丁
man, fourth stem
At a glance · 丁
Evolution of the glyph
Five stages, from a sketch of the real object to regular script — tap a stage, drag the timeline, or play the animation.
Object sketchBefore writing · drawing what was seenOracle boneShang dynasty · c. 1300–1046 BCESeal scriptQin dynasty · 221–206 BCEClerical scriptHan dynasty · 206 BCE–220 CERegular scriptWei–Jin to Tang · c. 3rd–9th century CE
⚠ Some ancient forms are not attested：oracle bone form、seal script form。No excavated oracle bone / seal artifact is attested for this character yet; we leave it blank rather than fabricate.
甲骨文、金文象俯视的钉头或侧视的钉子，象形，本指钉（后作「钉」）。借为天干第四。隶楷作「丁」。
What the sketch shows
Origins & notes
「丁」本指钉子，假借为天干名与成年男子之称。
Structure
象形字，象钉子之形；后借作天干第四位。
At a glance
Pinyindīng
Radical一
Strokes2
UnicodeU+4E01
Character type象形
Theme其他
Six languages, one character
Each page offers hreflang versions; switching language keeps the glyphs and meanings aligned.
English
man, fourth stem
An adult man; the 4th Heavenly Stem.
Français
homme, 4e tige
Un homme adulte; la 4e tige céleste.
Español
hombre, 4° tronco
Un hombre adulto; el 4° tronco celeste.
العربية
رجل، الفرع الرابع
رجل بالغ أو الفرع الرابع من الأغصان السماوية.
Русский
мужчина, 4-й ствол
Взрослый мужчина; 4-й Небесный ствол.
Common words
- 丁dīngman
- 园丁yuán dīnggardener