晚

Etymology & Components

The Chinese character 晚 (wǎn) for "evening" or "late" is composed of two parts: the radical 日 (rì) for "sun" and the phonetic component 歹 (dǎi). The radical 日 indicates that the character is related to time, while the phonetic component 歹 provides a clue to its pronunciation.The original form of 晚 was 昬, which was a pictograph of the sun setting over the horizon. Over time, the character evolved into its current form, 晚. The addition of the phonetic component 歹 helped to distinguish 晚 from other characters with the same radical, such as 旦 (dàn) for "morning" and 昊 (hào) for "bright."The character 晚 has several meanings, including "evening," "late," and "old." It can also be used as a verb meaning "to arrive late" or "to delay." In addition, 晚 is often used in compound words, such as 晚上 (wǎnshàng) for "evening" and 晚年 (wǎnnián) for "old age."The character 晚 is a common one in Chinese, and it is important for HSK learners to understand its meaning and pronunciation. By understanding the etymology of 晚, learners can gain a deeper understanding of the character and its usage.