鉴
mirror, reflect
At a glance · 鉴
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.
小篆从金監声，形声字，本指青铜镜（古以铜为镜），引申为照察、借鉴。隶楷作「鑑」（鑒），简化作「鉴」。
What the sketch shows
Origins & notes
「鉴」本指铜镜，引申为照视、警戒、借鉴。
Structure
形声字，金为意符（铜镜），監为声符。
At a glance
Pinyinjiàn
Radical金
Strokes13
UnicodeU+9274
Character type形声
Theme器物
Six languages, one character
Each page offers hreflang versions; switching language keeps the glyphs and meanings aligned.
English
mirror, reflect
A mirror; to reflect, use as warning.
Français
miroir, réfléchir
Un miroir; réfléchir, servir d'avertissement.
Español
espejo, reflejar
Un espejo; reflejar, servir de aviso.
العربية
مرآة، يعتبر
مرآة أو يعتبر عبرة.
Русский
зеркало, поучение
Зеркало; отражать, брать за урок.
Common words
- 鉴定jiàn dìngappraise
- 鉴jiànmirror