痕

hén

疒 + 艮

Definitions

hén (noun) scar; trace; mark

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. 疒 represents the meaning and 艮 represents the sound.

Semantic: 疒 Phonetic: 艮

About

痕 is a phonosemantic compound that combines the sickness radical 疒, which forms the outer frame and indicates a medical condition or bodily injury, with the phonetic component 艮 inside, giving the pronunciation. Originally, the character denoted a scar, blemish, or residual mark on skin after a wound or severe disease healed. Over time, its meaning expanded beyond biological scars to include any visible mark, imprint, stain, or abstract trace left by an event, object, or action on any surface or environment.

Etymology Hide

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

玻璃上有痕迹。

Bōli shàng yǒu hénjì.

There are marks on the glass.

她脸上有泪痕。

Tā liǎn shàng yǒu lèihén.

There are tear stains on her face.

他的手上有个疤痕。

Tā de shǒu shàng yǒu gè bāhén.

There is a scar on his hand.

这个痕迹很难清除。

Zhège hénjì hěn nán qīngchú.

This mark is hard to remove.

岁月留下了深深的痕迹。

Suìyuè liú xiàle shēnshēn de hénjì.

Time has left deep traces.

那道伤痕永远留在他的心里。

Nà dào shānghén yǒngyuǎn liú zài tā de xīnlǐ.

That scar remains in his heart forever.

考古学家发现了古代文明的痕迹。

Kǎogǔ xuéjiā fāxiànle gǔdài wénmíng de hénjì.

Archaeologists discovered traces of ancient civilization.

这些细微的痕迹揭示了事件的真相。

Zhèxiē xìwēi de hénjì jiēshìle shìjiàn de zhēnxiàng.

These subtle traces reveal the truth of the incident.

Related Characters

Component: 疒

Component: 艮

痕