井

Translingual

Stroke order

Han character

井 (Kangxi radical 7, 二+2, 4 strokes, cangjie input 廿廿 (TT), four-corner 5500₀, composition ⿻一廾)

Derived characters

㘫, 妌, 𪪁, 汫, 阱, 𪰉, 肼, 㐩, 𭾠, 畊, 𮈃, 𬙍, 耕, 䎴, 𬟷, 𮗻, 𬪦, 㓝, 刱, 𫡳, 𫎁, 宑, 𬜣, 𬼾, 𭾞, 穽, 𬆓, 䨍, 坓, 汬, 丼, 𬑽, 囲
𰃖, 进, 讲 (Simplified from 進 and 講)

Descendants

ヰ (Katakana character derived from Man'yōgana)

References

Kangxi Dictionary: page 86, character 14
Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 258
Dae Jaweon: page 183, character 1
Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 1, page 10, character 4
Unihan data for U+4E95

Chinese

simp. and trad.		井
alternative forms		丼

Glyph origin

Historical forms of the character 井
Shang	Western Zhou	Warring States	Shuowen Jiezi (compiled in Han)	Liushutong (compiled in Ming)
Oracle bone script	Bronze inscriptions	Chu slip and silk script	Small seal script	Transcribed ancient scripts

Oracle bone script j12550 j12551 j12552 j12553 j12554 j12555 j12556 j12557 j12558 j12559 j12560 j12561 j12562 j12563 j12564 j12565 j12566 j12567 j12568 j12569 j12570 j12571 j12572 j12573 j12574 j12575 Bronze inscriptions b07748 b07749 b07750 b07751 b07752 b07753 b07754 b07755 b07757 b07758 b07759 b07760 b07761 b07762 b07763 b07764 b07765 b07766 b07767 b07768 b07769 b07770 b07771 b07772 b07773 b07774 b07775 b07776 b07777 b07778 b07779 b07780 Small seal script s03663 Transcribed ancient scripts L17889 L17890 L17891 L17892
References: Mostly from Richard Sears' Chinese Etymology site (authorisation), which in turn draws data from various collections of ancient forms of Chinese characters, including: Shuowen Jiezi (small seal), Jinwen Bian (bronze inscriptions), Liushutong (Liushutong characters) and Yinxu Jiaguwen Bian (oracle bone script).

Characters in the same phonetic series (井) (Zhengzhang, 2003)

	Old Chinese
硎	kʰreːŋ, ɡeːŋ
耕	*kreːŋ
荊	*keŋ
井	*skeŋʔ
丼	kl'oːmʔ, skeŋʔ
妌	*sɡeŋʔ
穽	sɡeŋʔ, sɡeŋs
阱	sɡeŋʔ, sɡeŋs
汫	*sɡeːŋʔ
刑	*ɡeːŋ
形	*ɡeːŋ
邢	*ɡeːŋ
鉶	*ɡeːŋ
型	*ɡeːŋ
侀	*ɡeːŋ

井 – an old well in a historic area in Shenzhen. Notice the square shape.

Pictogram (象形) – a square well, with supports on four sides.

Some forms have a stone inside the well, as in 丼.

Etymology 1

Pronunciation

Mandarin
(Standard)
(Pinyin): jǐng (jing³)

(Zhuyin): ㄐㄧㄥˇ

(Dungan, Cyrillic and Wiktionary): җин (žin, II)
Cantonese
(Guangzhou–Hong Kong, Jyutping): zeng² / zing²

(Taishan, Wiktionary): diang² / den²
Gan (Wiktionary): jiang³ / jin³
Hakka
(Sixian, PFS): chiáng

(Meixian, Guangdong): jiang³
Jin (Wiktionary): jing²
Northern Min (KCR): cǎng
Eastern Min (BUC): cāng / ciāng
Puxian Min (Pouseng Ping'ing): za³ / zaⁿ³ / zing³
Southern Min
(Hokkien, POJ): chíⁿ / chéⁿ / chéng

(Teochew, Peng'im): zên²
Wu (Shanghai, Wugniu): ⁵cin
Xiang (Changsha, Wiktionary): zin³

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: jǐng
  - Zhuyin: ㄐㄧㄥˇ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: jǐng
  - Wade–Giles: ching³
  - Yale: jǐng
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: jiing
  - Palladius: цзин (czin)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡ɕiŋ²¹⁴/
- (Dungan)
  - Cyrillic and Wiktionary: җин (žin, II)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡ɕiŋ⁵¹/
  (Note: Dungan pronunciation is currently experimental and may be inaccurate.)
Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
  - Jyutping: zeng² / zing²
  - Yale: jéng / jíng
  - Cantonese Pinyin: dzeng² / dzing²
  - Guangdong Romanization: zéng² / jing²
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sɛːŋ³⁵/, /t͡sɪŋ³⁵/

Note:

zeng2 - vernacular;
zing2 - literary.

(Taishanese, Taicheng)
- Wiktionary: diang² / den²
- Sinological IPA ^(key): /tiaŋ⁵⁵/, /ten⁵⁵/

Note:

diang2 - vernacular;
den2 - literary.

Gan
- (Nanchang)
  - Wiktionary: jiang³ / jin³
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡ɕiaŋ²¹³/, /t͡ɕin²¹³/
Hakka
- (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Neipu)
  - Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: chiáng
  - Hakka Romanization System: jiang^ˋ
  - Hagfa Pinyim: jiang³
  - Sinological IPA: /t͡si̯aŋ³¹/
- (Meixian)
  - Guangdong: jiang³
  - Sinological IPA: /t͡siaŋ³¹/
Jin
- (Taiyuan)⁺
  - Wiktionary: jing²
  - Sinological IPA (old-style): /t͡ɕĩŋ⁵³/
Northern Min
- (Jian'ou)
  - Kienning Colloquial Romanized: cǎng
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡saŋ²¹/
Eastern Min
- (Fuzhou)
  - Bàng-uâ-cê: cāng / ciāng
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡saŋ³³/, /t͡siaŋ³³/
Puxian Min
- (Putian)
  - Pouseng Ping'ing: za³
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sa⁴⁵³/
- (Xianyou)
  - Pouseng Ping'ing: zaⁿ³
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sã³³²/
- (Putian)
  - Pouseng Ping'ing: zing³
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡siŋ⁴⁵³/
- (Xianyou)
  - Pouseng Ping'ing: zing³
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡siŋ³³²/

Note:

za3/zaⁿ3 - vernacular;
zing3 - literary.

Southern Min
- (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Taipei, Hsinchu, Lukang, Sanxia, Kinmen, Magong)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: chíⁿ
  - Tâi-lô: tsínn
  - Phofsit Daibuun: cvie
  - IPA (Quanzhou): /t͡sĩ⁵⁵⁴/
  - IPA (Lukang): /t͡sĩ⁵⁵/
  - IPA (Xiamen, Taipei, Kinmen): /t͡sĩ⁵³/
- (Hokkien: Zhangzhou, Kaohsiung, Tainan, Taichung, Yilan)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: chéⁿ
  - Tâi-lô: tsénn
  - Phofsit Daibuun: zvea
  - IPA (Zhangzhou): /t͡sɛ̃⁵³/
  - IPA (Kaohsiung): /t͡sẽ⁴¹/
  - IPA (Tainan, Yilan): /t͡sẽ⁵³/
- (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, General Taiwanese)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: chéng
  - Tâi-lô: tsíng
  - Phofsit Daibuun: zeang
  - IPA (Kaohsiung): /t͡siɪŋ⁴¹/
  - IPA (Quanzhou): /t͡siɪŋ⁵⁵⁴/
  - IPA (Xiamen, Zhangzhou, Taipei): /t͡siɪŋ⁵³/

Note:

chíⁿ/chéⁿ - vernacular;
chéng - literary.

(Teochew)
- Peng'im: zên²
- Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: tséⁿ
- Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sẽ⁵²/

Wu
- (Northern: Shanghai)
  - Wugniu: ⁵cin
  - MiniDict: cin^去
  - Wiktionary Romanisation (Shanghai): ²jin
  - Sinological IPA (Shanghai): /t͡ɕin³⁴/
Xiang
- (Changsha)
  - Wiktionary: zin³
  - Sinological IPA ^(key) (old-style): /t͡sin⁴¹/
  - Sinological IPA ^(key) (new-style): /t͡ɕin⁴¹/

Middle Chinese: tsjengX

Rime
Character	井
Reading #	1/1
Initial (聲)	精 (13)
Final (韻)	清 (121)
Tone (調)	Rising (X)
Openness (開合)	Open
Division (等)	III
Fanqie	子郢切
Baxter	tsjengX
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/t͡siᴇŋ^X/
Pan Wuyun	/t͡siɛŋ^X/
Shao Rongfen	/t͡siæŋ^X/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/t͡siajŋ^X/
Li Rong	/t͡siɛŋ^X/
Wang Li	/t͡sĭɛŋ^X/
Bernard Karlgren	/t͡si̯ɛŋ^X/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	jǐng
Expected Cantonese Reflex	zing²

Old Chinese
(Baxter–Sagart): /*C.tseŋʔ/

(Zhengzhang): /*skeŋʔ/

Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character	井
Reading #	1/1
Modern Beijing (Pinyin)	jǐng
Middle Chinese	‹ tsjeng^X ›
Old Chinese	/*C.tseŋʔ/
English	well (n.)
Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system: * Parentheses "()" indicate uncertain presence; * Square brackets "[]" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. [t] as coda may in fact be -t or -p; Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix; * Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary; * Period "." indicates syllable boundary.

Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character	井
Reading #	1/1
No.	6852
Phonetic component	井
Rime group	耕
Rime subdivision	0
Corresponding MC rime	井
Old Chinese	/*skeŋʔ/
Notes	丼注今體甲金文爲型初文

Definitions

井

well (a hole sunk into the ground) (Classifier: 口; 眼)
well-shaped object; mineshaft, pit
hometown
neat; tidy
井井有條／井井有条 ― jǐngjǐngyǒutiáo ― neat and tidy
48th hexagram of the I Ching
a surname

Synonyms

Dialectal synonyms of 水井 (“well (for collecting water)”) [map]

Variety	Location	Words edit
Classical Chinese		井
Formal (Written Standard Chinese)		水井, 井
Northeastern Mandarin	Beijing	水井, 井
	Chengde	井
	Chifeng	井
	Hulunbuir (Hailar)	井
	Heihe	井
	Qiqihar	井
	Harbin	水井, 井
	Jiamusi	井
	Baicheng	井
	Changchun	井
	Tonghua	井
	Shenyang	井
	Jinzhou	井
	Singapore	水井, 井
Jilu Mandarin	Tianjin	井
	Tangshan	井
	Cangzhou	井
	Baoding	井
	Shijiazhuang	井
	Lijin	井
	Jinan	水井, 井
Jiaoliao Mandarin	Dalian	井
	Dandong	井
	Yantai	井
	Yantai (Muping)	水井, 井
	Qingdao	井
	Zhucheng	井
Central Plains Mandarin	Luoyang	井
	Lingbao	井
	Jining	井
	Wanrong	井
	Linfen	井
	Shangqiu	井
	Yuanyang	井
	Zhengzhou	井
	Xinyang	井
	Baihe	井
	Xi'an	井
	Baoji	井
	Tianshui	井
	Xining	水井, 井
	Xuzhou	水井, 井
	Fuyang	井
Lanyin Mandarin	Yinchuan	井
	Lanzhou	井
	Dunhuang	井
	Hami	井
	Ürümqi	井
Southwestern Mandarin	Chengdu	井
	Nanchong	水井, 井
	Dazhou	井
	Hanyuan	井
	Xichang	井
	Zigong	井
	Chongqing	水井, 井
	Wuhan	井
	Yichang	井
	Xiangyang	井
	Tianmen	井
	Guiyang	水井, 井
	Zunyi	水井, 井
	Bijie	水井, 井
	Liping	井, 吊井
	Zhaotong	井
	Dali	井
	Kunming	水井, 井
	Mengzi	井
	Guilin	井
	Liuzhou	水井, 井
	Jishou	井, 吊井
	Changde	井
	Hanzhong	井
Jianghuai Mandarin	Nanjing	井
	Yangzhou	井
	Lianyungang	井
	Lianshui	井
	Nantong	井
	Anqing	井
	Wuhu	井
	Hefei	井
	Hong'an	井, 涼水井
Cantonese	Guangzhou	井
	Hong Kong	井
	Hong Kong (San Tin Weitou)	井
	Hong Kong (Kam Tin Weitou)	井
	Hong Kong (Ting Kok)	井
	Hong Kong (Tung Ping Chau)	水井
	Macau	井
	Guangzhou (Panyu)	井
	Guangzhou (Huashan, Huadu)	井
	Guangzhou (Conghua)	井
	Guangzhou (Zengcheng)	井
	Foshan	井
	Foshan (Shatou, Nanhai)	井
	Foshan (Shunde)	井
	Foshan (Sanshui)	井
	Foshan (Mingcheng, Gaoming)	水井
	Zhongshan (Shiqi)	井
	Zhuhai (Qianshan, Xiangzhou)	井
	Zhuhai (Shangheng, Doumen; Tanka)	井
	Zhuhai (Doumen)	井
	Jiangmen (Baisha)	井
	Jiangmen (Xinhui)	井
	Taishan	水井, 井
	Kaiping (Chikan)	井
	Enping (Niujiang)	井
	Heshan (Yayao)	水井
	Dongguan	井
	Shenzhen (Shajing, Bao'an)	井
	Kuala Lumpur (Guangfu)	水井, 井
Gan	Nanchang	井
Gan	Lichuan	井
Hakka	Meixian	井
	Huizhou (Huicheng Bendihua)	井
	Dongguan (Qingxi)	井
	Shenzhen (Shatoujiao)	井
	Zhongshan (Nanlang Heshui)	井
	Guangzhou (Lütian, Conghua)	井
	Yudu	井
	Hong Kong	井
	Senai (Huiyang)	井
Huizhou	Jixi	井
Huizhou	Shexian	井
Jin	Taiyuan	井, 井兒
	Yangyuan	井
	Datong	井
	Xinzhou	水井, 井
	Lüliang (Lishi)	井兒
	Changzhi	井
	Linhe	井
	Jining	井
	Hohhot	井
	Erenhot	井
	Pingshan	井
	Zhangjiakou	井, 土井
	Handan	井
	Linzhou	井
	Suide	井, 井子
Northern Min	Jian'ou	水井
Eastern Min	Fuzhou	水井, 井
Southern Min	Xiamen	鼓井, 井, 水井
	Quanzhou	鼓井, 水井
	Jinjiang	鼓井
	Zhangzhou	鼓井, 水井
	Taipei	井
	New Taipei (Tamsui)	井, 鼓井
	New Taipei (Sanxia)	井
	New Taipei (Pingxi)	井
	Kaohsiung	井
	Kaohsiung (Cijin)	井
	Kaohsiung (Hongmaogang, Siaogang)	井
	Kaohsiung (Dalinpu, Siaogang)	井
	Kaohsiung (Tianliao)	井
	Tainan (Anping)	井
	Kinmen	井
	Penghu (Magong)	井
	Penghu (Xiyu)	井
	Penang (Hokkien)	井
	Singapore (Hokkien)	井
	Zhangping (Yongfu)	鼓井
	Chaozhou	井
	Bangkok (Teochew)	水井
	Johor Bahru (Teochew)	水井
	Leizhou	井
	Haikou	水井
Zhongshan Min	Zhongshan (Longdu, Shaxi)	井
Southern Pinghua	Nanning (Tingzi)	井, 打井
Wu	Shanghai (Chongming)	井
	Suzhou	井
	Danyang	井
	Hangzhou	水井
	Ningbo	水井, 井
	Wenzhou	水井, 井
	Jinhua	井
Xiang	Changsha	水井, 吊井
Xiang	Shuangfeng	井

Compounds

Etymology 2

For pronunciation and definitions of 井 – see 阱 (“pitfall, trap”). (This character is the second-round simplified form of 阱).
Notes: Simplified Chinese is mainly used in Mainland China, Malaysia, and Singapore. Traditional Chinese is mainly used in Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan.

Japanese

A well (井, 丼)

Kanji

井

(Fourth grade kyōiku kanji)

well

Readings

Go-on: しょう (shō, Jōyō ^†)^{←しやう (syau, historical)}
Kan-on: せい (sei, Jōyō)
Kun: い (i, 井, Jōyō)^{←ゐ (wi, 井, historical)}、いど (ido, 井)^{←ゐど (wido, 井, historical)}

Compounds

Etymology 1

Kanji in this term
井
い Grade: 4
kun'yomi

wi > i.

Pronunciation

(Tokyo) い [íꜜ] (Atamadaka – [1])^[1]^[2]
IPA^(key): [i]

Noun

井(い) • (i) ^{←ゐ (wi)^?}

well (water source)

Derived terms

井(い)の中(なか)の蛙(かわず)大海(たいかい)を知(し)らず (i no naka no kawazu taikai o shirazu): metaphor of a narrow world view based on limited experience (literally, "a frog in a well does not know the great ocean")

Proper noun

井(い) • (I)

a surname

Etymology 2

Kanji in this term
井
せい Grade: 4
on'yomi

From Middle Chinese 井 (tsjeng^X).

Pronunciation

(Tokyo) せー [séꜜè] (Atamadaka – [1])^[1]
IPA^(key): [se̞ː]

Noun

井(せい) • (sei)

well, well curb

Proper noun

井(せい) • (Sei)

Well (Chinese constellation)
Hypernyms: 二十八宿, 朱雀

References

↑ ^1.0 ^1.1 Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 (in Japanese), Third edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN
^ NHK Broadcasting Culture Research Institute, editor (1998), NHK日本語発音アクセント辞典 (in Japanese), Tokyo: NHK Publishing, Inc., →ISBN

Korean

Etymology

From Middle Chinese 井 (MC tsjengX). Recorded as Middle Korean 져ᇰ〯 (cyěng) (Yale: cyeng) in Hunmong Jahoe (訓蒙字會 / 훈몽자회), 1527.

Hanja

Korean Wikisource has texts containing the hanja:

井

Wikisource

井 (eumhun 우물 정 (umul jeong))

hanja form^? of 정 (“well (a hole sunk into the ground)”)

Compounds

유정 (油井, yujeong)
정수 (井水, jeongsu)

References

국제퇴계학회 대구경북지부 (國際退溪學會大邱慶北支部) (2007). Digital Hanja Dictionary, 전자사전／電子字典. [1]

Vietnamese

Han character

井: Hán Nôm readings: tỉnh

This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.

[DJR-1] 1.0 ^1.1 Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 (in Japanese), Third edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN

[NHK-2] NHK Broadcasting Culture Research Institute, editor (1998), NHK日本語発音アクセント辞典 (in Japanese), Tokyo: NHK Publishing, Inc., →ISBN

[1]

[2]