存cún

存

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Simplified · Today

简体

Simplified Chinese

Modern simplified form (簡體). 存 (cún, "to exist, to preserve") keeps the same shape in both simplified and traditional scripts — a child radical (子) resting atop the old element that also appears in 在, suggesting a child safely stored or kept. The character carries the sense of survival and continuity, as if the child has been preserved for the future.

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Shuowen

存. The character combines 子 (child) above with 𠂇 (a component suggesting a hand or protective place) below, depicting a child being held or cared for. In oracle bone script, it represents the act of nurturing a child, giving the original meaning of "to preserve, to keep alive," which later extended to "to exist" or "to survive," reflecting the ancient emphasis on offspring and continuity.

Pinyin

cún· HSK 2

存cún

Character evolution

Shuowen

Pinyin