井

See also: 丼, 并, 开, 幷, and Appendix:Variations of the number sign

井	U+4E95, 井 CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-4E95

← 五
[U+4E94]

CJK Unified Ideographs

亖 →
[U+4E96]

Translingual

Han character

井 (Kangxi radical 7, 二+2, 4 strokes, cangjie input 廿廿 (TT), four-corner 5500₀, composition ⿻一廾)

Derived characters

㘫, 妌, 𪪁, 汫, 阱, 𪰉, 肼, 㐩, 𭾠, 畊, 𮈃, 𬙍, 耕, 䎴, 𬟷, 𮗻, 𬪦, 㓝, 刱, 𫡳, 𫎁, 宑, 𬜣, 𬼾, 𭾞, 穽, 𬆓, 䨍, 坓, 汬, 丼, 𬑽, 囲
进, 讲 (Simplified from 進 and 講)

Descendants

ヰ (Katakana character derived from Man'yōgana)

References

KangXi: page 86, character 14
Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 258
Dae Jaweon: page 183, character 1
Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 1, page 10, character 4
Unihan data for U+4E95

Chinese

simp. and trad.		井
alternative forms		丼

Glyph origin

Historical forms of the character 井

Shang

Western Zhou

Warring States

Shuowen Jiezi (compiled in Han)

Liushutong (compiled in Ming)

Oracle bone script

Bronze inscriptions

Chu slip and silk script

Small seal script

Transcribed ancient scripts

**Oracle bone script**
j12550	j12551	j12552	j12553	j12554	j12555	j12556	j12557
j12558	j12559	j12560	j12561	j12562	j12563	j12564	j12565
j12566	j12567	j12568	j12569	j12570	j12571	j12572	j12573
j12574	j12575

**Bronze inscriptions**
b07748	b07749	b07750	b07751	b07752	b07753	b07754	b07755
b07757	b07758	b07759	b07760	b07761	b07762	b07763	b07764
b07765	b07766	b07767	b07768	b07769	b07770	b07771	b07772
b07773	b07774	b07775	b07776	b07777	b07778	b07779	b07780

**Small seal script**
s03663

**Transcribed ancient scripts**
L17889	L17890	L17891	L17892

References:

Mostly from Richard Sears' Chinese Etymology site (authorisation),
which in turn draws data from various collections of ancient forms of Chinese characters, including:

Shuowen Jiezi (small seal),
Jinwen Bian (bronze inscriptions),
Liushutong (Liushutong characters) and
Yinxu Jiaguwen Bian (oracle bone script).

Characters in the same phonetic series (井) (Zhengzhang, 2003)

	Old Chinese
硎	kʰreːŋ, ɡeːŋ
耕	*kreːŋ
荊	*keŋ
井	*skeŋʔ
丼	kl'oːmʔ, skeŋʔ
妌	*sɡeŋʔ
穽	sɡeŋʔ, sɡeŋs
阱	sɡeŋʔ, sɡeŋs
汫	*sɡeːŋʔ
刑	*ɡeːŋ
形	*ɡeːŋ
邢	*ɡeːŋ
鉶	*ɡeːŋ
型	*ɡeːŋ
侀	*ɡeːŋ

井 – an old well in a historic area in Shenzhen. Notice the square shape.

Pictogram (象形) – a square well, with supports on four sides.

Some forms have a stone inside the well, as in 丼.

Pronunciation

Mandarin
(Standard)
(Pinyin): jǐng (jing³)
(Zhuyin): ㄐㄧㄥˇ
(Dungan, Cyrillic and Wiktionary): җин (žin, II)
Cantonese (Jyutping): zeng², zing²
Gan (Wiktionary): jiang³ / jin³
Hakka
(Sixian, PFS): chiáng
(Meixian, Guangdong): jiang³
Jin (Wiktionary): jing²
Min Bei (KCR): cǎng
Min Dong (BUC): ciāng
Min Nan
(Hokkien, POJ): chíⁿ / chéⁿ / chéng
(Teochew, Peng'im): zên²
Wu (Wiktionary): jin (T2)
Xiang (Wiktionary): zin³

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: jǐng
  - Zhuyin: ㄐㄧㄥˇ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: jǐng
  - Wade–Giles: ching³
  - Yale: jǐng
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: jiing
  - Palladius: цзин (czin)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡ɕiŋ²¹⁴/
- (Dungan)
  - Cyrillic and Wiktionary: җин (žin, II)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡ɕiŋ⁵¹/
  (Note: Dungan pronunciation is currently experimental and may be inaccurate.)
Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou)⁺
  - Jyutping: zeng², zing²
  - Yale: jéng, jíng
  - Cantonese Pinyin: dzeng², dzing²
  - Guangdong Romanization: zéng², jing²
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sɛːŋ³⁵/, /t͡sɪŋ³⁵/

Note:

zeng2 - vernacular;
zing2 - literary.

Gan
- (Nanchang)
  - Wiktionary: jiang³ / jin³
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡ɕiaŋ²¹³/, /t͡ɕin²¹³/
Hakka
- (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Meinong)
  - Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: chiáng
  - Hakka Romanization System: jiang`
  - Hagfa Pinyim: jiang³
  - Sinological IPA: /t͡ɕi̯aŋ³¹/
- (Meixian)
  - Guangdong: jiang³
  - Sinological IPA: /t͡ɕiaŋ³¹/
Jin
- (Taiyuan)⁺
  - Wiktionary: jing²
  - Sinological IPA (old-style): /t͡ɕĩŋ⁵³/
Min Bei
- (Jian'ou)
  - Kienning Colloquial Romanized: cǎng
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡saŋ²¹/
Min Dong
- (Fuzhou)
  - Bàng-uâ-cê: ciāng
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡siaŋ³³/
Min Nan
- (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Taipei, Hsinchu, Lukang, Sanxia, Kinmen, Magong)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: chíⁿ
  - Tâi-lô: tsínn
  - Phofsit Daibuun: cvie
  - IPA (Xiamen, Taipei, Kinmen): /t͡ɕĩ⁵³/
  - IPA (Lukang): /t͡ɕĩ⁵⁵/
  - IPA (Quanzhou): /t͡ɕĩ⁵⁵⁴/
- (Hokkien: Zhangzhou, Kaohsiung, Tainan, Taichung, Yilan)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: chéⁿ
  - Tâi-lô: tsénn
  - Phofsit Daibuun: zvea
  - IPA (Zhangzhou): /t͡sɛ̃⁵³/
  - IPA (Kaohsiung): /t͡sẽ⁴¹/
  - IPA (Tainan, Yilan): /t͡sẽ⁵³/
- (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, General Taiwanese)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: chéng
  - Tâi-lô: tsíng
  - Phofsit Daibuun: zeang
  - IPA (Quanzhou): /t͡ɕiɪŋ⁵⁵⁴/
  - IPA (Kaohsiung): /t͡ɕiɪŋ⁴¹/
  - IPA (Xiamen, Zhangzhou, Taipei): /t͡ɕiɪŋ⁵³/

Note:

chíⁿ/chéⁿ - vernacular;
chéng - literary.

- (Teochew)
  - Peng'im: zên²
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: tséⁿ
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sẽ⁵²/
Wu
- (Shanghainese)
  - Wiktionary: jin (T2)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡ɕɪɲ³⁴/
Xiang
- (Changsha)
  - Wiktionary: zin³
  - Sinological IPA ^(key) (old-style): /t͡sin⁴¹/
  - Sinological IPA ^(key) (new-style): /t͡ɕin⁴¹/

Middle Chinese: /t͡siᴇŋ^X/

Rime
Character	井
Reading #	1/1
Initial (聲)	精 (13)
Final (韻)	清 (121)
Tone (調)	Rising (X)
Openness (開合)	Open
Division (等)	III
Fanqie	子郢切
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/t͡siᴇŋ^X/
Pan Wuyun	/t͡siɛŋ^X/
Shao Rongfen	/t͡siæŋ^X/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/t͡siajŋ^X/
Li Rong	/t͡siɛŋ^X/
Wang Li	/t͡sĭɛŋ^X/
Bernard Karlgren	/t͡si̯ɛŋ^X/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	jǐng
Expected Cantonese Reflex	zing²

Old Chinese
(Baxter–Sagart): /*C.tseŋʔ/
(Zhengzhang): /*skeŋʔ/

Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character	井
Reading #	1/1
Modern Beijing (Pinyin)	jǐng
Middle Chinese	‹ tsjeng^X ›
Old Chinese	/*C.tseŋʔ/
English	well (n.)
Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system: * Parentheses "()" indicate uncertain presence; * Square brackets "[]" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. [t] as coda may in fact be -t or -p; Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix; * Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary; * Period "." indicates syllable boundary.

Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character	井
Reading #	1/1
No.	6852
Phonetic component	井
Rime group	耕
Rime subdivision	0
Corresponding MC rime	井
Old Chinese	/*skeŋʔ/
Notes	丼注今體甲金文爲型初文

Definitions

井

well (a hole sunk into the ground) (Classifier: 口; 眼)
well-shaped object; mineshaft, pit
hometown
neat; tidy
井井有條／井井有条 ― jǐngjǐngyǒutiáo ― neat and tidy
48th hexagram of the I Ching
a surname

Synonyms

Dialectal synonyms of 水井 (“well (for collecting water)”) [map]

Variety	Location	Words edit
Classical Chinese		井
Formal (Written Standard Chinese)		水井, 井
Mandarin	Beijing	水井, 井
	Harbin	水井
	Yantai (Muping)	水井, 井
	Jinan	水井, 井
	Luoyang	井
	Wanrong	井
	Xi'an	井
	Yinchuan	井
	Xining	水井
	Ürümqi	井
	Wuhan	井
	Chengdu	井
	Guiyang	水井, 井
	Liuzhou	水井, 井
	Xuzhou	水井, 井
	Yangzhou	井
	Nanjing	井
	Hefei	井
	Singapore	水井, 井
Cantonese	Guangzhou	井
	Hong Kong	井
	Hong Kong (San Tin Weitou)	井
	Hong Kong (Kam Tin Weitou)	井
	Hong Kong (Ting Kok)	井
	Hong Kong (Tung Ping Chau)	水井
	Macau	井
	Guangzhou (Panyu)	井
	Guangzhou (Huashan, Huadu)	井
	Guangzhou (Conghua)	井
	Guangzhou (Zengcheng)	井
	Foshan	井
	Foshan (Shatou, Nanhai)	井
	Foshan (Shunde)	井
	Foshan (Sanshui)	井
	Foshan (Mingcheng, Gaoming)	水井
	Zhongshan (Shiqi)	井
	Zhuhai (Qianshan)	井
	Zhuhai (Doumen, Shangheng Tanka)	井
	Zhuhai (Doumen)	井
	Jiangmen (Baisha)	井
	Jiangmen (Xinhui)	井
	Taishan	水井
	Kaiping (Chikan)	井
	Enping (Niujiang)	井
	Heshan (Yayao)	水井
	Dongguan	井
	Shenzhen (Shajing, Bao'an)	井
	Kuala Lumpur (Guangfu)	水井, 井
Gan	Nanchang	井
Gan	Lichuan	井
Hakka	Meixian	井
	Huizhou (Huicheng Bendihua)	井
	Dongguan (Qingxi)	井
	Shenzhen (Shatoujiao)	井
	Zhongshan (Nanlang Heshui)	井
	Conghua (Lütian)	井
	Yudu	井
	Hong Kong	井
	Senai (Huiyang)	井
Huizhou	Jixi	井
Jin	Taiyuan	井, 井兒
Jin	Xinzhou	水井, 井
Min Bei	Jian'ou	水井
Min Dong	Fuzhou	水井, 井
Min Nan	Xiamen	鼓井, 井, 水井
	Quanzhou	鼓井, 水井
	Jinjiang	鼓井
	Zhangzhou	鼓井, 水井
	Taipei	井
	New Taipei (Tamsui)	井, 鼓井
	New Taipei (Sanxia)	井
	New Taipei (Pingxi)	井
	Kaohsiung	井
	Kaohsiung (Cijin)	井
	Kaohsiung (Hongmaogang, Siaogang)	井
	Kaohsiung (Dalinpu, Siaogang)	井
	Kaohsiung (Tianliao)	井
	Tainan (Anping)	井
	Kinmen	井
	Penghu (Magong)	井
	Penghu (Xiyu)	井
	Penang (Hokkien)	井
	Singapore (Hokkien)	井
	Zhangping (Yongfu)	鼓井
	Chaozhou	井
	Bangkok (Teochew)	水井
	Johor Bahru (Teochew)	水井
	Leizhou	井
	Haikou	水井
Zhongshan Min	Shaxi (Longdu)	井
Southern Pinghua	Nanning (Tingzi)	井, 打井
Wu	Shanghai (Chongming)	井
	Suzhou	井
	Danyang	井
	Hangzhou	水井
	Ningbo	水井, 井
	Wenzhou	水井, 井
	Jinhua	井
Xiang	Changsha	水井, 吊井
Xiang	Shuangfeng	井

Compounds

Derived terms from 井

三眼井 (Sānyǎnjǐng)
下井投石
丘井
丹砂井
井中求火
井井有理
井地
井字棋 (jǐngzìqí)
井宿 (Jǐngxiù)
井底之蛙 (jǐngdǐzhīwā)
井架
井水 (jǐngshuǐ)
井渫不食
井然 (jǐngrán)
井然有序 (jǐngrányǒuxù)
井田 (jǐngtián)
井田制度 (jǐngtián zhìdù)
井穴
井臼
井蛙
前井 (Qiánjǐng)
午井 (Wǔjǐng)
古井 (gǔjǐng)
古井不波
古井重波
坎井之蛙
天井 (tiānjǐng)
奔井投河
市井 (shìjǐng)
市井之人
市井之徒 (shìjǐngzhītú)
市井之臣
市井小人
市井小民
心如古井
投井下石 (tóujǐngxiàshí)
投河逩井
投石下井
挑雪填井
掘井 (juéjǐng)
操井臼
旱井
枯井
橘井

水井 (shuǐjǐng)
汲井
油井 (yóujǐng)
洋井
淘井 (táojǐng)
淘古井
渴而穿井
煤井
玉井 (Yùjǐng)
甘井先竭 (gānjǐngxiānjié)
眢井
石井 (Shíjǐng)
秩序井然
窨井 (yìnjǐng)
管井
耿恭拜井
胭脂井
自操井臼
自流井 (zìliújǐng)
落井下石 (luòjǐngxiàshí)
藻井 (zǎojǐng)
虎井 (Hǔjǐng)
踢天弄井
避井落坑
避坑落井 (bìkēngluòjǐng)
金井
阿井
露井
乾井／干井 (gānjǐng)
井中視星／井中视星
井井有條／井井有条 (jǐngjǐngyǒutiáo)
井口邊草／井口边草
井字遊戲／井字游戏 (jǐngzì yóuxì)
井字過三關／井字过三关 (jǐngzìguòsānguān)
井幹／井干
井底銀瓶／井底银瓶
井柱狀圖／井柱状图
井榦／井干
井稅／井税
井窩子／井窝子
井繩／井绳
井臺／井台 (jǐngtái)
井蛙之見／井蛙之见
井蛙語海／井蛙语海

井蛙醯雞／井蛙醯鸡
井逕／井迳
井闌／井阑
井陘縣／井陉县
井養／井养
井鮒／井鲋
井鹽／井盐
古井無波／古井无波
坎兒井／坎儿井 (kǎnrjǐng)
坐井觀天／坐井观天 (zuòjǐngguāntiān)
學如穿井／学如穿井
層次井然／层次井然
市井無賴／市井无赖 (shìjǐngwúlài)
從井救人／从井救人
捫參歷井／扪参历井
擔雪塞井／担雪塞井
擔雪填井／担雪填井
斷井頹垣／断井颓垣
景陽宮井／景阳宫井
條理井然／条理井然
棄井／弃井
氣井／气井
涼水井／凉水井 (Liángshuǐjǐng)
淺井／浅井 (qiǎnjǐng)
灣井／湾井 (Wānjǐng)
礦井／矿井 (kuàngjǐng)
稱鎚落井／称锤落井
紡績井臼／纺绩井臼
綺井／绮井
背井離鄉／背井离乡 (bèijǐnglíxiāng)
臨噎掘井／临噎掘井
臨渴掘井／临渴掘井 (línkějuéjǐng)
臨渴穿井／临渴穿井
親操井臼／亲操井臼
鄉井／乡井
鑿井／凿井 (záojǐng)
開渠穿井／开渠穿井
開發井／开发井
離鄉背井／离乡背井 (líxiāngbèijǐng)
離鄉避井／离乡避井
鹽井／盐井
龍井／龙井 (Lóngjǐng)
龍井茶／龙井茶

Etymology 2

For pronunciation and definitions of 井 – see 阱 (“pitfall, trap”). (This character, 井, is the second-round simplified form of 阱.)
Notes: Simplified Chinese is mainly used in Mainland China, Malaysia and Singapore. Traditional Chinese is mainly used in Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan.

Japanese

A well (井, 丼)

Kanji

井

(common “Jōyō” kanji)

well

Readings

Go-on: しょう (shō, Jōyō ^†)^{←しやう (syau, historical)}
Kan-on: せい (sei, Jōyō)
Kun: い (i, 井, Jōyō)^{←ゐ (wi, historical)}; いど (ido, 井)^{←ゐど (wido, historical)}

Compounds

井(い)桁(けだ) (ikeda): well curb
井(い)堰(せき) (iseki)
井(い)戸(ど) (ido): well
井(い)筒(づつ) (izutsu)
井(い)綱(づな) (izuna)
井(い)守(もり) (imori): salamander, newt
甘(かん)井(せい) (kansei): sweet well
井(せい)蛙(あ) (seia): frog in a well
井(せい)水(すい) (seisui): well water
井(せい)泉(せん) (seisen): well, well water
井(せい)底(てい) (seitei): bottom of a well
井(せい)目(もく) (seimoku)
油(ゆ)井(せい) (yusei): oil well

Etymology 1

Kanji in this term
井
い Grade: 4
kun’yomi

wi > i.

Pronunciation

Kun’yomi

(Tokyo) い [íꜜ] (Atamadaka – [1])[1][2]
IPA^(key): [i]

Noun

井(い) • (i) ^{←ゐ (wi)^?}

well (water source)

Derived terms

井(い)の中(なか)の蛙(かわず)大海(たいかい)を知(し)らず (i no naka no kawazu taikai o shirazu): metaphor of a narrow world view based on limited experience (literally, "a frog in a well does not know the great ocean")

Proper noun

井(い) • (I)

a surname

Etymology 2

Kanji in this term
井
せい Grade: 4
on’yomi

From Middle Chinese 井 (tsjeng^X).

Pronunciation

On’yomi: Kan’on

(Tokyo) せー [séꜜè] (Atamadaka – [1])[1]
IPA^(key): [se̞ː]

Noun

井(せい) • (sei)

well, well curb
Well (Chinese constellation)

References

2006, 大辞林 (Daijirin), Third Edition (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Sanseidō, →ISBN
1998, NHK日本語発音アクセント辞典 (NHK Japanese Pronunciation Accent Dictionary) (in Japanese), Tōkyō: NHK, →ISBN

Korean

Etymology

From Middle Chinese 井 (MC t͡siᴇŋ^X). Recorded as Middle Korean 져ᇰ〯 (cyěng) (Yale: cyeng) in Hunmong Jahoe (訓蒙字會 / 훈몽자회), 1527.

Hanja

Wikisource井 (eumhun 우물 정 (umul jeong))

Hanja form^? of 정 (“well (a hole sunk into the ground)”).

Compounds

유정 (油井, yujeong)
정수 (井水, jeongsu)

References

국제퇴계학회 대구경북지부 (國際退溪學會大邱慶北支部) (2007). Digital Hanja Dictionary, 전자사전／電子字典.

Vietnamese

Han character

井: Hán Nôm readings: tỉnh

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[DJR-1] 2006, 大辞林 (Daijirin), Third Edition (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Sanseidō, →ISBN

[NHK-2] 1998, NHK日本語発音アクセント辞典 (NHK Japanese Pronunciation Accent Dictionary) (in Japanese), Tōkyō: NHK, →ISBN