Definitions
(noun)
well; water well
(adjective)
neat; orderly
Etymology
Pictograph of the opening of a water well.
About
The character "井" originally functioned as a pictograph representing the wooden framework built around a well to protect its edge and structure, a meaning it has consistently retained throughout its history. Its structural form, essentially a grid or a hashtag-like design, visually mimics the plan view of this squared-off wooden frame. Beyond its literal meaning, this character acquired significant cultural and semantic depth by lending its name to the ancient "well-field" system of land division, wherein a large square of land was partitioned into nine sections resembling the character's shape. From this association with a methodical, grid-like layout, the character's meaning broadened to encompass concepts of neatness, order, and regularity, as seen in words describing orderly arrangements. This development demonstrates how a concrete pictograph for a physical object evolved to also convey abstract ideas of systematic organization.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
村子里有一口井。
井水非常清澈。
他从井里打水。
井口用石头围着。
早晨人们聚在井边。
这口井已经干涸多年。
因为干旱，井水下降了很多。
工人们正在挖掘一口新的矿井。