字 字源HanziOrigin
中文EnglishFrançaisEspañolالعربيةРусский
州
zhōu
islet, prefecture
At a glance · 州

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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.

州 Evolution of the glyph
  1. 州 Object sketch
    Object sketchBefore writing · drawing what was seen
  2. 州 Oracle bone
    Oracle boneShang dynasty · c. 1300–1046 BCE
  3. 州 Seal script
    Seal scriptQin dynasty · 221–206 BCE
  4. 州 Clerical script
    Clerical scriptHan dynasty · 206 BCE–220 CE
  5. 州 Regular script
    Regular scriptWei–Jin to Tang · c. 3rd–9th century CE
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、金文象水中高出水面的小块陆地（·为洲渚），象形。后借为行政区划，水中陆本作「洲」。隶楷作「州」。

What the sketch shows

州 Object sketch

Origins & notes

「州」本指水中陆地，后指古代行政区划。

Structure

象形字，象江河中洲渚之形；后作行政区划。

At a glance

Pinyinzhōu
Radical川
Strokes6
UnicodeU+5DDE
Character type象形
Theme地理

Six languages, one character

Each page offers hreflang versions; switching language keeps the glyphs and meanings aligned.

English islet, prefecture Ariver islet; an administrative region.
Français îlot, préfecture Un îlot fluvial; une région administrative.
Español isla fluvial, prefectura Isla fluvial; una región administrativa.
العربية جزيرة نهرية، مقاطعة جزيرة وسط الماء أو مقاطعة.
Русский речной островок, область Речной островок; административная единица.

Common words

  • 州zhōuprefecture
  • 广州guǎng zhōuGuangzhou

Related characters

川