Definitions

wāng (noun) expanse of water; pool; puddle
wāng (verb) (onom.) bark of a dog

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound.

Semantic: Phonetic:

About

The character "汪" is a phono-semantic compound structured with the water radical 氵 as its semantic component and 王 as its phonetic element, reflecting its original association with aquatic features. Etymologically, it initially denoted deep or expansive water, such as a pond or pool, with this sense evident in classical texts. Over time, its meaning extended to describe vastness or immensity, as in the term "汪洋" for a boundless ocean, while also becoming established as a surname. In later usage, it adopted an onomatopoeic function to mimic the sound of a dog barking, though its written form has consistently retained the water radical paired with 王.

Etymology Hide

Bronze etymology image
Bronze Early Western Zhou (~1000 BC)
Seal etymology image
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
Seal etymology image
Seal Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Jin dynasty (266-420 AD)
Traditional Modern
Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

小狗在叫。

Xiǎo gǒu zài wāng wāng jiào.

The puppy is barking.

先生今天来了。

Wāng xiānsheng jīntiān lái le.

Mr. Wang came today.

大海一片洋。

Dà hǎi yī piàn wāng yáng.

The sea is a vast expanse.

老师教我们数学。

Wāng lǎoshī jiāo wǒmen shùxué.

Teacher Wang teaches us mathematics.

远处传来的狗叫声。

Yuǎn chù chuán lái wāng wāng de gǒu jiào shēng.

The barking sound of dogs comes from afar.

雨水在坑里。

Yǔshuǐ wāng zài kēng lǐ.

Rainwater pools in the puddle.

洋大海一望无际。

Wāng yáng dà hǎi yī wàng wú jì.

The vast ocean is boundless.

洋的水面映照着蓝天白云。

Wāng yáng de shuǐ miàn yìng zhào zhe lán tiān bái yún.

The vast water surface reflects the blue sky and white clouds.