Definitions

jìn (history) to have an audience with the Emperor

Etymology phono-semantic

meet

Semantic: Phonetic:

About

(traditional ) is a phono-semantic compound: it pairs the semantic element (simplified from , meaning 'to see' or visual perception) with the phonetic . Its meaning is the formal act of a vassal or official having an audience with a monarch. Because this sense is exclusively ceremonial and political, the character is limited to historical texts, court protocols, and descriptions of imperial encounters, far removed from everyday language.

Etymology Hide

Bronze etymology image
Bronze Early Western Zhou (~1000 BC)
Seal etymology image
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
Traditional Modern
Simplified Modern