夭

See also: 夫, 禾, 耒, 末, 天, and 未

夭	U+592D, 夭 CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-592D

← 夬
[U+592C]

CJK Unified Ideographs

央 →
[U+592E]

Translingual

Han character

夭 (Kangxi radical 37, 大+1, 4 strokes, cangjie input 竹大 (HK), four-corner 2043₀, composition ⿱丿大)

Derived characters

仸, 㓇, 㕭, 妖, 岆, 㤇, 扷, 沃, 枖, 殀, 祅, 矨, 秗, 袄, 訞(𫍚), 跃, 镺, 𨥜(𬬴), 飫(饫), 鴁
呑, 岙, 忝, 喬(乔), 鴌, 宎, 芺, 穾, 笑, 𮐔, 䴠
忝 (Exception: Only for Japanese character. Other regions contain 天 instead.)

References

KangXi: page 249, character 3

Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 5838

Dae Jaweon: page 507, character 4

Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 1, page 523, character 2

Unihan data for U+592D

Chinese

simp. and trad.		夭

Glyph origin

Historical forms of the character 夭
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

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

	Old Chinese
笑	*sqʰows
夭	qoːwʔ, qrow, *qrowʔ
镺	qoːwʔ, qoːws
芺	qoːwʔ, qrowʔ
妖	*qrow
祅	*qrow
枖	*qrow
訞	*qrow
殀	*qrowʔ
仸	*qrowʔ
妋	pa, qu
飫	*qos
沃	*qoːwɢ
鋈	*qoːwɢ

Ideogram (指事) – a figure leaning forward, presumably running, hence energetic, young.

Etymology

Coblin (1986) (apud Schuessler , 2007) considers it cognate to Tibetan ཡོ་བ (yo ba, “oblique, aslant”), གཡོ་བ (g.yo ba, “tilt”), གཡོས (g.yos); if so, probably of Sino-Tibetan origin. However, the medials do not agree, as the expected Middle Chinese reflex should be in division IV, not III-B (Schuessler, 2007). Compare also Mizo eu (“to bend backwards”) (ibid.).

Possibly related to 委 (OC *qrolʔ, “to bend”) (e.g. in Chuci ) (ibid.).

Pronunciation 1

Mandarin
(Pinyin): yāo (yao¹)
(Zhuyin): ㄧㄠ
Cantonese (Jyutping): jiu¹, jiu²
Hakka (Sixian, PFS): yêu
Min Nan
(Hokkien, POJ): iau / iáu
(Teochew, Peng'im): iao¹ / iou¹

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: yāo
  - Zhuyin: ㄧㄠ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: yao
  - Wade–Giles: yao¹
  - Yale: yāu
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: iau
  - Palladius: яо (jao)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /jɑʊ̯⁵⁵/
Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou)⁺
  - Jyutping: jiu¹, jiu²
  - Yale: yīu, yíu
  - Cantonese Pinyin: jiu¹, jiu²
  - Guangdong Romanization: yiu¹, yiu²
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /jiːu̯⁵⁵/, /jiːu̯³⁵/
Hakka
- (Northern Sixian, incl. Miaoli)
  - Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: yêu
  - Hakka Romanization System: ieu´
  - Hagfa Pinyim: yeu¹
  - Sinological IPA: /i̯eu̯²⁴/
- (Southern Sixian, incl. Meinong)
  - Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: yêu
  - Hakka Romanization System: (r)ieu´
  - Hagfa Pinyim: yeu¹
  - Sinological IPA: /(j)i̯eu̯²⁴/
Min Nan
- (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: iau
  - Tâi-lô: iau
  - Phofsit Daibuun: iaw
  - IPA (Quanzhou): /iau³³/
  - IPA (Xiamen, Zhangzhou): /iau⁴⁴/
- (Hokkien: Quanzhou, General Taiwanese, Xiamen, Zhangzhou)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: iáu
  - Tâi-lô: iáu
  - Phofsit Daibuun: iao
  - IPA (Taipei, Xiamen, Zhangzhou): /iau⁵³/
  - IPA (Quanzhou): /iau⁵⁵⁴/
  - IPA (Kaohsiung): /iau⁴¹/

Note:

iau - literary;
iáu - vernacular (俗).

- (Teochew)
  - Peng'im: iao¹ / iou¹
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: iau / iou
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /iau³³/, /iou³³/

Note:

iao1 - Shantou;
iou1 - Chaozhou.

Middle Chinese: /ʔˠiᴇu^X/

Rime
Character	夭
Reading #	2/3
Initial (聲)	影 (34)
Final (韻)	宵 (92)
Tone (調)	Rising (X)
Openness (開合)	Open
Division (等)	III
Fanqie	於兆切
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/ʔˠiᴇu^X/
Pan Wuyun	/ʔᵚiɛu^X/
Shao Rongfen	/ʔiæu^X/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/ʔiaw^X/
Li Rong	/ʔjɛu^X/
Wang Li	/ĭɛu^X/
Bernard Karlgren	/ʔi̯ɛu^X/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	yǎo
Expected Cantonese Reflex	jiu²

Old Chinese
(Zhengzhang): /*qrowʔ/

Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character	夭
Reading #	3/3
No.	14631
Phonetic component	夭
Rime group	宵
Rime subdivision	3
Corresponding MC rime	夭
Old Chinese	/*qrowʔ/

Definitions

夭

to die young, to die prematurely
to be aggrieved
to devastate
disaster

References

(Min Nan) Taiwan Min Nan Common Words Dictionary (臺灣閩南語常用詞辭典)

Pronunciation 2

Mandarin
(Pinyin): yāo (yao¹)
(Zhuyin): ㄧㄠ
Cantonese (Jyutping): jiu¹, jiu²
Min Nan
(Hokkien, POJ): iau / iáu
(Teochew, Peng'im): iou¹ / iao¹

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: yāo
  - Zhuyin: ㄧㄠ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: yao
  - Wade–Giles: yao¹
  - Yale: yāu
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: iau
  - Palladius: яо (jao)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /jɑʊ̯⁵⁵/
Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou)⁺
  - Jyutping: jiu¹, jiu²
  - Yale: yīu, yíu
  - Cantonese Pinyin: jiu¹, jiu²
  - Guangdong Romanization: yiu¹, yiu²
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /jiːu̯⁵⁵/, /jiːu̯³⁵/
Min Nan
- (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: iau
  - Tâi-lô: iau
  - Phofsit Daibuun: iaw
  - IPA (Quanzhou): /iau³³/
  - IPA (Xiamen, Zhangzhou): /iau⁴⁴/
- (Hokkien: Quanzhou, General Taiwanese, Xiamen, Zhangzhou)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: iáu
  - Tâi-lô: iáu
  - Phofsit Daibuun: iao
  - IPA (Taipei, Xiamen, Zhangzhou): /iau⁵³/
  - IPA (Quanzhou): /iau⁵⁵⁴/
  - IPA (Kaohsiung): /iau⁴¹/

Note:

iau - literary;
iáu - vernacular (俗).

- (Teochew)
  - Peng'im: iou¹ / iao¹
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: iou / iau
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /iou³³/, /iau³³/

Middle Chinese: /ʔˠiᴇu/

Rime
Character	夭
Reading #	1/3
Initial (聲)	影 (34)
Final (韻)	宵 (92)
Tone (調)	Level (Ø)
Openness (開合)	Open
Division (等)	III
Fanqie	於喬切
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/ʔˠiᴇu/
Pan Wuyun	/ʔᵚiɛu/
Shao Rongfen	/ʔiæu/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/ʔiaw/
Li Rong	/ʔjɛu/
Wang Li	/ĭɛu/
Bernard Karlgren	/ʔi̯ɛu/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	yāo
Expected Cantonese Reflex	jiu¹

Old Chinese
(Baxter–Sagart): /*[ʔ](r)aw/
(Zhengzhang): /*qrow/

Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character	夭
Reading #	1/1
Modern Beijing (Pinyin)	yāo
Middle Chinese	‹ ʔjew ›
Old Chinese	/*[ʔ](r)aw/
English	delicate, slender
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	夭
Reading #	2/3
No.	14626
Phonetic component	夭
Rime group	宵
Rime subdivision	3
Corresponding MC rime	妖
Old Chinese	/*qrow/

Definitions

夭

young, fresh-looking
tender, gentle
lush
Alternative form of 妖 (yāo).

Pronunciation 3

Mandarin
(Pinyin): ǎo (ao³)
(Zhuyin): ㄠˇ

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: ǎo
  - Zhuyin: ㄠˇ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: ǎo
  - Wade–Giles: ao³
  - Yale: ǎu
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: ao
  - Palladius: ао (ao)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /ˀɑʊ̯²¹⁴/

Middle Chinese: /ʔɑu^X/

Rime
Character	夭
Reading #	3/3
Initial (聲)	影 (34)
Final (韻)	豪 (89)
Tone (調)	Rising (X)
Openness (開合)	Open
Division (等)	I
Fanqie	烏晧切
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/ʔɑu^X/
Pan Wuyun	/ʔɑu^X/
Shao Rongfen	/ʔɑu^X/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/ʔaw^X/
Li Rong	/ʔɑu^X/
Wang Li	/ɑu^X/
Bernard Karlgren	/ʔɑu^X/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	ǎo
Expected Cantonese Reflex	ou²

Old Chinese
(Zhengzhang): /*qoːwʔ/

Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character	夭
Reading #	1/3
No.	14622
Phonetic component	夭
Rime group	宵
Rime subdivision	3
Corresponding MC rime	襖
Old Chinese	/*qoːwʔ/

Definitions

夭

young animal or plant

Pronunciation 4

Mandarin
(Pinyin): wò (wo⁴)
(Zhuyin): ㄨㄛˋ

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: wò
  - Zhuyin: ㄨㄛˋ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: wò
  - Wade–Giles: wo⁴
  - Yale: wò
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: woh
  - Palladius: во (vo)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /wɔ⁵¹/

Definitions

夭

name of an ancient place

Pronunciation 5

Mandarin
(Pinyin): wāi (wai¹)
(Zhuyin): ㄨㄞ

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: wāi
  - Zhuyin: ㄨㄞ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: wai
  - Wade–Giles: wai¹
  - Yale: wāi
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: uai
  - Palladius: вай (vaj)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /waɪ̯⁵⁵/

Definitions

夭

Only used in 夭斜.

Compounds

分外夭夭
夭亡
夭夭
夭娜
夭折 (yāozhé)
夭昏
夭札
夭枉
夭殂
夭疽

夭逝 (yāoshì)
夭遏
夭邪
早夭 (zǎoyāo)
桃之夭夭
桃夭 (táoyāo)
逃之夭夭 (táozhīyāoyāo)
麛夭
壽夭／寿夭
夭厲／夭厉 (yāolì)

夭壽／夭寿 (yāoshòu)
夭桃穠李／夭桃秾李
夭桃襛李／夭桃𰳺李
夭殞／夭殒
夭殤／夭殇
夭矯／夭矫
夭矯離奇／夭矫离奇
夭紅／夭红
夭閼／夭阏 (yǎo'è)
橫夭／横夭

Japanese

Kanji

夭

(uncommon “Hyōgai” kanji)

young
disaster

Readings

Go-on: よう (yō)^{←えう (eu, historical)}
Kan-on: よう (yō)^{←えう (eu, historical)}
Kun: わかい (wakai, 夭い); わざわい (wazawai); わかじに (wakajini)

Korean

Hanja

夭 • (yo, o) (hangeul 요, 오, revised yo, o, McCune–Reischauer yo, o, Yale yo, o)

This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.

Vietnamese

Han character

夭: Hán Nôm readings: yểu, eo, ỉu, yếu, èo, yêu

This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.