InputsingleChinesecharacterforetymology.输入单个汉字,查询10万+古汉字和字源.
Chineseetymologies字源
Oraclecharacters甲骨文
Bronzecharacters金文
Sealcharacters篆字
E00699車8ECA→车8F66
Traditionalinyourbrowser繁体字的浏览器显示:車
Oldertraditionalcharacters旧繁体字/异体字:Notexist
Simplifiedinyourbrowser简体字的浏览器显示:车
Mainpronunciation主要发音:chē
Otherpronunciations其它发音:
Originalmeaning本义:Meaningcart.
Englishsenses英语理解:cart,vehicle;carryincart
Usageexample用法举例:車子chēzǐ(car)
Importancebyfrequency常用频率:369
Shuowen说文解字:輿輪之緫名夏后時奚仲所造象形凡車之屬皆從車
(Morearticlesarecoming.)
WhenIwasayoungmanof22IdecidedIwantedtolearnChinese.Iworkedhardforayearandboughtaone-waytickettoTaiwanin1972withtheideathatIwouldbecomefluentandliterateinChinese.Iwasnotaparticularlygoodstudentintheearlydaysandfoundmyselfattheageof40andnotabletoreadChinese.
Iwasstillfacedwiththeprospectoflearningtowriteabout5,000charactersand60,000charactercombinations.Thecharacterswerecomplexwithmanystrokesandalmostnoapparentlogic.
IfoundontherareoccasionswhenIcouldgetastepbystepevolutionofthecharacterfromitsoriginalpictographicform,withanexplanationofitsoriginalmeaningandaninterpretationofitsoriginalpictographs,suddenlyitwouldbecomeapparenthowallthestrokeshadcometobe.
TheproblemisthatthereisnobookinEnglishthatadequatelyexplainstheetymologyofallthecharacters,andevenifyoureadChinesethereisnosinglebookinChinesethatexplainsitalladequately.Ialsofoundthatmostexplanations,eveninChineseareincorrectordoubtful.Inshort,itwasaresearchprojecttounderstandeachcharacter.TohavethisinformationatmyfingertipsinEnglishwouldhavebeenagreathelp.
IfoundthatalmostallChinesehadlearnedtoreadandwritebyabsoluteblindmemorizationandalmostnoonehadacluewherethecharactersactuallycamefrom.
Atage40,IgottheideathatIneededtocomputerizetheoriginsofChinesecharacterssothatIcouldsortoutthecrapfromthetruth.Istartedresearchingbutdidnotgetstartedactuallydoingit.Atage44Ihadanear-fatalheartattackandafterrecovering,butnotknowingwhenImightdie,IdecidedImustgetstarted.
Duringthepast25years,Ihaveaccumulatedagreatdealofinformation,morethan96,000ancientChinesecharacterformsfromarcheologicalsourceswhicharenowencapsulatedinthiswebsite.
ThegoalistoexplaintheoriginalformsandtheoriginallogicofeachChinesecharacter.
Myfirstwebsitewentonlinein2002.
Mywebsitedidnotgetmuchattentionforthenextfewyears.Untilonedayin2011,whenitsuddenlygotalotofattention.Igotafewthousandemailsandafewmillionvisitorsandpeoplestartedcallingme汉字叔叔orUncleHanzi.
IdecidedtomovetoChina,butthingsdidnotgoentirelysmoothly.IgotkickedoutofChinaaboutayearlaterbecauseofavisaproblem,butastorybymyfriendDixinYansavedmyassandgotmeajobatBeijingNormalUniversity.
Ikeptgettingmoreattentionovertheyears
Ihavenowspentthelast25yearsworkingonthiswebsiteandtheresultsareprovidedwithnoadvertisements.SopleasedonatesoIcancontinuetodevelopthesite.
ImetAnnin1994shortlyaftermovingtoSiliconValley.ShewasarecentimmigrantfromChinaandIneededsomeonetohelpmescanalmost96,000charactersandputthemintoadatabase,andtoinputtheShuowen.Forthenext8years,Annwasthatperson.WithoutAnn,Icouldneverhavecompletedmyfirstwebsitewhichfinallywentonlinein2002.
Ihadajobmostofthetimewhichallowedmetopayherminimumwage,butsometimeswhenIwasbetweenjobsAnnwouldworkforfree.
Anndidnothaveahigheducation,whichisveryimportantinChinesesociety.Inevercaredaboutaperson‘sformaleducationIalwayslooktoseeiftheyaresmartornotandiftheycanlearnornotandiftheyarewillingtoworkonsomethinguntiltheygetitright.
AfteracoupleofyearsandafterhavinginputtheShuowen,Iwastalkingtoawell-knownsinologistinChina.HeaskedwhatqualificationsAnnhad.
Itoldhim:ShegraduatedfromJuniorhigh,butshehasinputtheentireShuowenwhichprobablymakeshermoreofanexpertthananyofyourgraduatestudents”.Heagreedwithme.
BecauseofAnn’sexperiencesduringtheculturerevolution,shehasalwaysrefusedtobeinterviewedortakeanyofthelimelight,eventhoughshedeservesit.
AnnstilllivesinCalifornia.
IhadcommunicatedwithDixinacoupleofyearsbeforeIbecameUncleHanzi.Wecommunicatedafewtimes.Butitwasnotuntil2011thatheaffectedmylife.Iwasabouttogetkickedoutofthecountrybecauseofamisunderstandingaboutmyvisa.DixintoldmystoryonhisWeibopageandmanypeoplecametomyaid,finallyresultinginmegettingavisaandateachingpositionteachingphysicsatBeijingNormalUniversityforthenext4years.
IfitwasnotforDixin'shelpthenIwouldnotbeheretoday.
DixinwasaSoftwareDevelopmentEngineeratMicrosoftatthetimeandIfinallymethimfacetofaceonatripbacktoOregontoseemymotherandbrother.
Mostunfortunately,Dixinhadspinalcordinjuryandhasbeenparaplegicforthepastseveralyears.Dixinhasbeenverybraveinthefaceofunbelievableodds.Hestillisagreatprogrammerandagreatphotographerandagreatfriend.
InthepastseveralyearsIhavebecomemorewellknowninChinaandmostrecently,IwasonaCCTV-1programcalled“FirstDayOfSchool”.DixinwasinterviewedandisnowalsoknowntomanyChinesepeople.Ihopethistrendcontinues,hedeservesit.
MostrecentlyDixinhasbeenworkingonthisnewetymologywebsite.Myprogrammingskillshavefallenbythewaysideovertheyears,butDixinisstillonthetopofhisfield.HewasanMVP(MicrosoftMostValuableProfessional).
IhopeDixincaneventuallyrecoverfromhisphysicalconditionandhopefullyhewillbeinvolvedinthisprojectforalongtimetocome.