[[Characters]] #Characters \ #Society-and-Culture \ #Interpersonal-Relationships # 宾 bīn guest; visitor ## Components [[宀 (mián)]] [[宀 (mián)]] [[兵 bīng]] ## Meaning Today, the character "宾" (bīn) means "guest" or "visitor." ## History Guests arriving with gifts should be warmly welcomed and treated well. In terms of its structure, the oracle bone script for "宾" depicts a person walking from the outside into a house. Later, the character was modified to include the radical "贝" or "鼎", indicating that the person is bringing a gift, thus signifying a guest bringing gifts. The original meaning of this character is a noble and respected guest. When "宾" is used as a verb, it is a variant of "候" and means to receive guests with the proper etiquette. Nowadays, "宾" is also used to refer to guests, but unlike in ancient times, it doesn't carry the same connotations of social status. ## Evolution ### Oracular Script ![[宾 bīn - ora.svg]] ### Bronze Script ![[宾 bīn - bronce.svg]] ### Seal Script ![[宾 bīn - sello.svg]] ### Clerical Script ![[宾 bīn - cle.svg]] ### Regular Script ![[宾 bīn - reg.svg]]