Category: Chinese Grammar

丰(fēng) Origin: “丰”在古代原为两个字，一个是“豊”，是古代盛放祭品的器皿，引申为“丰盛”等义，另一个是“丰”，像一棵植物萌发枝叶的样子，本义是“丰茂”，现在这两个字合并为“丰”。
In ancient China, there were two characters that represented the meaning of “丰.” The first, “豊,” was a container for sacrificial offerings; that later extended to mean rich. The second was “丰,” which resembled a plant with branches and leaves growing, had the original meaning of lush. Now the two characters have merged to “丰.”

求(qiú) Origin: 甲骨文“求”字像一件皮衣的样子，可以看出它是用带毛的兽皮做成的，是“裘”的本字，后来“求”字借为“寻求”、“乞求”等意思。
On ancient oracle bone inscriptions, “求” looks like leather clothing. As we can see that the clothes are made of animal skin, one can infer that it is the original version of “裘” (fur coat). Later, it was used to represent ideas like “to search” and “to beg.”

仓（cāng） Origin: 在甲骨文中，“仓”的上部是一座粮仓的顶部，中间是一扇门，下面是粮仓门口的基石。本义是“粮仓”，现在也可以指储存物资的建筑物。
On ancient oracle bone inscriptions, the upper part of “仓” is the top of a granary, with a door in the middle and a cornerstone below. Its original meaning is granary, and now can refer to any building that can store supplies.

工(gōng) Origin: 甲骨文中，“工”是一把工具的样子，本义是“工具”，引申为“做工的人”以及“巧妙”、“细致”的意思。
On ancient oracle bone inscriptions, “工” looks like a tool. Its original meaning is “tool,” which then extended to “worker,” “ingenious,” and “meticulous.”

兑(duì) Origin: “兑”是“悦”的本字，字形的下半是一个人，上半突出了他的嘴和嘴角的笑纹。现在另有“悦”字表示喜悦，“兑”的意思为换取。
“兑” is the original version of the character “悦.” The lower part is a person and the upper part is an exaggeration of a laughing mouth. Today, the character “悦” expresses joyfulness, while the meaning of “兑” is “to exchange.”