电diàn
Character evolution
电
Hover to feel · click to explore
Simplified · Today
繁体
Traditional Chinese
← → navigate · swipe on mobile
Shuowen
电. The oracle bone form shows a jagged line representing a lightning flash, often combined with the "rain" radical to indicate a storm. The character originally meant "lightning", and the shape is a pictogram of a sudden electric discharge. The simplified form keeps the zigzag, while the traditional 電 adds the rain component to emphasize its meteorological nature.
Pinyin
diàn· HSK 1