[[Characters]] #Characters \ #Society-and-Culture \ #Literature-and-Education # 习 xī practice ## Components [[冫 (bīng)]] [[横折钩 ((héng zhé gōu))]] ## Meaning The Chinese radical 习 (xí) is derived from the character 习 (xí), which means "to practice" or "to study." The radical 习 (xí) is commonly seen in characters related to learning, studying, and practicing. It is an integral part of characters such as 学 (xué - to learn) and 习 (xí - to practice). Additionally, this radical can indicate actions or behaviors that are habitual or customary. It is frequently used in Chinese characters to convey the idea of repeatedly doing something, as in the character 习惯 (xíguàn - habit). ## History The evolution of the Chinese character radical 习 (xí) can be traced back to its earliest forms, which depicted a person walking, carrying a bundle on their back. This original form conveyed the idea of habitual movement or behavior. Over time, the character evolved, and its meaning transitioned to represent the concept of "practice" or "to study." The character was often used to denote repeated actions or behaviors, particularly those related to learning and practicing. In ancient Chinese scripts, such as Oracle Bone Script (甲骨文, jiǎgǔwén) and Bronze Script (金文, jīnwén), the radical 习 (xí) appeared as a more pictographic representation of a person carrying a bundle on their back, symbolizing the notion of habitual movement or behavior. As Chinese script evolved, the radical 习 (xí) underwent simplification, resulting in its modern form consisting of two strokes. Despite changes in form, its meaning has remained associated with learning, studying, and habitual actions. ## Evolution ### Oracular Script ![[习 ora.svg]] ### Bronze Script ![[习 bronce.svg]] ### Seal Script ![[习 sello.svg]] ### Clerical Script ![[习 xī - cle.svg]] ### Regular Script ![[习 reg.svg]]