夏

See also: 复

Translingual

Stroke order

Stroke order

Han character

夏 (Kangxi radical 35, 夊+7, 10 strokes, cangjie input 一山竹水 (MUHE), four-corner 1024₇, composition ⿱𦣻夂(GJK) or ⿱𦣻夊(HT))

Derived characters

• 𠌘, 嗄, 𡏘, 𡟺, 𡺷, 𭡲, 𭱣, 榎, 𤌤, 𤧶, 𥔹, 𦥍, 𧏡, 𥜂, 𮢩, 𧈄, 𩡘, 𮬆, 𥫏, 𢥭, 𣣺, 𡕵, 𥻴, 𪄂, 𭐲, 𡙣, 𭔆, 𦷜, 𥧜, 厦, 𭕥, 廈, 𤹉, 𢟜, 𡖃

References

• Kangxi Dictionary: page 245, character 12
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 5720
• Dae Jaweon: page 485, character 29
• Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 2, page 869, character 10
• Unihan data for U+590F

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Chinese

trad.		夏
simp. #		夏
alternative forms		昰 𠀼 𠌘 𠍺 𡔰 昰 𠀼 𠌘 𠍺 𡔰 𡕭 𡕻 𡕾 𡖃 𣋗 𤴞 𧈄 𩖳

Glyph origin

Historical forms of the character 夏
Shang		Western Zhou	Spring and Autumn	Warring States			Shuowen Jiezi (compiled in Han)		Liushutong (compiled in Ming)
Bronze inscriptions	Oracle bone script	Bronze inscriptions	Bronze inscriptions	Bronze inscriptions	Chu slip and silk script	Qin slip script	Ancient script	Small seal script	Transcribed ancient scripts

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

	Old Chinese
榎	*kraːʔ
廈	*sraːs, *ɡraːʔ
嗄	*sqʰraːs, *qraːds
夏	*ɡraːʔ, *ɡraːs

In the oracle bone script, it was an ideogrammic compound (會意／会意) : 日 (“sun”) + 頁 (“head; man”) – man under the scorching sun; summer.

Various variants were seen in the bronze inscriptions from the Spring and Autumn period. 止 (“foot”) was often added to the bottom of the man. Additionally, in the form shown above, the 日 was removed and 𦥑 (“two hands”) was added. The seal script inherits its form from this form, with 止 replaced with the related 夊.

Various forms were also seen from the Warring States period. The bamboo and silk script above shows a common form: 日 + 止 + 頁. The “ancient script” (古文) from Shuowen (labelled as the large seal script) has deviated significantly, with 止 becoming the related 足. The top part may be a corruption of 頁.

The current form is simplified from the seal script, with the removal of 𦥑 and the legs from 頁.

Etymology 1

“great; Xia Dynasty; China; Chinese”

Possibly related to 假 (OC *kraːʔ, *kraːs, “great”), 嘏 (OC *kraːʔ, “great”) and 廈 (OC *sraːs, *ɡraːʔ, “big house”) (Wang, 1980). Shi (2000) and Mair (2013) relate this word to Tibetan རྒྱ (rgya, “great; wide; width; size; expanse; China”).

“magnificent colours; variegated”

The sense “variegated” may be of a different origin. Compare Proto-Sino-Tibetan *Krā(H) (“variegated”) (Starostin), whence Tibetan བཀྲ (bkra, “variegated; bright; radiant; splendid”), Tibetan ཁྲ (khra, “many-coloured; variegated; mottled; striped”) and Burmese ကျား (kya:, “variegated; striped; chequered”). Possibly related to 騢 (OC *ɡraː, “horse with mixed red and white colour”).

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): xià (xia⁴)

  (Zhuyin): ㄒㄧㄚˋ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): haa⁶
• Hakka (Sixian, PFS): ha
• Eastern Min (BUC): hâ
• Southern Min

  (Hokkien, POJ): hā / hēe

  (Teochew, Peng'im): hê⁷

• Wu (Wugniu)
  • (Northern): ⁶gho; ⁶ya

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: xià
    • Zhuyin: ㄒㄧㄚˋ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: sià
    • Wade–Giles: hsia⁴
    • Yale: syà
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: shiah
    • Palladius: ся (sja)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ɕi̯ä⁵¹/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
    • Jyutping: haa⁶
    • Yale: hah
    • Cantonese Pinyin: haa⁶
    • Guangdong Romanization: ha⁶
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /haː²²/
• Hakka
  • (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Meinong)
    • Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: ha
    • Hakka Romanization System: ha
    • Hagfa Pinyim: ha⁴
    • Sinological IPA: /ha⁵⁵/
• Eastern Min
  • (Fuzhou)
    • Bàng-uâ-cê: hâ
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /hɑ²⁴²/
• Southern Min
  • (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, General Taiwanese)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: hā
    • Tâi-lô: hā
    • Phofsit Daibuun: ha
    • IPA (Taipei, Kaohsiung): /ha³³/
    • IPA (Quanzhou): /ha⁴¹/
    • IPA (Xiamen): /ha²²/
  • (Hokkien: Zhangzhou)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: hēe
    • Tâi-lô: hēe
    • IPA (Zhangzhou): /hɛ²²/
  • (Teochew)
    • Peng'im: hê⁷
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: hē
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /he¹¹/
• Wu
  • (Shanghai):
    • Wugniu: ⁶gho; ⁶ya
    • MiniDict: gho^去; ya^去
    • Wiktionary Romanisation (Shanghai): ³hho; ³hhia
    • Sinological IPA (Shanghai): /ɦo²³/, /ɦia²³/

Note:

• 3hho - vernacular;
• 3hhia - literary.

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• Middle Chinese: haeX

Rime
Character	夏
Reading #	1/2
Initial (聲)	匣 (33)
Final (韻)	麻 (98)
Tone (調)	Rising (X)
Openness (開合)	Open
Division (等)	II
Fanqie	胡雅切
Baxter	haeX
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/ɦˠaX/
Pan Wuyun	/ɦᵚaX/
Shao Rongfen	/ɣaX/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/ɦaɨX/
Li Rong	/ɣaX/
Wang Li	/ɣaX/
Bernard Karlgren	/ɣaX/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	xià
Expected Cantonese Reflex	haa6

• Old Chinese

  (Baxter–Sagart): /*[ɢ]ˤraʔ/

  (Zhengzhang): /*ɡraːʔ/

Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character	夏
Reading #	1/2
Modern Beijing (Pinyin)	xià
Middle Chinese	‹ hæX ›
Old Chinese	/*[ɢ]ˁraʔ/
English	great; pertaining to Chinese civilization
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	夏
Reading #	1/2
No.	13452
Phonetic component	夏
Rime group	魚
Rime subdivision	0
Corresponding MC rime	下
Old Chinese	/*ɡraːʔ/

Definitions

(deprecated template usage) 夏

1. (～朝) (historical) the Xia dynasty (2070 BCE – 1600 BCE)
2. ^† (by extension) China; Chinese
3. ^† great; grand; magnificent
4. ^† magnificent colours; resplendent colours; variegated
5. ^† (deprecated template usage) Alternative form of 廈／厦 (shà, “big house”).
6. a surname

Synonyms

• (the Xia dynasty):

(deprecated template usage)

• 夏代 (Xiàdài)
• 夏后 (Xiàhòu)
• 夏后氏 (Xiàhòushì)
• 夏朝 (Xiàcháo)
• 夏氏 (Xiàshì)
• 夏王朝 (Xià Wángcháo)

 

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 C.E.	Western Han 西漢／西汉
		Xin 新 (～朝)
		Eastern Han 東漢／东汉
Three Kingdoms 三國／三国	220 – 280 C.E.	Wei 魏
		Shu Han 蜀漢／蜀汉
		Wu 吳／吴
Jin 晉／晋 (～朝, ～代)	265 – 420 C.E.	Western Jin 西晉／西晋
		Eastern Jin 東晉／东晋
Southern and Northern dynasties 南北朝	420 – 589 C.E.	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 C.E.
Tang 唐 (～朝, ～代)	618 – 907 C.E.
Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms 五代十國／五代十国	907 – 960 C.E.
Liao 遼／辽 (～朝, ～代)	907 – 1125 C.E.
Song 宋 (～朝, ～代)	960 – 1279 C.E.	Northern Song 北宋
		Southern Song 南宋
Western Xia 西夏	1038 – 1227 C.E.
Jin 金 (～朝, ～代)	1115 – 1234 C.E.
Western Liao 西遼／西辽	1124 – 1218 C.E.
Yuan 元 (～朝, ～代)	1271 – 1368 C.E.
Ming 明 (～朝, ～代)	1368 – 1644 C.E.
Qing 清 (～朝, ～代)	1636 – 1912 C.E.

Etymology 2

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): xià (xia⁴)

  (Zhuyin): ㄒㄧㄚˋ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): haa⁶
• Hakka (Sixian, PFS): ha
• Eastern Min (BUC): hâ
• Southern Min

  (Hokkien, POJ): hē / hā / hēe

  (Teochew, Peng'im): hê⁷

• Wu (Wugniu)
  • (Northern): ⁶gho; ⁶ya

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: xià
    • Zhuyin: ㄒㄧㄚˋ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: sià
    • Wade–Giles: hsia⁴
    • Yale: syà
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: shiah
    • Palladius: ся (sja)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ɕi̯ä⁵¹/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
    • Jyutping: haa⁶
    • Yale: hah
    • Cantonese Pinyin: haa⁶
    • Guangdong Romanization: ha⁶
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /haː²²/
• Hakka
  • (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Meinong)
    • Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: ha
    • Hakka Romanization System: ha
    • Hagfa Pinyim: ha⁴
    • Sinological IPA: /ha⁵⁵/
• Eastern Min
  • (Fuzhou)
    • Bàng-uâ-cê: hâ
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /hɑ²⁴²/
• Southern Min
  • (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, General Taiwanese)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: hē
    • Tâi-lô: hē
    • Phofsit Daibuun: he
    • IPA (Xiamen): /he²²/
    • IPA (Quanzhou): /he⁴¹/
    • IPA (Taipei, Kaohsiung): /he³³/
  • (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, General Taiwanese)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: hā
    • Tâi-lô: hā
    • Phofsit Daibuun: ha
    • IPA (Taipei, Kaohsiung): /ha³³/
    • IPA (Quanzhou): /ha⁴¹/
    • IPA (Xiamen): /ha²²/
  • (Hokkien: Zhangzhou)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: hēe
    • Tâi-lô: hēe
    • IPA (Zhangzhou): /hɛ²²/

Note:

• hē/hēe - vernacular;
• hā/hēe - literary.

• (Teochew)
  • Peng'im: hê⁷
  • Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: hē
  • Sinological IPA ^(key): /he¹¹/
• Wu
  • (Shanghai):
    • Wugniu: ⁶gho; ⁶ya
    • MiniDict: gho^去; ya^去
    • Wiktionary Romanisation (Shanghai): ³hho; ³hhia
    • Sinological IPA (Shanghai): /ɦo²³/, /ɦia²³/

Note:

• 3hho - vernacular;
• 3hhia - literary.

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• Middle Chinese: haeH

Rime
Character	夏
Reading #	2/2
Initial (聲)	匣 (33)
Final (韻)	麻 (98)
Tone (調)	Departing (H)
Openness (開合)	Open
Division (等)	II
Fanqie	胡駕切
Baxter	haeH
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/ɦˠaH/
Pan Wuyun	/ɦᵚaH/
Shao Rongfen	/ɣaH/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/ɦaɨH/
Li Rong	/ɣaH/
Wang Li	/ɣaH/
Bernard Karlgren	/ɣaH/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	xià
Expected Cantonese Reflex	haa6

• Old Chinese

  (Baxter–Sagart): /*[ɡ]ˤraʔ/

  (Zhengzhang): /*ɡraːs/

Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character	夏
Reading #	2/2
Modern Beijing (Pinyin)	xià
Middle Chinese	‹ hæH ›
Old Chinese	/*[ɡ]ˁraʔ/ (~ *[ɡ]ˁraʔ-s)
English	summer
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	夏
Reading #	2/2
No.	13454
Phonetic component	夏
Rime group	魚
Rime subdivision	0
Corresponding MC rime	暇
Old Chinese	/*ɡraːs/

Definitions

(deprecated template usage) 夏

1. summer (season)

See also

Seasons in Mandarin · 四季 (sìjì, “four seasons”) (layout · text) · category
春 (chūn, “spring”)	夏 (xià, “summer”)	秋 (qiū, “fall; autumn”)	冬 (dōng, “winter”)

Etymology 3

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): jiǎ (jia³)

  (Zhuyin): ㄐㄧㄚˇ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): gaa²

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: jiǎ
    • Zhuyin: ㄐㄧㄚˇ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: jiǎ
    • Wade–Giles: chia³
    • Yale: jyǎ
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: jea
    • Palladius: цзя (czja)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡ɕi̯ä²¹⁴/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
    • Jyutping: gaa²
    • Yale: gá
    • Cantonese Pinyin: gaa²
    • Guangdong Romanization: ga²
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kaː³⁵/

Definitions

(deprecated template usage) 夏

1. ^† (deprecated template usage) Alternative form of 檟／槚 (jiǎ).
2. Used in 陽夏／阳夏.

References

• “夏”, in 漢語多功能字庫 (Multi-function Chinese Character Database)‎^[1], 香港中文大學 (the Chinese University of Hong Kong), 2014–

(deprecated template usage)

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Japanese

Kanji

夏

(grade 2 “Kyōiku” kanji)

1. summer
2. Xia dynasty
3. China

Readings

• Go-on: げ (ge, Jōyō ^†)
• Kan-on: か (ka, Jōyō)
• Kun: なつ (natsu, 夏, Jōyō)

Compounds

Compounds

• 華夏(かか) (Kaka)
• 夏時(げし) (geshi)
• 夏朝(かちょう) (Kachō, “Xia Dynasty”)
• 夏炉冬扇(かろとうせん) (karotōsen, “summer fires, winter fans; useless things”)
• 夏至(げし) (geshi)
• 夏臘(げろう), 夏﨟(げろう) (gerō)
• 昨夏(さっか) (sakka, “last summer”)
• 春夏秋冬(しゅんかしゅうとう) (shunkashūtō)
• 初夏(しょか) (shoka, “beginning summer”)
• 消夏(しょうか), 銷夏(しょうか) (shōka)
• 盛夏(せいか) (seika)
• 冬扇夏炉(とうせんかろ) (tōsenkaro)
• 晩夏(ばんか) (banka, “ending summer”)
• 孟夏(もうか) (mōka)
• 立夏(りっか) (rikka, “first day of summer”)
• 冷夏(れいか) (reika)
• 解夏(げげ) (gege)
• 結(けつ)夏(げ) (ketsuge)
• 半夏(はんげ) (hange)

Etymology 1

Kanji in this term
夏
なつ Grade: 2
kun’yomi

/natu/ → /nat͡su/

From Old Japanese.

Noun

夏(なつ) • (natsu) 

1. summer (season)

   Synonym: 夏季, 夏期 (kaki)

   Hyponyms: 初夏, 真夏

Derived terms

Derived terms

• 夏(ナツ)茜(アカネ) (natsuakane)
• 夏(なつ)井(い) (Natsui)
• 夏犬(なついぬ) (natsuinu)
• 夏(なつ)鶯(うぐいす) (natsu uguisu)
• 夏瓜(ナツウリ) (natsuuri)
• 夏帯(なつおび) (natsuobi)
• 夏草(なつくさ) (natsukusa)
• 夏(ナツ)茱萸(グミ), 夏(ナツ)胡頽子(グミ) (natsugumi)
• 夏越(なご)しの祓(はらえ) (Nagoshi no Harae), 夏越(なご)し (Nagoshi)
• 夏蝉(なつぜみ) (natsuzemi)
• 夏鳥(なつどり) (natsudori)
• 夏(なつ)場(ば) (natsuba, “summertime”)
• 夏深(なつふか)し (natsufukashi)
• 夏(なつ)祭(まつり), 夏祭(なつまつ)り (natsu-matsuri)
• 棗(ナツメ) (natsume, “jujube”)
• 夏(なつ)休(やすみ), 夏休(なつやす)み (natsuyasumi, “summer break”)
• 夏山(なつやま) (natsuyama)
• 夏(なつ)の大三角(だいさんかく) (Natsu no Daisankaku), 夏(なつ)の大三角形(だいさんかっけい) (Natsu no Daisankakkei)
• 常夏(とこなつ) (tokonatsu)
• 真(ま)夏(なつ) (manatsu, “midsummer”)
• 翌夏(よくなつ) (yokunatsu, “next summer”)

Proverbs

• 夏(なつ)歌(うた)う者(もの)は冬(ふゆ)泣(な)く (natsu utau mono wa fuyu naku)
• 夏(なつ)の小(こ)袖(そで) (natsu no kosode)
• 夏(なつ)も小(こ)袖(そで) (natsu mo kosode)

See also

Seasons in Japanese · 四(し)季(き) (shiki, “four seasons”) (layout · text) · category
春(はる) (haru, “spring”) 春(しゅん)季(き) (shunki, “spring”) 春(しゅん)期(き) (shunki, “spring period”)	夏(なつ) (natsu, “summer”) 夏(か)季(き) (kaki, “summer”) 夏(か)期(き) (kaki, “summer period”)	秋(あき) (aki, “fall; autumn”) 秋(しゅう)季(き) (shūki, “fall; autumn”) 秋(しゅう)期(き) (shūki, “fall period”)	冬(ふゆ) (fuyu, “winter”) 冬(とう)季(き) (tōki, “winter”) 冬(とう)期(き) (tōki, “winter period”)

Proper noun

夏(なつ) • (Natsu) 

1. a female given name

Etymology 2

Kanji in this term
夏
げ Grade: 2
goon

From Middle Chinese 夏 (MC haeH). The goon reading, so likely the initial borrowing.

Also used in the Man'yōshū (759 CE) as 借音 (shakuon) kana for ⟨ge₁⟩.

Noun

夏(げ) • (ge) 

1. (Buddhism) summer according to the lunisolar calendar; the ninety days starting from the sixteenth day of the fourth month until the fifteenth day of the seventh month

Derived terms

• 夏(げ)解(あき), 夏明(げあ)き (geaki)
• 夏安居(げあんご) (geango)

See also

• 安居(あんご) (ango)

Etymology 3

Kanji in this term
夏
か Grade: 2
kan’on

From Middle Chinese 夏 (MC haeX).

The kan'on reading, so likely a later borrowing.

Proper noun

夏(か) • (Ka) 

1. the Xia dynasty (first dynasty of China)
2. Short for 大夏 (Daika): Xia, one of the Sixteen Kingdoms
3. Short for 西夏 (Seika): Western Xia, an empire during the Song dynasty
5. a male or female given name

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Korean

Hanja

夏 • (ha) (hangeul 하, revised ha, McCune–Reischauer ha)

1. summer

Compounds

• 하복 (habok)(夏服) summer clothes
• 하계 (hagye)(夏季) summer season
• 금하 (geumha)(今夏) this(今) summer
• 동충하초 (dongchunghacho)(冬蟲夏草) Cordyceps
• 춘하추동 (chunhachudong)(春夏秋冬) four seasons
• 하절 (hajeol)(夏節) summer season

See also

• 春 - spring
• 秋 - fall
• 冬 - winter

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Vietnamese

Han character

(deprecated template usage) 夏 (hạ, hè)

1. summer