奄
cover, suddenly
At a glance · 奄
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、金文象以大手（又）覆罩之形，会意覆盖。小篆沿为「奄」。
What the sketch shows
Origins & notes
「奄」本指覆盖、包容，引申为忽然而至。
Structure
会意字，从大从申，象大手势伸覆盖。
At a glance
Pinyinyǎn
Radical大
Strokes8
UnicodeU+5944
Character type会意
Theme动作
Six languages, one character
Each page offers hreflang versions; switching language keeps the glyphs and meanings aligned.
English
cover, suddenly
To cover, encompass; suddenly (yǎn).
Français
couvrir, soudain
Couvrir, englober; soudainement (yǎn).
Español
cubrir, súbito
Cubrir, abarcar; súbitamente (yǎn).
العربية
يغطّي، فجأة
يغطي أو يشمل أو فجأة.
Русский
покрывать, внезапно
Покрывать, охватывать; внезапно (янь).
Common words
- 奄yǎncover
- 奄奄一息yǎn yǎn yī xīdying