rán

yes

Original meaning: 

burn

Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound. Based on the original meaning "burn", now written as . The current meaning is a phonetic loan.

Components
灬 meaning component

  Meaning component

biāohuǒ

  

fire

is a component form of .

肰 sound component

  Sound component

rán

  

dog meat

Evolution

然 Bronze script Early Spring and Autumn (~700 BC)

Bronze script

Early Spring and Autumn (~700 BC)
然 Seal script Shuowen (~100 AD)

Seal script

Shuowen (~100 AD)
然 Clerical script Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)

Clerical script

Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
然 Regular script Modern

Regular script

Modern
Definitions

 

rán

yes, certainly; pledge, promise; correct; right; so; thus; like this; -ly

Most common words with 然
Freq.
Word
Meaning

然后

after

当然

only natural

虽然

although

突然

sudden

自然

nature

Component uses

Sound component in 1 character (1 verified)