[[Characters]] #Characters \ #Anatomy-and-Living \ #Body-Movements # 梦 mèng dream ## Components [[林 lín]] [[夕 (xī)]] ## Meaning Today, the character **梦 (mèng)** primarily means "dream." It refers to the visions, thoughts, or experiences that occur during sleep, as well as to aspirations or wishes in a figurative sense, such as in **梦想** (mèngxiǎng), meaning "dream" or "ambition." The character is widely used in both literal and metaphorical contexts. ## History The character **梦 (mèng)** is an associative-compound character. In oracle bone script, it depicted a person sleeping by a bed, with an emphasis on the eyes, suggesting that in a dream, one seems to see things. In later seal and clerical script, the component **夕** was added to indicate night, reflecting the idea of dreaming during sleep. The character **瞢 (méng)**, which shares the same sound, conveys the meaning of unclear or dim vision, representing the vague nature of things seen in dreams. In simplified form, **梦** includes **夕** and **林**, symbolizing the moon rising above the forest, as people enter the world of dreams. Its original meaning is "to dream." ## Evolution ### Oracular Script ![[梦mèng - Ora.svg]] ### Bronze Script ？ ### Seal Script ![[梦mèng - Sello.svg]] ### Clerical Script ![[梦mèng - Cle.svg]] ### Regular Script ![[梦mèng - Reg.svg]]