些xiē

些

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简体

Simplified Chinese

Modern simplified form (簡體). 些 (xiē, "some, a few") appears identical in simplified and traditional — a rare case where the script needed no reform. Composed of the radical 止 (stop) atop 匕, its ancient form may have depicted a person or represented teeth, though scholars debate the precise origin; what survives is a compact character that has meant "some" since classical Chinese and now appears in everyday phrases like 這些 (these) and 那些 (those).

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Shuowen

些, composed of 止 (a footprint) above and 少 (few) below, originally depicted a small footprint, symbolizing a small quantity. In oracle bone inscriptions, this character represented “a little, some,” and later served as a particle or measure word in classical Chinese for small amounts. The combination of 止 and 少 reflects the ancient idea of a small step or fewness, conveying the meaning “some.”

Pinyin

xiē· HSK 1

些xiē

Character evolution

Shuowen

Pinyin