangerous, precarious

C J K

危危危

wēi き (ki) 위 /uɪ/

㔾 6

① 危险: wēi xiǎn ① 危険: きけん ① 危險: 위 험

② 危机: wēi jī ② 危機: きき ② 危機: 위 기

③ 安危: ānwēi ③ 安危: あんき ③ 安危: 안 위

① danger, hazard ② crisis, emergency ③ safety & danger, fate

A compound ideogram, meaning it is 'dangerous' for one 'man (⺈)' to be standing at the edge of a 'cliff (厂)' over 'another (㔾)'.

116: 卷

scroll, volume, sweep

C J K

卷巻卷

juǎn かん (kan) / けん (ken) 권 /ɡuən/

㔾 8

己 9

㔾 8

① 卷头: juǎntóu ① 巻頭: かんとう ① 卷頭: 권 두

② 压卷: yājuàn ② 圧巻: あっかん ② 壓卷: 압 권

③ 席卷: xí juǎn ③ 席巻: せっけん ③ 席卷: 석권

① preface, foreword, front matter ② master piece, better than all other works ③ overpower, overwhelm, sweep over

A phono-semantic compound between the phonetic 'roll (𠔉)' and the semantic 'kneeling (㔾)', meaning 'scroll'.

117: 厚

thick, generous, kind

C J K

厚厚厚

hòu こう (kou) 후 /hu/

厂 9

① 厚意: hòu yì ① 厚意: こうい ① 厚意: 후 의

② 宽厚: kuānhòu ② 寛厚: かんこう ② 寬厚: 관 후

① kindness, hospitality, goodwill ② generosity, forgiveness

A compound ideogram originally between an inverted 'high (高)' and 'cliff (厂)', meaning that which is piled on top of each other is high while that which is piled against each other is 'thick'.

118: 原

source, origin, beginning

C J K

原原原

yuán げん (gen) 원 /uən/

厂 10

① 原产: yuán chǎn ① 原産: げんさん ① 原産: 원 산

② 原价: yuán jià ② 原価: げんか ② 原價: 원 가

③ 原油: yuán yóu ③ 原油: げんゆ ③ 原油: 원 유

① place of origin ② original price, cost ③ crude oil, petroleum

Originally a pictogram of a 'fountain (泉)' shooting spring water from a mountain later combined with 'gorge (厂)' to become a compound ideogram, meaning 'source'.

119: 去

go, leave, depart

C J K

去去去

qù きょ (kyo) 거 /ɡə/

厶 5

① 去年: qùnián ① 去年: きょねん ① 去年: 거년

② 去世: qù shì ③ 去来: きょらい ④ 去來: 거래

① last year, past year ② pass away, die ③ coming & going ④ transaction, trade

A pictogram from an oracle bone inscription of a man standing over a doorsill, meaning 'to go' or 'leave'.

120: 參

participate, intervene, ginseng

C J K

参参參

cān さん (san) / じん (jin) 참 /tʃʌm/

厶 8

厶 11

① 参加: cānjiā ① 参加: さんか ① 參加: 참가

② 参拜: cānbài ② 参拝: さんぱい ② 參拜: 참배

③ 人参: rén shēn ③ 人参: にんじん ④ 參考: 참고

① participation ② paying homage at a shrine ③ ginseng ④ reference, refer to

A compound ideogram depicting 'three stars (厶)' above a 'man (人)', originally meaning 'bright star' and the number 'three' before coming to mean 'participate'. The 彡 is hair or beard.

121: 又

and, also, again

C J K

又又又

yòu ゆう (yuu) 우 /u/

又 2

- - -

This character is used only as an auxiliary to a main word, such as thereto or therewith.

A pictogram from an oracle bone inscription depicting the right hand, later coming to mean 'again'.

122: 及

and, continue, extend, proceed

C J K

及及及

jí きゅう (kyuu) 급 /ɡɜb/

又 3

又 4

① 可及: kě jí ① 可及: かきゅう ① 可及: 가 급

② 言及: yánjí ② 言及: げんきゅう ② 言及: 언급

③ 埃及: āijí ③ 埃及: えじぷと ③ 埃及: 애급

① as much as possible, as far as possible ② mention, comment ③ Egypt

A compound ideogram of a 'hand (又)' holding a 'man (人)' from behind, later coming to mean 'continue'.

123: 友

friend ship, fraternity

C J K

友友友

yǒu ゆう (yuu) 우 /u/

又 4

① 友情: yǒuqíng ① 友情: ゆうじょう ① 友情: 우 정

② 友爱: yǒuài ② 友愛: ゆうあい ② 友愛: 우애

③ 知友: zhī yǒu ③ 知友: ちゆう ③ 知友: 지 우

① friend ship, camaraderie ② fraternity, fellowship ③ close friend, soul mate

A compound ideogram of two hands—'left hand (𠂇)' and 'hand (又)'—meeting in 'friend ship'.

124: 反

opposite, contrary, anti-

C J K

反反反

fǎn はん (han) 반 /bʌn/

又 4

① 反复: fǎnfù ① 反復: はんぷく ① 反復: 반 복

② 反对: fǎnduì ② 反対: はんたい ② 反應: 반 대

③ 反乱: fǎnluàn ③ 反乱: はんらん ③ 反亂: 반란

① repetition, rote ② oppose, disapprove, resist ③ revolt, insurrection, uprising

A compound ideogram of a 'hand (又)' flipping and turning over a 'plume (⺁)', meaning 'regain'.

125: 取

take, receive

C J K

取取取

qǔ しゅ (shu) 취 /tʃuɪ/

又 8

① 取得: qǔdé ① 取得: しゅとく ① 取得: 취득

② 取材: qǔcái ② 取材: しゅざい ② 取材: 취재

③ 摄取: s[[hè qǔ ③ 摂取: せっしゅ ③ 攝取: 섭취

① acquisition, possess, get, gain ② news gathering, coverage ③ ingest, eat, consume, take in

A compound ideogram between 'ear (耳)' and 'again (又)', derived from the practice of cutting off the left ear of a convicted criminal, meaning 'collect' or 'take'.

126: 受

receive, accept, get

C J K

受受受

shòu じゅ (ju) 수 /su/

又 8

① 接受: jiēshòu ① 接受: せつじゅ ① 接受: 접수

② 受到: shòu dào ③ 受信: じゅしん ③ 受信: 수 신

④ 受任: shòu rèn ④ 受任: じゅにん ④ 受任: 수 임

① admit, receive ② inflicted, suffer from ③ receipt of message ④ being appointed, accepting commissioning

A compound ideogram of two 'hands (⺤, 又)' giving and receiving 'receptacles (冖)' of sacrificial offerings during homage and honor to ancestors, later coming to only mean, 'receive'.

127: 口

mouth, gate, entrance

C J K

口口口

kǒu こう (kou) 구 /ɡu/

口 3

① 口腔: kǒu qiāng ① 口腔: こうくう ① 口腔: 구 강

② 口头: kǒu tóu ② 口頭: こうとう ② 口頭: 구 두

③ 口述: kǒu shù ③ 口述: こうじゅつ ③ 口述: 구 술

① the mouth, oral cavity ② verbally, orally ③ oral statement

A pictogram that originally resembled a half-full glass of water, only later adopting the current form, meaning 'mouth'.

128: 古

ancient, old, classic

C J K

古古古

gǔ こ (ko) 고 /ɡɔ/

口 5

① 古代: gǔ dài ① 古代: こだい ① 古代: 고 대

② 古典: gǔ diǎn ② 古典: こてん ② 古典: 고 전

③ 蒙古: ménggǔ ③ 蒙古: もうこ ③ 蒙古: 몽고

① antiquity, ancient times ② classic literature, classics, old book ③ Mongolia

A compound ideogram combining 'mouth (口)' and 'ten (十)', meaning 'old' stories have been handed down orally from many a generation.

129: 句

sentence, phrase, clause

C J K

句句句

jù く (ku) 구 /ɡu/

口 5

① 文句:wén jù ① 文句: もんく ① 文句: 문 구

② 句子: jù zi ③ 詩句: しく ③ 詩句: 시 구

③ 诗句: shī jù ④ 句点: くてん ⑤ 句節: 구 절

① words & sentences ② sentence ③ verse, line, stanza ④ period, full stop ⑤ verse, phrase, clause

A phono-semantic compound between 'mouth (口)' and 'entangle (丩→勹)', meaning a 'sentence' has been spoken when the mouth remains closed after speaking.

130: 可

may, can, possibly

C J K

可可可

kě か (ka) 가 /ɡʌ/

口 5

① 可能: kěnéng ① 可能: かのう ① 可能: 가능

② 不可: bù kě ② 不可: ふか ② 不可: 불 가

③ 认可: rèn kě ③ 認可: にんか ③ 認可: 인 가

① possibility, potential ② cannot, must not, should not, wrong, bad ③ endorse, authorization, license

A compound ideogram between 'mouth (口)' and 'sound (丁)', originally meaning 'sound of air being exhaled', later coming to mean 'approval'.

131: 史

history, chronicle, annals

C J K

史史史

shǐ し (shi) 사 /sʌ/

口 5

① 史略: shǐlüè ① 史略: しりゃく ① 史略: 사략

② 史料: shǐ liào ② 史料: しりょう ② 史料: 사료

③ 史官: shǐ guān ③ 史官: しかん ③ 史官: 사 관

① brief history, historical outline ② historical records, historical data ③ official historian, chronicler

A compound ideogram assembled with 'correct or middle way (中)' and 'right hand (又)', meaning facts are recorded magnanimously with brush in hand.

132: 右

right, west, right-wing

C J K

右右右

yòu う (u) 우 /u/

口 5

① 右侧: yòucè ① 右側: うそく ① 右側: 우측

② 右派: yòupài ② 右派: うは ② 右派: 우 파

③ 右拐: yòuguǎi ③ 右折: うせつ ③ 右回轉: 우 회 전

① right-hand side ② right-wing, rightists ③ hand-hand turn, turn right

A compound ideogram as well as a phono-semantic compound between 'right hand (𠂇)' and 'mouth (口)', meaning the 'right' hand is used in eating.

133: 各

each, every, individually

C J K

各各各

gè かく(kaku) 각 /ɡʌɡ/

口 6

① 各自: gè zì ① 各自: かくじ ① 各自: 각 자

② 各种: gèzhǒng ② 各種: かくしゅ ② 各種: 각 종

③ 各国: gè guó ③ 各国: かっこく ③ 各國: 각 국

① each, individual, respective ② various, assorted, manifold ③ various countries, each nation

A compound ideogram assembled with 'mouth (口)' and 'lag behind (夂)', meaning 'separately', that there is a discrepancy between what is said and done.

134: 合

combine, unite, gather, join, collect

C J K

合合合

hé ごう (gou) 합 /hʌb/

口 6

① 合意: hé yì ① 合意: ごうい ① 合意: 합 의

② 合同: hétong ② 合同: ごうどう ② 合同: 합 동

③ 合理: hé lǐ ③ 合理: ごうり ③ 合理: 합 리

① concord, agreement, understanding ② joint, agreement, compact ③ rational, logical

A pictogram of a rice bowl with a lid. When the character came to take on the meaning of 'combine', the container character '皿' was added to create '盒' for rice bowl.

135: 吉

lucky, opportune, good

C J K

吉吉吉

jí きち (kichi) 길 /ɡɪl/

口 6

① 大吉: dà jí ① 大吉: だいきち ① 大吉: 대길

② 吉凶: jí xiōng ② 吉凶: きっきょう ② 吉凶: 길흉

③ 不吉: bù jí ③ 不吉: ふきつ ③ 不吉: 불길

① great luck, very lucky ② good luck & bad luck, fortune ③ ominous, inauspicious, unlucky

A compound ideogram between 'learned man (士)' and 'mouth (口)', meaning that which flows from the lips of a scholar is 'auspicious'.

136: 同

same, similar, together, agree

C J K

同同同

tóng どう (dou) 동 /dɔ ŋ/

口 6

① 同意: tóngyì ① 同意: どうい ① 同意: 동 의

② 同时: tóngshí ② 同時: どうじ ② 同時: 동 시

③ 同种: tóngzhǒng ③ 同種: どうしゅ ③ 同種: 동 종

① agreement, concurrence, accord ② simultaneous, at the same time ③ the same kind, homogeneousness, isoform, isotype

A compound ideogram between 'generally (凡)' and 'mouth (口)', meaning 'one thing', derived from 'gather meanings into one'.

137: 名

name, rank, title, position

C J K

名名名

míng めい (mei) / な (na) 명 /my ə ŋ/

口 6

① 名单: míng dān ① 名単: めいたん ① 名單: 명 단

② 名分: míng fèn ② 名分: めいぶん ② 名分: 명 분

③ 名字: míng zi ③ 名前: なまえ ④ 署名: 서 명

① name list, roster ② moral obligation, just cause, justification ③ name, given name ④ signature

A compound ideogram combining 'evening (夕)' with 'mouth (口)', meaning it is only by calling one's 'name' that people can tell each other apart in the darkness of the night.

138: 向

toward, direction, trend

C J K

向向向

xiàng こう (kou) 향 /hyʌŋ/

口 6

① 动向: dòng xiàng ① 動向: どうこう ① 動向: 동 향

② 方向: fāngxiàng ② 方向: ほうこう ② 方向: 방 향

③ 倾向: qīngxiàng ④ 性向: せいこう ④ 性向: 성 향

① trend, tendency of movement ② direction, bearing, course ③ inclination, trend ④ propensity, tendency, nature

A compound ideogram combining the roof of 'house (宀)' and 'mouth (口)', originally meaning a window bearing north of a house facing south, but later coming to mean 'toward'.

139: 君

sovereign, ruler, monarch, chief

C J K

君君君

jūn くん (kun) 군 /ɡun/

口 7

① 君主: jūnzhǔ ① 君主: くんしゅ ① 君主: 군 주

② 君臣: jūnc[[hén]] ② 君臣: くんしん ② 君臣: 군 신

③ 君子: jūnzǐ ③ 君子: くんし ③ 君子: 군 자

① monarch, sovereign, ruler ② sovereign & subject, lord & vassal ③ gentleman, man of virtue, wise man, person of high rank

A phono-semantic compound combining the phonetic 'rule over (尹)' and semantic 'mouth (口)', meaning it is the governing 'overlord' who gives verbal commands.

140: 否

not, no, negative particle

C J K

否否否

fǒu ひ (hi) 부 /bu/

口 7

① 否认: fǒurèn ① 否認: ひにん ① 否認: 부 인

② 否定: fǒudìng ② 否定: ひてい ② 否定: 부 정

③ 否决: fǒujué ③ 拒否: きょひ ③ 拒否: 거 부

① deny, repudiate, disaffirm ② negate, improper, unfair ③ veto, refusal, rejection

A compound ideogram combining 'mouth (口)' and the negative 'not (不)', derived from the verbal expression of negation, meaning 'no', 'not'.

141: 吹

blow, puff, boast

C J K

吹吹吹

chuī すい (sui)/ふ (hu) 취 /tʃuɪ/

口 7

① 鼓吹: gǔchuī ① 鼓吹: こすい ① 鼓吹: 고취

② 吹入: chuī rù ② 吹込: ふきこむ ② 吹入: 취입

③ 吹风: chuī fēng ④ 吹雪: ふぶき ⑤ 吹奏樂: 취주악

① advocacy, inculcation, propagandize ② to blow or breathe in air ③ blow dry, catch a chill ④ snowstorm, snowdrift ⑤ wind instrument

A compound ideogram meaning 'blow' from combining 'yawn (欠)' and 'mouth (口)'—to open one's mouth wide as when yawning and blowing air.

142: 告

tell, inform

C J K

告告告

gào こく (koku) 고 /ɡɔ/

口 7

① 原告: yuán gào ① 原告: げんこく ① 原告: 원 고

② 被告: bèi gào ② 被告: ひこく ② 被告: 피 고

③ 告发: gàofā ③ 告発: こくはつ ③ 告發: 고 발

① plaintiff, complainant ② defendant, the accused ③ accuse, press charge, indict

A compound ideogram between 'ox (牛→⺧)' and 'mouth (口)', meaning 'to tell', from the reasoning that a bull/cow conveys its intents not by its mouth but by its horns.

143: 味

taste, smell

C J K

味味味

wèi み (mi) 미 /mɪ/

口 8

① 味觉: wèi jué ① 味覚: みかく ① 味覺: 미 각

② 兴味: xìng wèi ② 興味: きょうみ ② 興味: 흥 미

③ 风味: fēng wèi ③ 風味: ふうみ ③ 風味: 풍 미

① sense of taste, the palate ② interest, excitement ③ style, taste, flavor

A phono-semantic compound between the semantic 'mouth (口)' and the phonetic 'tip of a tree (未)', meaning that people's taste buds are in the mouth.

144: 呼

sigh, call, exhale, cry out

C J K

呼呼呼

hū こ (ko) 호 /hɔ/

口 8

① 呼吸: hū xī ① 呼吸: こきゅう ① 呼吸: 호흡

② 称呼: chēng hū ② 呼称: こしょう ② 呼稱: 호칭

③ 欢呼: huān hū ③ 歓呼: かんこ ③ 歡呼: 환 호

① breathe, respiration ② name, title, designation ③ cheer, ovation

A phono-semantic compound combining the semantic 'mouth (口)' and the phonetic component of final particle '(乎)', meaning 'breathe out' by the mouth since 乎 has the connotation of passing 'chi' 氣 through the vertex.

145: 命

life, destiny

C J K

命命命

mìng めい (mei) 명 /my ə ŋ/

口 8

① 生命: shēng mìng ① 生命: せいめい ① 生命: 생 명

② 运命: yùnmìng ② 運命: うんめい ② 運命: 운명

③ 抗命: kàngmìng ③ 違命: いめい ③ 抗命: 항 명

① life ② fate, destiny ③ disobedience, defy orders

A compound ideogram combining 'command (令)' and 'mouth (口)', originally differentiated between 'written order' and 'verbal order', but later coming to mean 'life'.

146: 和

harmony, calm, peace

C J K

和和和

hé わ (wa) 화 /hɒʌ/

口 8

① 共和: gònghé ① 共和: きょうわ ① 共和: 공 화

② 和解: hé jiě ② 和解: わかい ② 和解: 화 해

③ 和约: hé yuē ④ 和服: わふく ⑤ 緩和: 완화

① republic, representative government ② reconciliation, compromise ③ peace treaty ④ kimono, Japanese clothing ⑤ mitigation, relaxation

A phono-semantic compound combining the phonetic 'un-hulled rice stalk (禾)' and the semantic 'mouth (口)', meaning there is 'harmony' with grain as food.

147: 哀

sad, mournful, sorrowful

C J K

哀哀哀

āi あい (ai) 애 /e/

口 9

① 哀悼: āidào ① 哀悼: あいとう ① 哀悼: 애도

② 哀求: āiqiú ② 哀願: あいがん ② 哀願: 애원

③ 哀哭: āikū ③ 哀哭: あいこく ③ 哀哭: 애곡

① mourning, condolence, grief, sympathy ② appeal, entreaty, supplication ③ weeping, wailing

A compound ideogram between 'clothes (衣)' and 'mouth (口)', meaning 'sad' as when people often cover their mouths with their collars and neckbands.

148: 品

product, character, commodity

C J K

品品品

pǐn ひん (hin) / しな (shina) 품 /pum/

口 9

① 品质: pǐn zhì ① 品質: ひんしつ ① 品質: 품 질

② 品格: pǐn gé ② 品格: ひんかく ② 品格: 품 격

③ 制品: zhì pǐn ④ 品切: しなぎれ ④ 品切: 품 절

① quality, attribute ② grace, character, dignity ③ products, merchandise, manufactured goods ④ out of stock, sold out

A compound ideogram of three 'mouths (口)', meaning many people gather to evaluate the merits and the demerits of someone or something, a 'product'.

149: 唱

sing, chant

C J K

唱唱唱

chàng しょう (shou) 창 /tʃʌŋ/

口 11

① 合唱: héchàng ① 合唱: がっしょう ① 合唱: 합창

② 独唱: dúchàng ② 独唱: どくしょう ② 獨唱: 독창

③ 唱歌: chàng gē ③ 唱歌: しょうか ③ 唱歌: 창가

① chorus, ensemble ② vocal solo ③ singing, vocal music

A phono-semantic compound between 'mouth (口)' and 'prosperity (昌)'. A further refinement of the character from 昌, meaning 'sing'.

150: 商 (967x)

commerce, business, trade

C J K

商商商

shāng しょう (shou) 상 /sʌ ŋ/

口 11

① 工商: gōng shāng ① 商工: しょうこう ① 商工: 상 공

② 商人: shāng rén ② 商人: しょうにん ② 商人: 상 인

③ 商品: shāng pǐn ③ 商品: しょうひん ③ 商品: 상 품

① industry & commerce ② merchant, vendor ③ goods, merchandise

A compound ideogram from an oracle bone inscription used as the name of the Shang Dynasty that ruled the Yellow River valley from 1556-1046 BC, later coming to mean 'business' from the peddling of goods by the displaced peoples of the Shang upon its demise.

151: 喪

death, dying, funeral

C J K

丧喪喪

sāng そう (sou)/も (mo) 상 /sʌ ŋ/

[]一 8

口 12

① 丧家: sāngjiā ① 喪家: そうか ① 喪家: 상 가

② 丧失: sàngshī ② 喪失: そうしつ ② 喪失: 상 실

③ 丧服: sāngfú ③ 喪服: もふく ③ 喪服: 상 복

① family of the deceased, household in mourning ② lose, forfeiture ③ mourning garments, sables

A compound ideogram combining 'weep (哭)' and 'decease (亡)', meaning when one departs this world to never be seen again those left behind cry for them for the 'loss'.

152: 單

single, individual, alone, only

C J K

单単單

dān たん (tan) 단 /dʌn/

十 8

十 9

口 12

① 单价: dān jià ① 単価: たんか ① 單價: 단 가

② 单字: dān zì ② 単語: たんご ② 單語: 단 어

③ 单纯: dānchún ③ 単純: たんじゅん ③ 單純: 단 순

① unit price ② vocabulary, word ③ simple, plain, uncomplicated, unsophisticated

A pictogram originally meaning a 'shout (吅 → 口口)' was loud, but later coming to mean 'single' or 'individual' number of units.

153: 問

ask, inquire after

C J K

问問問

wèn もん (mon) 문 /mun/

口 6

口 11

① 顾问: gù wèn ① 顧問: こもん ① 顧問: 고 문

② 访问: fǎngwèn ② 訪問: ほうもん ② 訪問: 방 문

③ 问卷: wènjuàn ④ 訊問: じんもん ④ 訊問: 신 문

① advisor, consultant ② visit, sojourn ③ questionnaire ④ interrogation, cross-examination

A phono-semantic compound between the semantic 'mouth (口)' and the phonetic 'door (門)', meaning questions are 'ask'(ed) verbally through the mouth.

154: 善

good, goodness, kind

C J K

善善善

shàn ぜん (zen) 선 /sən/

口 12

① 改善: gǎi shàn ① 改善: かいぜん ① 改善: 개 선

② 善行: shàn xíng ② 善行: ぜんこう ② 善行: 선 행

③ 伪善: wěi shàn ③ 偽善: ぎぜん ③ 僞善: 위 선

① ameliorate, enhance, reform ② good deed, commendable behavior ③ hypocracy, hypocritical, Pharisaism

A compound ideogram combining 'sheep (羊)' and originally 'quarrel (誩)', but later 'speech (言)', meaning those speaking with warmth and kindness are 'good'.

155: 喜

like, joy, happy

C J K

喜喜喜

xǐ き (ki) 희 /hɪ/

口 12

① 喜悦: xǐ yuè ① 喜悦: きえつ ① 喜悅: 희 열

② 悲喜: bēixǐ ② 悲喜: ひき ② 悲喜: 비 희

③ 欢喜: huān xǐ ③ 歓喜: かんき ③ 歡喜: 환 희

① happy, gladness ② joys & sorrows, tragicomedy ③ jubilant, overcome with joy

A compound ideogram between 'drum (壴)' and 'mouth (口)', meaning people are 'happy' when music plays while there is eating and singing.

156: 嚴

strict, stern, rigorous

C J K

严厳嚴

yán げん (gen) 엄 /əm/

[]一 7

厂 16

口 19

① 严格: yángé ① 厳格: げんかく ① 嚴格: 엄격

② 严正: yánzhèng ② 厳正: げんせい ② 嚴正: 엄정

③ 严重: yánzhòng ③ 厳重: げんじゅう ③ 嚴重: 엄중

① strict, severe ② impartial, exact, unprejudiced ③ serious, severe, rigorous

A phono-semantic compound that combines the semantic 'shout (吅 → 口口)' with the phonetic 'precipitous cliff (厂+ 敢)', meaning that ordering, alerting, or otherwise calling out from atop a base is 'stern'.

157: 四

four, IV

C J K

四四四

sì し (shi) 사 /sʌ/

囗 5

① 四方: sìfāng ① 四方: しほう ① 四方: 사 방

② 四声: sì shēng ② 四声: しせい ② 四聲: 사 성

③ 四季: sì jì ③ 四季: しき ③ 四季: 사 계

① all directions, square, four quarters ② four pronunciation tones in Chinese ③ the four seasons

A simple ideogram that originally had four horizontal lines, but later adopted an 'enclosure (囗)' with 'divide (儿)', meaning four.

158: 回

return, turn around, go back

C J K

回回回

huí かい (kai) 회 /hɒe/

囗 6

① 回转: huízhuǎn ① 回転: かいてん ① 回轉: 회 전

② 回复: huí fù ② 回復: かいふく ② 回復: 회 복

③ 回教: huí jiào ③ 回教: かいきょう ④ 回生: 회 생

① revolution, rotation ② recovery, restoration, rehabilitation ③ Islam, Mohammedanism ④ resurrection, reincarnation, resuscitation, revitalization

A pictogram meaning 'return', originally from a diagram of the circular motion of water in a lotus pond.

159: 因

cause, reason, for, because

C J K

因因因

yīn いん (in) 인 /ɪn/

囗 6

① 原因: yuán yīn ① 原因: げんいん ① 原因: 원 인

② 起因: qǐ yīn ② 起因: きいん ② 起因: 기 인

③ 因缘: yīnyuán ③ 因縁: いんねん ③ 因緣: 인연

① reason, factor ② root cause, underlying reason ③ cause & occasion, karma

A pictogram depicting a mat laid on the ground or floor to create space for sitting or lying down, later coming to mean 'cause'.

160: 困

difficult, arduous, hard

C J K

困困困

kùn こん (kon) 곤 /ɡɔn/

囗 7

① 困难: kùnnan ① 困難: こんなん ① 困難: 곤란

② 疲困: pí kùn - ② 疲困: 피 곤

③ 困惑: kùnhuò ③ 困惑: こんわく ③ 困惑: 곤혹

① difficulty, hard, distress ② exhaustion, weariness ③ confusion, perplexity

Simplified from 睏; 困 is a compound ideogram combining 'enclosure (囗)' and 'tree (木)', meaning it is 'troublesome' and 'awkward' to cut a tree in an enclosed space.

161: 固

harden, solidify, strong

C J K

固固固

gù こ (ko) 고 /ɡɔ/

囗 8

① 固定: gù dìng ① 固定: こてい ① 固定: 고 정

② 固执: gù zhí ② 固執: こしつ ② 固執: 고집

③ 固体: gùtǐ ③ 固体: こたい ③ 固體: 고체

① fixed, locked, fast ② stubborn, pigheaded, tunnel vision ③ solid matter

A phono-semantic compound with the semantic 'enclosure (囗)' and the phonetic 'old' or 'ancient (古)', meaning a person is 'motionless' and 'rigid' when confined in an enclosed area.

162: 國

nation, state, kingdom

C J K

国国國

guó こく (koku) 국 /ɡuɡ/

囗 8

囗 11

① 国籍: guó jí ① 国籍: こくせき ① 國籍: 국적

② 国库: guó kù ② 国庫: こっこ ② 國庫: 국 고

③ 国债: guó zhài ③ 国債: こくさい ③ 國債: 국 채

① nationality, citizen ship ② Treasury, public purse ③ national debt, government bonds

A compound ideogram combining the semantic 'enclosure (囗)' with the phonetic 'lance (或)', originally meaning 'protect the castle walls with swords', later coming to mean 'nation'. The simplified form 'kingdom 国' substitutes 'lance 或' with either 'jade 玉' or 'king 王'.

163: 園

garden, orchard, plantation

C J K

园園園

yuán えん (en) 원 /uən/

囗 7

囗 13

① 公园: gōng yuán ① 公園: こうえん ① 公園: 공 원

② 乐园: lèyuán ② 楽園: らくえん ② 樂園: 낙원

③ 庭园: tíng yuán ③ 庭園: ていえん ③ 庭園: 정 원

① park, public garden ② elysium, paradise, play ground ③ garden

A phono-semantic compound combining the semantic 'enclosure (囗)' with the phonetic 'robe (袁)', meaning that an encircled area where fruits dangle from trees like long trailing robes is a 'garden'.

164: 圓

round, circular, complete

C J K

圆円圓

yuán えん (en) 원 /uən/

囗 10

冂 4

囗 13

① 圆心: yuán xīn ① 円心: えんしん ① 圓心: 원 심

② 圆满: yuánmǎn ② 円満: えんまん ② 圓滿: 원만

③ 圆形: yuán xíng ③ 円形: えんけい ③ 圓形: 원 형

① origin, center of a circle ② favorable, satisfactory ③ circle, round

A phono-semantic compound between either 1) 'circumference ( ⃝ → 囗)' and 'personnel (员↔員)', or 2) 'enclosure (囗)', 'money (贝=貝)' and 'circumference (囗)', referring to the round coin with the square in the middle, meaning those lined up before the tax collector form a circle.

165: 圖

picture, map, chart

C J K

图図圖

tú ず (zu)/と (to) 도 /dɔ/

囗 8

囗 7

囗 14

① 图书: túshū ① 図書: としょ ① 圖書: 도 서

② 地图: dì tú ② 地図: ちず ② 地圖: 지 도

③ 图谋: túmóu ④ 意図: いと ③ 圖謀: 도모

① books, publications ② map, chart ③ plot, contrive, plan ④ intent, intention, design

A phono-semantic compound between the semantic 'enclosure (囗)' and the phonetic 'parsimony (啚)', meaning that which is drawn within the borders of confined space is a 'map' or 'picture'.

166: 團

spherical, ball, group, party

C J K

团団團

tuán だん (dan) 단 /dʌn/

囗 6

囗 14

① 团体: tuántǐ ① 団体: だんたい ① 團體: 단체

② 集团: jí tuán ② 集団: しゅうだん ② 集團: 집단

③ 团结: tuán jié ③ 団結: だんけつ ③ 團結: 단 결

① party, organization ② group, mass ③ union, unity, unite

A phono-semantic compound between the semantic 'enclosure (囗)' and the phonetic 'spool or exclusively (專)', coming to mean 'group' or 'party' from the roundness of the bobbin.

167: 土

earth, mud, ground, soil

C J K

土土土

tǔ ど (do) 토 /tɔ/

土 3

① 土地: tǔ dì ① 土地: とち ① 土地: 토지

② 土台: tǔ tái ② 土台: どだい ② 土臺: 토대

③ 土星: tǔ xīng ③ 土星: どせい ③ 土星: 토성

① land, soil ② foundation, cornerstone, stereobate ③ the planet Saturn

A pictogram of a lump of mud thrown up from plowshares, pitchfork, or other farming implements.

168: 在

live, exist, be, in, at

C J K

在在在

zài ざい (zai) 재 /dʒe/

土 6

① 在学: zài xué ① 在学: ざいがく ① 在學: 재 학

③ 潜在: qián zài ② 在庫: ざいこ ② 在庫: 재 고

④ 在下: zài xià ③ 潜在: せんざい ③ 潛在: 잠재

① attending school, be enrolled ② stock, inventory, stockpile ③ latent, dormant, potentiality ④ I, myself

A phono-semantic compound that later added the semantic 'ground (土)' to the phonetic 'talent (才)', meaning all things 'in existence' spring from earth.

169: 地

earth, soil, ground

C J K

地地地

dì じ (ji)/ち (chi) 지 /dʒ ɪ/

土 6

① 地球: dì qiú ① 地球: ちきゅう ① 地球: 지 구

② 地震: dì zhèn ② 地震: じしん ② 地震: 지 진

③ 地理: dì lǐ ③ 地理: ちり ③ 地理: 지 리

① world, earth, globe ② earthquake, seismic tremor ③ geography, topography

Etymology uncertain, but a compound ideogram between 'earth (土)' and 'serpent (它→也)', meaning 'soil', because snakes abounded long ago.

170: 均

even, equal, level

C J K

均均均

jūn きん (kin) 균 /ɡyun/

土 7

① 平均: píng jūn ① 平均: へいきん ① 平均: 평 균

② 均衡: jūnhéng ② 均衡: きんこう ② 均衡: 균 형

③ 不均衡: bù jūnhéng ③ 不均衡: ふきんこう ③ 不均衡: 불 균 형

① average, mean ② balance, equilibrium ③ imbalance, disproportion, non-equilibrium

A phono-semantic compound between the semantic 'earth (土)' and the phonetic 'divide evenly (勻)', meaning 'level' the earth or select 'evenly'.

171: 城

castle, fortress, city walls

C J K

城城城

c[[héng]] じょう (jou) 성 /sə ŋ/

土 9

① 城垣: c[[héng]]yuán ③ 城門: じょうもん ③ 城門: 성 문

② 城市: c[[héng]]shì ④ 城郭: じょうかく ④ 城郭: 성곽

⑤ 万里长城: wàn lǐchángc[[héng]] ⑤ 万里長城: ばんりのちょうじょう ⑤ 萬里長城: 만리 장 성

① castle walls, city walls ② city, metropolitan ③ castle gate, fortress gate ④ castle, fortress ⑤ Great Wall of China

A phono-semantic compound combining the semantic 'earth (土)' with the phonetic 'completed (成)', meaning 'fortress' or 'castle walls', since mud was used in brick-making.

172: 執

hold, grab, grasp, maintain

C J K

执執執

zhí しつ (shitsu) 집 /dʒ ɪb/

扌 6

土 11

① 执行: zhí xíng ① 執行: しっこう ① 執行: 집행

② 执着: zhízhuó ② 執着: しゅうちゃく ② 執着: 집착

③ 执政: zhí zhèng ③ 執権: しっけん ③ 執權: 집권

① enforcement, execution ② persistence, tenacity, grit, doggedness ③ take power, be in power

A phono-semantic compound evolving from a combination of a 'kneeling man whose hands (丸)' have been 'tied or handcuffed (幸)' from committing a crime, meaning 'hold'.

173: 基

foundation, origin, base

C J K

基基基

jī き (ki) 기 /ɡɪ/

土 11

① 基本: jī běn ① 基本: きほん ① 基本: 기본

② 基准: jī zhǔn ② 基準: きじゅん ② 基準: 기 준

③ 基金: jī jīn ③ 基金: ききん ④ 基盤: 기 반

① primal, elementary, basic ② standard, benchmark ③ fund, endowment ④ foundation, footing, basis, ground work

A phono-semantic compound between the phonetic 'that (其)' pronoun and the semantic 'earth (土)', originally meaning the underlying base of a wall or fence, now just 'base'.

174: 堂

hall, office, room

C J K

堂堂堂

táng どう (dou) 당 /dʌŋ/

土 11

① 讲堂: jiǎng táng ① 講堂: こうどう ① 講堂: 강 당

② 天堂: tiān táng ② 天堂: てんどう ② 天堂: 천 당

③ 祠堂: cí táng ③ 聖堂: せいどう ③ 祠堂: 사 당

① lecture hall, auditorium, classroom ② heaven, heavenly kingdom ③ shrine, ancestral temple

A phono-semantic compound that combines the semantic 'earth (土)' with the phonetic (尚)—which can mean either 'rather, yet' or 'esteem'—meaning 'the biggest and the highest-elevated south-facing house in the middle'.

175: 堅

hard, solid, firm, steady

C J K

坚堅堅

jiān けん (ken) 견 /ɡyən/

土 7

土 11

① 坚固: jiāngù ① 堅固: けんご ① 堅固: 견 고

② 中坚: zhōng jiān ② 中堅: ちゅうけん ② 中堅: 중 견

③ 坚持: jiān chí ③ 堅持: けんじ ③ 堅持: 견 지

① solidity, stability, firmness ② core, nucleus, mainstay ③ hold fast, maintain, adhere

A phono-semantic compound between the semantic 'earth (土)' and the phonetic 'benign (臤)', meaning the ground has 'hardened' or 'molded'.

176: 報

report, repay, compensate, telegram

C J K

报報報

bào ほ (ho) 보 /bɔ/

扌 7

土 12

① 报道: bào dào ① 報道: ほうどう ① 報道: 보 도

② 报告: bào gào ② 報告: ほうこく ② 報告: 보 고

③ 报偿: bàocháng ③ 報償: ほうしょう ③ 報償: 보 상

① news report, coverage, announcement ② written report, briefing ③ compensation, remuneration

A compound ideogram between 'handcuffs (幸)' and 'govern (𠬝)', originally meaning 'a res[[trained convict awaiting decision on his knees', later coming to mean 'repay' or 'notify'.

177: 場

stage, field, market, area

C J K

场場場

chǎng じょう (jou)/ば (ba) 장 /dʒʌŋ/

土 7

土 12

① 场所: chǎngsuǒ ① 場所: ばしょ ① 場所: 장 소

② 场面: chǎngmiàn ② 場面: ばめん ② 場面: 장 면

③ 农场: nóngchǎng ③ 農場: のうじょう ③ 農場: 농장

① place, location, spot ② scene, setting, stage ③ farm, ranch

A phono-semantic compound combining the semantic 'earth (土)' with the phonetic 'sunshine (昜→陽, 阳)', meaning the place where the sun shines most bright is '場'.

178: 增

increase, enlarge, grow

C J K

增増增

zēng ぞう (zou) 증 /dʒɜŋ/

土 15

土 14

土 15

① 增加: zēngjiā ① 増加: ぞうか ① 增加: 증 가

② 增减: zēngjiǎn ② 増減: ぞうげん ② 增減: 증 감

③ 增税: zēngshuì ③ 増税: ぞうぜい ③ 增稅: 증 세

① increase, rise ② fluctuation, oscillation ③ tax hike, increased taxation

A phono-semantic compound combining the semantic 'earth (土)' with the phonetic 'repeat (曾↔曽↔曾)', meaning 'grow' by adding layer upon layer of mud or dirt.

179: 士

scholar, savant, learned

C J K

士士士

shì し (shi) 사 /sʌ/

士 3

① 棋士: qí shì ① 棋士: きし ① 棋士: 기 사

② 道士: dàoshi ② 道士: どうし ② 道士: 도 사

③ 斗士: dòushì ③ 闘士: とうし ③ 鬪士: 투 사

① go player, shogi player ② a Taoist priest, expert ③ fighter, combatant, champion, boxer

A compound ideogram combining 'ten (十)' with 'one ([]一)', meaning that a 'learned man' is one who hears, reads, or sees one thing and comes to know ten others from deduction, induction, or experience.

180: 壯

big, strong, robust

C J K

壮壮壯

zhuàng そう (sou) 장 /dʒʌŋ/

士 6

士 7

① 壮丁: zhuàng dīng ① 壮丁: そうてい ① 壯丁: 장 정

② 壮观: zhuàng guān ② 壮観: そうかん ② 壯觀: 장 관

③ 壮烈: zhuàng liè ③ 壮烈: そうれつ ③ 壯烈: 장렬

① able-bodied man, man of enlistment age ② magnificent sight, spectacle, grandeur ③ heroic, gallant

A phono-semantic compound combining the phonetic 'chopped wood (爿)' and the semantic 'scholar (士)', meaning those whose mind and body are 'robust' are vigorous, brave, and manly.

181: 壽

life, lifespan

C J K

寿寿壽

shòu じゅ (ju) 수 /su/

寸 7

寸 14

① 寿命: shòu mìng ① 寿命: じゅみょう ① 壽命: 수 명

② 长寿: chángshòu ② 長寿: ちょうじゅ ② 長壽: 장 수

③ 折寿: zhéshòu ④ 寿司: すし ③ 減壽: 감 수

① life, lifespan, durability ② longevity, long life ③ to shorten one's lifespan ④ sushi, sour, vinegary

A phono-semantic compound between the radical '耂', the top component of 'old age (老)' and 'arable land (疇)', originally meaning the boundaries of an old man's farmland is as long as his age, but later coming to mean 'live long'.

182: 夏

summer, wet season

C J K

夏夏夏

xià か (ka)/げ (ge) 하 /hʌ/

夊 10

① 夏季: xià jì ① 夏季: かき ① 夏季: 하 계

② 夏至: xià zhì ② 夏至: げし ② 夏至: 하 지

③ 立夏: lì xià ③ 立夏: りっか ③ 立夏: 입 하

① summer, summer time ② summer solstice, Jun. 21 ③ start of summer on lunar calendar

Originally a pictogram depicting a 'big' decoratively dressed person, but later coming to mean 'summer' as growth happens most fervently during the rainy season.

183: 夕

evening, dusk

C J K

夕夕夕

xī せき (seki)/ゆう (yuu) 석 /səɡ/

夕 3

① 夕阳: xī yáng ① 夕陽: ゆうひ ① 夕陽: 석양

② 夕照: xī zhào ② 夕照: せきしょう ② 夕照: 석조

- ③ 夕刊: ゆうかん ④ 秋夕: 추석

① evening sun, red sunset ② evening glow, twilight ③ evening (news) paper ④ Harvest Moon Festival, August full moon of lunar calendar

A pictogram derived from the character 'moon (月)' less one stroke, meaning 'dusk' or 'evening'.

184: 外

outside, external, foreign

C J K

外外外

wài がい (gai) 외 /ɔe/

夕 5

① 外货: wài huò ① 外貨: がいか ① 外貨: 외 화

② 外交: wài jiāo ② 外交: がいこう ② 外交: 외 교

③ 外人: wài rén ③ 外人: がいじん ③ 外國人: 외 국 인

① foreign currency, imports ② diplomacy, foreign affairs ③ foreigner, outsider, foreign national

A compound ideogram between 'evening (夕)' and a 'splinter (卜)' in an oracle bone, originally meaning 'outside a border'. 夕 was added only later.

185: 多

many, multi

C J K

多多多

duō た (ta) 다 /dʌ/

夕 6

① 多少: duōshǎo ① 多少: たしょう ① 多少: 다 소

② 多情: duō qíng ② 多情: たじょう ② 多情: 다 정

③ 多国: duō guó ③ 多国: たこく ③ 多國: 다 국

① more or less, slightly, somewhat ② affectionate, tenderness warmhearted ③ multilateral, multinational

Either a pictogram of two pieces of meat or a compound ideogram between two 'evenings (夕)', meaning the recurrence of evenings all add up to create 'many'.

186: 夜

night, dark

C J K

夜夜夜

yè や (ya) 야 /yʌ/

夕 8

① 夜间: yè jiān ① 夜間: やかん ① 夜間: 야간

② 夜班: yè bān ② 夜勤: やきん ② 夜勤: 야근

③ 夜景: yè jǐng ③ 夜景: やけい ③ 夜景: 야경

① night time, evening or night (ie: classes) ② night shift, night duty ③ night view

The current form of the character is a phono-semantic compound between 'clothes (衣)' and 'evening (夕)', but originally combined 'again' or 'armpit (亦)' with 夕, meaning it is 'night' when shadow casts under the armpit.

187: 大

big, large, great

C J K

大大大

dà だい (dai) 대 /de/

大 3

① 大会: dà huì ① 大会: たいかい ① 大會: 대 회

② 大学: dà xué ② 大学: だいがく ② 大學: 대 학

③ 大麻: dà má ③ 大麻: たいま ③ 大麻: 대 마

① assembly, convention ② college, university, Great Learning (one of the Four Books 四書 of Confucianism the others being 論語, 孟子,中庸) ③ hemp, cannabis

A pictogram of an adult with out-stretched arms in contrast to a similar figure depicting a baby or child with a large head (子), only later coming to mean 'big', 'great'.

188: 天

sky, heaven, celestial

C J K

天天天

tiān てん (ten) 천 /tʃ ən/

大 4

① 天然: tiānrán ① 天然: てんねん ① 天然: 천연

② 天文: tiān wén ② 天文: てんもん ② 天文: 천 문

③ 天命: tiān mìng ④ 天気: てんき ⑤ 天主敎: 천 주 교

① natural (as in: gas, water) ② astronomy, 'celestial writings' ③ mandate of heaven, fate, karma ④ weather, climate ⑤ Catholicism, the Catholic Church

A pictogram with original emphasis on depicting an adult's forehead, later coming to mean 'that ([]一)' which is above 'man (大)' is 'sky (天)'.

189: 太

big, much, very

C J K

太太太

tài たい (tai) 태 /te/

大 4

① 太阳: tài yáng ① 太陽: たいよう ① 太陽: 태양

② 太平: tài píng ② 太平: たいへい ② 太平: 태평

③ 太平洋: tài píng yáng ③ 太平洋: たいへいよう ③ 太平洋: 태평양

① sun, solar ② quiet, peaceful, tranquility ③ the Pacific Ocean

A simple ideogram combining the eventual forms of 'man (人→大)' and 'water ([]一→⼂)', originally meaning it is 'slippery' when the feet are submerged in mud. An earlier form of 'great (泰)'.

190: 夫

man, adult male, husband

C J K

夫夫夫

fū ふ (fu) 부 /bu/

大 4

① 夫妇: fū fù ① 夫婦: ふうふ ① 夫婦: 부 부

② 夫人: fū rén ② 夫人: ふじん ② 夫人: 부 인

③ 功夫: gōng fu ④ 工夫: くふう ⑤ 工夫: 공 부

① man & wife, married couple ② wife, Mrs. ③ kung fu ④ scheme, device ⑤ study, learn

A pictogram of a man above the age of 20 whose queue was tied and held up with either an hairpin or coronet, meaning an adult 'male'.

191: 央

middle, center

C J K

央央央

yāng おう (ou) 앙 /ʌŋ/

大 5

① 中央: zhōng yāng ① 中央: ちゅうおう ① 中央: 중 앙

① central, middle, center