意 yì — thought · English

意

yì

thought

At a glance · 意

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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.

Object sketchBefore writing · drawing what was seen
Oracle boneShang dynasty · c. 1300–1046 BCE
Seal scriptQin dynasty · 221–206 BCE
Clerical scriptHan dynasty · 206 BCE–220 CE
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.

「意」从心音声，小篆从心音声，形声清晰。

What the sketch shows

Origins & notes

「意」本义为心意、意念，引申意思、意图、意味。

Structure

从心、音声，形声字，心表义类，音表音，本为心之所念。

At a glance

Pinyinyì

Radical心

Strokes13

UnicodeU+610F

Character type形声

Theme德行

Six languages, one character

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

English thought thought, idea, opinion; think

Français intention / sens Intention, sens. «逐物意移» : la pensée se déplace.

Español intención / sentido Intención, sentido. «逐物意移»: el pensamiento se desplaza.

العربية نية / معنى نية، معنى. «逐物意移»: الفكرة تتحوّل.

Русский намерение / смысл Намерение, смысл. «逐物意移»: мысль перемещается.

Common words

意思yì simeaning
意见yì jiànopinion

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