你nǐ好hǎo
hello
→
nǚ女woman
+
→
zǐ子child
=
→
hǎo好good
Oracle bone~3,000 years ago
→
Bronzeon ritual vessels
→
Seal scriptQin dynasty
→
好
Todayregular script
你nǐ好hǎo
hello
a person standing, facing you
→
dà大big
Oracle bone~3,000 years ago
→
Bronzeon ritual vessels
→
Seal scriptQin dynasty
→
大
Todayregular script
大dà家jiā
everybody
a sprout coming out of the ground
→
shēng生grow; be born
Oracle bone~3,000 years ago
→
Bronzeon ritual vessels
→
Seal scriptQin dynasty
→
生
Todayregular script
学xué生sheng
student
a person with a big eye
→
jiàn见see
Oracle bone~3,000 years ago
→
Bronzeon ritual vessels
→
Seal scriptQin dynasty
→
见
Todaysimplified 1956
再zài见jiàn
goodbye
nǐ你you
+
→
xīn心heart
=
nín您you (polite)
您nín is for elders and people you respect.
老lǎo师shī，您nín好hǎo
Hello, teacher!
亻
person
讠
speech
心
heart
巾
cloth
子
child
冂
same frame