吳

See also: 吴 and 呉

吳 U+5433, 吳 CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-5433 ← 吲 [U+5432] CJK Unified Ideographs 吴 → [U+5434]

Translingual

Traditional	吳
Shinjitai	呉
Simplified	吴

Han character

吳 (radical 30, 口+4, 7 strokes, cangjie input 口女弓大 (RVNK), four-corner 2680₁, composition ⿺⿱𠃑大口)

References

• KangXi: page 179, character 4
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 3365
• Dae Jaweon: page 396, character 15
• Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 1, page 595, character 8
• Unihan data for U+5433

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Chinese

trad.		吳/吴*
simp.		吴*
alternative forms		呉 𠯵 㕦 𡗾 𡗿

Glyph origin

Historical forms of the character 吳
Shang	Western Zhou	Shuowen Jiezi (compiled in Han)	Liushutong (compiled in Ming)
Oracle bone script	Bronze inscriptions	Small seal script	Transcribed ancient scripts

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

	Old Chinese
吳	*ŋʷaː
蜈	*ŋʷaː

Ideogrammic compound (會意): 口 (“mouth”) + 夨 (“man with tilted head”) – to speak loudly.

Etymology 1

"to shout"

Perhaps related to Tibetan ངར་སྐད (ngar skad, “roar; shout”), Tibetan ང་རོ (nga ro, “roar; yell; shout”) (Schuessler, 2007).

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): wú (wu²)

  (Zhuyin): ㄨˊ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): ng⁴
• Gan (Wiktionary): u⁴
• Hakka

  (Sixian, PFS): ǹg

  (Meixian, Guangdong): n²

• Jin (Wiktionary): vu¹
• Min Bei (KCR): ngû
• Min Dong (BUC): ngù
• Min Nan

  (Hokkien, POJ): ngô͘ / gô͘

  (Teochew, Peng'im): ghou⁵

• Wu (Wiktionary): hhu (T3)
• Xiang (Wiktionary): u²

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Pinyin: wú
    • Zhuyin: ㄨˊ
    • Wade–Giles: wu2
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: wu
    • Tongyong Pinyin: wú
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /u³⁵/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou)⁺
    • Jyutping: ng⁴
    • Yale: ǹgh
    • Cantonese Pinyin: ng⁴
    • Guangdong Romanization: ng⁴
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ŋ̍²¹/
• Gan
  • (Nanchang)
    • Wiktionary: u⁴
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /u³⁵/
• Hakka
  • (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Meinong)
    • Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: ǹg
    • Hakka Romanization System: ngˇ
    • Hagfa Pinyim: ng²
    • Sinological IPA: /ŋ̍¹¹/
  • (Meixian)
    • Guangdong: n²
    • Sinological IPA: /n̩¹¹/
• Jin
  • (Taiyuan)⁺
    • Wiktionary: vu¹
    • Sinological IPA (old-style): /vu¹¹/
• Min Bei
  • (Jian'ou)
    • Kienning Colloquial Romanized: ngû
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ŋu³³/
• Min Dong
  • (Fuzhou)
    • Bàng-uâ-cê: ngù
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ŋu⁵³/
• Min Nan
  • (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Taipei, Kaohsiung, Lukang, Sanxia, Magong, Hsinchu)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: ngô͘
    • Tâi-lô: ngôo
    • Phofsit Daibuun: ngoo
    • IPA (Kaohsiung): /ŋɔ̃²³/
    • IPA (Xiamen, Quanzhou, Taipei): /ŋɔ̃²⁴/
  • (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, Tainan, Yilan, Kinmen, Taichung)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: gô͘
    • Tâi-lô: gôo
    • Phofsit Daibuun: goo
    • IPA (Zhangzhou): /ɡɔ¹³/
    • IPA (Xiamen, Quanzhou, Kinmen): /ɡɔ²⁴/
  • (Teochew)
    • Peng'im: ghou⁵
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: gôu
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ɡou⁵⁵/
• Wu
  • (Shanghainese)
    • Wiktionary: hhu (T3)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ɦv̩ʷ²³/
• Xiang
  • (Changsha)
    • Wiktionary: u²
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /u¹³/

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• Middle Chinese: /ŋuo/

Rime
Character	吳
Reading #	1/1
Initial (聲)	疑 (31)
Final (韻)	模 (23)
Tone (調)	Level (Ø)
Openness (開合)	Open
Division (等)	I
Fanqie	五乎切
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/ŋuo/
Pan Wuyun	/ŋuo/
Shao Rongfen	/ŋo/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/ŋɔ/
Li Rong	/ŋo/
Wang Li	/ŋu/
Bernard Karlgren	/ŋuo/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	wú

• Old Chinese

  (Baxter–Sagart): /*ŋʷˤa/

  (Zhengzhang): /*ŋʷaː/

Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character	吳
Reading #	1/1
Modern Beijing (Pinyin)	wú
Middle Chinese	‹ ngu ›
Old Chinese	/*ŋʷˁa/
English	shout; name of a state
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	吳
Reading #	1/1
No.	13094
Phonetic component	吳
Rime group	魚
Rime subdivision	0
Corresponding MC rime	吾
Old Chinese	/*ŋʷaː/
Notes	金文象對人口出大聲， 令其震驚而側首避讓， 馮時說

Definitions

吳

1. ^† to speak loudly; to shout

   • 不吳不敖，胡考之休。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     不吴不敖，胡考之休。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

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

     Bù wú bù áo, hú kǎo zhī xiū. [Pinyin]

     There is no noise, no insolence: An auspice, [all this], of great longevity.

2. ^† big
3. (historical) (～國) one of the Warring States
4. (historical) (～國) Eastern Wu, one of the Three Kingdoms
5. the territory those states held, around the Yangtze delta
6. Wu; the Chinese dialects of that territory, including Suzhounese and Shanghainese

   ⇒ 吳語

7. A surname​.

   吳作棟 / 吴作栋 [Min Nan]  ―  Gô͘ Chok-tòng [Pe̍h-ōe-jī]  ―  Goh Chok Tong (Singapore's second Prime Minister; currently Emeritus Senior Minister)

8. (～港) a harbor in Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan

Descendants

• → English: Wu, Ng, Goh
• → Tagalog: Go, Wu

Compounds

• 伐東吳／伐东吴
• 句吳／句吴 (Gōuwú)
• 吳下阿蒙／吴下阿蒙
• 吳儂／吴侬
• 吳剛／吴刚
• 吳剛伐桂／吴刚伐桂
• 吳國／吴国 (Wúguó)
• 吳堡／吴堡 (Wúbǔ)
• 吳子／吴子
• 吳宮教陣／吴宫教阵
• 吳家灣／吴家湾 (Wújiāwān)
• 吳山／吴山 (Wúshān)
• 吳川／吴川 (Wúchuān)
• 吳市吹簫／吴市吹箫
• 吳店／吴店 (Wúdiàn)

• 吳棚／吴棚 (Wúpéng)
• 吳榜／吴榜 (Wúbǎng)
• 吳樓／吴楼 (Wúlóu)
• 吳江／吴江 (Wújiāng)
• 吳沙／吴沙 (Wúshā)
• 吳派／吴派
• 吳淞江／吴淞江 (Wúsōngjiāng)
• 吳灣／吴湾 (Wúwān)
• 吳牛喘月／吴牛喘月
• 吳茱萸／吴茱萸 (wúzhūyú)
• 吳語／吴语 (wúyǔ)
• 吳越／吴越 (Wúyuè)
• 吳越同舟／吴越同舟
• 吳越春秋／吴越春秋

• 吳郭魚／吴郭鱼 (wúguōyú)
• 吳都／吴都
• 吳鉤／吴钩
• 吳鋪／吴铺 (Wúpù)
• 吳音／吴音 (wúyīn)
• 吳頭楚尾／吴头楚尾
• 吳鳳／吴凤
• 吳鹽／吴盐
• 吹簫吳市／吹箫吴市
• 大吳／大吴
• 孫吳／孙吴 (Sūn Wú)
• 宋畫吳冶／宋画吴冶
• 東吳／东吴 (Dōngwú)
• 楚尾吳頭／楚尾吴头

See also

Dynasties (朝代) in Chinese history
Name	Time period	Divisions
Xia 夏 (～朝, ～代)	2070 – 1600 BCE
Shang 商 (～朝, ～代) 殷 (～朝, ～代)	1600 – 1046 BCE
Zhou 周 (～朝, ～代)	1046 – 256 BCE	Western Zhou 西周
		Eastern Zhou 東周／东周	Spring and Autumn period 春秋
			Warring States period 戰國／战国
Qin 秦 (～朝, ～代)	221 – 206 BCE
Han 漢／汉 (～朝, ～代)	206 BCE – 220 CE	Western Han 西漢／西汉
		Xin 新 (～朝)
		Eastern Han 東漢／东汉
Three Kingdoms 三國／三国	220 – 280 CE	Wei 魏
		Shu 蜀
		Wu 吳／吴
Jin 晉／晋 (～朝, ～代)	265 – 420 CE	Western Jin 西晉／西晋
		Eastern Jin 東晉／东晋
Southern and Northern dynasties 南北朝	420 – 589 CE	Northern dynasties 北朝	Northern Wei 北魏
			Western Wei 西魏
			Eastern Wei 東魏／东魏
			Northern Zhou 北周
			Northern Qi 北齊／北齐
		Southern dynasties 南朝	Liu Song 劉宋／刘宋
			Southern Qi 南齊／南齐
			Liang 梁 (～朝, ～代)
			Chen 陳／陈 (～朝, ～代)
Sui 隋 (～朝, ～代)	581 – 618 CE
Tang 唐 (～朝, ～代)	618 – 907 CE
Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms 五代十國／五代十国	907 – 960 CE
Liao 遼／辽 (～朝, ～代)	907 – 1125 CE
Song 宋 (～朝, ～代)	960 – 1279 CE	Northern Song 北宋
		Southern Song 南宋
Western Xia 西夏	1038 – 1227 CE
Jin 金 (～朝, ～代)	1115 – 1234 CE
Western Liao 西遼／西辽	1124 – 1218 CE
Yuan 元 (～朝, ～代)	1271 – 1368 CE
Ming 明 (～朝, ～代)	1368 – 1644 CE
Qing 清 (～朝, ～代)	1636 – 1912 CE

Etymology 2

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): yú (yu²)

  (Zhuyin): ㄩˊ

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Pinyin: yú
    • Zhuyin: ㄩˊ
    • Wade–Giles: yü2
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: yu
    • Tongyong Pinyin: yú
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /y³⁵/

Definitions

吳

1. Alternative form of 虞 (yú).

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Japanese

Kanji

吳

(uncommon “Hyōgai” kanji)

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

Readings

• On (unclassified): ご (go)
• Kun: くれ (kure, 吳); くれる (kureru, 吳れる)

Usage notes

This character lacks JIS support. The character 呉 (U+5449) is used instead in Japanese.

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Korean

Hanja

吳 (eumhun 성씨 오 (seongssi o))

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

吳 (eumhun 큰소리칠 화 (keunsorichil hwa))

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

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Vietnamese

Han character

吳: Hán Nôm readings: ngô, ngo

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