今

Stroke order

Mainland China

Stroke order

All regions except mainland China

• In all regions except mainland China, the stroke between 𠆢 and ㇇ for 今 (and its derived characters) is written with a horizontal 一 line.
• In mainland China (based on Xin Zixing standardized form), the stroke between 𠆢 and ㇇ for 今 (and its derived characters) is written with a slanting 丶 dot instead.
• In the historical Kangxi dictionary, the component below 𠆢 is written 一 followed by 𠃍 instead.

今 (Kangxi radical 9, 人+2, 4 strokes, cangjie input 人戈弓 (OIN) or 人一弓 (OMN), four-corner 8020₇, composition ⿱亽㇇(G) or ⿱亼㇇(HTJKV))

• 仱, 吟, 坅, 妗, 岒, 忴, 扲, 汵, 昑, 肣, 枔, 㲐, 玪, 𥄯, 矜, 砛, 紟(𫄛), 耹, 𦧈, 䑤, 蚙, 衿, 訡, 赺, 趻, 軡, 鈐(钤), 䩂, 靲, 䪩, 䰼, 鹶, 黅, 黔, 霒, 䶃, 䶖, 㪁, 欦, 雂, 鳹, 㕂, 岑, 庈, 芩, 笒, 棽, 琴, 含, 念, 侌, 𠉞, 衾, 貪(贪), 酓, 霠, 𩃬

• Kangxi Dictionary: page 91, character 18
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 358
• Dae Jaweon: page 194, character 3
• Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 1, page 105, character 5
• Unihan data for U+4ECA

Historical forms of the character 今
Shang	Western Zhou	Spring and Autumn	Warring States			Shuowen Jiezi (compiled in Han)	Liushutong (compiled in Ming)
Oracle bone script	Bronze inscriptions	Bronze inscriptions	Bronze inscriptions	Chu slip and silk script	Qin slip script	Small seal script	Transcribed ancient scripts
Oracle bone script j12838 j12839 j12840 j12841 j12842 j12843 j12844 j12845 j12846 j12847 j12848 j12849 j12850 j12851 j12852 j12853 j12854 j12856 j12857 j12858 j12859 j12860 j12861 j12862 j12863 j12864 j12865 j12866 j12867 j12868 j12869 j12870 j12871 j12872 j12873 j12874 j12875 j12876 j12877 j12878 j12879 j12880 j12881 j12882 j12883 j12884 j12885 j12886 j12887 j12888 j12889 j12890 j12891 j12892 j12893 j12894 j12895 j12896 j12897 j12898 j12899 j12900 j12901 j12902 j12903 j12904 j12905 j12906 j12907 j12908 j12909 j12910 j12911 j12912 j12914 j12915 j12916 j12917 j12918 j12919 j12920 j12921 j12922 j12923 j12924 j12925 j12926 j12927 j12928 j12929 j12930 j12931 j12932 j12933 j12934 j12935 j12936 j12937 j12938 j12939 j12940 j12941 j12942 j12943 j12944 j12945 j12946 j12947 j12948 j12949 j12950 j12951 j12952 j12953 j12954 j12955 j12956 j12957 j12958 j12959 j12960 j12961 j12962 j12963 j12964 j12965 j12966 j12967 j12968 j12969 j12970 j12971 j12972 j12973 j12974 j12975 j12976 j12977 j12978 j12979 j12980 j12981 j12982 j12983 j12984 j12985 j12986 j12987 j12988 j12989 j12990 j12991 j12992 j12993 j12994 j12995 j12996 j12997 j12998 j12999 j13000 j13001 j13002 j13003 j13004 j13005 j13006 j13007 j13008 j13009 j13010 j13011 j13012 j13013 j13014 j13015 j13016 j13017 j13018 j13019 j13020 j13021 j13022 j13023 j13024 Bronze inscriptions b08008 b08009 b08010 b08011 b08012 b08013 b08014 b08015 b08016 b08017 b08018 b08019 b08020 b08021 b08022 b08023 b08024 b08025 b08026 b08027 b08028 b08029 Small seal script s03768 Transcribed ancient scripts L12486 L12487 L12488 L12489 L12490 L12491 L12492 L12493 L12494 L12495 L12496 L12497
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).

Ideogram (指事) – An inverted 曰 (yuē) ("to speak"), hence 亼 with a horizontal stroke at the bottom, so the inverted mouth means "not to speak".

Another theory suggests that it depicts something in the mouth. Maybe the original form of 噤 (OC *ɡrɯmʔ, *ɡrɯms) or 吟 (OC *ŋɡrɯm, *ŋɡrɯms). The derivative 含 (OC *ɡɯːm) refers to the original word.

Etymology not clear. The word's root may be 其 (OC *ɡɯ, “this”) (Schuessler, 2007).

今

1. now; at present; current

   今天  ―  jīntiān  ―  the current day; today

   從今以後／从今以后  ―  cóngjīnyǐhòu  ―  from now onwards.

   Synonym: 現在／现在

2. modern times

   古往今來／古往今来  ―  gǔwǎngjīnlái  ―  from ancient to modern times.

   • 王之好樂甚，則國其庶幾乎。今之樂，猶古之樂也。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     王之好乐甚，则国其庶几乎。今之乐，犹古之乐也。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: Mencius, c. 4^th century BCE

     Wáng zhī hào yuè shèn, zé guó qí shù jǐ hū. Jīn zhī yuè, yóu gǔ zhī yuè yě.

     If your Majesty's love of music were very great, Qi would be near to a state of good government! The music of the present day is just like the music of antiquity, as regards effecting that.

   Synonym: 現代／现代 (xiàndài)

   Antonym: 古

3. this

   今夏  ―  jīn xià  ―  this summer

   今次 [Cantonese]  ―  gam¹ ci³   ―  this time

   Synonyms: 此 (cǐ), 這／这

4. (literary) thus; promptly

   • 子為我反，無見王矣。十日之內，數萬之眾，今涉魏境。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     子为我反，无见王矣。十日之内，数万之众，今涉魏境。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

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

     Zǐ wèi wǒ fǎn, wú jiàn wáng yǐ. Shírì zhī nèi, shù wàn zhī zhòng, jīn shè wèi jìng.

     (please add an English translation of this usage example)

   Synonyms: 即, 立刻 (lìkè)

5. (literary) if

   • 此無他，與民同樂也。今王與百姓同樂，則王矣。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     此无他，与民同乐也。今王与百姓同乐，则王矣。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: Mencius, c. 4^th century BCE

     Cǐ wú tā, yǔ mín tóng yuè yě. Jīn wáng yǔ bǎixìng tóng yuè, zé wàng yǐ.

     Their feeling thus is from no other reason but that you cause them to have their pleasure as you have yours. If your Majesty now will make pleasure a thing common to the people and yourself, the royal sway awaits you.

   • 今兩虎共鬥，其勢不俱生。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     今两虎共斗，其势不俱生。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: The Records of the Grand Historian, by Sima Qian, c. 91 BCE

     Jīn liǎng hǔ gòng dòu, qí shì bù jù shēng.

     If we (the two tigers) fight against one another, it is certainly not possible that both of us will survive.

   Synonyms: 若, 假如 (jiǎrú)

6. a surname

今

1. (Southern Min, Puxian Min) now
2. (Southern Min) then; in that case
3. (Taiwanese Hokkien) nowadays