皆 - Dong Chinese dictionary

jiē

all

Depicts people (从) moving and speaking (曰) together, conveying the meaning "all". (Oversimplified for brevity. The real story of this character is quite complicated.)

Components

从 Iconic component

cóng

from

Depicts two people. Modern form looks like 比.

Due to historical stylistic changes, this component is less similar to 从 than it was in ancient scripts.

曰 Iconic component

yuē

say

Modern form looks like 白.

Due to historical stylistic changes, this component is less similar to 曰 than it was in ancient scripts.

Evolution

Oracle script

(~1250-1000 BC)

Bronze script

Mid Western Zhou (~900 BC)

Seal script

Shuowen (~100 AD)

Clerical script

Qin dynasty (221-206 BC)

Regular script

Modern

Definitions

皆

jiē

all, every, everybody; all; each and every; in all cases

Most common words with 皆

Freq.	Word	Meaning
	皆	all
	皆大欢喜	As You Like It, comedy by Shakespeare
	比比皆是	can be found everywhere
	啼笑皆非	between laughter and tears
	尽人皆知	a household name