威

威 U+5A01, 威 CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-5A01 ← 娀 [U+5A00] CJK Unified Ideographs 娂 → [U+5A02]

Translingual

Stroke order

Mainland China, Hong Kong, and Japan (Swap strokes 9 and 8 for Taiwan.)

Han character

威 (Kangxi radical 38, 女+6, 9 strokes, cangjie input 戈竹一女 (IHMV), four-corner 5320₀, composition ⿵戌女)

Derived characters

• 喴, 㙎, 媙, 揻, 隇, 楲, 縅, 蝛, 鰄, 崴, 葳

Additional Derived Characters

• 𠋘, 𫶆, 𱞪, 𣸵, 𮞩, 𥔃, 𦩬, 𨩆, 𨜠, 𦞏, 𱢏, 𬕚

References

• Kangxi Dictionary: page 261, character 24
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 6259
• Dae Jaweon: page 527, character 27
• Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 2, page 1404, character 1
• Unihan data for U+5A01

Chinese

Glyph origin

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

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

	Old Chinese
崴	*qruːl
威	*qul
葳	*qul
隇	*qul
蝛	*qul
鰄	*qul
楲	*qul

Ideogrammic compound (會意 / 会意): 戌 + 女.

Etymology 1

trad.		威
simp. #		威

畏 (OC *quls, “to fear”) is the exoactive derivation of 威 (OC *qul, “to overawe”), literally "to be intimidated" (Schuessler, 2007). In early writing, the character for 畏 was sometimes used directly as a substitute of 威 (wēi) (e.g. in the Da Yu ding inscription).

鬼 (OC *kulʔ, “ghost”) is a derivation (Baxter and Sagart, 1998).

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Standard)

  (Pinyin): wēi (wei¹)

  (Zhuyin): ㄨㄟ

  (Chengdu, Sichuanese Pinyin): wei¹

  (Xi'an, Guanzhong Pinyin): wěi

  (Nanjing, Nanjing Pinyin): wèi

• Cantonese

  (Guangzhou–Hong Kong, Jyutping): wai¹

  (Taishan, Wiktionary): vei¹

• Gan (Wiktionary): ui¹
• Hakka

  (Sixian, PFS): vî

  (Hailu, HRS): vui^ˋ

  (Meixian, Guangdong): vi¹

• Jin (Wiktionary): vei¹
• Northern Min (KCR): ṳ́
• Eastern Min (BUC): ŭi
• Puxian Min (Pouseng Ping'ing): ui¹
• Southern Min

  (Hokkien, POJ): ui

  (Teochew, Peng'im): ui¹

• Wu (Shanghai, Wugniu): ¹ue
• Xiang (Changsha, Wiktionary): uei¹

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: wēi
    • Zhuyin: ㄨㄟ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: wei
    • Wade–Giles: wei¹
    • Yale: wēi
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: uei
    • Palladius: вэй (vɛj)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /weɪ̯⁵⁵/
  • (Chengdu)
    • Sichuanese Pinyin: wei¹
    • Scuanxua Ladinxua Xin Wenz: ui
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /uei⁵⁵/
  • (Xi'an)
    • Guanzhong Pinyin: wěi
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /uei²¹/
  • (Nanjing)
    • Nanjing Pinyin: wèi
    • Nanjing Pinyin (numbered): wei¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /uəi³¹/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
    • Jyutping: wai¹
    • Yale: wāi
    • Cantonese Pinyin: wai¹
    • Guangdong Romanization: wei¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /wɐi̯⁵⁵/
  • (Taishanese, Taicheng)
    • Wiktionary: vei¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /vei³³/
• Gan
  • (Nanchang)
    • Wiktionary: ui¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ui⁴²/
• Hakka
  • (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Neipu)
    • Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: vî
    • Hakka Romanization System: vi^ˊ
    • Hagfa Pinyim: vi¹
    • Sinological IPA: /vi²⁴/
  • (Hailu, incl. Zhudong)
    • Hakka Romanization System: vui^ˋ
    • Sinological IPA: /vui⁵³/
  • (Meixian)
    • Guangdong: vi¹
    • Sinological IPA: /ʋi⁴⁴/
• Jin
  • (Taiyuan)⁺
    • Wiktionary: vei¹
    • Sinological IPA (old-style): /vei¹¹/
• Northern Min
  • (Jian'ou)
    • Kienning Colloquial Romanized: ṳ́
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /y⁵⁴/
• Eastern Min
  • (Fuzhou)
    • Bàng-uâ-cê: ŭi
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ui⁵⁵/
• Puxian Min
  • (Putian)
    • Pouseng Ping'ing: ui¹
    • Báⁿ-uā-ci̍: ui
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ui⁵³³/
  • (Xianyou)
    • Pouseng Ping'ing: ui¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ui⁵⁴⁴/
• Southern Min
  • (Hokkien)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: ui
    • Tâi-lô: ui
    • Phofsit Daibuun: uy
    • Sinological IPA (Xiamen): /ui⁴⁴/
    • Sinological IPA (Quanzhou): /ui³³/
    • Sinological IPA (Zhangzhou): /ui⁴⁴/
    • Sinological IPA (Taipei): /ui⁴⁴/
    • Sinological IPA (Kaohsiung): /ui⁴⁴/
  • (Teochew)
    • Peng'im: ui¹
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: ui
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ui³³/
• Wu
  • (Northern: Shanghai)
    • Wugniu: ¹ue
    • MiniDict: ue^平
    • Wiktionary Romanisation (Shanghai): ¹ue
    • Sinological IPA (Shanghai): /ue⁵³/
• Xiang
  • (Changsha)
    • Wiktionary: uei¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /u̯e̞i̯³³/

---

• Dialectal data

Variety	Location	edit 威
Mandarin	Beijing	/uei⁵⁵/
	Harbin	/uei⁴⁴/
	Tianjin	/vei²¹/
	Jinan	/vei²¹³/
	Qingdao	/ve²¹³/
	Zhengzhou	/uei²⁴/
	Xi'an	/uei²¹/
	Xining	/uɨ⁴⁴/
	Yinchuan	/vei⁴⁴/
	Lanzhou	/vei³¹/
	Ürümqi	/vei⁴⁴/
	Wuhan	/uei⁵⁵/
	Chengdu	/uei⁵⁵/
	Guiyang	/uei⁵⁵/
	Kunming	/uei⁴⁴/
	Nanjing	/uəi³¹/
	Hefei	/ue²¹/
Jin	Taiyuan	/vei¹¹/
	Pingyao	/uei¹³/
	Hohhot	/vei³¹/
Wu	Shanghai	/ue⁵³/
	Suzhou	/ue̞⁵⁵/
	Hangzhou	/ʔui³³/
	Wenzhou	/v̠u³³/
Hui	Shexian	/ue³¹/
	Tunxi	/ue¹¹/
Xiang	Changsha	/uei³³/
	Xiangtan	/uəi³³/
Gan	Nanchang	/ui⁴²/
Hakka	Meixian	/vi⁴⁴/
	Taoyuan	/vui²⁴/
Cantonese	Guangzhou	/wɐi⁵³/
	Nanning	/wɐi⁵⁵/
	Hong Kong	/wɐi⁵⁵/
Min	Xiamen (Hokkien)	/ui⁵⁵/
	Fuzhou (Eastern Min)	/uoi⁴⁴/
	Jian'ou (Northern Min)	/y⁵⁴/
	Shantou (Teochew)	/ui³³/
	Haikou (Hainanese)	/ui²³/ /ui³⁵/ 俗

---

• Middle Chinese: 'jw+j

Rime
Character	威
Reading #	1/1
Initial (聲)	影 (34)
Final (韻)	微 (21)
Tone (調)	Level (Ø)
Openness (開合)	Closed
Division (等)	III
Fanqie	於非切
Baxter	'jw+j
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/ʔʉi/
Pan Wuyun	/ʔʷɨi/
Shao Rongfen	/ʔiuəi/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/ʔuj/
Li Rong	/ʔiuəi/
Wang Li	/ĭwəi/
Bernhard Karlgren	/ʔwe̯i/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	wēi
Expected Cantonese Reflex	wai1

• Old Chinese

  (Baxter–Sagart): /*ʔuj/

  (Zhengzhang): /*qul/

Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character	威
Reading #	1/1
Modern Beijing (Pinyin)	wēi
Middle Chinese	‹ ʔjwɨj ›
Old Chinese	/*ʔuj/
English	awe-inspiring
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	威
Reading #	1/1
No.	12789
Phonetic component	威
Rime group	微
Rime subdivision	2
Corresponding MC rime	威
Old Chinese	/*qul/

Definitions

威

1. pomp
2. power
3. powerful
4. to dominate; to display power

   • 弦木為弧，剡木為矢，弧矢之利，以威天下。 [Pre-Classical Chinese, trad.]
     弦木为弧，剡木为矢，弧矢之利，以威天下。 [Pre-Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: I Ching, 11^th – 8^th century BCE

     Xián mù wéi hú, yǎn mù wéi shǐ, hú shǐ zhī lì, yǐ wēi tiānxià. [Pinyin]

     They bent wood by means of string so as to form bows, and sharpened wood so as to make arrows. This gave the benefit of bows and arrows, and served to produce everywhere a feeling of awe.

5. (Cantonese) imposing; awe-inspiring
6. (Cantonese) to be imposing; to be awe-inspiring
7. a surname

Compounds

• 下車作威 / 下车作威
• 下馬威 / 下马威 (xiàmǎwēi)
• 不怒自威
• 伏威
• 伊威
• 作威作福 (zuòwēizuòfú)
• 作福作威
• 備受威脅 / 备受威胁
• 克倫威爾 / 克伦威尔 (Kèlúnwēi'ěr)
• 八面威風 / 八面威风 (bāmiànwēifēng)
• 兵威 (bīngwēi)
• 助威 (zhùwēi)
• 南威
• 史迪威 (Shǐdíwēi)
• 喊堂威
• 國威 / 国威 (guówēi)
• 地牛發威 / 地牛发威
• 夏威夷
• 夏威夷州
• 大發神威 / 大发神威
• 大顯威風 / 大显威风
• 天威 (tiānwēi)
• 奮威 / 奋威 (fènwēi)
• 奮武揚威 / 奋武扬威
• 威信 (wēixìn)
• 威信掃地 / 威信扫地
• 威儀 / 威仪 (wēiyí)
• 威儀孔時 / 威仪孔时
• 威克島 / 威克岛 (Wēikè Dǎo)
• 威力 (wēilì)
• 威勢 / 威势 (wēishì)
• 威化餅 / 威化饼 (wēihuàbǐng)
• 威名 (wēimíng)
• 威嚇 / 威吓
• 威嚴 / 威严 (wēiyán)
• 威士忌 (wēishìjì)
• 威妥瑪式 / 威妥玛式
• 威尼斯 (Wēinísī)
• 威廉 (Wēilián)
• 威德兼施
• 威悉河 (Wēixī Hé)
• 威振天下
• 威服
• 威望 (wēiwàng)
• 威權 / 威权 (wēiquán)
• 威武 (wēiwǔ)
• 威武不屈
• 威海 (Wēihǎi)
• 威海衛 / 威海卫 (Wēihǎiwèi)
• 威澤 / 威泽
• 威爾瑪 / 威尔玛
• 威爾遜 / 威尔逊 (Wēi'ěrxùn)
• 威猛 (wēiměng)
• 威瑪憲法 / 威玛宪法
• 威福 (wēifú)
• 威福由己
• 威福自己
• 威稜 / 威棱 (wēiléng)
• 威而不猛
• 威聲 / 威声
• 威脅 / 威胁 (wēixié)
• 威脅利誘 / 威胁利诱
• 威蕤
• 威迫 (wēipò)
• 威逼 (wēibī)
• 威逼利誘 / 威逼利诱 (wēibīlìyòu)
• 威重
• 威震 (wēizhèn)
• 威震八方
• 威震天下
• 威震寰宇
• 威靈 / 威灵
• 威靈頓 / 威灵顿 (Wēilíngdùn)
• 威風 / 威风 (wēifēng)
• 威風八面 / 威风八面
• 威風凜凜 / 威风凛凛 (wēifēnglǐnlǐn)
• 威鳳 / 威凤
• 威鳳一羽 / 威凤一羽
• 宣威 (Xuānwēi)
• 恩威並濟 / 恩威并济
• 恩威並用 / 恩威并用
• 恩威並著 / 恩威并著
• 恩威並行 / 恩威并行
• 恩威並重 / 恩威并重
• 懷德畏威 / 怀德畏威
• 打下馬威 / 打下马威
• 抑威餌敵 / 抑威饵敌
• 振威
• 挪威 (Nuówēi)
• 挪威王國 / 挪威王国
• 揚威 / 扬威 (yángwēi)
• 揚威耀武 / 扬威耀武
• 擅作威福
• 攝威擅勢 / 摄威擅势
• 施威
• 明威
• 杜威 (Dùwēi)
• 格林威治 (Gélínwēizhì)
• 權威 / 权威 (quánwēi)
• 權威管教 / 权威管教
• 武威 (Wǔwēi)
• 殺威棒 / 杀威棒
• 殺威風 / 杀威风
• 海明威 (Hǎimíngwēi)
• 淫威 (yínwēi)
• 漢官威儀 / 汉官威仪
• 狐假虎威 (hújiǎhǔwēi)
• 狐藉虎威 / 狐借虎威 (hújièhǔwēi)
• 狐虎之威
• 畏威懷德 / 畏威怀德
• 發威 / 发威 (fāwēi)
• 發威動怒 / 发威动怒
• 皇威 (huángwēi)
• 示威 (shìwēi)
• 示威遊行 / 示威游行
• 神威 (shénwēi)
• 祥麟威鳳 / 祥麟威凤
• 科威特 (Kēwēitè)
• 積威 / 积威
• 竊弄威權 / 窃弄威权
• 立威
• 耀武揚威 / 耀武扬威 (yàowǔ yángwēi)
• 耍威風 / 耍威风
• 聲威 / 声威 (shēngwēi)
• 聲威大震 / 声威大震 (shēngwēidàzhèn)
• 舉武揚威 / 举武扬威
• 草木知威
• 蓄銳養威 / 蓄锐养威
• 蘇拉威西 / 苏拉威西 (Sūlāwēixī)
• 虎威 (hǔwēi)
• 虎威狐假
• 蛜威
• 褚威格
• 赫斯之威
• 軍威 / 军威 (jūnwēi)
• 辛巴威 (Xīnbāwēi)
• 逞威風 / 逞威风
• 逞起威風 / 逞起威风
• 鈞威 / 钧威
• 開普威得 / 开普威得
• 閫威 / 阃威
• 雄威
• 雌威
• 霜威
• 霽威 / 霁威
• 養威蓄銳 / 养威蓄锐
• 養銳蓄威 / 养锐蓄威
• 餘威 / 余威 (yúwēi)
• 馬拉威 / 马拉威 (Mǎlāwēi)
• 鮑斯威爾 / 鲍斯威尔
• 龍威 / 龙威

Etymology 2

trad.		威
simp. #		威

Pronunciation

• Southern Min (Hokkien, POJ): ui

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• Southern Min
  • (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, General Taiwanese)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: ui
    • Tâi-lô: ui
    • Phofsit Daibuun: uy
    • Sinological IPA (Xiamen, Taipei, Kaohsiung): /ui⁴⁴/
    • Sinological IPA (Quanzhou): /ui³³/

Definitions

威

1. (Hokkien) alternative form of 揻 (ui, “to prick; to poke; to bore”)

   • 阿片無食脚手軟　無錢半步不出門　威空扒壁提來當　有錢歸冥燒到光 [Taiwanese Hokkien, trad.]
     阿片无食脚手软　无钱半步不出门　威空扒壁提来当　有钱归冥烧到光 [Taiwanese Hokkien, simp.]

     From: 1933, 勸改阿片新歌

     a-phiàn bô chia̍h kha-chhiú nńg, bô chîⁿ pòaⁿ pō͘ m̄ chhut-mn̂g, ui khang peh piah the̍h lâi tǹg, ū chîⁿ kui-mî sio kàu kng [Pe̍h-ōe-jī]

     If he does not smoke opium, his limbs are weak; without money, he does not go out for half a step. Boring holes and climbing walls, he takes [things] to pawn; with money, he smokes all night until dawn.

   • 2015, “天頂星”, 薇芯 (lyrics), 江紓雯 (music), performed by 秀蘭瑪雅:

     親像針一直威一直威入阮的心 [Taiwanese Hokkien, trad.]
     亲像针一直威一直威入阮的心 [Taiwanese Hokkien, simp.]

     chhin-chhiūⁿ chiam it-ti̍t ui it-ti̍t ui ji̍p gún ê sim [Pe̍h-ōe-jī]

     It is like a needle constantly poking, constantly poking into my heart

   • 2016, “月娘啊月娘”, 高以德 (lyrics), 吳靜慧 (music)‎^[1]performed by 鳳娘:

     怎樣放捨我　做你來離開　無緣作堆　心像針威 [Taiwanese Hokkien, trad.]
     怎样放舍我　做你来离开　无缘作堆　心像针威 [Taiwanese Hokkien, simp.]

     chóaⁿ-iūⁿ pàng-sak góa, chòe lí lâi lī-khui, bô-iân chòe-tui, sim chhiūⁿ chiam ui [Pe̍h-ōe-jī]

     How did you abandon me? I let you leave, We were not destined to be together, my heart is aching like a needle is pricking it

   • 2020, “霧中情”, 陳百潭 (lyrics), 陳百潭 (music)‎^[2]performed by 陳百潭 and 方千玉:

     海風青冷　吹著心若針威 [Taiwanese Hokkien, trad.]
     海风青冷　吹着心若针威 [Taiwanese Hokkien, simp.]

     hái-hong chhiⁿ-léng, chhoe-tio̍h sim ná chiam ui [Pe̍h-ōe-jī]

     The chilly breeze from the sea is blowing at my heart, as if a needle is pricking it

   • 2022, “落花 [luòhuā]”, 郭之儀 (lyrics), 鄭喬安 (music)‎^[3]performed by 林良歡:

     阮的心像針威塊滴血 [Taiwanese Hokkien, trad.]
     阮的心像针威块滴血 [Taiwanese Hokkien, simp.]

     gún ê sim chhiūⁿ chiam ui teh tih hoeh [Pe̍h-ōe-jī]

     My heart is like a needle is pricking it until it drips with blood

Japanese

Kanji

威

(Jōyō kanji)

Readings

• Go-on: い (i, Jōyō)^{←ゐ (wi, historical)}
• Kan-on: い (i, Jōyō)^{←ゐ (wi, historical)}
• Kun: おどす (odosu, 威す)、おどし (odoshi, 威し)、おどかす (odokasu, 威かす)
• Nanori: いさ (isa)、たけ (take)、たけし (takeshi)

Etymology

Kanji in this term
威
い Grade: S
on'yomi

/wi/ → /i/

From Middle Chinese 威 (MC 'jw+j).

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) い [íꜜ] (Atamadaka – [1])
• IPA^(key): [i]

Noun

威(い) • (i) ^{←ゐ (wi)?}

1. power; might; strength; authority

Affix

威(い) • (i) ^{←ゐ (wi)?}

1. power; might; strength; authority; dignity; majesty

Derived terms

• 威(い)力(りょく) (iryoku): power, might
• 威(い)勢(せい) (isei): spirits, power
• 威(い)張(ば)る (ibaru): put on airs, boast
• 権(けん)威(い) (ken'i): authority, power
• 示(じ)威(い) (jī): show of force
• 猛(もう)威(い) (mōi): fierceness, fury
• 球(きゅう)威(い)の有(あ)る投(とう)球(きゅう) (kyūi no aru tōkyū): powerful delivery
• 威(い)厳(げん) (igen): solemn dignity
• 威(い)風(ふう) (ifū): majesty, dignity
• 威(い)容(よう) (iyō): dignified appearance
• 威(い)儀(ぎ) (igi): dignity, dignified manner
• 威(い)信(しん) (ishin): prestige, dignity
• 威(い)圧(あつ) (iatsu): coercion, high-handedness
• 威(い)嚇(かく) (ikaku): intimidate, threaten
• 脅(きょう)威(い) (kyōi): threat, menace

Korean

Hanja

威 (eumhun 위엄 위 (wieom wi))

1. dignity

Compounds

• 위화도회군 (威化島回軍, wihwadohoegun)

Vietnamese

Han character

威: Hán Nôm readings: uy, oai

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