签 (qiān) — to sign (one's name on a document); to sign (a contract, agreement, etc.)
Definition
签 (qiān) is a verb meaning 'to sign' — a document, contract, or one's name. It is the base verb in compounds like 签名 and 签字; 签署 is the more formal written version for official documents.
verb
to sign (one's name on a document)to sign (a contract, agreement, etc.)
Examples
- 签。Qǐng nǐ zài zhǐ shàng qiān shàng nǐ de míng zì.Please sign your name on the paper.
- 签。Wǒ men zuó tiān qiān le sān fèn hé tong.We signed three contracts yesterday.
- 签。Tā jīn tiān xià wǔ yào qù yín háng qiān yí fèn wén jiàn.He is going to the bank this afternoon to sign a document.
Origin
Sound + meaning六书liùshū
形声xíngshēngMost characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.
This origin belongs to the traditional form 籤; 签 is its simplified writing.
The simplified 签 stands for more than one traditional character. In most words (签, 签订) it is 簽; in others it is 籤.
Sound part声符shēngfú
韱
韱xiān籤⁰qiān(r)
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.
The traditional form 籤 shows 竹, bamboo, for the material, plus 韱 to give the sound; the simplified 签 is a later shorthand.
Appears in
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