冬dōng

冬

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Simplified · Today

简体

Simplified Chinese

Simplified form (簡體). 冬 (dōng, "winter") appears identical in both simplified and traditional scripts — the ancient pictograph originally depicted a thread with a knot at the end, symbolizing the conclusion of the agricultural year and the arrival of the cold season. It serves as a component in 寒 (cold), 终 (to end), and 终 (end), carrying its meaning of finality across these related characters.

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Shuowen

Winter. The character depicts a thread with a frozen droplet hanging at its end, representing the idea of something reaching its terminus. In ancient times this signified the conclusion of the year—the season when all growth ceases and the cycle completes. The oracle bone form shows a hanging drop on a vertical strand, capturing that final moment before stillness, which is why winter, the year's end, took this name.

Pinyin

dōng· HSK 1

冬dōng

Character evolution

Shuowen

Pinyin