春 U+6625, 春 ← 昤[U+6624] CJK Unified Ideographs 昦 →[U+6626] Stroke order Stroke order
There are minor differences in where the last stroke of the top component (top-left to bottom-right diagonal) starts – on the second horizontal stroke or on the third.
春 (Kangxi radical 72, 日+5, 9 strokes, Cangjie input 手大日 (QKA), four-corner 50603, composition ⿱𡗗日)
- This character is not to be confused with 舂 (U+8202) which is visually similar but unrelated.
- 偆, 㖺, 堾, 媋, 𢝣, 湷, 𬌸, 𬯌, 暙, 䐏, 椿, 瑃, 𨕌, 㿤, 睶, 𬓉, 𮄵, 蝽, 賰(䞐), 踳, 𨩃, 䮞(𩨁), 鰆(䲠), 𪂹, 𠝩, 萶, 箺, 䦮, 𩄄, 鬊, 惷, 𣕮, 𭾇, 𪃣, 蠢, 𩯥, 𣌠
- Kangxi Dictionary: page 493, character 6
- Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 13844
- Dae Jaweon: page 856, character 7
- Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 2, page 1496, character 10
- Unihan data for U+6625
Originally phono-semantic compound (形聲 / 形声, OC *tʰjun): semantic 艸 (“grass”) + phonetic 屯 (OC *duːn, *tun, “sprout”) + semantic 日 (“sun”). However, the sprout as a phonetic component can be another reference to plants growing. The sun was added later, thus leading to the intermediate version 萅. Eventually, 艸 and 屯 merged into 𡗗.
The character 春 itself is probably a variant of 屯 (OC *duːn, *tun) as they are equivalent for the meaning “spring” in Old Chinese literature. Unrelated to 泰.
simp. and trad. 春 alternative forms 萅旾㫩𣇸𣈤
Schuessler (2007) relates it to 芚 (OC *duːn, “(of plants) to begin to grow”); he also compares it Khmer ដុះ (doh, “to grow; to germinate; to sprout”), as well as 穿 (OC *kʰljon, *kʰljons, “to bore through”) (ibid.).
Sagart (2023b) relates it to a vulgar (i.e. ignoble and popular) word which means “egg”, which lacked a character, whose modern reflexes are Meixian Hakka 春 (cun1, “egg, roe”), Sixian Hakka 春 (chhûn), and Cantonese 春 (ceon1, “egg, roe; testicle”) (IPA: /t͡ʃʰɵn⁵⁵/); and for which he further reconstructs Old Chinese *tʰu[n] ~ *tʰu[r]. He further relates OC *tʰu[n] ~ *tʰu[r] to Bodo (India) dəy, Mizo tui, Proto-Karen *ʔdejᴮ, from tentative Proto-Sino-Tibetan *tʰur, (STEDT, however, reconstructs *d(w)əy (“egg, testicle”)) and notes a connection between “eggs” and Chinese new year season, as birds generally nest and lay eggs in the warmer months in the north [1].
春
- spring (season) 春天 ― chūntiān ― spring 四季如春 ― sìjìrúchūn ― to experience a moderate and pleasant climate throughout the year
- 暫伴月將影，行樂須及春。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]暂伴月将影，行乐须及春。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]From: 8th century, Li Bai, 月下獨酌Zàn bàn yuè jiāng yǐng, xínglè xū jí chūn. [Pinyin](please add an English translation of this usage example)
- (literary) year; age
- 妾身守空閨，良人行從軍。自期三年歸，今已歷九春。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]妾身守空闺，良人行从军。自期三年归，今已历九春。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]From: 3rd century, Cao Zhi, 雜詩·西北有織婦Qièshēn shǒu kōngguī, liángrén xíng cóngjūn. Zì qī sān nián guī, jīn yǐ lì jiǔ chūn. [Pinyin](please add an English translation of this usage example)
- spring scenery
- vitality; liveliness; energy; life 妙手回春 ― miàoshǒuhuíchūn ― to effect a miraculous cure and bring the dying back to life
- love; lust 春情 ― chūnqíng ― amorous feelings 思春期 ― sīchūnqī ― puberty
- 有女懷春，吉士誘之。 [Pre-Classical Chinese, trad.]有女怀春，吉士诱之。 [Pre-Classical Chinese, simp.]From: The Classic of Poetry, c. 11th – 7th centuries BCE, translated based on James Legge’s versionYǒu nǚ huái chūn, jíshì yòu zhī. [Pinyin]There is a young lady with thoughts natural to the spring,And a fine gentleman would lead her astray.
- a type of alcoholic drink which is fermented from spring to winter
Seasons in Mandarin · 四季 (sìjì, “four seasons”) (layout · text) · category 春 (chūn, “spring”) 夏 (xià, “summer”) 秋 (qiū, “fall; autumn”) 冬 (dōng, “winter”)
In Chinese culture, upside-down 春 is often used on CNY decorations and symbolizes the arrival of spring after a homophonic pun: 春倒 (dào, “inverted”) = 春到 (dào, “to arrive”).
simp. and trad. 春 alternative forms 膥
Possibly from Proto-Sino-Tibetan *d(w)əj (“egg; testicle”) (Baxter and Sagart, 2014). Sagart (2023b) reconstructs Old Chinese *tʰu[n] ~ *tʰu[r] from tentative Proto-Sino-Tibetan *tʰur, some of whose other descendants are Bodo (India) dəy, Mizo tui, Proto-Karen *ʔdejᴮ, etc.; he also relates it to 春 (chūn) “springtime” after noting a connection between eggs and Chinese new year season, as birds generally nest and lay eggs in the warmer months in the north (ibid.).
春
- (Cantonese, Hakka, Teochew) egg; roe 水蛇春咁長／水蛇春咁长 [Cantonese] ― seoi2 se4 ceon1 gam3 coeng4 [Jyutping] ― extremely long or lengthy (literally, “as long as a chain of water snake eggs”)
- (Cantonese, vulgar) testicle
- (Cantonese, vulgar) goddamn, the hell 你搞乜春呀？ [Cantonese, trad. and simp.]nei5 gaau2 mat1 ceon1 aa3? [Jyutping]What the fuck are you doing?
- (Cantonese, vulgar, always with the classifier) nothing; damn all; jack shit; bugger all (Classifier: 條／条 c) Synonyms: 毛, 鐵 / 铁 (tit3) 你識條春咩？ [Cantonese, trad.]你识条春咩？ [Cantonese, simp.]nei5 sik1 tiu4 ceon1 me1? [Jyutping]What the hell do you know?
- (Cantonese, vulgar) negates the meaning of the sentence 關你春事！／关你春事！ [Cantonese] ― gwaan1 nei5 ceon1 si6! [Jyutping] ― None of your damn business!
- “春”, in 漢語多功能字庫 (Multi-function Chinese Character Database)[2], 香港中文大學 (the Chinese University of Hong Kong), 2014-
(Second grade kyōiku kanji)
- Go-on: しゅん (shun, Jōyō)←しゆん (syun, historical)
- Kan-on: しゅん (shun, Jōyō)←しゆん (syun, historical)
- Kun: はる (haru, 春, Jōyō)
- Nanori: あずま (azuma)←あづま (aduma, historical)、あつ (atsu)、かす (kasu)、かず (kazu)、す (su)、とき (toki)、はじめ (hajime)
Kanji in this term 春 はるGrade: 2 kun’yomi
/paru/ → /ɸaru/ → /haru/
From Old Japanese.
- (Tokyo) はる [háꜜrù] (Atamadaka – [1])
- IPA(key): [ha̠ɾɯ̟]
- Audio:(file)
春(はる) • (haru)
- the spring (season) Synonyms: 春季 (shunki), 春期 (shunki)
- (by extension) the New Year
- adolescence, youth
- a heyday of one’s life
- a time of happiness after a long period of difficulty
- (slang, euphemistic) sexual intercourse 春(はる)をひさぐ ― haru o hisagu ― to engage in prostitution(literally, “to sell sex”)
Seasons in Japanese · 四(し)季(き) (shiki, “four seasons”) (layout · text) · category 春(はる) (haru, “spring”)春(しゅん)季(き) (shunki, “spring”)春(しゅん)期(き) (shunki, “spring period”) 夏(なつ) (natsu, “summer”)夏(か)季(き) (kaki, “summer”)夏(か)期(き) (kaki, “summer period”) 秋(あき) (aki, “fall; autumn”)秋(しゅう)季(き) (shūki, “fall; autumn”)秋(しゅう)期(き) (shūki, “fall period”) 冬(ふゆ) (fuyu, “winter”)冬(とう)季(き) (tōki, “winter”)冬(とう)期(き) (tōki, “winter period”) Kanji in this term 春 しゅんGrade: 2 on’yomi
From Middle Chinese 春 (MC tsyhwin).
- IPA(key): [ɕɨ̃ɴ]
春(しゅん) • (shun) ←しゆん (syun)?
- spring (season)
- New Year
- life, vitality
- lust, passion
- months and years
- “春”, in 漢字ぺディア [Kanjipedia][3] (in Japanese), The Japan Kanji Aptitude Testing Foundation, 2015-2026
From Middle Chinese 春 (MC tsyhwin).
Historical readings Dongguk Jeongun reading Dongguk Jeongun, 1448 츈 (Yale: chyùn) Middle Korean Text Eumhun Gloss (hun) Reading Hunmong Jahoe, 1527[4] 봄〮 (Yale: pwóm) 츈 (Yale: chyùn)
- (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA(key): [t͡ɕʰun]
- Phonetic hangul: [춘]
春 (eumhun 봄 춘 (bom chun))
- Hanja form? of 춘 (“spring (season)”). [affix]
- 국제퇴계학회 대구경북지부 (國際退溪學會 大邱慶北支部) (2007). Digital Hanja Dictionary, 전자사전／電子字典. [5]
(Second grade kyōiku kanji)
- On (unclassified): しゅん (shun, Jōyō)
- Kun: はる (haru, 春, Jōyō)
Kanji in this term 春 はるGrade: 2 kun’yomi
/ɸaru/ → /haru/
Shift from faru below.
Cognate with mainland Japanese 春 (haru).
- (Shuri-Naha) はる [hàrú] (Heiban – [0])
- IPA(key): [haɾu]
春(はる) (haru)
- the spring (season)
- 初(はち)春(はる) (hachiharu)
Kanji in this term 春 ふぁるGrade: 2 irregular
(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)
- (Shuri-Naha) ふぁる [fàrú] (Heiban – [0])
- IPA(key): [ɸaɾu]
春(ふぁる) (faru)
- (archaic) the spring (season)
From Proto-Japonic *paru. (Can this(+) etymology be sourced?)
春 (paru) (kana はる)
- the spring (season)
- 春霞 (parukasumi1)
- 春日 (parupi1)
- 初春 (patuparu)
- Japanese: 春 (haru)
春: Hán Việt readings: xuân (樞(xu)倫(luân)切(thiết))[1][2][3][4] 春: Nôm readings: xuân[1][2][5][4][6][7], xoan[1][2][3][4][7]
- chữ Hán form of xuân (“spring (season)”)
