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音yīn

Character evolution

音

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Simplified · Today

Shuowen

Sound. The oracle bone form depicts a tongue protruding from a mouth with wavy marks above indicating vibration or resonance, capturing the moment of vocalization. Later scribes simplified this to the current form of 立 (stand) above 日 (sun), though the underlying idea of sound emerging from within remains. This character came to mean tone, pitch, or musical sound, distinguishing the acoustic quality of a voice from mere speech itself.

Pinyin

yīn· HSK 2