兮

兮 (Kangxi radical 12, 八+2, 4 strokes, cangjie input 金一女尸 (CMVS), four-corner 8020₇, composition ⿱八丂)

• Kangxi Dictionary: page 127, character 3
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 1455
• Dae Jaweon: page 283, character 2
• Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 1, page 241, character 6
• Unihan data for U+516E

Historical forms of the character 兮
Shang	Western Zhou	Shuowen Jiezi (compiled in Han)	Liushutong (compiled in Ming)
Oracle bone script	Bronze inscriptions	Small seal script	Transcribed ancient scripts
Oracle bone script j11575 j11576 j11577 j11578 j11579 j11580 j11581 j11582 j11583 j11584 j11585 Bronze inscriptions b07112 b07113 b07114 b07115 b07116 b07117 b07118 Small seal script s03508 Transcribed ancient scripts L02483 L02484 L02485
References: Mostly from Richard Sears' Chinese Etymology site (authorisation), which in turn draws data from various collections of ancient forms of Chinese characters, including: Shuowen Jiezi (small seal), Jinwen Bian (bronze inscriptions), Liushutong (Liushutong characters) and Yinxu Jiaguwen Bian (oracle bone script).

Originally the same character as 乎 (OC *ɢaː). The oracle bone form consists of 丂 (“fork in a tree”) and two vertical strokes above; the two strokes are parallel in most oracle bone attestations, possibly representing finer branches (i.e. the sound produced by wind blows past these branches).

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

兮

1. (literary) Sentence-internal or final exclamatory particle.

   • 蘀兮蘀兮，風其吹女。 [Pre-Classical Chinese, trad.]
     萚兮萚兮，风其吹女。 [Pre-Classical Chinese, simp.]

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

     Tuò xī tuò xī, fēng qí chuī rǔ. [Pinyin]

     Ye withered leaves! Ye withered leaves! How the wind is blowing you away!

   • 子夏問曰：「『巧笑倩兮，美目盼兮，素以為絢兮。』何謂也？」 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     子夏问曰：「『巧笑倩兮，美目盼兮，素以为绚兮。』何谓也？」 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

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

     Zǐ Xià wèn yuē: “‘qiǎoxiào qiàn xī, měimù pàn xī, sù yǐwéi xuàn xī.’ Héwèi yě?” [Pinyin]

     Zi Xia asked, saying, "What is the meaning of the passage - 'The pretty dimples of her artful smile! The well-defined black and white of her eye! The plain ground for the colors?'"

   • 淵兮似萬物之宗。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     渊兮似万物之宗。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: Tao Te Ching, 4^th century BCE

     Yuān xī sì wànwù zhī zōng. [Pinyin]

     How deep and unfathomable it is, as if it were the Honoured Ancestor of all things!

   • 歸兮亦難佇亦難，幾日彷徨中路傍？ [Korean Literary Sinitic, trad.]

     From: 《蘭皐平生詩》 (The Poem of My Life), death poem of Kim Byeong'yeon (金炳淵), 1863

     Gwi hye yeok nan jeo yeok nan, giil banghwang jungno bang? [Sino-Korean]

     Oh, it is difficult to go home, but so it is to stay; how many days more shall I roam the roads?

2. (Central Min, Puxian Min) Possessive particle.
3. (Southern Min) Alternative form of 个 (possessive particle)

(uncommon “Hyōgai” kanji)

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

• Go-on: げ (ge)
• Kan-on: けい (kei)
• Kun: の (no)

兮 (eum 혜 (hye))

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

兮: Hán Nôm readings: hề

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