Definitions

jīn (noun) ferry crossing; ford
jīn (noun) saliva; sweat

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and 𦘔 represents the sound.

Semantic: Phonetic:

About

is a phono-semantic compound: the radical (water) provides the core meaning of liquid, while the right-side component 𦘔 suggests the pronunciation. In its early use, the character denoted a ford or ferry crossing, a place where water transit occurs. Over time, the meaning expanded to include bodily fluids such as saliva and sweat, still linked to the water radical but moving from a topographical feature to biological moisture. This semantic extension shows how water-related concepts influenced the linguistic categorization of human physiology.

Etymology Hide

Bronze etymology image
Bronze Late Western Zhou (~800 BC)
Seal etymology image
Seal Chu (Warring States: 475-221 BC)
Seal etymology image
Seal Chu (Warring States: 475-221 BC)
Seal etymology image
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Seal etymology image
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Qin dynasty (221-206 BC)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
Seal etymology image
Seal Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
Seal etymology image
Seal Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
Traditional Modern
Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

有很多公园。

Tiānjīn yǒu hěnduō gōngyuán.

Tianjin has many parks.

他每月有贴。

Tā měi yuè yǒu jīntiē.

He has a monthly allowance.

液保持身体湿润。

Jīnyè bǎochí shēntǐ shīrùn.

Body fluids keep the body moist.

这个渡历史很久。

Zhège jīndù lìshǐ hěn jiǔ.

This ferry crossing has a long history.

公司发给了员工贴。

Gōngsī fā gěi le yuángōng jīntiē.

The company issued allowances to employees.

的夜景非常漂亮。

Tiānjīn de yèjǐng fēichāng piàoliang.

The night view of Tianjin is very beautiful.

贴的金额根据职位而定。

Jīntiē de jīn'é gēnjù zhíwèi ér dìng.

The amount of allowance depends on the position.

巴布韦是非洲的一个国家。

Jīnbābùwéi shì Fēizhōu de yī gè guójiā.

Zimbabwe is a country in Africa.