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聊liáo

Character evolution

聊

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Simplified · Today

Shuowen

聊 is formed with the ear radical 耳 on the left and the phonetic element 卯 on the right; the ear represents the act of listening, while 卯 supplies the sound. In the oracle‑bone script the character depicted a person with an ear, suggesting the listening that precedes intimate speech, and the earliest inscriptions already convey the idea of talking or chatting. The structure thus reflects the original meaning “to speak intimately, to chat”, later extended to mean “to rely on”.

Pinyin

liáo· HSK 2