今jīn

今

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Simplified · Today

简体

Simplified Chinese

Modern simplified form (簡體). 今 (jīn, "today, now") remains unchanged from its traditional counterpart, though its ancient pictographic roots tell a different story—the top half once depicted a person bending forward, the bottom a covered mouth, together suggesting something held or concealed. This imagery shifted over millennia to become the word for the present moment, the time we now occupy. As a component, it appears in 念 (to think), 贪 (greedy), and 琴 (zither).

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Shuowen

今. The oracle bone 今 displays a horizontal cap or roof‑like element pressing down on a curved line beneath, suggesting a person wearing a cap or a roof over a doorway. This pictograph was used to represent the present moment, the time when one is under a roof, i.e., “now”. The shape was chosen because the roof (or cap) over the mouth (the curved line) evokes the idea of current presence, the moment of speech or occupancy.

Pinyin

jīn· HSK 1

今jīn

Character evolution

Shuowen

Pinyin