allograph (different shape but same meaning)
connotation as a character part
abbreviated, abbreviation
contracted, contraction
extended meaning
government
kanji, ideograph, character
literal translation from the Shuowen Jiezi
modified, modification
CLOSE
mijn hanzi, modification
opposite meaning or situation
when used as a character part
explanation according to Richard Sears (http://hanziyuan.net/)
one of the 214 radicals in the traditional character classification system
situation chosen for evoking this meaning
suffix for counting units of objects, etc.
Unclassified by Joseph De Roo.

Characters

Primitives


Primitives are character components which can be used to decompose a character and fabricate a story around it to remember it. Most of the time components where joined because of their pronunciation to certain signific parts. This means that originally a character had a signific part, giving meaning to it, and a phonetic part, giving a phonetic clue to the character. In case we use the original meaning we always put the marker RS. in front which means that the meaning comes from the excellent site from Richard Sears about Chinese Etymology. More information can be found here.

Knowing these primitives well will aid in remembering them. Primitives are always colored light green on this site.

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火火RS灬⺌fire, flame, burn, anger, rage
  • flames → 火
  • coals in a fireplace: 灬 ⺌
  • person 人 waving with his arms 丷 in the air: something is on fire!
薪; 龸 滅; 秋 災 灰; 赤; 光 当
丁丁RSmale adult, robust, vigorous, 4th heavenly stem, street, ward, town 亭 庁 灯 打 訂 頂 町 貯; 于
刀刀RS刂𠚣knife, sword, old coin, measure
  • → 𠚣 → 刀 → 刂
  • con.: cutting edge, knife, scissors, sickle, chisel, money with which soldiers were paid
 刃; 力 乃 及; 剣; 鎌
手手RS又乂⺤⺕彐丰 扌龵𠂇𦥑hand, person
  • hand → 手; con.: action, activity, be involved, work 働; diagonally crossing strokes are usually a hand
 人; 巴; 五; al. 又 乂 ⺤ ⺕ 彐 丰 扌 龵 𠂇 𦥑
又又RSand, also, again, in addition
  • orig. hand with three fingers → 又; game where one has to guess how many fingers are going to be shown, one plays it again and again; see also 手
 亦 复 再; 尚 更 且
口口RSmouth, open end, entrance, gate, rad. 30
  • smiling mouth → → 口; the mouth is where food and words enter and get out
  • con.: speak, box, pot, person, order
穴 古 舌 言 否 召; 勹 束
土土RS一soil, earth, items made of earth
  • person standing on the ground → 土 or tree growing in the soil → 土 groing in the soil
  • con. field, place where people live and work, clay, mud, dust
 粧 塩 垢; 壌; 圭 畑 原 野 田
丂丂RSobstruction of breath (qi) as it seeks release, variant of other characters 巧 亏 于 考
人人RS亻𠂉𠂊man, people, mankind, someone else, rad. 9
  • person standing wide legged → 人
 儿 耂 尸 方 者 ⺼ 手 名 口 夸 漢 彦 郎 夫 男; 兵 黄 只
日日RSsun, day, daytime, Japan, rad. 72
  • sun disc → 日; a day is the time the sun takes to appear in the same position; daytime is when the sun shines; Japan is located (from China) where the sun comes up; do not confuse with 曰 rad. 73
  • con. light
陽; 邦 和
貝貝RS
贝贝		sea shell, money, currency, rad. 154
  • two halves of a sea shell → 貝
  • ⓢ animal that crawls in 入 and out of it's shell 冂
  • used as money: 貫
介; 殻 甲; 幣 釣 銭 金
生生RS𤯓龶life, living, lifetime, birth
  • branches of a plant or tree → 𤯓 being slashed ⼃ off: the branch grows back and if you plant the cut off part it becomes a new plant
 暮 命; 興; 誕; 清; 産 性 姓 牲 隆 星
⼃⼃RS丿slash, bend, rad. 4
  • left hand side of two rivers coming together 入; con. write
老老RS耂⽼䳓老𠄰𠈣 𦒳𦒴𪀧old, aged, experienced, rad. 125
  • person eating with spoon 匕 (having no teeth) food he has cut ⼃ from the fields 土 (therefore his back is bent ⼃)
  • RS. old man with long hair 耂 leaning on a cane 匕
婆 翁; 久; 召; 旧 古; 考
冂冂RS冖⼌rad. 13 or 冖 rad. 14 wide, cover, countryside
  • where the sky is wide open visible
  • con.: market (wide open/covered place in the city), roof (covered place), sky
 商
亠亠RSrad. 8 lid, top cover, head
亦 亢 京 市 卒 畝 文 壇
小小RS⺌small, tiny, insignificant
  • small baby → 小
𢦑 細 狭; 京 (斎) 少 叔 称 原; al. ⺌: 敝 削 鎖; : 不; 県
心心RS⺗忄heart, mind, intelligence, soul
  • image of heart → → 心; what touches the heart influences mind and soul
 意 衷 情 凶 惑 念 腹; al. 忄: 1143-1178; ⺗: 恭 慕 忝
水水RS氵⺀氺water, liquid, lotion, juice, rad. 85
  • taken at both sides of the river : 川
  • 氵⺀: droplets of water
湯; 永 泉 氷 尿 踏; 雨; , 氺: 隶 录 漆 求 泰 様 藤 暴; : 蒸 承
月月RSmoon, month, rad. 74
  • → → 月; the moon is every month in the same position; don't confuse with ⺼
潮 望 朗 塑 朝 期 明
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