Definitions

qiān (verb) to sign; to autograph
qiān (noun) label; tag
qiān (noun) stick used for drawing lots

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. ⺮ represents the meaning and represents the sound. Simplified form of .

Semantic: Phonetic:

About

The character "签" in its simplified form is structured with the bamboo radical (⺮) above the component "佥", which serves as a phonetic element, while its traditional counterparts "簽" and "籤" similarly feature the bamboo radical but differ in their lower components, using "僉" and "韱" respectively. Etymologically, the bamboo radical indicates an early association with objects made from bamboo, such as thin slips or tags used for writing, labeling, or divination purposes. Over time, the meaning of "签" broadened from these physical bamboo artifacts to include the act of endorsing documents, hence acquiring the verbal sense "to sign", as well as continuing to denote nouns like lottery lots or labels, reflecting a semantic shift from concrete items to associated actions and abstract concepts.

Example Sentences Hide

我需要名。

Wǒ xūyào qiānmíng.

I need to sign.

了合同。

Tā qiānle hétong.

He signed the contract.

请在这里个字。

Qǐng zài zhèlǐ qiān gè zì.

Please sign here.

证申请很顺利。

Qiānzhèng shēnqǐng hěn shùnlì.

The visa application went smoothly.

双方订了合作协议。

Shuāngfāng qiāndìngle hézuò xiéyì.

Both parties signed a cooperation agreement.

这份文件需要负责人字。

Zhè fèn wénjiàn xūyào fùzérén qiānzì.

This document requires the responsible person's signature.

移民证的审批过程相当复杂。

Yímín qiānzhèng de shěnpǐ guòchéng xiāngdāng fùzá.

The approval process for immigration visas is quite complex.

署正式协议之前,必须仔细阅读所有条款。

Zài qiānshǔ zhèngshì xiéyì zhīqián, bìxū zǐxì yuèdú suǒyǒu tiáokuǎn.

Before signing the formal agreement, one must carefully read all the terms.