About
The character for grave or tomb, originally written as 墳, derives its core meaning from its left-side earth radical, which directly associates it with mounds of soil. Its traditional form incorporated the component 賁, which served a phonetic function while also possibly contributing an associative idea of隆起 or prominence, reflecting the raised physical form of an ancient burial site. Over time, the character’s application narrowed from referring more broadly to earthen mounds or banks to specifying the man-made mound covering a burial, thus solidifying its primary meaning as a grave. The structural evolution to the simpler contemporary form 坟 replaced the complex phonetic with the component 文, a common strategy in the writing system’s development to reduce stroke count while retaining a familiar sound cue.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
山后有一座坟。
那座古老的坟墓很小。
清明节我们去扫坟。
这片坟场已经荒废了。
他把鲜花放在坟前。
关于这座孤坟有个传说。
战争留下的无名坟冢很多。
他在祖父的坟前默默追思了很久。