巛 (chuān) - An ancient form of the character 川 (river) & a radical used in characters related to water
巛 · chuān
An ancient form of the character 川 (river);
a radical used in characters related to water or flow.
An ancient form of the character 川 (river)a radical used in characters related to water
Usage highlights
Ancient form of riverRadical formFlowing waterOracle bone script
Synonyms
- 川— river (modern equivalent)
Usage & contexts
Examples
- This character is an ancient form of river (川).
- 巛 appears as a radical in some characters (e.g., 巡).
- In oracle bone script, it depicted flowing water (水流).
Collocations
- Ancient form of river(古川字)
- Radical form(部首形式)
- Flowing water(水流)
- Oracle bone script(甲骨文)
Cultural background
FAQ- 巛 is one of the oldest Chinese characters, appearing in oracle bone inscriptions as a pictograph of flowing water.
- It evolved into the modern character 川 (river) and continues to be used as a radical in the Kangxi dictionary system.