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electricity

HSK 10 N4
diàn
デン
Depicts lightning (申) during a rainstorm (雨).
Components
rain+ express =
electricity
Meaning component
rain
Phonetic component
shēn express
to state to a superior, report
Depicts lightning.
View phonetic series →
Notes
Historical Evolution
Bronze Late Western Zhou (~800 BC)
Bronze
Late Western Zhou (~800 BC)
Seal Chu (Warring States: 475-221 BC)
Seal
Chu (Warring States: 475-221 BC)
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Seal
Shuowen (~100 AD)
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Seal
Shuowen (~100 AD)
Seal Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
Seal
Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
Clerical
Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
Clerical
Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
Regular
Modern
Chinese
/ [diàn]
lightning; electricity; electric (bound form); to get (or give) an electric shock; phone call or telegram etc; to send via telephone or telegram etc
Japanese
稲妻 (rare) いなずま いなづま 同音
noun lightning; flash of lightning; lightning bolt
Example Sentences
Japanese Names
でん
Den female given namesurname
とうそえ
Tousoe unclassified name
とうだ
Touda unclassified name
ひかり
Hikari unclassified name
ひかる
Hikaru female given name