漢字Kanji · in States & Attributes
皆: all, everything
比 and 白 carry the meaning
Oracle bone · Shang Today
Oracle bone: Wikimedia Commons, public domain. Today’s form: KanjiVG, CC BY-SA 3.0.
Two readings, and the words that use each
カイkai · on'yomi · in compounds
- 皆目かいもくentirely, completely
- 皆無かいむnothing, none
- 皆勤かいきんperfect attendance
- 皆既食かいきしょくtotal eclipse
みなmina · kun'yomi · on its own
- 皆さんみなさんall, everyone
Special readingsThese words are read as a whole, not from the readings above.
- 皆みな/みんなeveryone
Also read みんな, with no example words in our sources. Words: Kanji alive, CC BY 4.0.
Where it comes from
Origin · sourced
Phono-semantic compound (形聲)虍 (meaning) + 几 (sound) + 口 (meaning)
Oracle bone script: Phono-semantic compound (形聲): semantic 虍 + phonetic 几 + semantic 口.
Source: Wiktionary, 皆 (rev. 93443706), CC BY-SA 4.0
Memory story · made up to help you remember
“Compare (比) + white/sun (白). Originally referred to a group of people "lined up" perfectly under the "bright sun"—representing the entire "everyone" present.”
Connections
Easy to confuse
The difference, side by sideIn ChineseSame character in simplified and traditional · jiē
Same form: 皆 is written the same way in mainland China (simplified) and in Taiwan and Hong Kong (traditional).
- Simplified
- 皆 mainland China, Singapore
- Traditional
- 皆 Taiwan, Hong Kong
Pinyin jiē most common reading
Forms and pinyin: Unicode Unihan database (Unicode License v3). Pinyin lists the most common reading, not every reading.