欠 |
qiàn – yawn; owe/ short of, lacking. The upper part evolved from the pictogram of an open mouth. A person人with an open mouth is yawning, or trying to compensate for the lack of air. 欠缺 qiànquē – lack/ be deficient of (lack + lack) 欠债 qiànzhài – owe a debt (owe + debt) |
| 吹 |
chuī – blow; play (wind instruments); boast, brag; flatter. An open mouth 欠 expels air 口 – blowing, playing a wind instrument, or boasting. 吹牛 chuīniú brag, boast. |
| 软 |
ruǎn – soft; flexible. The soft 耎 (as the beard 而 of a man 大 changed to 欠), part of a chariot车. 软化 ruǎnhuà soften; 软件 ruǎnjiàn software. |
| 饮 |
yǐn – drink, keep in the heart, nurse// yìn – give water to drink. An open mouth 欠 is drinking from a vessel食. 饮料yǐnliào beverage. |
| 砍 |
kǎn – cut, chop; cut down. A stone 石knife that leaves a void欠 where it cuts. 砍柴 kǎnchái cut firewood. |
| 钦 | qīn – admire; respect. 钦慕qīnmù. With the mouth opened 欠, before a metallic 钅(jīn phonetic) or golden object. |
| 坎 |
kǎn – pit, hole; bank (of river); ridge. A pictogram of a hole in the earth: the place lacking 欠 earth 土. ç 垄坎lǒngkǎn ridge between fields. |
| 炊 |
chuī – cook. To blow 吹 (chuī phonetic) to the fire 火 to stir it up and start cooking. 炊具 chuījù cooking utensils. |
| 次 |
cì – second/ times, order/ inferior/ remain/ stand. This is two 二breaths (or two sneezes) with an open mouth 欠, emphasizing the second one. Second > secondary > times > order > arrange > arrange hair (of woman). It is also the modern form of a OBC that showed a military encampment > place > remain > stand.
其次 qícì – next; second. 次序 cìxù – order, sequence (order + order) English version (not yet published) of the section in the Spanish «Caracteres chinos: un aprendizaje fácil basado en su etimología y evolución.» Madrid. 2016 |
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