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读dú

Character evolution

读

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Simplified · Today

Shuowen

Reading. The character combines 言 (speech) as the semantic radical with 卖 (to sell/peddle) as the phonetic element; together they depict the act of uttering or reciting words from a written text, hence "to read." The original meaning in ancient script was specifically to read aloud or recite, the voice giving sound to the silent symbols.

Pinyin

dú· HSK 2