[[Characters]] #Characters \ #Natural-World \ #Elements # 金 jīn metals ## Components [[人 (rén)]] [[人 rén]] [[王 wáng]] [[王 (wáng，yù)]] [[丷 (bǎ)]] ## Meaning Today, the character "金" primarily signifies "gold." It is also used in compounds related to wealth, finance, and metal, extending beyond its original association with the precious metal to include broader concepts such as money and metallicity. ## History Originally, the character "金" referred to bronze and brass, metals that were not necessarily gold. Later, it came to represent gold specifically, but not all shining substances are necessarily gold. "金" is a compound ideogram. Originally, it depicted the metals bronze and brass, used collectively to represent metals. Over time, it became primarily associated with gold. Chinese characters containing the "金" radical typically relate to metal. In the ancient script, "金" consisted of an arrow shape on top, a form resembling an axe below, and two dots on the left representing refined metal. Together, this conveyed the idea that metal could be used to craft arrows and axes. In the seal script, "金" evolved into a phono-semantic character, with the phonetic component indicating its pronunciation and the radical conveying its meaning. Additionally, "金" has connotations of strength and solidity, as seen in the phrase "固者金汤" (solid as a golden soup). ## Evolution ### Oracular Script ![[金 ora.svg]] ### Bronze Script ![[金 bronce.svg]] ### Seal Script ![[金 sello.svg]] ### Clerical Script ![[金 cle.svg]] ### Regular Script ![[金 reg.svg]]