[[Characters]] #Characters \ #Anatomy-and-Living \ #Human-Body # 血 xuè blood ## Components [[皿 (mǐn)]] [[丶 (zhǔ)]] ## Meaning Today, the character 血 (xuè) primarily means "blood" in modern Chinese. It refers specifically to the bodily fluid that circulates in humans and animals. Additionally, 血 is also used metaphorically or in compound words related to blood, such as 血液 (xuè yè, blood), 血压 (xuè yā, blood pressure), or 血统 (xuè tǒng, bloodline). ## History The character 血 (xuè) evolved from its early pictographic form in Oracle Bone Script, which depicted a vessel containing blood. Over time, through Bronze Inscriptions and Seal Script, it underwent stylization while retaining the essence of blood within a container. In Clerical Script, used for formal writing, 血 became more standardized, emphasizing strokes that symbolized blood. The Regular Script further refined 血 into its modern appearance, simplifying its strokes while preserving its fundamental meaning of blood, which remains its primary significance in contemporary Chinese. ## Evolution ### Oracular Script ![[血 ora.svg]] ### Bronze Script ![[血 bronce.svg]] ### Seal Script ![[血 sello.svg]] ### Clerical Script ![[血 cle.svg]] ### Regular Script ![[血 reg.svg]]