焉

焉 U+7109, 焉 CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-7109 ← 焈 [U+7108] CJK Unified Ideographs 焊 → [U+710A]

Translingual

Han character

焉 (Kangxi radical 86, 火+7, 11 strokes, cangjie input 一卜中火 (MYLF), four-corner 1032₇, composition ⿱正⿹⿺㇉一灬)

Derived characters

• 傿, 嘕, 墕, 嫣, 㥼, 𢳃, 漹, 𨻳, 㯊, 𣩙, 𤎄, 𭿖, 䗡, 𧽞, 鄢, 蔫, 篶

References

• Kangxi Dictionary: page 672, character 21
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 19076
• Dae Jaweon: page 1081, character 4
• Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 3, page 2206, character 14
• Unihan data for U+7109

Chinese

simp. and trad.		焉
alternative forms		𤇟 𩾏 𭭘 𱪷 𱪽 𤇟 𩾏 𭭘 𱪷 𱪽 𱫃 𲋵

Glyph origin

Historical forms of the character 焉
Warring States		Shuowen Jiezi (compiled in Han)
Bronze inscriptions	Qin slip script	Small seal script

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

	Old Chinese
嘕	*qʰran
嫣	*qʰran, *qran, *qranʔ, *qans
焉	*qran, *ɢan, *qan
鄢	*qran, *qanʔ, *qans
蔫	*qran, *qan
漹	*ɢan, *qans
傿	*qans

Possibly phono-semantic compound (形聲 / 形声, OC *qran, *ɢan, *qan): phonetic 正 (OC *tjeŋ, *tjeŋs) + semantic 鳥 (“bird”) ― a kind of bird.

Etymology

“in it; on it; here”

From 於 (OC *qa) + *-n (“demonstrative suffix”), an element equivalent to 之 (“him; her; it”) (Schuessler, 2007; Pulleyblank, 1995). Smith, 2012 identifies this latter element as 是 (OC *djeʔ), with d canonicalized to n in coda. Compare 爰 (OC *ɢʷan).

“where; how”

Probably a variant of 安 (OC *qaːn, “where; how”) (Schuessler, 2007).

Pronunciation 1

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): yān (yan¹)

  (Zhuyin): ㄧㄢ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): jin⁴
• Eastern Min (BUC): iòng
• Southern Min (Hokkien, POJ): ian / iàn

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: yān
    • Zhuyin: ㄧㄢ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: yan
    • Wade–Giles: yen¹
    • Yale: yān
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: ian
    • Palladius: янь (janʹ)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /jɛn⁵⁵/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong–Macau)
    • Jyutping: jin⁴
    • Yale: yìhn
    • Cantonese Pinyin: jin⁴
    • Guangdong Romanization: yin⁴
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /jiːn²¹/
• Eastern Min
  • (Fuzhou)
    • Bàng-uâ-cê: iòng
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /yoŋ⁵³/
• Southern Min
  • (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, General Taiwanese)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: ian
    • Tâi-lô: ian
    • Phofsit Daibuun: iefn
    • IPA (Quanzhou): /iɛn³³/
    • IPA (Xiamen, Zhangzhou, Taipei, Kaohsiung): /iɛn⁴⁴/
  • (Hokkien: variant in Taiwan)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: iàn
    • Tâi-lô: iàn
    • Phofsit Daibuun: iexn
    • IPA (Kaohsiung): /iɛn²¹/
    • IPA (Taipei): /iɛn¹¹/

---

• Middle Chinese: hjen

Rime
Character	焉
Reading #	3/3
Initial (聲)	云 (35)
Final (韻)	仙 (79)
Tone (調)	Level (Ø)
Openness (開合)	Open
Division (等)	III
Fanqie	有乾切
Baxter	hjen
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/ɦˠiᴇn/
Pan Wuyun	/ɦᵚiɛn/
Shao Rongfen	/ɣiæn/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/ɦian/
Li Rong	/ɣjɛn/
Wang Li	/ɣĭɛn/
Bernhard Karlgren	/i̯ɛn/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	yán
Expected Cantonese Reflex	jin4

• Old Chinese

  (Baxter–Sagart): /*[ʔ]a[n]/

  (Zhengzhang): /*ɢan/

Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character	焉
Reading #	2/2
Modern Beijing (Pinyin)	yān
Middle Chinese	‹ hjen ›
Old Chinese	/*[ʔ]a[n]/ (atonic)
English	(3p locative pronoun)
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	焉
Reading #	2/3
No.	14232
Phonetic component	焉
Rime group	元
Rime subdivision	1
Corresponding MC rime	漹
Old Chinese	/*ɢan/

Definitions

焉

1. (obsolete on its own in Standard Chinese) a kind of yellow bird, found around the Yangtze and Huai Rivers
2. (obsolete on its own in Standard Chinese) in it; on it; to it; from it; by it; than it; here

   • 眾惡之，必察焉；眾好之，必察焉。 [Traditional Chinese poetry, trad.]
     众恶之，必察焉；众好之，必察焉。 [Traditional Chinese poetry, simp.]

     From: The Analects of Confucius, c. 475 – 221 BCE, translated based on James Legge's version

     Zhòng wù zhī, bì chá yān; zhòng hào zhī, bì chá yān. [Pinyin]

     When the multitude hate a man, it is necessary to examine into the case. When the multitude like a man, it is necessary to examine into the case.

   • 晉國，天下莫強焉。 [Traditional Chinese poetry, trad.]
     晋国，天下莫强焉。 [Traditional Chinese poetry, simp.]

     From: Mencius, c. 4^th century BCE

     Jìnguó, tiānxià mò qiáng yān. [Pinyin]

     As for Jin, in this world there used to be no country stronger than it.

   • 余甚惑焉。 [Traditional Chinese poetry, trad. and simp.]

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

     Yú shèn huò yān. [Pinyin]

     I feel much perplexed by this.

3. (obsolete on its own in Standard Chinese) Final modal particle, used to show a particular state or express affirmation, doubt or exclamation.

   Synonyms: 哉 (zāi), 乎

   • 此何以稱焉？ [Traditional Chinese poetry, trad.]
     此何以称焉？ [Traditional Chinese poetry, simp.]

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

     Cǐ hé yǐ chēng yān? [Pinyin]

     How would one explain it?

Pronunciation 2

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): yān (yan¹)

  (Zhuyin): ㄧㄢ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): jin¹
• Eastern Min (BUC): iŏng
• Southern Min (Hokkien, POJ): ian / iàn

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: yān
    • Zhuyin: ㄧㄢ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: yan
    • Wade–Giles: yen¹
    • Yale: yān
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: ian
    • Palladius: янь (janʹ)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /jɛn⁵⁵/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong–Macau)
    • Jyutping: jin¹
    • Yale: yīn
    • Cantonese Pinyin: jin¹
    • Guangdong Romanization: yin¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /jiːn⁵⁵/
• Eastern Min
  • (Fuzhou)
    • Bàng-uâ-cê: iŏng
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /yoŋ⁵⁵/
• Southern Min
  • (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, General Taiwanese)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: ian
    • Tâi-lô: ian
    • Phofsit Daibuun: iefn
    • IPA (Quanzhou): /iɛn³³/
    • IPA (Xiamen, Zhangzhou, Taipei, Kaohsiung): /iɛn⁴⁴/
  • (Hokkien: variant in Taiwan)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: iàn
    • Tâi-lô: iàn
    • Phofsit Daibuun: iexn
    • IPA (Kaohsiung): /iɛn²¹/
    • IPA (Taipei): /iɛn¹¹/

---

• Middle Chinese: 'jen, 'jon

Rime
Character	焉	焉
Reading #	2/3	1/3
Initial (聲)	影 (34)	影 (34)
Final (韻)	仙 (79)	元 (65)
Tone (調)	Level (Ø)	Level (Ø)
Openness (開合)	Open	Open
Division (等)	III	III
Fanqie	於乾切	謁言切
Baxter	'jen	'jon
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/ʔˠiᴇn/	/ʔɨɐn/
Pan Wuyun	/ʔᵚiɛn/	/ʔiɐn/
Shao Rongfen	/ʔiæn/	/ʔiɐn/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/ʔian/	/ʔɨan/
Li Rong	/ʔjɛn/	/ʔiɐn/
Wang Li	/ĭɛn/	/ĭɐn/
Bernhard Karlgren	/ʔi̯ɛn/	/ʔɨ̯ɐn/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	yān	yān
Expected Cantonese Reflex	jin1	jin1

• Old Chinese

  (Baxter–Sagart): /*ʔa[n]/

  (Zhengzhang): /*qan/, /*qran/

Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character	焉
Reading #	1/2
Modern Beijing (Pinyin)	yān
Middle Chinese	‹ ʔjen ›
Old Chinese	/*ʔa[n]/
English	how
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	焉	焉
Reading #	3/3	1/3
No.	14235	14227
Phonetic component	焉	焉
Rime group	元	元
Rime subdivision	1	1
Corresponding MC rime	蔫	焉
Old Chinese	/*qan/	/*qran/

Definitions

焉

1. (obsolete on its own in Standard Chinese, interrogative) how? why? where? when?
   • 焉知非福？ [Classical Chinese]  ―  Yān zhī fēi fú? [Pinyin]  ―  How could one have known that it would not be fortuitous?
2. (obsolete on its own in Standard Chinese) thereupon; therefore; then

   • 聖人以治天下為事者也，必知亂之所自起，焉能治之，不知亂之所自起，則不能治。 [Traditional Chinese poetry, trad.]
     圣人以治天下为事者也，必知乱之所自起，焉能治之，不知乱之所自起，则不能治。 [Traditional Chinese poetry, simp.]

     From: Mozi, c. 4^th century BCE

     Shèngrén yǐ zhì tiānxià wéi shì zhě yě, bì zhī luàn zhī suǒ zì qǐ, yān néng zhì zhī, bù zhī luàn zhī suǒ zì qǐ, zé bù néng zhì. [Pinyin]

     The wise man who has charge of governing the empire should know the cause of disorder before he can put it in order. Unless he knows its cause, he cannot regulate it.

Compounds

• 下焉者 (xiàyānzhě)
• 少焉
• 心不在焉 (xīnbùzàiyān)
• 心焉如割
• 於焉 / 于焉
• 殺雞焉用牛刀 / 杀鸡焉用牛刀 (shā jī yān yòng niúdāo)
• 烏焉成馬 / 乌焉成马
• 焉得
• 焉支山
• 焉爾 / 焉尔
• 焉知 (yānzhī)
• 焉能 (yānnéng)
• 終焉 / 终焉
• 終焉之志 / 终焉之志
• 罪莫大焉
• 與有榮焉 / 与有荣焉 (yǔyǒuróngyān)
• 語焉不詳 / 语焉不详 (yǔyānbùxiáng)

References

• Dictionary of Chinese Character Variants (教育部異體字字典), A02409
• “焉”, in 漢語多功能字庫 (Multi-function Chinese Character Database)‎, 香港中文大學 (the Chinese University of Hong Kong), 2014–