[[Characters]]
#Characters \ #Anatomy-and-Living \ #Body-Movements
# 卧 wò
to lie down
## Components
[[臣 chén]]
[[臣 (chén)]]
[[卜 bǔ]]
[[卜 (bǔ)]]
## Meaning
Nowadays, the character 卧 (wò) primarily means "to lie down" or "to recline." It is commonly used in various contexts related to lying down or resting. Here are a few examples of its usage:
1. **卧室 (wòshì)** - bedroom (literally "lying room")
2. **卧床 (wòchuáng)** - to lie in bed, bedridden
3. **卧铺 (wòpù)** - sleeper berth (in trains or buses)
The modern meaning retains the original concept of resting or reclining but is more specifically associated with lying down.
## History
The character 卧 (wò) is an ideogrammic compound depicting the act of leaning forward to rest. In Seal Script, 臣 (an eye in a vertical position) and 人 (a person) are combined to show a person resting with vertical eyes. In Clerical and Regular Scripts, it combines 臣 (an eye) and 卜 (cracks in a turtle shell) to represent a person resting with eyes forming a slit. The core meaning is to lean forward and rest.
## Evolution
### Oracular Script
?
### Bronze Script
?
### Seal Script
![[卧 sello.svg]]
### Clerical Script
![[卧 cle.svg]]
### Regular Script
![[卧 reg.svg]]