溪 xī — stream, brook · English

溪

xī

stream, brook

At a glance · 溪

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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.

小篆从水奚声，形声字，本指山间小河。隶楷作「溪」。

What the sketch shows

Origins & notes

「溪」本指山涧水流，泛指小河沟。

Structure

形声字，水（氵）为意符，奚为声符。

At a glance

Pinyinxī

Radical氵

Strokes13

UnicodeU+6EAA

Character type形声

Theme地理

Six languages, one character

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

English stream, brook A small stream or mountain brook.

Français ruisseau Un petit cours d'eau ou ruisseau de montagne.

Español arroyo Un arroyo pequeño o de montaña.

العربية جدول نهر صغير أو جدول جبلي.

Русский ручей Небольшой ручей или горный поток.

Common words

溪流xī liústream
溪xībrook

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