冠
hat, crown
At a glance · 冠
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.
金文、小篆象以「冖」覆于「元」（人头）上，下为「寸」手，会意以手加帽于首。隶楷作「冠」。
What the sketch shows
Origins & notes
「冠」本指帽子，引申为加冠、位居第一。
Structure
会意字，从冖从元从寸，以手为头首加帽。
At a glance
Pinyinguān
Radical冖
Strokes9
UnicodeU+51A0
Character type会意
Theme器物
Six languages, one character
Each page offers hreflang versions; switching language keeps the glyphs and meanings aligned.
English
hat, crown
A hat or crown; to put on a hat, to be first.
Français
chapeau, couronne
Un chapeau ou une couronne; coiffer, être le premier.
Español
sombrero, corona
Un sombrero o corona; ponerse el sombrero, ser el primero.
العربية
تاج، قبعة
قبعة أو تاج؛ يُلبَس على الرأس أو يدل على الصدارة.
Русский
шапка, корона
Шапка или корона; надевать шапку, быть первым.
Common words
- 冠guāncrown
- 冠军guàn jūnchampion