省
province; examine
At a glance · 省
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、金文从目从生,会意目视、察究。本指视察、反省;后亦指行政区划(省)。隶楷作「省」。
What the sketch shows
Origins & notes
「省」本指细看、自省,元后指行省、省份。
Structure
会意字,从目从生,象目视而察之形。
At a glance
Pinyinshěng
Radical目
Strokes9
UnicodeU+7701
Character type会意
Theme政事
Six languages, one character
Each page offers hreflang versions; switching language keeps the glyphs and meanings aligned.
English
province; examine
A province; to inspect, reflect.
Français
province; examiner
Une province; inspecter, réfléchir.
Español
provincia; examinar
Una provincia; inspeccionar, reflexionar.
العربية
مقاطعة؛ يتفقّد
مقاطعة أو يتفقّد ويتأمل.
Русский
провинция; осматривать
Провинция; осматривать, анализировать.
Common words
- 省shěngreflect
- 省份shěng fènprovince