昆
elder brother, many
At a glance · 昆
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。No excavated oracle bone / seal artifact is attested for this character yet; we leave it blank rather than fabricate.
昆字小篆从日从比，会意为同、众多；本义为兄长，亦指后裔、群。甲骨文未见。
What the sketch shows
Origins & notes
昆本义为兄，引申为众多、后代。
Structure
会意字，从日从比，表示同日而生的兄弟众多。
At a glance
Pinyinkūn
Radical日
Strokes8
UnicodeU+6606
Character type会意
Theme其他
Six languages, one character
Each page offers hreflang versions; switching language keeps the glyphs and meanings aligned.
English
elder brother, many
Kun is an associative character meaning elder brother and, by extension, many and offspring.
Français
frère aîné, nombreux
Kun est un caractère associatif signifiant frère aîné et, par extension, nombreux et descendance.
Español
hermano mayor, muchos
Kun es un carácter asociativo que significa hermano mayor y, por extensión, muchos y descendencia.
العربية
أخ أكبر، كثير
كون حرف تركيبي يعني الأخ الأكبر، ومنه الكثير والذرية.
Русский
старший брат, многие
Кунь — ассоциативный знак, означающий старшего брата и, далее, многие и потомство.
Common words
- 昆虫kūn chónginsect
- 昆仑kūn lúnKunlun