省

省	U+7701, 省 CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-7701

← 眀
[U+7700]

CJK Unified Ideographs

眂 →
[U+7702]

省	U+F96D, 省 CJK COMPATIBILITY IDEOGRAPH-F96D

← 塞
[U+F96C]

CJK Compatibility Ideographs

葉 →
[U+F96E]

Translingual

Stroke order

Han character

省 (Kangxi radical 109, 目+4, 9 strokes, cangjie input 火竹月山 (FHBU), four-corner 9060₂, composition ⿱少目)

Derived characters

偗, 㗂, 㨘, 渻, 㮐, 𨩠, 㼳, 䚇, 㾪, 箵

References

KangXi: page 802, character 5
Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 23179
Dae Jaweon: page 1218, character 11
Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 4, page 2473, character 1
Unihan data for U+7701
Unihan data for U+F96D

Chinese

simp. and trad.		省
alternative forms		𥅱𥄾眚䁞𡮀𥅱𥄾眚䁞𡮀𡨽

Glyph origin

Historical forms of the character 省
Western Zhou
Bronze inscriptions

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

	Old Chinese
省	sreŋʔ, sleŋʔ
渻	saːl, sreŋʔ, *seŋʔ
箵	*sleːŋʔ

Pronunciation 1

Mandarin
(Standard)
(Pinyin): shěng (sheng³)
(Zhuyin): ㄕㄥˇ
(Dungan, Cyrillic and Wiktionary): сын (sɨn, II)
Cantonese
(Guangzhou, Jyutping): saang²
(Taishan, Wiktionary): sang²
Hakka
(Sixian, PFS): sén / sáng
(Meixian, Guangdong): sên³ / sang³
Min Dong (BUC): sēng / sāng
Min Nan
(Hokkien, POJ): séng / séⁿ
(Teochew, Peng'im): sên²
Wu (Wiktionary): san (T2)

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: shěng
  - Zhuyin: ㄕㄥˇ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: shěng
  - Wade–Giles: shêng³
  - Yale: shěng
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: sheeng
  - Palladius: шэн (šɛn)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /ʂɤŋ²¹⁴/
- (Dungan)
  - Cyrillic and Wiktionary: сын (sɨn, II)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /səŋ⁵¹/
  (Note: Dungan pronunciation is currently experimental and may be inaccurate.)
Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou)⁺
  - Jyutping: saang²
  - Yale: sáang
  - Cantonese Pinyin: saang²
  - Guangdong Romanization: sang²
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /saːŋ³⁵/
- (Taishanese, Taicheng)
  - Wiktionary: sang²
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /saŋ⁵⁵/
Hakka
- (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Meinong)
  - Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: sén / sáng
  - Hakka Romanization System: sen` / sang`
  - Hagfa Pinyim: sen³ / sang³
  - Sinological IPA: /sen³¹/, /saŋ³¹/
- (Meixian)
  - Guangdong: sên³ / sang³
  - Sinological IPA: /sɛn³¹/, /saŋ³¹/

Note:

sén - “province”;
sáng - “to save”.

Min Dong
- (Fuzhou)
  - Bàng-uâ-cê: sēng / sāng
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /sɛiŋ³³/, /saŋ³³/

Note:

sēng - literary (“province; to reduce”);
sāng - vernacular (“to save; to reduce”).

Min Nan
- (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, General Taiwanese)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: séng
  - Tâi-lô: síng
  - Phofsit Daibuun: seang
  - IPA (Xiamen, Zhangzhou, Taipei): /ɕiɪŋ⁵³/
  - IPA (Quanzhou): /ɕiɪŋ⁵⁵⁴/
  - IPA (Kaohsiung): /ɕiɪŋ⁴¹/
- (Hokkien: Zhangzhou)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: séⁿ
  - Tâi-lô: sénn
  - Phofsit Daibuun: svea
  - IPA (Zhangzhou): /sɛ̃⁵³/

Note:

Zhangzhou:
- séng - literary;
- séⁿ - vernacular.

- (Teochew)
  - Peng'im: sên²
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: séⁿ
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /sẽ⁵²/
Wu
- (Shanghainese)
  - Wiktionary: san (T2)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /sã³⁴/

Middle Chinese: /ʃˠiæŋ^X/

Rime
Character	省
Reading #	1/2
Initial (聲)	生 (21)
Final (韻)	庚 (111)
Tone (調)	Rising (X)
Openness (開合)	Open
Division (等)	III
Fanqie	所景切
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/ʃˠiæŋ^X/
Pan Wuyun	/ʃᵚiaŋ^X/
Shao Rongfen	/ʃiaŋ^X/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/ʂiajŋ^X/
Li Rong	/ʃiɐŋ^X/
Wang Li	/ʃĭɐŋ^X/
Bernard Karlgren	/ʂi̯ɐŋ^X/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	shěng
Expected Cantonese Reflex	sang²

Old Chinese
(Zhengzhang): /*sreŋʔ/

Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character	省
Reading #	1/2
No.	11384
Phonetic component	省
Rime group	耕
Rime subdivision	0
Corresponding MC rime	省
Old Chinese	/*sreŋʔ/
Notes	甲金文生省聲

Definitions

省

to omit; to leave out
to reduce, to simplify
- 船：舟也。从舟，鉛省聲。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
  船：舟也。从舟，铅省声。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]
  From: Shuowen Jiezi, circa 2^nd century CE
  Chuán: zhōu yě. Cóng zhōu, qiān shěng shēng. [Pinyin]
  船: boat. From 舟, and a reduced form of 鉛／铅 used as the phonetic component.
(colloquial, by extension) to have less strange, potentially genius but generally lousy ideas for the sake of others to save worry
你還是省省吧。／你还是省省吧。 ― Nǐ háishì shěng shěng ba. ― You'd better give it up.
to save, to economize
省電／省电 ― shěngdiàn ― to conserve electricity
省錢／省钱 ― shěngqián ― to save money
^† palace
- 禁中者，門戶有禁，非侍禦者不得入，故曰禁中。孝元皇后父大司馬陽平侯名禁，當時避之，故曰省中。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
  禁中者，门户有禁，非侍御者不得入，故曰禁中。孝元皇后父大司马阳平侯名禁，当时避之，故曰省中。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]
  From: 1^st century, Cai Yong, 《獨斷》
  Jìnzhōng zhě, ménhù yǒu jìn, fēi shìyù zhě bùdé rù, gù yuē jìnzhōng. Xiàoyuán Huánghòu fù dàsīmǎ Yángpíng Hóu míng Jìn, dāngshí bì zhī, gù yuē shěngzhōng. [Pinyin]
  (please add an English translation of this example)
^⁜ (historical, by extension) department (of a government)
中書省／中书省 ― Zhōngshūshěng ― the Central Secretariat
- 尚書、門下、中書、秘書、殿中、內侍為六省。 [Literary Chinese, trad.]
  尚书、门下、中书、秘书、殿中、内侍为六省。 [Literary Chinese, simp.]
  From: The Old Book of Tang, 945 CE
  Shàngshū, Ménxià, Zhōngshū, Mìshū, Diànzhōng, Nèishì wéi liù shěng. [Pinyin]
  (please add an English translation of this example)
1. ministry of the Japanese government
  文部科學省／文部科学省 ― wénbù kēxué xǐng ― Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology
province; (originally) Short for 行省 (xíngshěng). (Classifier: 個／个)
福建省 ― Fújiàn Shěng ― Fujian Province
a surname

Synonyms

Dialectal synonyms of 省 (“to save; to economize”) [map]

Variety	Location	Words edit
Formal (Written Standard Chinese)		省
Mandarin	Taiwan	省
	Guilin	省
	Singapore	省
Cantonese	Guangzhou	慳／悭
	Hong Kong	慳／悭
	Taishan	慳／悭
	Singapore (Guangfu)	慳／悭
Hakka	Meixian	省
	Huizhou (Huicheng Bendihua)	慳／悭
	Miaoli (N. Sixian)	省
	Pingtung (Neipu; S. Sixian)	省
	Hsinchu County (Zhudong; Hailu)	省
	Taichung (Dongshi; Dabu)	省
	Hsinchu County (Qionglin; Raoping)	省
	Yunlin (Lunbei; Zhao'an)	省
	Hong Kong	省
Min Nan	Taipei	省 GT
	Penang (Hokkien)	省
	Singapore (Hokkien)	省, 儉／俭
	Manila (Hokkien)	省
	Chaozhou	儉／俭
	Shantou	儉／俭, 省
	Jieyang	儉／俭
	Haifeng	儉／俭
	Singapore (Teochew)	儉／俭
	Pontianak (Teochew)	儉／俭
Note	GT - General Taiwanese (no specific region identified)

Usage notes

Historically used as a suffix for many foreign major administrative divisions (states of the US, etc.), such usage is now generally obsolete (outside of fossilized instances like 麻省 (“Massachusetts”)) and replaced with 州 (zhōu, “state”).

Compounds

Derived terms from 省

三省
到省
北省
南省
各省
外省 (wàishěng)
多一事不如省一事
掖省
撙省
本省 (běnshěng)
清心省事
省下
省中 (shěngzhōng)
省主席
省事 (shěngshì)
省令
省份 (shěngfèn)
省便
省元
省分
省力 (shěnglì)
省可
省垣
省城 (shěngchéng)
省家 (shěngjiā)
省府 (shěngfǔ)
省形
省得 (shěngde)

省心 (shěngxīn)
省政
省政府
省治
省煤器
省略 (shěnglüè)
省立 (shěnglì)
省籍 (shěngjí)
省道 (shěngdào)
省陌
禁省 (jìnshěng)
精省 (jīng shěng)
腹省
行省 (xíngshěng)
麻省 (Máshěng)
中書省／中书省 (Zhōngshūshěng)
儉省／俭省 (jiǎnshěng)
內省／内省 (nèixǐng)
凍省／冻省 (dòng shěng)
刪省／删省
副省級／副省级 (fùshěngjí)
宮省／宫省
寬刑省法／宽刑省法
尚書省／尚书省
東三省／东三省 (Dōngsānshěng)
減省／减省 (jiǎnshěng)
畫省／画省
省儉／省俭

省刑薄斂／省刑薄敛
省卻／省却
省可裡／省可里
省喫儉用／省吃俭用
省慾去奢／省欲去奢
省政建設／省政建设
省時／省时
省會／省会 (shěnghuì)
省油燈／省油灯
省油的燈／省油的灯 (shěngyóu de dēng)
省減／省减
省港大罷工／省港大罢工 (Shěng-Gǎng Dàbàgōng)
省煩從簡／省烦从简
省用足財／省用足财
省略號／省略号 (shěnglüèhào)
省聲／省声
省視學／省视学
省議會／省议会
省轄市／省辖市 (shěngxiáshì)
省農科院／省农科院 (Shěngnóngkēyuàn)
省錢／省钱 (shěngqián)
省長／省长 (shěngzhǎng)
祕書省／秘书省
節省／节省 (jiéshěng)
臺省／台省
輕省／轻省
門下省／门下省

Descendants

Sino-Xenic (省):

→ Japanese: 省(しょう) (shō)
→ Korean: 성(省) (seong)
→ Vietnamese: tỉnh (省)

Others:

→ Bouyei: senj
→ Lü: ᦵᦌᦲᧃ (soen)
→ Zhuang: sengj

Pronunciation 2

Mandarin
(Pinyin): xǐng (xing³)
(Zhuyin): ㄒㄧㄥˇ
Cantonese
(Guangzhou, Jyutping): sing²
(Taishan, Wiktionary): lhen²
Hakka
(Sixian, PFS): siáng
(Meixian, Guangdong): sên³
Min Dong (BUC): sīng
Min Nan
(Hokkien, POJ): séng
(Teochew, Peng'im): sên²
Wu (Wiktionary): xin (T2)

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: xǐng
  - Zhuyin: ㄒㄧㄥˇ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: sǐng
  - Wade–Giles: hsing³
  - Yale: syǐng
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: shiing
  - Palladius: син (sin)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /ɕiŋ²¹⁴/
Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou)⁺
  - Jyutping: sing²
  - Yale: síng
  - Cantonese Pinyin: sing²
  - Guangdong Romanization: xing²
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /sɪŋ³⁵/
- (Taishanese, Taicheng)
  - Wiktionary: lhen²
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /ɬen⁵⁵/
Hakka
- (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Meinong)
  - Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: siáng
  - Hakka Romanization System: xiang`
  - Hagfa Pinyim: xiang³
  - Sinological IPA: /ɕi̯aŋ³¹/
- (Meixian)
  - Guangdong: sên³
  - Sinological IPA: /sɛn³¹/
Min Dong
- (Fuzhou)
  - Bàng-uâ-cê: sīng
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /siŋ³³/
Min Nan
- (Hokkien)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: séng
  - Tâi-lô: síng
  - Phofsit Daibuun: seang
  - IPA (Xiamen): /ɕiɪŋ⁵³/
  - IPA (Quanzhou): /ɕiɪŋ⁵⁵⁴/
  - IPA (Zhangzhou): /ɕiɪŋ⁵³/
  - IPA (Taipei): /ɕiɪŋ⁵³/
  - IPA (Kaohsiung): /ɕiɪŋ⁴¹/
- (Teochew)
  - Peng'im: sên²
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: séⁿ
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /sẽ⁵²/
Wu
- (Shanghainese)
  - Wiktionary: xin (T2)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /ɕɪɲ³⁴/

Middle Chinese: /siᴇŋ^X/

Rime
Character	省
Reading #	2/2
Initial (聲)	心 (16)
Final (韻)	清 (121)
Tone (調)	Rising (X)
Openness (開合)	Open
Division (等)	III
Fanqie	息井切
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/siᴇŋ^X/
Pan Wuyun	/siɛŋ^X/
Shao Rongfen	/siæŋ^X/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/siajŋ^X/
Li Rong	/siɛŋ^X/
Wang Li	/sĭɛŋ^X/
Bernard Karlgren	/si̯ɛŋ^X/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	xǐng
Expected Cantonese Reflex	sing²

Old Chinese
(Baxter–Sagart): /*[s]eŋʔ/
(Zhengzhang): /*sleŋʔ/

Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character	省
Reading #	1/1
Modern Beijing (Pinyin)	xǐng
Middle Chinese	‹ sjeng^X ›
Old Chinese	/*[s]eŋʔ/
English	inspect
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	省
Reading #	2/2
No.	11386
Phonetic component	省
Rime group	耕
Rime subdivision	0
Corresponding MC rime	省
Old Chinese	/*sleŋʔ/

Definitions

省

to examine; to inspect
to greet; to visit
to understand; to comprehend

Compounds

Derived terms from 省

三省
不省
不省事
不省人事 (bùxǐngrénshì)
不省得
人事不省
修省
反省 (fǎnxǐng)
反躬自省 (fǎngōngzìxǐng)
存省
定省
思省
提省
昏定晨省
晨昏定省
未省
深省 (shēnxǐng)
猛省 (měngxǐng)

省事 (shěngshì)
省墓
省察 (xǐngchá)
省得 (shěngde)
省思 (xǐngsī)
省悟 (xǐngwù)
省戒
自我反省 (zìwǒ fǎnxǐng)
自省 (zìxǐng)
豁然省悟
退省
不記省／不记省
內省／内省 (nèixǐng)
內省不疚／内省不疚
日省月試／日省月试
日省月課／日省月课
晨參暮省／晨参暮省
歸省／归省

發人深省／发人深省 (fārénshēnxǐng)
省俗觀風／省俗观风
省問／省问
省方觀俗／省方观俗
省方觀民／省方观民
省見／省见
省視／省视 (xǐngshì)
省親／省亲 (xǐngqīn)
省記／省记
省諭／省谕
省識／省识
省風／省风
臨危自省／临危自省
觀省／观省
記省／记省
責躬省過／责躬省过
返躬內省／返躬内省

References

“省”, in 漢語多功能字庫 (Multi-function Chinese Character Database)‎, 香港中文大學／香港中文大学 (the Chinese University of Hong Kong), 2014–

Japanese

Kanji

省

(grade 4 “Kyōiku” kanji)

government ministry
Chinese province

Readings

Go-on: しょう (shō, Jōyō)^{←しやう (syau, historical)}
Kan-on: せい (sei, Jōyō)
Kun: かえりみる (kaerimiru, 省みる, Jōyō)^{←かへりみる (kaferimiru, historical)}; はぶく (habuku, 省く, Jōyō); みる (miru, 省る)
Nanori: さとし (satoshi)

Prefix

省(しょう) • (shō-)

saving, conservation

Suffix

省(しょう) • (-shō)

ministry

Noun

省(しょう) • (shō)

ministry, government department, office
法務省(ほうむしょう)
hōmu shō
Ministry of Justice
Chinese province
広東省(カントンしょう)
kanton shō
Guangdong Province

Korean

Etymology 1

From Middle Chinese 省 (MC siᴇŋ^X).

Historical Readings
Dongguk Jeongun Reading
Dongguk Jeongun, 1448	Recorded as Middle Korean 셔ᇰ〯 (Yale: syěng) in Dongguk Jeongun (東國正韻 / 동국정운), 1448.
Middle Korean
Text	Eumhun
Text	*Gloss (hun)*	Reading
Hunmong Jahoe, 1527	ᄉᆞᆯ필 셩	Recorded as Middle Korean 셩 (syeng) (Yale: syeng) in Sinjeung Yuhap (新增類合 / 신증유합), 1576.
Early Modern Korean
Text	Final (韻)	Reading
Samun Seonghwi, 1751	ᄉᆞᆯ필 셩	Recorded as Early Modern Korean 셩 (Yale: syeng) in Juhae Cheonjamun (註解千字文 / 주해천자문), 1804.

Pronunciation

(SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key): [sʰʌ̹ŋ]
Phonetic hangul: [성]

Hanja

Wikisource省 (eumhun 살필 성 (salpil seong))

Hanja form^? of 성 (“to examine; to inspect”).
Hanja form^? of 성 (“Chinese province”).
Hanja form^? of 성 (“ministry; department”).

Compounds

반성 (反省, banseong, “self-reflection”)
성묘 (省墓, seongmyo)
성도 (省都, seongdo)
귀성 (歸省, gwiseong)
내성 (內省, naeseong)
성찰 (省察, seongchal)

Etymology 2

From Middle Chinese 省 (MC ʃˠiæŋ^X).

Historical Readings
Dongguk Jeongun Reading
Dongguk Jeongun, 1448	Recorded as Middle Korean ᄉᆡᇰ〯 (Yale: sǒyng) in Dongguk Jeongun (東國正韻 / 동국정운), 1448.
Middle Korean
Text	Eumhun
Text	*Gloss (hun)*	Reading
Hunmong Jahoe, 1527	조릴 ᄉᆡᆼ	Recorded as Middle Korean ᄉᆡᆼ (soyng) (Yale: soyng) in Sinjeung Yuhap (新增類合 / 신증유합), 1576.
Early Modern Korean
Text	Final (韻)	Reading
Samun Seonghwi, 1751	덜 ᄉᆡᆼ	Recorded as Early Modern Korean ᄉᆡᆼ (Yale: soyng) in Juhae Cheonjamun (註解千字文 / 주해천자문), 1804.

Pronunciation

(SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key): [sʰɛŋ] ~ [sʰe̞ŋ]
Phonetic hangul: [생/셍]

Hanja

省 (eumhun 덜 생 (deol saeng))

Hanja form^? of 생 (“to reduce; to omit”).
Hanja form^? of 생 (“saving; conservation”).

Compounds

생략 (省略, saengnyak, “omission”)
관생 (冠省, gwansaeng)
생력 (省力, saengnyeok)

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

省: Hán Nôm readings: tỉnh, xển, xỉnh, xĩnh, tểnh, tễnh

Definitions

省

one of the highest administrative divisions in Vietnam, translates to English province, opposed to a thành phố trực thuộc trung ương; itself is divided into its tỉnh lị/thành phố trực thuộc tỉnh (“provincial capital”) and huyện (“suburban district”)
tỉnh lẻ ― provinces, as places that are not as developed as thành phố trực thuộc trung ương and therefore more humbling
dân tỉnh lẻ ― "small town" folks
tỉnh Vĩnh Phúc ― Vĩnh Phúc Province
lệnh của tỉnh đưa về xã ― a decree handed down to the commune from the province
Họ Hồ có nguồn gốc từ làng Quỳnh Đôi, xã Quỳnh Đôi, huyện Quỳnh Đôi, tỉnh Nghệ An.
The Hồ clan hails from Quỳnh Đôi village, Quỳnh Đôi commune, Quỳnh Đôi district, Nghệ An province.
an administrative division that translates to English province in other countries
tỉnh Hồ Bắc ― Hubei Province
an administrative division that translates to English prefecture, for example in French or Japanese territories
tỉnh Gifu ― Gifu Prefecture
(metonymically) provincial capital
lên tỉnh mua hàng ― going into town to buy goods

省

Translingual

Han character

Derived characters

References

Chinese

Glyph origin

Pronunciation 1

Definitions

Synonyms

Usage notes

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Descendants

See also

Pronunciation 2

Definitions

Compounds

References

Japanese

Kanji

Readings

Prefix

Suffix

Noun

Korean

Etymology 1

Pronunciation

Hanja

Compounds

Etymology 2

Pronunciation

Hanja

Compounds

References

Vietnamese

Han character

Definitions