[[Characters]] #Characters \ #Abstract-Concepts \ #Time-and-Space # 今 jīn now; present ## Components [[人 (rén)]] ## Meaning 今 (jīn) in modern Chinese primarily means "now" or "today," indicating the current time or present moment. ## History The character 今 (jīn) is a compound ideogram. In Oracle Bone Script, it was the original form of the character 吟 (yín), which means to close one's mouth and remain silent. Therefore, the original meaning of 今 was to keep one's mouth shut. Over time, 今 gradually extended its meaning to "today," "now," and "current," while its original meaning faded away. As an adverb, 今 also carries the meaning of "immediately" or "right away." For instance, "今昔" refers to "now and then" or "the past and present." ## Evolution ### Oracular Script ![[今 ora.svg]] ### Bronze Script ![[今 bronce.svg]] ### Seal Script ![[今 seal.svg]] ### Clerical Script ![[今 cle.svg]] ### Regular Script ![[今 reg.svg]]