都dū
Character evolution
都
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简体
Simplified Chinese
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Shuowen
都 combines the city radical (阝) with the phonetic component 者, originally depicting a capital or large city as seen in oracle bone inscriptions where it signified a major walled settlement. The structure reflects a city with a central hall or gathering place, giving it the meaning of a great metropolis. Over time, the term broadened to mean “all” because a capital city represents the whole realm.
Pinyin
dū· HSK 1