凭

The Chinese character 凭 (píng) is composed of two parts: the radical 扌(shǒu), which indicates an action related to the hand, and the phonetic component 朋 (péng). The original meaning of 凭 is "to lean on" or "to rely on". It can also be used as a noun to mean "evidence" or "proof".The character 凭 is first seen in oracle bone script, the earliest form of Chinese writing. In oracle bone script, 凭 is depicted as a hand holding a staff. This suggests that the original meaning of 凭 was "to lean on" or "to rely on".In modern Chinese, 凭 is still used with this meaning. For example, we can say 凭栏远眺 (píng lán yuǎn tiào), which means "to lean on the railing and look into the distance". We can also say 凭经验做事 (píng jīngyàn zuò shì), which means "to rely on experience to do things".In addition to its original meaning, 凭 can also be used as a noun to mean "evidence" or "proof". For example, we can say 凭据 (píng jù), which means "evidence" or "proof". We can also say 凭证 (píng zhèng), which means "certificate" or "voucher".The character 凭 is a versatile character with a rich history. It is a useful character to know for HSK learners, as it can be used in a variety of contexts.