群

羣

qún

君 + 羊

HSK 2.0Level 5

HSK 3.0Level 5

Definitions

qún (noun) group; crowd; flock; herd

qún (verb) gather in a group

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. 羊 represents the meaning and 君 represents the sound.

Semantic: 羊 Phonetic: 君

About

群 is a phonosemantic compound: the component 羊 (yáng, 'sheep') conveys the meaning, while 君 (jūn) indicates the sound. Sheep naturally gather in tight flocks, so the character originally referred to a flock of sheep or a herd of animals. Its meaning extended to any group, crowd, or collection of people, animals, or things sharing characteristics. Today it serves as a collective noun and a measure word for assemblies, communities, and large sets.

Etymology Hide

Bronze Late Spring and Autumn (~500 BC)

Seal Chu (Warring States: 475-221 BC)

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Clerical Qin dynasty (221-206 BC)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

这里有一群人。

Zhè lǐ yǒu yī qún rén.

There is a group of people here.

一群鸟在飞。

Yī qún niǎo zài fēi.

A group of birds is flying.

我们在群聊里说话。

Wǒ men zài qún liáo lǐ shuō huà.

We are talking in the group chat.

这个群体很团结。

Zhè gè qún tǐ hěn tuán jié.

This group is very united.

群众的支持很重要。

Qún zhòng de zhī chí hěn zhòng yào.

The support of the masses is very important.

群岛的风景很美。

Qún dǎo de fēng jǐng hěn měi.

The scenery of the archipelago is very beautiful.

群星闪耀在夜空中。

Qún xīng shǎn yào zài yè kōng zhōng.

Stars are shining in the night sky.

他管理着一个大型群组。

Tā guǎn lǐ zhe yī gè dà xíng qún zǔ.

He manages a large group.

Related Characters

Component: 君

Component: 羊

群