恆

Translingual

Han character

恆 (Kangxi radical 61, 心+6, 9 strokes, cangjie input 心一月一 (PMBM), four-corner 9101₇, composition ⿰忄亙)

References

• Kangxi Dictionary: page 383, character 25
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 10528
• Dae Jaweon: page 714, character 1
• Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 4, page 2294, character 16
• Unihan data for U+6046

Chinese

Glyph origin

Ideogrammic compound (會意／会意) and phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *ɡɯːŋ) : semantic 心 (“heart”) + phonetic 亙 (OC *kɯːŋs, “partial moon”).

May have originally been written 亙.

In Small Seal Script, the 月 in 亙 was written 舟.

Pronunciation 1

Definitions

恆

1. ^† (of the moon) to wax

   • 如月之恆，如日之升。 [Pre-Classical Chinese, trad.]
     如月之恒，如日之升。 [Pre-Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: The Classic of Poetry, c. 11^th – 7^th centuries BCE, translated based on James Legge's version

     Rú yuè zhī héng, rú rì zhī shēng.

     Like the moon advancing to the full,
     Like the sun ascending the heavens

2. ^† to extend everywhere

Pronunciation 2

Definitions

恆

1. lasting; constant

   恆溫／恒温  ―  héngwēn  ―  constant temperature

   • 無恆產而有恆心者，惟士為能。若民，則無恆產，因無恆心。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     无恒产而有恒心者，惟士为能。若民，则无恒产，因无恒心。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: Mencius, c. 4^th century BCE

     Wú héng chǎn ér yǒu héngxīn zhě, wéi shì wéi néng. Ruò mín, zé wú héng chǎn, yīn wú héngxīn.

     They are only men of education, who, without a certain livelihood, are able to maintain a fixed heart. As to the people, if they have not a certain livelihood, it follows that they will not have a fixed heart.

2. ordinary

   • 甘茂，賢人，非恆士也。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     甘茂，贤人，非恒士也。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: Zhanguo Ce, circa 5^th – 3^rd centuries BCE

     Gān Mào, xiánrén, fēi héng shì yě.

     (please add an English translation of this usage example)

   • 夫可規以利而可諫以言者，皆愚陋恆民之謂耳。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     夫可规以利而可谏以言者，皆愚陋恒民之谓耳。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: Zhuangzi, circa 3^rd – 2^nd centuries BCE

     Fū kě guī yǐ lì ér kě jiàn yǐ yán zhě, jiē yúlòu héngmín zhī wèi ěr.

     Those who can be persuaded by considerations of gain, and to whom remonstrances may be addressed with success, are all ignorant, low, and ordinary people.

3. perseverance

   持之以恆／持之以恒  ―  chízhīyǐhéng  ―  to persevere

   • 人而無恆，不可以作巫醫。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     人而无恒，不可以作巫医。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: The Analects of Confucius, c. 475 – 221 BCE, translated based on James Legge's version

     Rén ér wú héng, bù kěyǐ zuò wūyī.

     A man without constancy cannot be either a wizard or a doctor.

4. (literary) often; frequently

   • 性嗜酒，而家貧不能恆得。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     性嗜酒，而家贫不能恒得。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: 4th–5th century, Tao Yuanming, 五柳先生傳

     Xìng shì jiǔ, ér jiā pín bùnéng héng dé.

     (please add an English translation of this usage example)

5. 32nd hexagram of the I Ching; “endurance” (䷟)

Compounds

Descendants

Japanese

Kanji

(“Jinmeiyō” kanji used for names, kyūjitai kanji, shinjitai form 恒)

1. always, constant

Readings

• Go-on: ごう (gō)
• Kan-on: こう (kō)
• Kun: つね (tsune, 恆)
• Nanori: わたる (wataru); のぶ (nobu); ひさ (hisa); ひさし (hisashi)

Korean

Hanja

恆 • (hang) (hangeul 항, revised hang, McCune–Reischauer hang, Yale hang)

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

Vietnamese

Han character

恆: Hán Nôm readings: hằng

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