永
long; perpetual; eternal
At a glance · 永
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.
甲骨文像水流曲长之形，本义为水流长。金文、小篆承其形，隶变后楷作「永」。属象形字，后引申为长久。
What the sketch shows
Origins & notes
本义为水流长，引申为长久、永远。
Structure
象形字，象水流屈曲之长形，表示长远不绝。
At a glance
Pinyinyǒng
Radical水
Strokes5
UnicodeU+6C38
Character type象形
Theme状态
Six languages, one character
Each page offers hreflang versions; switching language keeps the glyphs and meanings aligned.
English
long; perpetual; eternal
Long, perpetual, eternal, or forever.
Français
long; perpétuel; éternel
Long, perpétuel, éternel ou pour toujours.
Español
largo; perpetuo; eterno
Largo, perpetuo, eterno o para siempre.
العربية
طويل؛ أبدي؛ دائم
طويل أو أبدي أو دائم إلى الأبد.
Русский
долгий; вечный; присно
Долгий, вечный или бесконечный.
Common words
- 永远yǒng yuǎnforever
- 永yǒngperpetual