候hòu

候

Hover to feel · click to explore

Simplified · Today

简体

Simplified Chinese

Simplified form (簡體). 候 (hòu, "to wait, to attend to") remains unchanged from traditional, combining the person radical 亻 with 矣 as its phonetic component. The character originally depicted a person awaiting or serving, possibly with the arrow element (矢) in 矣 suggesting the act of looking forward or observing. It forms common words like 时候 (time), 等待 (to wait), and 问候 (to greet).

← → navigate · swipe on mobile

Shuowen

候 is formed from the human radical 亻 and the phonetic element 侯; in oracle‑bone inscriptions the left side depicts a person standing beside a vertical post with a small flag, representing the act of watching or waiting. The original meaning is “to wait, to look after,” derived from the image of a person keeping guard over a place or person, while the phonetic 侯 supplies the sound. This structure reflects the ancient idea of a subordinate awaiting the arrival or command of a noble, giving the character its sense of awaiting or observing.

Pinyin

hòu· HSK 1

候hòu

Character evolution

Shuowen

Pinyin