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forest, grove

C J K

林林林

lín りん (rin) 림/임 /rɪm//ɪm/

木 8

① 森林: sēnlín ① 森林: しんりん ① 森林: 삼림

② 林业: lín yè ② 林業: りんぎょう ② 林業: 임 업

③ 儒林: rúlín ③ 儒林: じゅりん ③ 儒林: 유림

① grove, woods ② forestry, forestation ③ Confucian scholars, intelligentsia

A compound ideogram of a 'tree (木)' followed by another tree, meaning 'grove'.

410: 果

fruit, result

C J K

果果果

guǒ か (ka) 과 /ɡɒʌ/

木 8

① 果实: guǒ shí ① 果実: かじつ ① 果實: 과 실

② 果然: guǒrán ② 果然: かぜん ② 果然: 과연

③ 成果: c[[héng]]guǒ ③ 成果: せいか ③ 成果: 성 과

① fruit, berry ② really, as was expected, sure enough ③ achievement, results, fruits

A pictogram of 'fruits (⊕→ 田)' hanging on a 'tree 木', meaning 'fruit' or 'result'.

411: 枝

branch, tree branches, limbs, wing

C J K

枝枝枝

zhī し (shi) 지 /dʒ ɪ/

木 8

① 树枝: shùzhī ② 枝葉: しよう ② 枝葉: 지엽

② 枝叶: zhī yè ③ 枝族: しぞく -

④ 枝丫: zhī yā - -

① twig, branch ② branches & leaves, minor details, non-essentials ③ branch family, tribe ④ branch

A phono-semantic compound between the semantic 'tree (木)' and the phonetic 'branch (支)', meaning 'tree branch'.

412: 柔

soft, gentle, pliant

C J K

柔柔柔

róu じゅう (juu) 유 /yu/

木 9

① 柔软: róuruǎn ① 柔軟: じゅうなん ① 柔軟: 유연

② 柔顺: róushùn ② 柔順: じゅうじゅん ② 柔順: 유 순

③ 柔道: róudào ③ 柔道: じゅうどう ③ 柔道: 유 도

① soft, supple, flexible, lithe ② meek, docile, obedient ③ judo

A phono-semantic compound between the semantic 'tree (木)' and phonetic 'spear (矛)', meaning the material for spear handle must be soft and amendable'.

413: 校

school, academy

C J K

校校校

xiào こう (kou) 교 /ɡyɔ/

木 10

① 学校: xué xiào ① 学校: がっこう ① 學校: 학 교

② 校长: xiào zhǎng ② 校長: こうちょう ② 校長: 교 장

③ 校正: jiào zhèng ③ 校正: こうせい ③ 校正: 교 정

① school, academy ② principal, head master ③ proof reading, corrections

A phono-semantic compound between the semantic 'tree (木)' and the phonetic 'interact (交)', originally meaning 'torture devices', later coming to mean 'school'.

414: 根

root, base, foundation

C J K

根根根

gēn こん (kon) 근 /ɡɜn/

木 10

① 根本: gēn běn ① 根本: こんぽん ① 根本: 근본

② 根性: gēn xìng ② 根性: こんじょう ② 根性: 근 성

③ 根据: gēn jù ③ 根拠: こんきょ ③ 根據: 근 거

① root, base, fundamental ② spirit, guts, will-power ③ basis, grounds, reason, according to

A phono-semantic compound between the semantic 'tree (木)' and the phonetic 'cease (艮)', meaning that the growth of tree branches not on top but through the bottom is the tree's 'root'.

415: 栽

plant, cultivate, care

C J K

栽栽栽

zāi さい (sai) 재 /dʒe/

木 10

① 盆栽: pénzāi ① 盆栽: ぼんさい ① 盆栽: 본재

② 栽培: zāipéi ② 栽培: さいばい ② 栽培: 재 배

③ 栽植: zāizhí ③ 植栽: しょくさい ③ 植栽: 식 재

① bonsai, potting & pruning trees ② cultivation, growing ③ plant, tree planting & raising

A phono-semantic compound between the semantic 'tree (木)' and the phonetic 'injure (𢦏)', originally meaning an 'implement for building a walled-enclosure', later coming to mean 'plant tree'.

416: 案

desk, table, legal case

C J K

案案案

àn あん (an) 안 /ʌn/

木 10

① 案件: ànjiàn ① 案件: あんけん ① 案件: 안 건

② 提案: tíàn ② 提案: ていあん ② 提案: 제 안

③ 方案: fāngàn ④ 代案: だいあん ③ 方案: 방 안

① legal case, the matter at hand ② proposal, motion ③ plan, way forward ④ alternate plan, alternative

A phono-semantic compound combining the semantic 'tree (木)' with the phonetic 'calm (安)', meaning that a 'desk' is a wooden structure made for sitting and reading in peace.

417: 植

plant, erect, raise

C J K

植植植

zhí しょく (shoku) 식 /sɪɡ/

木 12

① 植物: zhí wù ① 植物: しょくぶつ ① 植物: 식물

② 移植: yí zhí ② 移植: いしょく ② 移植: 이 식

③ 殖民: zhí mín ③ 植民: しょくみん ③ 植民: 식 민

① plants, vegetation, herbs ② transplant, implant, grafting ③ colonization, settlement

A phono-semantic compound between the semantic 'tree (木)' and the phonetic 'straight (直)', originally meaning a 'wooden door beam', later coming to mean 'plant' or 'erect'.

418: 業

work, profession, business, karma

C J K

业業業

yè ぎょう (gyou) 업 /əb/

[]一 5

木 13

① 业界: yè jìe ① 業界: ぎょうかい ① 業界: 업 계

② 业内: yènèi ② 業種: ぎょうしゅ ② 業種: 업 종

③ 企业: qǐ yè ④ 企業: きぎょう ④ 企業: 기 업

① industry, business world ② inside the industry ③ industrial sector, industry type ④ enterprise, corporation

A pictogram originally depicting the craftsmanship and intricacies of lacing either paper or drums, later coming to mean 'work' or 'occupation'.

419: 極

extreme, utmost, furthest

C J K

极極極

jí きょく (kyoku) 극 /ɡɜɡ/

木 7

木 12

① 极限: jí xiàn ① 極限: きょくげん ① 極限: 극 한

② 北极星: běi jí xīng ② 北極星: ほっきょくせい ② 北極星: 북 극 성

③ 终极: zhōng jí ③ 究極: きゅうきょく ③ 窮極: 궁 극

① extremity, utmost limit ② the North Star, Polaris ③ ultimate, final, extreme, eventual

A phono-semantic compound combining the semantic 'tree (木)' with the phonetic 'quickly (亟)', meaning the work of roof tiling must be taken care of quickly and carefully as much as the important work entails.

420: 榮

glory, honor, prosperity, flourish

C J K

荣栄榮

róng えい (ei) 영 /yə ŋ/

木 9

木 14

① 荣光: róngguāng ① 栄光: えいこう ① 榮光: 영 광

② 繁荣: fánróng ② 繁栄: はんえい ② 繁榮: 번영

③ 荣华: rónghuá ③ 栄華: えいが ③ 榮華: 영 화

① glorious, honorable ② prosperity, thrive, flourish ③ splendor, majestic, flower, bloom

A phono-semantic compound combining the semantic 'tree (木)' and the top component (𤇾) of the phonetic 'candlelight (熒)', meaning 'glory' is like a flame burning large above a tree.

421: 樂

happy, glad, jovial

C J K

乐楽樂

lè / yuè がく (gaku) 악/락 /ʌɡ//rʌɡ/

丿 5

木 13

木 15

① 乐器: yuè qì ① 楽器: がっき ① 樂器: 악기

② 快乐: kuàilè ② 快楽: かいらく ② 快樂: 쾌 락

③ 娱乐: yúlè ③ 娯楽: ごらく ③ 娛樂: 오 락

① musical instrument ② happy, pleasure, delight ③ amusement, entertainment

A pictogram depicting a wooden (木) musical instrument adorned with ornamentation, later coming to adopt the current form, and meaning 'happy', 'refinement', 'pleasing'.

422: 樹

tree plant, erect, establish

C J K

树樹樹

shù じゅ (ju) 수 /su/

木 9

木 16

① 树立: shù lì ① 樹立: じゅりつ ① 樹立: 수립

② 树木: shù mù ② 樹木: じゅもく ② 樹木: 수 목

③ 果树: guǒ shù ③ 果樹: かじゅ ③ 果樹: 과 수

① establish, set up, make, create ② trees, arbor ③ fruit tree

A phono-semantic compound between the phonetic 'erect (尌)' and semantic 'tree (木)', meaning 'plant and stand a tree'. By itself, 壴 is a drum and the 寸 in 尌 is the right hand.

423: 橋

bridge, link, overpass

C J K

桥橋橋

qiáo きょう (kyou) 교 /ɡyɔ/

木 10

木 16

① 桥梁: qiáoliáng ① 橋梁: きょうりょう ① 橋梁: 교량

② 陆桥: lùqiáo ② 陸橋: りっきょう ② 陸橋: 육교

③ 铁桥: tiě qiáo ③ 鉄橋: てっきょう ③ 鐵橋: 철교

① bridge, overpass ② viaduct, land bridge ③ metal bridge, railway bridge

A phono-semantic compound between the semantic 'tree (木)' and the phonetic 'high-pitched (喬)', meaning a 'bridge' is like the 'high and curved (喬)' rainbow above the surface of the water.

424: 權

power, right, authority

C J K

权権權

quán けん (ken) 권 /ɡuən/

木 6

木 15

木 21

① 权利: quán lì ① 権利: けんり ① 權利: 권 리

② 权力: quán lì ② 権力: けんりょく ② 權力: 권 력

③ 既得权: jìdéquán ③ 既得権: きとくけん ③ 旣得權: 기득권

① right, claim, entitle, privilege ② power, influence, authority ③ vested rights, vested interests, privelges, the establishment

A phono-semantic compound between the semantic 'tree (木)' and the phonetic 'stork (雚)', originally meaning 'a yellow flower-bearing tree', then 'scale', before finally coming to mean 'power'.

425: 次

order, sequence, next

C J K

次次次

cì じ (ji) 차 /tʃʌ/

欠 6

① 次序: cì xù ① 次序: じじょ ① 次例: 차례

② 次元: cì yuán ② 次元: じげん ② 次元: 차 원

③ 次长: cì zhǎng ③ 次官: じかん ③ 次官: 차 관

① order, sequence ② perspective, dimension ③ undersecretary, vice-minister, deputy

A compound ideogram between 'two (二)' and 'yawn (欠)', meaning fall in line in 'order' or 'sequence' because it is not the first one in order.

426: 欲

want, wish, desire, long for

C J K

欲欲欲

yù よく (yoku) 욕 /yɔɡ/

欠 11

① 意欲: yì yù ① 意欲: いよく ① 意欲: 의욕

② 欲求: yù qiú ② 欲求: よっきゅう ② 欲求: 욕구

③ 贪欲: tānyù ③ 欲心: よくしん ③ 欲心: 욕심

① will, desire, ambition ② carnal desire, lust ③ greed, avarice, self-interest

A phono-semantic compound combining the semantic 'gorge (谷)' and the phonetic 'yawn (欠)', meaning a person has his mouth open to fill his empty cave-like soul with his 'desires'.

427: 歌

song, sing

C J K

歌歌歌

gē か (ka) 가 /ɡʌ/

欠 14

① 歌手: gē shǒu ① 歌手: かしゅ ① 歌手: 가 수

② 歌词: gē cí ② 歌詞: かし ② 歌詞: 가 사

③ 颂歌: sònggē ④ 歌舞伎: かぶき ③ 頌歌: 송가

① singer, vocalist ② lyrics, libretto ③ hymn, psalm ④ kabuki, Japanese traditional drama

A phono-semantic compound between the semantic 'brother (哥)' and the phonetic 'yawn (欠)'. Originally 哥 meant song, but when it came to be used for 'brother (兄)', 欠 was added to mean 'song'.

428: 歡

happy, joy, gladness

C J K

欢歓歡

huān かん (kan) 환 /hɒʌn/

欠 6

欠 15

欠 21

① 欢乐: huānlè ① 歓楽: かんらく ① 歡樂: 환 락

② 欢送: huān sòng ② 歓送: かんそう ② 歡送: 환송

③ 欢声: huān shēng ③ 歓声: かんせい ③ 歡聲: 환 성

① gladness, joyful, pleasure ② farewell, hearty send-off ③ cheerful hollering, shouts of joy

A phono-semantic compound between the phonetic 'stork (雚)' and the semantic 'yawn (欠)', meaning 'happy', because happiness is expressed with open mouths and storks deliver happiness.

429: 止

stop, halt, detain

C J K

止止止

zhǐ し (shi) 지 /dʒ ɪ/

止 4

① 停止: tíng zhǐ ① 停止: ていし ① 停止: 정 지

② 禁止: jìn zhǐ ② 禁止: きんし ② 禁止: 금 지

③ 防止: fáng zhǐ ③ 防止: ぼうし ③ 防止: 방 지

① stop, halt, cease ② prohibit, forbid, ban ③ prevent, preclude

A pictogram of a stationary foot stepping on surface soil, later coming to mean 'stop'.

430: 正

right, proper, correct

C J K

正正正

zhēng せい (sei)/しょう (shou) 정 /dʒ ə ŋ/

止 5

① 正月: zhēng yuè ① 正月: しょうがつ ① 正月: 정 월

② 正直: zhèng zhí ② 正直: しょうじき ② 正直: 정직

③ 正常: zhèngcháng ③ 正常: せいじょう ④ 正體: 정체

① January, first month of lunar year ② upright, honest, candor ③ normal, standard ④ identity, identify

A compound ideogram combining 'enclosure (口→[]一)' and 'stop (止)', originally meaning 'raid an enemy's (敵) sanctuary (城)', later coming to mean 'proper' or 'upright'. Also used as a tally mark from 1 to 5.

431: 步

step, pace, walk, stroll

C J K

步歩步

bù ほ (ho) 보 /bɔ/

止 7

止 8

止 7

① 步行: bù xíng ① 歩行: ほこう ① 步行: 보 행

② 步道: bù dào ② 歩道: ほどう ② 步道: 보 도

③ 步调: bù diào ③ 歩調: ほちょう ③ 步調: 보 조

① walking, go on foot ② sidewalk, footpath, pedestrian road ③ pace, tempo, rhythm

A pictogram originally depicting two feet with one (left foot) above the other (right foot), later coming to take the current form, meaning 'walk'.

432: 武

military, martial, force

C J K

武武武

wǔ ぶ (fu) 무 /mu/

止 8

① 武术: wǔ shù ① 武術: ぶじゅつ ① 武術: 무 술

② 文武: wén wǔ ② 文武: ぶんぶ ② 文武: 문 무

③ 武器: wǔ qì ③ 武器: ぶき ③ 武器: 무 기

① martial arts, military arts, Wushu ② civil-military, literary & military arts, the pen & the sword ③ weapon, arms, ordnance

A compound ideogram combining 'halt (止)' with 'spear (戈)', meaning battle against turmoil or disturbance using 'force'.

433: 歲

year, age

C J K

岁歳歲

suì さい (sai) 세 /se/

山 6

止 13

① 岁月: suì yuè ① 歳月: さいげつ ① 歲月: 세 월

② 岁暮: suì mù ② 歳暮: せいぼ ② 歲暮: 세모

③ 年岁: niánsuì ③ 歳: さい ③ 年歲: 연세

① time, years ② end of the year ③ age, years of age

A phono-semantic compound between the semantic 'walk (步)' and the phonetic 'dog (戌)', meaning the beginning of a new 'year' or 'start of a new annual cycle'.

434: 歷

past, history

C J K

历歴歷

lì れき (reki) 역/력 /yəɡ//ryəɡ/

厂 4

止 14

止 16

① 历史: lì shǐ ① 歴史: れきし ① 歷史: 역 사

② 学历: xué lì ② 学歴: がくれき ② 學歷: 학 력

③ 经历: jīng lì ③ 経歴: けいれき ③ 經歷: 경 력

① history, chronicle ② educational background, schooling history ③ work experience, career history

A phono-semantic compound between the semantic 'footprint (止)' and the phonetic 'almanac (厤)', meaning records are left behind for the periods that have 'pass(ed)'.

435: 歸

return, come back, go back

C J K

归帰歸

guī き (ki) 귀 /ɡuɪ/

彐 5

巾 10

止 18

① 复归: fù guī ① 復帰: ふっき ① 復歸: 복 귀

② 归国: guī guó ② 帰国: きこく ② 歸國: 귀 국

③ 归化: guī huà ③ 帰化: きか ③ 歸化: 귀 화

① return, revert, reinstatement ② return from overseas, return to one's country ③ flourish in a new environment, naturalization

A compound ideogram between the 'broom (帇)' component in 'daughter-in-law (婦)', 'pile (𠂤)', and 'stay (止)', originally meaning 'upon marriage a woman enters her husband's household for good', later coming to mean 'return'.

436: 死

die, dead, death

C J K

死死死

sǐ し (shi) 사 /sʌ/

歹 6

① 死亡: sǐ wáng ① 死亡: しぼう ① 死亡: 사 망

② 死刑: sǐ xíng ② 死刑: しけい ② 死刑: 사 형

③ 死别: sǐ bié ③ 死別: しべつ ③ 死別: 사 별

① die, pass away ② execution, death penalty, capital punishment ③ bereavement, separation by death

A compound ideogram between 'bare bones (歹)' and 'person (人→匕)', meaning all that is left after 'death' is fragmented skeleton.

437: 殺

kill, slaughter, annihilate

C J K

杀殺殺

shā さつ (satsu) 살/쇄 /sʌl//sɒe/

木 6

殳 10

殳 11

① 杀人: shā rén ① 殺人: さつじん ① 殺人: 살 인

② 屠杀: tú shā ② 虐殺: ぎゃくさつ ② 虐殺: 학 살

③ 自杀: zì shā ③ 自殺: じさつ ③ 自殺: 자 살

① murder, homicide ② massacre, genocide, holocaust ③ suicide

A phono-semantic compound between the semantic 'spear (殳)' and the phonetic 'slaughter (杀)', meaning 'kill' with a spear.

438: 母

mother, woman, female

C J K

母母母

mǔ ぼ (bo) 모 /mɔ/

⺟ 5

① 母国: mǔguó ① 母国: ぼこく ① 母國: 모국

② 母乳: mǔrǔ ② 母乳: ぼにゅう ② 母乳: 모유

③ 分母: fēnmǔ ③ 分母: ぶんぼ ③ 分母: 분모

① homeland, mother land ② mother's milk, breast milk ③ denominator, dividend

A pictogram depicting a woman's breasts with two dots as nipples, meaning 'mother'.

439: 每

every, each, per

C J K

每毎每

měi まい (mai) 매 /me/

⺟ 7

毋 6

⺟ 7

① 每次: měicì ① 毎度: まいど ① 每番: 매번

② 每月: měiyuè ② 毎月: まいげつ ② 每月: 매 월

③ 每天: měitiān ③ 毎日: まいにち ③ 每日: 매 일

① every time, each time ② every month, each month, monthly ③ every day, daily

A phono-semantic compound originally between the semantic 'mother (母)' and the phonetic 'sprout (屮→𠂉)', originally meaning 'densely growing grassland', later coming to mean 'always'.

440: 比

compare, liken, compete

C J K

比比比

bǐ ひ (hi) 비 /bɪ/

比 4

① 比较: bǐ jiào ① 比較: ひかく ① 比較: 비 교

② 比率: bǐlǜ ② 比率: ひりつ ② 比率: 비율

③ 比例: bǐ lì ③ 比例: ひれい ③ 比例: 비례

① comparison, relatively ② ratio, percentage ③ proportion, scale

A pictogram from an oracle bone inscription depicting two persons standing alongside each other, meaning 'compare'.

441: 毛

hair, fur, feathers

C J K

毛毛毛

máo もう (mou) 모 /mɔ/

毛 4

① 毛发: máofà ① 毛髪: もうはつ ① 毛髮: 모발

② 毛皮: máopí ② 毛皮: もうひ ② 毛皮: 모피

③ 毛泽东: máozé dōng ③ 毛沢東: マオツォートン ③ 毛澤東: 모택 동

① hair ② fur, pelt ③ Mao Zedong, Chairman Mao

A pictogram depicting a filament of either people or animals, meaning 'hair'.

442: 氏

clan, family, surname

C J K

氏氏氏

shì し (shi) 씨 /ʃ ɪ/

氏 4

① 姓氏: xìng shì ① 姓氏: せいし ① 姓氏: 성 씨

② 氏族: shì zú ② 氏族: しぞく ② 氏族: 씨족

① family name, last name, surname ② clan, family

A pictogram depicting a budding sprout and root, later coming to mean 'clan', 'family' or 'surname'.

443: 民

people, subjects, citizens

C J K

民民民

mín みん (min) 민 /mɪn/

氏 5

① 民族: mín zú ① 民族: みんぞく ① 民族: 민족

② 民主: mín zhǔ ② 民主: みんしゅ ② 民主: 민 주

③ 民法: mínfǎ ③ 民法: みんぽう ③ 民法: 민법

① race, ethnic group, national group ② democracy, popular sovereignty ③ civil law, Civil Code

Etymology various. A pictogram from bronze object inscriptions of a sprouting bud, later coming to be compared to the submission of the masses to the ruler, meaning 'people'.

444: 氣

air, gas, spirit, energy

C J K

气気氣

qì き (ki) 기 /ɡɪ/

气 4

气 6

气 10

① 气候: qì hòu ① 気候: きこう ① 氣候: 기 후

② 气象: qì xiàng ② 気象: きしょう ② 氣像: 기 상

③ 血气: xuè qì ③ 血気: けっき ③ 血氣: 혈 기

① climate ② weather, meteorology ③ blood & breath, that which sustains life, vigor, ardor

A phono-semantic compound between the phonetic 'steam (气)' and the semantic unhusked 'rice (米)', originally meaning 'food for guests', later coming to mean 'spirit' or 'breath'. A new character, 餼 , was made for the initial meaning.

445: 水

water, liquid

C J K

水水水

shuǐ すい (sui) 수 /su/

水 4

① 水道: shuǐ dào ① 水道: すいどう ① 水道: 수 도

② 水力: shuǐ lì ② 水力: すいりょく ② 水力: 수 력

③ 水星: shuǐ xīng ③ 水星: すいせい ③ 水星: 수 성

① waterway, water supply ② water power, hydraulic power ③ the planet Mercury

A pictogram depicting the fluidity and formlessness of 'water', coming to take on the current form during the Regular Script period circa 200 C.E.

446: 冰

ice, frost, icicles, cold

C J K

冰氷氷

bīng ひょう (hyou) 빙 /bɪ ŋ/

冫 5

水 6

① 冰水: bīngshuǐ ① 氷水: ひみず ① 氷水: 빙수

② 冰川: bīngchuān ② 氷河: ひょうが ② 氷河: 빙하

③ 冰点: bīngdiǎn ③ 氷点: ひょうてん ③ 氷點: 빙점

① ice water ② glacier, iceberg ③ freezing point

A compound ideogram combining 'water (水)' and 'ice (仌→ 冫)', meaning liquid water turns into solid 'ice' when it freezes. Also written as 氷 by abbreviating ice with only the one top stroke.

447: 永

everlasting, perpetual, eternal, perennial

C J K

永永永

yǒng えい (ei) 영 /yə ŋ/

水 5

① 永远: yǒng yuǎn ① 永遠: えいえん ① 永遠: 영 원

② 永久: yǒng jiǔ ② 永久: えいきゅう ② 永久: 영 구

③ 永住权: yǒng zhù quán ③ 永住権: えいじゅうけん ③ 永住權: 영 주 권

① forever, eternity ② permanent, perpetual ③ permanent residency, denizenship

A pictogram depicting a person swimming in a flowing body of water, later coming to mean 'long time' or 'everlasting.

448: 江

river, Yangtze River

C J K

江江江

jiāng こう (kou) 강 /ɡʌŋ/

氵 6

① 长江: chángjiāng ① 長江: ちょうこう ① 長江: 장 강

② 江南: jiāngnán ② 江南: こうなん ② 江南: 강남

③ 江山: jiāngshān ③ 江山: こうざん ③ 江山: 강 산

① Yangtze River ② south of a river, Gangnam ③ rivers & mountains, landscape, realm, country

A phono-semantic compound between the semantic 'water (氵)' and the phonetic 'labor (工)', originally the name for the Yangzi River, later coming to mean 'river'.

449: 決

decision, decisiveness

C J K

决決決

jué けつ (ketsu) 결 /ɡyəl/

冫 6

氵 7

① 决定: jué dìng ① 決定: けってい ① 決定: 결 정

② 决算: jué suàn ② 決算: けっさん ② 決算: 결 산

③ 判决: pàn jué ③ 判決: はんけつ ③ 判決: 판 결

① decision, determination ② accounts settlement, balance accounts ③ judicial decision, verdict, judgment

A phono-semantic compound between the semantic 'water (氵 )' and the phonetic 'firmly decide (夬)', meaning 'sever' or 'decision', from building a dike upstream to stop flooding or inundations downstream.

450: 河

river, stream, Yellow River

C J K

河河河

hé か (ka) 하 /hʌ/

氵 8

① 运河: yùnhé ① 運河: うんが ① 運河: 운하

② 河川: héchuān ② 河川: かせん ② 河川: 하 천

③ 银河: yínhé ③ 銀河: ぎんが ③ 銀河: 은하

① canal, waterway ② watercourse, river, stream ③ Milky Way, galaxy

A phono-semantic compound between the semantic 'water (氵)' and the phonetic 'correct (可)', originally the name for the Yellow River (黄河), later coming to mean a flowing body of water, like a 'river' or 'stream'.

451: 油

oil, grease

C J K

油油油

yóu ゆ (yu) 유 /yu/

氵 8

① 食油: shí yóu ① 食油: しょくゆ ① 食油: 식 유

② 石油: shí yóu ② 石油: せきゆ ② 石油: 석유

③ 原油: yuán yóu ③ 原油: げんゆ ③ 原油: 원 유

① cooking oil, edible oil ② oil, petroleum ③ crude oil

A phono-semantic compound between the semantic 'water (氵)' and the phonetic 'come from (由)', originally meaning 'river water', later coming to mean 'oil'.

452: 治

govern, regulate, control

C J K

治治治

zhì ち (chi) / じ (ji) 치 /tʃ ɪ/

氵 8

① 统治: tǒng zhì ① 統治: とうち ① 統治: 통 치

② 法治: fǎzhì ② 法治: ほうち ② 法治: 법치

③ 治疗: zhìliáo ④ 明治: めいじ ③ 治療: 치료

① rule, reign, govern ② rule of law ③ medical treatment, cure ④ Meiji period

A phono-semantic compound between the semantic 'water (氵)' and the phonetic 'happy (台)', originally the name of a river in Eastern China near Shanghai, later coming to mean 'control'.

453: 泉

spring, fountain

C J K

泉泉泉

quán せん (sen) 천 /tʃ ən/

水 9

① 源泉: yuán quán ① 源泉: げんせん ① 源泉: 원 천

② 温泉: wēn quán ② 温泉: おんせん ② 溫泉: 온천

③ 黄泉: huáng quán ③ 黄泉: こうせん ③ 黃泉: 황 천

① fountainhead, source, origin ② hot spring, geyser ③ hell, hades, underworld

Originally a pictogram of spring water falling from an elevated crevice, later changing drastically into a compound ideogram combining 'white (白)' and 'water (水)', meaning 'spring'.

454: 法

law, rule, statute, method, practice

C J K

法法法

fǎ ほう (hou) 법 /bəb/

氵 8

① 法院: fǎyuàn ① 法院: ほういん ① 法院: 법원

② 合法: héfǎ ② 合法: ごうほう ② 合法: 합법

③ 不法: bùfǎ ③ 不法: ふほう ③ 不法: 불법

① court, court house ② legal, lawful ③ illegal, unlawful

A compound ideogram combining 'water (氵)' and 'grind down (去)', meaning 'law' must be as strict and impartial as water and as adapting as a body of water as it changes course to befit the times and age.

455: 波

waves, undulation, fluctuation

C J K

波波波

bō は (ha) 파 /pʌ/

氵 8

① 波涛: bō tāo ① 波濤: はとう ① 波濤: 파 도

② 波纹: bō wén ② 波紋: はもん ② 波紋: 파 문

③ 电波: diàn bō ③ 電波: でんぱ ③ 電波: 전 파

① wave, billow, rough sea ② ripple, stir, repercussions ③ radio wave, electro-magnetic wave

A phono-semantic compound between the semantic 'water (氵)' and the phonetic leather 'hide (皮)', meaning 'undulation' of the outermost epidermis of water, or 'wave'.

456: 泣

cry, weep

C J K

泣泣泣

qì きゅう (kyuu) 읍 /ɜb/

氵 8

① 感泣: gǎn qì ① 感泣: かんきゅう ① 感泣: 감읍

- ② 泣訴: きゅうそ ② 泣訴: 읍소

① moved to tears ② e[[motional appeal, sobbing appeal

A phono-semantic compound between the semantic 'water (氵)' and the phonetic 'establish (立)', a person who is standing (立) is silently shedding tears (氵) without sound, meaning 'cry'.

457: 注

concentrate, focus, direct

C J K

注注注

zhù ちゅう (chuu) 주 /dʒu/

氵 8

① 注目: zhù mù ① 注目: ちゅうもく ① 注目: 주 목

② 注视: zhù shì ② 注視: ちゅうし ② 注視: 주 시

③ 注文: zhù wén ④ 注文: ちゅうもん ④ 注文: 주 문

① focus, notice, attention ② scrutinize, observe, closely watch ③ notes, annotation ④ commission, order

A phono-semantic compound between the semantic 'water (氵)' and the phonetic 'master (主)', meaning all tributaries flow to the larger body of water, meaning 'pour' or 'concentrate'.

458: 泰

great, exalted, serene

C J K

泰泰泰

tài たい (tai) 태 /te/

氺 10

① 泰国: tài guó ① 泰国: たいこく ① 泰國: 태국

② 泰然: tàirán ② 泰然: たいぜん ② 泰然: 태연

③ 泰平: tài píng ③ 泰平: たいへい ③ 泰平: 태평

① Thailand ② calm, composed, cool ③ serene, tranquil, unruffled

A phono-semantic compound between the semantic 'water (水→氺)', semantic 'lift with two hands (廾)' and the phonetic 'large (大)', originally meaning 'slippery hands when wet', later coming to mean 'great' or 'big'.

459: 洋

ocean, sea

C J K

洋洋洋

yáng よう (you) 양 /yʌŋ/

氵 9

① 海洋: hǎi yáng ① 海洋: かいよう ① 海洋: 해양

② 西洋: xī yáng ② 西洋: せいよう ② 西洋: 서양

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

① ocean ② The West, Western civilization ③ The Pacific Ocean

A phono-semantic compound combining the semantic 'water (氵)' with the phonetic 'sheep (羊)', originally a name of a river in China's Shandong Province, later coming to mean 'large sea' or 'ocean'.

460: 洗

wash, rinse, clean

C J K

洗洗洗

xǐ せん (sen) 세 /se/

氵 9

① 水洗: shuǐ xǐ ① 水洗: すいせん ① 水洗: 수 세

② 洗面: xǐ miàn ② 洗面: せんめん ② 洗面: 세 면

③ 洗手间: xǐ shǒu jiān ④ 洗濯: せんたく ④ 洗濯: 세 탁

① wash with water, rinse ② facial wash ③ wash room, bathroom ④ launder, clothes washing

A phono-semantic compound combining the semantic 'water (氵)' with the phonetic 'first (先)', meaning stretch out the legs and 'wash' the feet before going.

461: 活

live, exist, survive

C J K

活活活

huó かつ (katsu) 활 /hɒʌl/

氵 9

① 活跃: huó yuè ① 活気: かっき ① 活氣: 활 기

② 活力: huó lì ② 活力: かつりょく ② 活力: 활 력

③ 生活: shēng huó ③ 生活: せいかつ ③ 生活: 생 활

① energetic, spirited ② vitality, dynamism ③ living life, daily routine, personal cosmology, lifestyle

A phono-semantic compound between the semantic 'water (氵)' and the phonetic 'tongue (舌)', originally meaning the sound of 'gushing water (氵+氏+口)', later coming to mean 'live', 'survive'.

462: 流

flow, circulate, social class

C J K

流流流

liú りゅう (ryuu) 류/유 /ryu//yu/

氵 10

① 流通: liútōng ① 流通: りゅうつう ① 流通: 유 통

② 流出: liúchū ② 流出: りゅうしゅつ ② 流出: 유출

③ 流畅: liúchàng ③ 流暢: りゅうちょう ③ 流暢: 유창

① logistics, distribution, circulation of goods, flow of money ② information leak, effluence, discharge ③ fluent, flowing, graceful

A phono-semantic compound combining the semantic 'water (氵)' with the phonetic 'flag (旒↔㐬)', meaning liquid 'flows' just as flags fly.

463: 浪

wave, wasteful

C J K

浪浪浪

làng ろう (rou) 랑/낭 /rʌŋ//nʌŋ/

氵 10

① 波浪: bō làng ① 波浪: はろう ② 激浪: 격랑

② 激浪: jī làng ② 激浪: げきろう ③ 浪費: 낭비

③ 浪费: làngfèi ③ 浪費: ろうひ ④ 放浪: 방랑

① wave ② impetuous waves ③ waste, squander, extravagance ④ wandering, dissolute, unres[[trained

A phono-semantic compound between the semantic 'water (氵)' and the phonetic 'benign (良)', meaning 'wave'.

464: 浮

float, buoy, waft

C J K

浮浮浮

fú ふ (fu) 부 /bu/

氵 10

① 浮扬: fú yáng ② 浮揚: ふよう ② 浮揚: 부양

③ 浮力: fú lì ③ 浮力: ふりょく ③ 浮力: 부 력

④ 浮动: fú dòng ④ 浮動: ふどう ④ 浮動: 부 동

① buoy, float ② float in the air ③ buoyancy, floating power ④ fluctuating, oscillating

A phono-semantic compound between the semantic 'water (氵)' and the phonetic 'incubate (孚)', meaning 'float' on water much like a bird broods over eggs.

465: 浴

bathe, wash

C J K

浴浴浴

yù よく (yoku) 욕 /yɔɡ/

氵 10

① 沐浴: mù yù ① 沐浴: もくよく ① 沐浴: 목욕

② 浴室: yù shì ② 浴室: よくしつ ② 浴室: 욕실

③ 浴场: yù chǎng ④ 海水浴: かいすいよく ④ 海水浴: 해 수욕

① bathe, bathing ② bathroom ③ outdoor swimming pool ④ sea bathing

A phono-semantic compound between the semantic 'water (氵)' and the phonetic 'cave (谷)', meaning 'bathe', from the long ago practice of people washing themselves inside caves.

466: 海

sea, ocean, maritime

C J K

海海海

hǎi かい (kai) 해 /he/

氵 10

① 海洋: hǎi yáng ① 海洋: かいよう ① 海洋: 해양

② 海外: hǎi wài ② 海外: かいがい ② 海外: 해 외

③ 地中海: dì zhōng hǎi ③ 地中海: ちちゅうかい ④ 海上法: 해 상법

① ocean ② overseas, abroad ③ Mediterranean Sea ④ maritime law, Admiralty, commercial law

A phono-semantic compound between the semantic 'water (氵)' and the semantic 'always (每)', meaning 'ocean' or 'sea' is where all river water flows to.

467: 消

vanish, disappear, go away

C J K

消消消

xiāo しょう (shou) 소 /sɔ/

氵 10

① 消费: xiāo fèi ① 消費: しょうひ ① 消費: 소 비

② 消息: xiāo xi ② 消息: しょうそく ② 消息: 소 식

③ 消化: xiāo huà ③ 消化: しょうか ③ 消化: 소 화

① consumption, expenditure ② news, information, tidings ③ digestion, absorption

A phono-semantic compound between the semantic 'water (氵)' and the phonetic 'dissipate (肖)', meaning the ceaseless grinding of water makes the dirt 'disappear' or 'vanish'.

468: 涼

cool, chilly

C J K

凉涼涼

liáng りょう (ryou) 량 /ryʌŋ/

冫 10

氵 11

① 趁凉: chènliáng ① 納涼: のうりょう ① 納涼: 납량

② 荒凉: huāngliáng ② 荒涼: こうりょう ② 荒涼: 황량

③ 凉亭: liángtíng - ④ 炎涼: 염량

① evening cool, evening breeze ② desolate, dreary, bleak ③ summer house, gazebo ④ hot & cold, capricious, snobbiness

A phono-semantic compound between the semantic 'water (氵)' and the phonetic 'big & high (京)', meaning it is 'cool & refreshing' at an elevated plateau near a body of water.

469: 淨

pure, clean, unspoiled

C J K

净浄淨

jìng じょう (jou) 정 /dʒ ə ŋ/

冫 8

氵 9

氵 11

① 净水: jìng shuǐ ① 浄水: じょうすい ① 淨水: 정 수

② 清净: qīngjìng - -

④ 净值: jìng zhí ③ 清浄: せいじょう ③ 淸淨: 청정

① clean water, pure water ② quiet ③ purity, cleanliness, quiet ④ net value, net worth

A phono-semantic compound between the semantic 'water (氵)' and the phonetic 'dispute (爭)', meaning 'clean(liness)' is the result of doing battle with filth or stains (垢).

470: 深

deep, depth

C J K

深深深

shēn しん (shin) 심 /sɪm/

氵 11

① 深度: shēndù ① 深度: しんど ① 深度: 심 도

② 深夜: shēn yè ② 深夜: しんや ② 深夜: 심야

③ 深刻: shēn kè ③ 深刻: しんこく ③ 深刻: 심 각

① depth ② deep in the night, late night ③ serious, severe

A phono-semantic compound between the semantic 'water (氵)' and the phonetic 'deep (穼)', originally meaning 'long life' or 'longevity', later coming to mean 'deep'.

471: 混

mix, blend, mingle, merge

C J K

混混混

hùn こん (kon) 혼 /hɔn/

氵 11

① 混合: hùnhé ① 混合: こんごう ① 混合: 혼 합

② 混乱: hùnluàn ② 混乱: こんらん ② 混亂: 혼란

③ 混血: hùnxiě ③ 混血: こんけつ ③ 混血: 혼 혈

① mix, mingle, co-mingle ② chaos, mayhem ③ mixed blood, mixed race, mixed parentage

A phono-semantic compound between the semantic 'water (氵)' and the phonetic 'insect (昆)', meaning all the tributaries come to 'mix', 'mingle', and 'merge' in the main stem river.

472: 淺

shallow, small & narrow

C J K

浅浅淺

qiǎn せん (sen) 천 /tʃ ən/

氵 8

氵 9

氵 11

① 深浅: shēn qiǎn ① 深浅: しんせん ② 深淺: 심 천

③ 浅海: qiǎnhǎi ③ 浅海: せんかい ③ 淺海: 천 해

④ 浅薄: qiǎnbó ④ 浅薄: せんばく ④ 淺薄: 천 박

① depth ② deep & shallow ③ shallow sea ④ superficial, depthless

A phono-semantic compound between the semantic 'water (氵)' and the phonetic 'small (戔)', meaning there is little water, therefore 'shallow'. The character '戔' also has the meaning of 'injure' or 'hurt' another.

473: 清

clean, clear, pure

C J K

清清淸

qīng せい (sei) 청 /tʃ ə ŋ/

氵 11

① 清洁: qīngjié ① 清潔: せいけつ ① 淸潔: 청결

② 清纯: qīngchún ② 清純: せいじゅん ② 淸純: 청순

③ 清算: qīngsuàn ③ 清算: せいさん ③ 淸算: 청산

① cleanliness, neat, tidy, hygienic ② purity, innocence ③ accounts settlement, squaring accounts, liquidation

A phono-semantic compound combining the semantic 'water (氵)' with the phonetic 'azure (靑)', meaning the blue-green water looks 'clean & clear'.

474: 減

decrease, diminution, reduce

C J K

减減減

jiǎn げん (gen) 감 /ɡʌm/

冫 11

氵 12

① 减少: jiǎnshǎo ① 減少: げんしょう ① 減少: 감 소

② 减缩: jiǎnsuō ② 減縮: げんしゅく ② 減縮: 감축

③ 削减: xuējiǎn ③ 削減: さくげん ③ 削減: 삭감

① decrease, decline, reduction ② curtail, retrench, cutback ③ trim, reduce

A phono-semantic compound between the semantic 'water (氵)' and the phonetic 'all (咸)', meaning there has been a 'diminution' of water now that the bottom has become visible.

475: 湖

lake

C J K

湖湖湖

hú こ (ko) 호 /hɔ/

氵 12

① 湖水: hú shuǐ ① 湖水: こすい ① 湖水: 호 수

② 江湖: jiāng hú ② 江湖: こうこ ② 江湖: 강 호

③ 湖畔: hú pàn ③ 湖畔: こはん ③ 湖畔: 호 반

① lake water, lake ② rivers & lakes, expansive world, the public ③ lakeshore, lakeside

A phono-semantic compound between the semantic 'water (氵)' and the phonetic 'submandibular triangle (胡)' or the area under the chin before the neck, originally meaning the drooping skin around the throat, later coming to mean 'lake'.

476: 溫

warm, tepid, mild

C J K

温温溫

wēn おん (on) 온 /ɔn/

氵 12

氵 13

① 温水: wēn shuǐ ① 温水: おんすい ① 溫水: 온수

② 温泉: wēn quán ② 温泉: おんせん ② 溫泉: 온천

③ 温度: wēndù ③ 温度: おんど ③ 溫度: 온도

① warm water ② hot spring, spa ③ temperature

A phono-semantic compound between the semantic 'water (氵)' and the phonetic 'feed a prisoner (昷)', meaning 'warm'. Originally combined only with 'prisoner (囚)' and 'container (皿)' to mean warm, but when it came to mean 'benevolent', water (氵) was added.

477: 滿

full, filled, sufficient, plentiful

C J K

满満滿

mǎn まん (man) 만 /mʌn/

氵 13

氵 12

氵 14

① 满足: mǎnzú ① 満足: まんぞく ① 滿足: 만족

② 不满: bùmǎn ② 不満: ふまん ② 不滿: 불만

③ 满洲: mǎnzhōu ③ 満洲: まんしゅう ③ 滿洲: 만주

① satisfaction, contentment ② dissatisfaction, discontent ③ Manchuria

A phono-semantic compound between the semantic 'water (氵)' and the phonetic 'level (㒼)', meaning water poured 'full' in a container is flat.

478: 漁

to fish, fishing, seek

C J K

渔漁漁

yú ぎょ (go) 어 /ə/

氵 11

氵 14

① 渔夫: yú fū ① 漁夫: ぎょふ ① 漁夫: 어 부

② 渔船: yú chuán ② 漁船: ぎょせん ② 漁船: 어 선

③ 渔业: yú yè ③ 漁業: ぎょぎょう ③ 漁業: 어 업

① fisherman, piscator ② fishing boat, trawler ③ fishing industry, fisheries

A phono-semantic compound between the semantic 'water (氵)' and the phonetic 'fish (魚)', originally meaning 'fishing with the hand', later deprecating the hand and coming to mean 'fish' or 'fishing'.

479: 漢

the Chinese language, of the Han Dynasty, the Han people

C J K

汉漢漢

hàn かん (kan) 한 /hʌn/

氵 5

氵 13

氵 14

① 汉字: hàn zì ① 漢字: かんじ ① 漢字: 한 자

② 汉文: hàn wén ② 漢文: かんぶん ② 漢文: 한 문

③ 汉学: hàn xué ④ 漢方: かんぽう ⑤ 漢書: 한 서

① Chinese characters, hán nôm ② Chinese language & writing, classical Chinese literature ③ Sinology ④ Chinese medicine, herbal medicine ⑤ title of a Later Han classic by Ban Gu

A phono-semantic compound between the semantic 'water (氵)' and the phonetic 'clay (堇)', originally a name of a river (暵), later coming to mean the name of the Han Dynasty (漢朝: 206 BC to 220 CE).

480: 潔

clean, purify, pure

C J K

洁潔潔

jié けつ (ketsu) 결 /ɡyəl/

氵 9

氵 15

① 清洁: qīngjié ① 清潔: せいけつ ① 淸潔: 청결

② 洁白: jiébái ② 潔白: けっぱく ② 潔白: 결백

③ 简洁: jiǎn jié ③ 簡潔: かんけつ ③ 簡潔: 간 결

① clean, neat, hygienic ② integrity, not guilty, upright ③ compact, concise, brevity

A phono-semantic compound combining the semantic 'water (氵)' with the phonetic 'hemp strip (絜)', meaning the length of the truss must be uniform and 'clean' or 'pure'. (麻皮 is hemp sheaf).

481: 火

fire, flame

C J K

火火火

huǒ か (ka) 화 /hɒʌ/

火 4

① 火灾: huǒ zāi ① 火災: かさい ① 火災: 화 재

② 火山: huǒshān ③ 火薬: かやく ③ 火藥: 화약

④ 火星: huǒ xīng ④ 火星: かせい ④ 火星: 화 성

① fire, con flag ration ② volcano ③ gunpowder ④ the planet Mars

A pictogram originally depicting a flame, later adding the dots to resemble cracking, flying tinder.

482: 烈

fiery, ardent, acute

C J K

烈烈烈

liè れつ (retsu) 렬/열 /ryəl//yəl/

灬 10

① 热烈: rè liè ① 熱烈: ねつれつ ① 熱烈: 열렬

② 炽烈: chì liè ② 熾烈: しれつ

② 熾烈: 치 열

③ 烈女: liènǚ ③ 烈女: れつじょ ③ 烈女: 열녀

① passionate, heated ② intense, fierce, raging ③ virtuous woman, woman of integrity

A phono-semantic compound between the semantic fire (火→灬) and the phonetic 'spread (列)', meaning 'fiery'.

483: 無

no, not, not have

C J K

无無無

wú む (mu) 무 /mu/

无 4

灬 12

① 无有: wúyŏu ① 有無: うむ ① 有無: 유 무

② 无偿: wúcháng ② 無料: むりょう ② 無料: 무료

③ 无视: wú shì ③ 無視: むし ③ 無視: 무 시

① being & non-being, existence & non-existence, absence & non-absence ② free, complimentary ③ ignore, disregard, scorn

A pictogram depicting a person either wearing under the arms or holding in the hands feather ornamentation and dancing, later undergoing transformations and coming to mean the negative 'not', 'no', or 'don't have'.

484: 然

yes, certainly

C J K

然然然

rán ぜん (zen) 연 /yən/

灬 12

① 自然: zìrán ① 自然: しぜん ① 自然: 자연

② 当然: dāngrán ② 当然: とうぜん ② 當然: 당연

③ 天然: tiānrán ③ 天然: てんねん ③ 天然: 천연

① nature, spontaneity ② of course, natural, a matter of course ③ natural (as opposed to man-made, i.e., natural gas)

A compound ideogram, meaning the preparation of 'dog (犬)' 'meat (肉→⺼)' must 'certainly' or 'obviously' be done over a 'fire (灬)'.

485: 煙

smoke, tobacco

C J K

烟煙煙

yān えん (en) 연 /yən/

火 10

火 13

① 烟气: yānqì ② 煙火: えんか ① 煙氣: 연기

② 烟火: yānhuǒ ③ 煙草: えんそう -

③ 烟草: yāncǎo ④ 喫煙: きつえん ④ 吸煙: 흡연

① smoke, fumes ② fire works ③ tobacco ④ smoking, to smoke

A phono-semantic compound between the semantic 'fire (火)' and the phonetic 'hold back (垔)', meaning 'smoke'. The 垔 component comes from '堙', meaning water 'dam'.

486: 熱

hot, heat

C J K

热熱熱

rè ねつ (netsu) 열 /yəl/

灬 10

灬 15

① 热气: rè qì ① 熱気: ねっき ① 熱氣: 열 기

② 热情: rè qíng ② 熱情: ねつじょう ② 熱情: 열 정

③ 热带: rè dài ③ 熱帯: ねったい ③ 熱帶: 열 대

① heat, hot steam, fever ② passion, enthusiasm ③ the tropics, tropical

A phono-semantic compound between the semantic 'fire (灬)' and the phonetic 'plant (埶)', meaning 'hot', because all heat comes from fire and all rooted vegetation grow through heat.

487: 燈

lamp, lantern

C J K

灯灯燈

dēng とう (tou) 등 /dɜŋ/

火 6

火 16

① 灯盏: dēngzhǎn ① 灯盞: とうさん ① 燈盞: 등잔

② 灯塔: dēngtǎ ② 灯台: とうだい ② 燈臺: 등대

③ 灯油: dēngyóu ③ 灯油: とうゆ ③ 燈油: 등유

① wick lamp, lantern ② light house, watchtower ③ lamp oil, kerosene, paraffin

A phono-semantic compound between the semantic 'fire (火)' and the phonetic 'rise (登)', meaning a raised 'lantern' burns bright.

488: 爭

dispute, fight, contend

C J K

争争爭

zhēng そう (sou) 쟁 /dʒeŋ/

亅 6

爫 8

① 斗争: dòuzhēng ① 闘争: とうそう ① 鬪爭: 투쟁

② 战争: zhàn zhēng ② 戦争: せんそう ② 戰爭: 전쟁

③ 抗争: kàngzhēng ③ 抗争: こうそう ③ 抗爭: 항쟁

① struggle, strife, fight for ② war, armed conflict ③ resist, resistance

A compound ideogram combining 'claw (爪)' with 'hand (又→尹)', originally depicting two hands vying to grab the same object, meaning 'quarrel' or 'dispute'.

489: 父

father

C J K

父父父

fǔ ふ (fu) 부 /bu/

父 4

① 父亲: fù qīn ② 父母: ふぼ ② 父母: 부모

② 父母: fùmǔ ③ 父子: ふし ③ 父子: 부 자

③ 父子: fù zǐ ④ 祖父: そふ ④ 祖父: 조 부

① father ② father & mother, parents ③ father & son ④ father's father, grand father

A compound ideogram combining 'hand (又)' with either a 'whipping rod (丨)' or an 'axe (斧)', meaning 'father'.

490: 片

slice, splinter, strip

C J K

片片片

piàn かた (kata) / へん (hen) 편 /pyən/

片 4

① 片面: piàn miàn ① 片面: かためん ① 片面: 편 면

② 照片: zhào piàn ③ 片道: かたみち ③ 片道: 편 도

④ 鸦片: yā piàn ④ 阿片: あへん ④ 鴉片: 아편

① one-sided ② photograph ③ one-way trip ④ opium, opiate

A pictogram depicting the vertical splitting of an object in half, meaning 'slice'.

491: 牛

ox, cow, bull

C J K

牛牛牛

niú ぎゅう (gyuu) 우 /u/

牛 4

① 牛奶: niúnǎi ① 牛乳: ぎゅうにゅう ① 牛乳: 우 유

② 牛肉: niúròu ② 牛肉: ぎゅうにく ② 牛肉: 우육

③ 牛皮: niúpí ③ 牛皮: ぎゅうひ ③ 牛皮: 우 피

① milk, cow's milk ② beef ③ leather, oxhide

A pictogram depicting the facial form of an 'ox' or a 'cow' directly from the front, coming to take the current form during the Regular Script period.

492: 物

thing, substance

C J K

物物物

wù ぶつ (butsu) 물 /mul/

牜 8

① 物件: wù jiàn ① 物件: ぶっけん ① 物件: 물건

② 物价: wù jià ② 物価: ぶっか ② 物價: 물가

③ 物理: wù lǐ ③ 物理: ぶつり ③ 物理: 물리

① thing, object, article, item ② general prices, cost of living ③ physics, laws of nature

A phono-semantic compound between the semantic 'cow (牛→牜)' and the phonetic 'must not (勿)', originally meaning 'various colored oxen', later coming to mean some 'thing' or 'substance'.

493: 特

special, unique

C J K

特特特

tè とく (toku) 특 /tɜɡ/

牜 10

① 特别: tè bié ① 特別: とくべつ ① 特別: 특 별

② 特殊: tèshū ② 特殊: とくしゅ ② 特殊: 특 수

③ 特许: tè xǔ ③ 特許: とっきょ ③ 特許: 특 허

① special, exceptional, standout ② special, unique, distinct ③ patent, license, charter

A compound ideogram combining 'cow (牛)' with 'temple (寺)', from the past practice of sacrificing a particularly large and strong bull on 'special' occasions.

494: 犬

dog

C J K

犬犬犬

quǎn けん (ken) 견 /ɡyən/

犬 4

① 犬马: quǎnmǎ ① 犬馬: けんば ① 犬馬: 견 마

② 爱犬: àiquǎn ② 愛犬: あいけん ② 愛犬: 애견

③ 犬齿: quǎnchǐ ③ 犬歯: けんし ③ 犬齒: 견 치

① dogs & horses, humble-self, debased form of self-address ② pet dog ③ canine tooth, eyetooth, cuspid

A pictogram originally depicting the side-view of a top-facing canine, modifying into the current form of the character during the Regular Script period, and meaning 'dog'.

495: 獨

alone, single, solitary, only

C J K

独独獨

dú どく (doku) 독 /dɔɡ/

犭 9

犭 16

① 独立: dúlì ① 独立: どくりつ ① 獨立: 독립

② 独占: dúzhàn ② 独占: どくせん ② 獨占: 독점

③ 独裁: dúcái ④ 独逸: どいつ ④ 獨逸: 독일

① independence, self-support, stand alone ② monopoly, cartel ③ authoritarianism, dictatorship, totalitarianism ④ Germany, FRG

A phono-semantic compound between the semantic 'dog (犬→犭)' and the phonetic 'butterfly larva (蜀)', meaning both dogs and silkworms do not leave their spot until consuming all there is to feed, leaving them all 'alone'.

496: 玉

precious stone, jade, gem

C J K

玉玉玉

yù ぎょく (gyoku) 옥 /ɔɡ/

玉 5

① 碧玉: bì yù ① 碧玉: へきぎょく ① 碧玉: 벽옥

② 珠玉: zhū yù ② 珠玉: しゅぎょく ② 珠玉: 주옥

③ 玉米: yùmǐ ③ 玉蜀黍: とうもろこし ④ 玉篇: 옥편

① green jade, jasper ② jewel, gemstone ③ corn, maize ④ Chinese dictionary

A pictogram depicting three precious stones beaded on a string with the dot being added during the Regular Script period.

497: 王

king, potentate

C J K

王王王

wáng おう (ou) 왕 /ɒʌŋ/

王 4

① 王国: wáng guó ① 王国: おうこく ① 王國: 왕국

② 王朝: wáng cháo ② 王朝: おうちょう ② 王朝: 왕조

③ 王道: wáng dào ③ 王道: おうどう ③ 王道: 왕도

① kingdom, monarchy ② dynasty ③ just rule, righteous government, king ship

A pictogram depicting either an axe or a figure with an axe, meaning 'king'.

498: 現

appear, manifest, reveal, emerge

C J K

现現現

xiàn げん (gen) 현 /hyən/

⺩ 8

⺩ 11

① 现实: xiàn shí ① 現実: げんじつ ① 現實: 현 실

② 现在: xiàn zài ② 現在: げんざい ② 現在: 현 재

③ 现金: xiàn jīn ③ 現金: げんきん ③ 現金: 현 금

① reality ② now, present time ③ cash, legal tender

A phono-semantic compound combining the semantic 'jade (⺩)' and the phonetic 'look (見)', originally meaning 'indigo-blue', later coming to mean 'appear'.

499: 球

ball, sphere, globe, orb

C J K

球球球

qiú きゅう (kyuu) 구 /ɡu/

⺩ 11

① 球场: qiú chǎng ① 球場: きゅうじょう ① 球場: 구 장

② 半球: bànqiú ② 半球: はんきゅう ② 半球: 반 구

③ 地球: dì qiú ③ 地球: ちきゅう ③ 地球: 지 구

① ballpark, court, field ② hemisphere ③ the earth, the globe

A phono-semantic compound between the semantic 'jade (⺩)' and the phonetic 'seek (求)', originally meaning 'chime stone (磬)', a musical instrument, later coming to mean 'ball' or 'orb'.

500: 理

reason, logic, law, principle

C J K

理理理

lǐ り (ri) 리/이 /rɪ//ɪ/

⺩ 11