字 字源HanziOrigin
中文EnglishFrançaisEspañolالعربيةРусский
龙
lóng
dragon
At a glance · 龙

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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.

龙 Evolution of the glyph
  1. 龙 Object sketch
    Object sketchBefore writing · drawing what was seen
  2. 龙 Oracle bone
    Oracle boneShang dynasty · c. 1300–1046 BCE
  3. 龙 Seal script
    Seal scriptQin dynasty · 221–206 BCE
  4. 龙 Clerical script
    Clerical scriptHan dynasty · 206 BCE–220 CE
  5. 龙 Regular script
    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.

龙字甲骨文象巨口长身之蟠龙形，本义为传说中的神异动物；金文、小篆承之，繁体作『龍』。

What the sketch shows

龙 Object sketch

Origins & notes

龙本义为龙，中国神话中司雨的神兽。

Structure

龙为象形字，描摹龙之屈曲形体。

At a glance

Pinyinlóng
Radical龙
Strokes5
UnicodeU+9F99
Character type象形
Theme动物

Six languages, one character

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

English dragon Long is a pictograph of the mythical Chinese dragon.
Français dragon Long est un pictogramme du dragon mythique chinois.
Español dragón Long es un pictograma del dragón mitológico chino.
العربية تنين لونغ رسم تخطيطي للتنين الصيني الأسطوري.
Русский дракон Лун — пиктограмма мифического китайского дракона.

Common words

  • 龙lóngdragon
  • 龙舟lóng zhōudragon boat

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